My Thoughts on Body Shaming

Hi Steemians!

7 days ago, I've shared my body transformation for 5 months here in Steemit. Many people were actually happy for me on my success. The weight loss journey has been a hell of a ride as people around me were so negative about it.

Because of it, I never said a word to my doubtful friends and I've never shared anything on social media - until the day that I have successfully lost 10 kilos. That shocked them. I've proven them wrong.

I must admit, aside from health reasons, part of the motivation to actually lose weight are the people who body shamed me in so many ways they know. People nowadays love to body shame as easy as greeting! Example, if someone meets a friend he'd not seen for a long time, will just easily say: "Hi! You look fat!" Instead of saying "How are you?".

My situation has been really hard. As I've mentioned on my last post, I grew up really really thin and people body shamed me for being such. They will call me "lipak" or bamboo stick, "payat" or thin or anything you could or could not imagine. That went on for the first 25 years of my life.

At 26, when I started to gain enough weight to look better and healthier, people will call you names again pertaining to your changing body shape. There's nowhere to run.

At 27, when I got pregnant (got married at 26), that's when I started to gain a lot and that was the hardest part: you'll be body shamed by the closest people you know. Being pregnant was hard and people judging your body added to the burden.

Fast forward today, I am really happy that I was able to reach my goal: to feel good about my self. Yes. I shed off weight to please my self: no more, no less. Losing some pounds doesn't guarantee that you'll be able to impress the crowd. I think I've reached the point that I no longer care about other people's feedback. They will still body shame you, anyway.

_{When I start to notice my collar bones showing off again.}

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I hope people would understand that everyone of us has so many issues in life. Let's be careful with our words as we really don't know how the other person will take it. No matter how big or small a person's body is, we don't have the right to judge. Let's co-exist without any judgment on one another.

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