When I was 20 years old, living in Madrid, I felt like I was living in a world consumed by body self-awareness and a culture that placed a high value on physical appearance. Everywhere I looked, I saw gay men who looked like they belonged on the cover of a fitness magazine. It felt like the pressure to conform was overwhelming, and for a long time, I felt like I didn't belong.
At the time, I was in a relationship with a girl, and I was deeply confused about my sexuality. I didn't know who I was, or where I fit in, and I turned to food as a way to cope with my feelings. As a result, I gained a lot of weight, and I became increasingly unhappy with the way I looked.
Eventually, I decided that I needed to make a change. I wanted to find the strength to come out of the closet, and I knew that I couldn't do that until I felt good about myself. So, I started to lose weight, and I did it quickly and with a single-minded focus that bordered on obsessive. I restricted my calories, exercised for hours every day, and I ignored the warning signs that my body was sending me.
As the weight came off, I felt a sense of accomplishment that was addictive. I liked the way I looked, and I enjoyed the compliments I received. But as I got skinnier, I also began to feel weaker. I was hungry all the time, and I had headaches that wouldn't go away. My energy levels were low, and I was tired all the time.
Eventually, I got down to a weight of 70kg, which was far too low for my body. I looked saggy and gaunt, and I realized that I had gone too far. I had become so fixated on losing weight that I had lost sight of the bigger picture. I had lost touch with who I was and what I truly wanted.
It wasn't until I met my boyfriend that things started to change. He showed me that I didn't have to look a certain way to be happy, and that I didn't have to conform to anyone else's standards. Over time, I started to gain weight again, but this time it was different. I was doing it because I wanted to, not because I felt like I had to.
Today, I'm still on a journey to health and happiness, but it looks very different from the journey I took when I was 20. I've learned that it's not about how you look, but how you feel. It's about accepting yourself for who you are, and embracing all of your flaws and imperfections.
It's about loving yourself, no matter what. #bodypositivity #selflove #journeytohealth
At the time, I was in a relationship with a girl, and I was deeply confused about my sexuality. I didn't know who I was, or where I fit in, and I turned to food as a way to cope with my feelings. As a result, I gained a lot of weight, and I became increasingly unhappy with the way I looked.
Eventually, I decided that I needed to make a change. I wanted to find the strength to come out of the closet, and I knew that I couldn't do that until I felt good about myself. So, I started to lose weight, and I did it quickly and with a single-minded focus that bordered on obsessive. I restricted my calories, exercised for hours every day, and I ignored the warning signs that my body was sending me.
As the weight came off, I felt a sense of accomplishment that was addictive. I liked the way I looked, and I enjoyed the compliments I received. But as I got skinnier, I also began to feel weaker. I was hungry all the time, and I had headaches that wouldn't go away. My energy levels were low, and I was tired all the time.
Eventually, I got down to a weight of 70kg, which was far too low for my body. I looked saggy and gaunt, and I realized that I had gone too far. I had become so fixated on losing weight that I had lost sight of the bigger picture. I had lost touch with who I was and what I truly wanted.
It wasn't until I met my boyfriend that things started to change. He showed me that I didn't have to look a certain way to be happy, and that I didn't have to conform to anyone else's standards. Over time, I started to gain weight again, but this time it was different. I was doing it because I wanted to, not because I felt like I had to.
Today, I'm still on a journey to health and happiness, but it looks very different from the journey I took when I was 20. I've learned that it's not about how you look, but how you feel. It's about accepting yourself for who you are, and embracing all of your flaws and imperfections.
It's about loving yourself, no matter what. #bodypositivity #selflove #journeytohealth
