Growing up in Guyana I was very very skinny and I desperately wanted to gain weight. But try as I may, nothing seemed to work. I wanted to be like other women who were referred to as being “thick” or having “a little meat on my bones.” But it just wasn’t in my DNA, I guess. I even wanted to try pills to gain weight. How delusional of me! Fortunately for me none of my gimmicks work.
Then I moved to America and what a rude awakening I received. Everyone wanted to be slim or was trying desperately to lose weight. This was a stark contrast to where I came from. I soon realized that I needed to embrace my natural body weight. Little did I know that years later when age and metabolic changes kick in the issue of weight would again raise its ugly head, but this time I want to be on the losing side.
My advice to my 21-year-old self is simple “Accept yourself the way you are and don’t concern yourself with gaining weight. A few years into your future your body will change and you will regret it; gaining weight is so much harder than losing.”
Now your turn, what advice would you give to your 21-year-old self?
