Fat or Thin...Big or Small, Love your Body!

Last Sunday, May 14, we went to Loli’s and Ingkong’s house to celebrate your 6th month birthday and Mother’s Day. For Mother’s Day, I bought your Loli Onggay 2 different flavors of ice cream. I figured since ice cream is her most favorite dessert in the world, she would easily forgive me for not giving her any cash gift (hehe). And fortunately I was right! In the next two hours that we were in the house, your Loli was able to consume 2 mugs of ice cream and a cone. As usual, I couldn’t help but kid her about it, telling her “Mommy, di ka pa ba nasusuka? (hehe)” and to this she answered back “Maikli lang ang buhay nang tao. Bawal nga sakin lahat ng mga kinakain ko pero sige lang!”. In here your Loli Onggay obviously insinuates why the hell diet? Just eat everything you want for life is too short! This is your loli's philosophy and hearing this made me wonder, did she make a good point or is she inadvertently eating herself ill and had to be stopped?

Looking back at your Loli's weight problems and thinking of my titas’ current humongous weight (some are literally close to the weight of an actual inahin! haha), I can never agree with her. Besides having the genetics for obesity, I never can bring myself to eat everything I want without dreading the possibility I will once again be back to my overweight self (actually at present, since I haven’t lost all the pregnancy weight I gained, I am technically overweight but not naman fat pa [*gulp* I hope this is just not in my eyes]).

Ever since I could remember, I’ve always had weight problems. I am what you call “tabain”. Even if I don’t eat a lot, for some reason I gain weight easily. I remember my childhood was tainted with your titas and tito's teasing about my weight. My nickname is Bambi but your Tita Lori and Tita Veron lovingly changed that to Bambiik. And your Tito Jay didn’t also bother hiding how he thought of my weight because during the time in grade school, when we weren’t on speaking terms, he pasted this sign on his door: “Bawal pumasok mga baboy!”. So sweet your tito noh? And even your greatgrandfather called me “Hollow Block” since my chest at that time was so kapal and so lapad like a hollow block.

So you see, given the history, I naturally became conscious of my weight. I tried several diets: after 6 diet, 3 day diet, no rice diet, pasta diet, etc.! But all these never really caused drastic weight loss for me. It was actually only during my early 20s, when I started working and going to the gym did I go down to the weight I actually like (and that allowed me to wear any clothes I want). That made me realize that for you to lose weight, you really have to live an active life. There is no other quick way to losing excess pounds except by watching what you eat and exercising (or perhaps having your heart broken, but that I will discuss to you in future entries).

And when I say watch what you eat, it doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of food. Keep in mind that you can indulge yourself of course but know your limits. Make sure you do something to burn those calories (I will make sure you will lead an active life that is why as early as now, you are slated to take ballet/gymnastics lessons and swimming whether you like it or not! hehe). I don’t believe in making yourself go hungry since this will only just make you gain weight more once your resolution to not eat gets dissolved (and believe me, this will eventually happen unless you have officially become an anorexic! Or bulimic!).

And my sweet girl, remember there is nothing wrong with having a flab here and there. There’s nothing wrong with having a non-supermodel body (which brings me to tell you not to read fashion magazines! This will only make you feel insecure! Those models are not real, their pictures are actually airbrushed you know to be flawless and perfect! *This is your bitter mom speaking. Hehe*). But seriously, there is nothing wrong with having a non-perfect body. What is more important is that you carry yourself well and have confidence in the way you walk, move, interact with people. That will speak more volumes than having a mindless/uninteresting personality within a perfect body. And besides there is always a way to hide your physical flaws in the kind of clothes you wear. Don’t worry, mommy will show you how! And more on these in my future entries.

Love your body my Bea girl. Everytime you look in the mirror, always be thankful for the flaws and assets you are blessed with. You are beautiful my darling inside and out. Never forget that.