Maria Kang who posted her 'What's your excuse' ad defended her controversial photo from many Facebook critics that said she was bullying other women, Yahoo Shine reported.

In the controversial ad, the 32-year-old mother is in a workout bra and micro shorts while surrounded by her three young sons ages 1, 3 and 4. The picture revealed a toned body with abs. Above her head, there was the question, "What's your excuse?"

The ad went viral garnering more than 16 million views on Facebook and received more than 12,000 comments. Some of the comments were praising Kang because of her dedication to stay fit despite having three children. But she also received negative comments with some even calling her.a "bad mom" and a "bully."

In an interview with Yahoo Shine, Kang defended herself. She said that she did not intend to offend people rather she "wanted to inspire people."

"I wanted to say, 'I know you think you don't have time if you have kids. But if I can do it, you can do it, too,'" she added. 

She posted the photo more than a year ago but she noticed that it was being shared a lot lately and that it got negative comments. She then reposted it and added a message.

"I'm sorry you took an image and resonated with it in such a negative way. I won't go into details that I struggled with my genetics, had an eating disorder, work full time owning two businesses, have no nanny, am not naturally skinny and do not work as a personal trainer," she wrote when she reposted her photo. "What I WILL say is this. What you interpret is not MY fault. It's yours. The first step in owning your life, your body and your destiny is to OWN the thoughts that come out of your own head. I didn't create them. You created them. So if you want to continue 'hating' this image, get used to hating many other things for the rest of your life."    

However, this post only fueled more comments with some people saying that her children needed a mom rather than muscles. Other people however, were supportive of her healthy lifestyle.

Kang has made a FAQ page as an answer to all the condemnations she has received.  She also mentioned that she spends an hour working out for five to six days a week. She said that time management is the key so that she can take care of her three children and find the time to work out. Her husband, David Casler, helps her to do this, she said.