I HAVE always been thin, all my life. It’s not a mystery just in case you are perplexed. I remember gaining weight on three occasions only: one, after my eye injury in August 1989; two, after childbirth on January 1, 1994; and three, after my major surgery in August 2015 – this one, I had difficulty losing the excess weight! All these three occasions were a struggle for me particularly the 2015 added weight because I was menopausal, and fearful that as a result I wouldn’t be able to lose the extra heft. Talk about major body changes.
Immediately after my surgery and the accompanying limited mobility, I reached 53 kg. You might say that’s just okay but it’s not okay for me. My favorite clothes no longer fit! I desired my weight to remain as it was – less than 50 kg or just fifty. Hence, the journey of losing the extra weight starting late 2016 onwards, coupled with regular exercise, wheat bread for breakfast, less rice for other meals, and the like, began. Still, it was exceedingly difficult to lose the unwanted bulge.
By December 2019, before I flew to Bohol for the Christmas and New Year break, I weighed myself at the General Santos City Airport just to be on the safe side, haha! I knew that vacations are synonymous with feasting and eating and I needed to be mindful. I was 51 kg at the time. Great, after three years, I only lost two!
By January 2020, I followed what I read about minimizing sugar and using sugar substitute. I found it relevant and quite enlightening. Thus, on the third week of January 2020 while I was still in Bohol, I bought a box of sugar substitute and started using it faithfully – until now.
And by March 2020 – after only two months – I lost the 2 kg I had long wanted to discard and weighed a good forty-eight! Victory is sweet! I patted myself and determined to use sugar substitute for life, on top of everything else.
Then the stress of the pandemic hit, and I lost about a kilogram or two, but I recovered the loss soon enough.
However, beginning July 2021, due to a major life change – a rotten one, if I may say so, I began to drastically lose weight, it scared me! In only four months, I lost 4 kg. I was terrified and consulted my doctor who simply advised to just eat frequently. It didn’t bring me any comfort.
It was a terribly slow process. One Christmas passed but I hadn’t reached my desired weight yet.
For added spice, during this major life change, a major life event also occurred – the one which saw me running for city councilor of General Santos City. This life event was a “good place” because it inspired and motivated me to push with dogged determination, commit to the process, and focus on the realization of a dream even if the weight didn’t add. It was the exact opposite of “rotten.” Truly, “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. – Psalm 94:19 (KJV).” I had so much fun campaigning I couldn’t care less about how thin I was!
Fast forward to post-campaign season, another ramification unraveled – relocation to my home city which I have written about in a previous column.
Last month whilst we were in Butuan City to visit a family relation, I checked my weight and boom! I was finally back to forty-eight! It took me fifteen months to achieve my goal!
What’s the moral of the story? Simple. Do not assume that just because someone is thin, she is obsessed with losing weight. Stop being a bloody critic or an asshole; we have plenty of that in the world. Expand your mindset and try for once to look at a human being not from the pedestal you are perched on but from the lens of someone who has seen suffering and distress.
***
If you’re looking for an affordable Airbnb in Cebu, try a cozy, clean, and elegant condotel unit at NorthStar located at Larrazabal Avenue, North Reclamation Area, Mandaue City. It can accommodate two to five persons. Check-in time is between 11:00 am to 8:00 pm while check out is twenty-four hours after. For inquiries and booking, you may call 09213895502 and 09171369856.
***
Writer hosts Woman Talk with Belinda Sales at 91.1 Balita FM Tagbilaran City every Saturday, 4:00-5:00 PM. She can be reached at belindabelsales@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
