Dealing With Body Shaming

Hi.

So let us talk about my weight gain, shall we?

In the past few months, I have put on more of those pounds in some areas I like (wink) and in some, I don’t. At the beginning of the year, I was a size 14; now, I am a size 16. This has meant getting bigger clothes, worrying about not being able to tuck in my belly anymore and generally feeling out of sorts with them Christian mother upper arms. That is where the rosy stuff ends. Imagine that this is what I call rosy.

A few weeks ago, I went out to get something for breakfast and this okada rider whom I have known for a while was passing by. I said hello and continued on my way. The man stopped his okada and said hello. I saw that he wanted to tell me something so I went back to hear him out. I assumed what he wanted to tell me must be pretty important because he was willing to waste the time of his customers to talk to me. He looked at me and said, ‘Do you know that you have multiplied? You are so fat now oh! E be like say this Buhari regime no dey affect you. This fatness too much na!’

My Body Is NOT Your Problem

Me at almost 75kg.
Image: Tunde Raphael.

So recently, I put on a lot of weight: or better put, I have become fuller! I know this because most of my clothes are small now that I have to get a new wardrobe. When I say most, I mean my pants (trousers: get your mind out of the gutter), skirts and certain dresses. I have always bought bigger clothes because I don’t like clingy clothes and I am the type of girl who would wear something I like for years and years until it becomes threadbare and begs to be thrown away. When I am slim, and by slim I mean my lowest weight of 62kg, my clothes are like baggy dresses (which I am happy with) and when I am at my full weight of 70kg, they are a bit snug but not so tight that all my curves (real and imagined) are out there for all to see…well, until recently: I weigh 75kg now.