Amaka Onyema shared her personal journey of struggling with drastic weight gain and the negative impact it had on her life . She revealed that her weight had always been a concern, but it escalated significantly after getting married and giving birth. As a result, she faced mockery and ridicule from her neighbors, causing her to feel diminished and worthless. Even her husband’s glances began to make her feel inadequate.
Amaka acknowledged that her health was at risk when she developed pregnancy-induced high blood pressure after giving birth. Realizing the urgent need to lose weight, she made the decision to take action. She found motivation in both the hurtful comments and her husband’s changing perception.
Despite marrying her due to his love for larger women, his altered gaze deeply affected her self-esteem. These factors pushed her to adopt a new dietary approach, cutting out carbohydrates from her meals, which led to a modest reduction in her weight.
Reflecting on her transformation, Amaka emphasized, “I wasn’t always this big. The excessive weight gain made me the subject of ridicule, particularly among my neighbors. They would call me names like ‘bag of rice’ and ‘fat woman.’ Even the way my husband looked at me made me feel worthless.”
Encouragingly, she shared that her efforts paid off, as her Husband and children expressed happiness with her progress. Determined to continue her journey, she expressed gratitude for the positive changes she had already experienced.
