Hello! I wanted to share this personal reflection for all my ladies with body issues out there. PS: You are beautiful.

For the most part of my life, I've always been a skinny girl. I stand at 1.524 m (5 ft) and up until 2021, my weight would just fluctuate around 40 kg to 43 kg. I followed the normal eating times, but I was never a breakfast person. My mom didn't police my eating habits as much, either.

I also have a pear-shaped figure (hips wider than shoulders, narrow waist) where my waist would remain at 24 in and my hips be 30 in. Elephant in the room: Yes, I have a big ass (lol). By no means do I have huge tits, but I did have sizeable ones that were proportional to my frame. I used to fit in XS-S sizes and usually one-size-fits-all clothing fit me like a glove.

In late 2022, I moved away from my immediate family to stay with other relatives and be nearer to campus. This changed me, physically. Same height (lol), but I now weigh 46 kg. My waist is now at 28 in and my hips at 35 in. I still fit in S sizes for tops and dresses, but I recently had to buy new pairs of pants because the ones I came with when I moved have become too tight for comfort. I still follow normal eating times, and still not a breakfast person. My serving sizes remain the same. Sometimes, I even forego eating in a rush to leave the house and make it to class on time. My weight is well within the normal range for BMI.

But now, through video calls, my mom has taken to pointing out my weight gain, and has told me not to eat too much. I have friends from my old place reply to my Instagram stories commenting about my weight, even the close ones.

It's been rough taking all those comments. Growing up, I have always made it my mission to love myself. I have not stopped doing so, but it has been an incredibly challenging period. I have never made other people's weight my business because I believe it is theirs and their doctor's (if any) business alone. So to be on the receiving end of these comments is very hurtful.

The worst one I've gotten so far was during my mom's extended family reunion. As usual, my mom and sister picked on me for my weight. But the comment that takes home the Rude As Fuck About Something Not Your Business trophy was the one I got from one of my titos, where he basically called me a pig, after seeing me eat breakfast in the dining room of the family's childhood home.

The pissy part is, I have not seen the man in years and years. Last he saw me was when I was entering high school, a time when we were all lanky as fuck. Of course, I'm gonna grow, dumbass.

But after that, I finished up my meal (istg super kawawa for me yung crying while eating because food is supposed to be comforting), I went to my room and silently cried. I told my best friend about it, and she comforted me in her own unique spite-filled way, and said that the only thing that matters is that my ass and tits got even bigger.

Perhaps it's the equally spiteful but self-loving spirit in me, but I'm not about to let a single man's opinion change the way I see myself. In fact, I have retained my pear shape, my ass is bouncier than ever, and my tits jigglier. If anything, this weight gain is symbolic of how much happier I am with my life now, compared to before. I've made amazing leaps in my career, met and bonded with great people, and continue to manifest all the things I want and deserve.

To women who've been in the same boat, I'm sorry you had to go through that. But in the IDGAF war between you and body shamers, make sure you win. I'm rooting for you.

In the words of Ms. Aja of NYC: you're perfect, you're beautiful. You look like Linda Evangelista, you're a model!