This is my 11th birthday if I remember correctly. We're having birthday cake and my sister is next to me. I felt like continuing with a preteen picture before moving on to the teen years.
Oh boy... a full figure shot. You can see here that I was a big girl. LOL Anyone remember those hats that were, oh so modern back then?? Well, to continue on. There weren't any rolemodels of color or anyone on billboards, ads and commercials. Cosmetics sold were aimed towards girls with blonde hair and blue eyes. I felt that was the standard of beauty and therefore felt that I wasn't good enough. I didn't feel pretty or slim and that resulted in more bingeing. Not good!
Ah! This is a self-shot of my grandfather and me in our garden. I'm nearsighted and had to wear glasses. Yup, glasses, overweight kid all these factors did not help with the teasing. I always felt comfortable at home and especially around my grandfather. He is so kind and always knew what to say to make me feel better.
This is another shot of me in our garden. It was taken in May I think, the flowers were blooming and the weather was nice. I was in high school back then so I think I must've been around 16 years old on this pic.
This picture was taken just a few years ago, in the beginning of my twenties when I visited my sister who is studying in Beijing. It was in the month of May, it was HOT (you may have guessed by looking at my sweatdrenched face) and we had gone to the Beijing Zoo where we were looking at pandas. I had become more aware of my weight issues here and started eating more healthily.
This is me just months ago.
I've started working out and eating more healthy here. I didn't realize how important exercise and a healthy diet was until a few years ago. Well, you know what they say, better late than never. Wish me luck with my diet! I'll post pictures once I've lost enough for me to be satisfied. Say... 4 months from now? It's good to have a goal and to pressure one self. I'll update with pictures of my new self when June comes. =D
This is a picture of my maternal grandparents taken about 20 years ago. My grandfather is the coolest, most patient, wise and understanding person I know. It's funny seeing this picture and remembering how "young" they looked as opposed to today. We were taking a walk in a park and my aunt snapped this picture. They're so adorable!
Ah yes... a teenager with short hair. I started gaining weight as a teenager. Mostly because of insecurities and teasing. I was slim as a kid but it changed when I was 12-13 years old. There weren't a lot of asians at my school at that time and I didn't feel like I could relate to anyone with Danish backgrounds.
I think I'm around 18 here. You can see on the roundness of my face that my weight was still up there. This is also around the time I started trying to look good and wearing more make-up. This was also the time where I let my hair grow out so it became loong and like any normal teenager I wanted to be pretty. Gahd, my brows where really overplucked here!
If you look closely, you can see a scar over my right eyebrow on my forehead. This happened when I was 2 and was balancing on the edge of the sandbox at my kindergarten. I fell and got this scar.
This is me just months ago.
I've started working out and eating more healthy here. I didn't realize how important exercise and a healthy diet was until a few years ago. Well, you know what they say, better late than never. Wish me luck with my diet! I'll post pictures once I've lost enough for me to be satisfied. Say... 4 months from now? It's good to have a goal and to pressure one self. I'll update with pictures of my new self when June comes. =D
19 comments:
Ha, this was fun to read! I think you look like you are at a healthy weight now (but that's just judging from your face and comparing it with your face in the previous pics). So 4 more months to go? Hope you don't go overboard! :)
I remember those hats LOL I used to wear them a lot :) I love this entry, it's a great time line of a beautiful young lady blossoming into women hood. I can relate to the school thing. My school had me and 2 other Asians so I was teased a lot for being different :( Nothing wrong with a lil meat sista! GIVE THEM TO ME!!!!
Kids can be really cruel. I used to be teased a lot because of my lips and my skin color of all things (I was the darkest girl in our class). I'm on a diet too! I really need to shape up. I'm big as a tub already. ach!
So far, I'm loving your blog. I didn't even know you had one until now -_-; I love how you relate your phases of growing up to societal standards of beauty and how it affected you as a minority. It's such an interesting perspective!
I remember growing up wishing I was a white blonde girl, lol, can you believe it?? I can't believe how comfortable I am now with who I am... it's so strange... I don't want to change anything about me.
I can relate to the hardships of growing up a minority. I know that who you are now partially derives from the character that was built of those hardships and, in a way, I appreciate that you've gone through what you have, as I have, because you've become someone with amazing perspectives and character. You've def. blossomed into a beautiful and amazing young woman, Chi!!!
oh, and, re: your response to my blog... i hadn't thought about it that way before, but wow, that DOES make a lot of sense! it's so strange.. it's 3 pieces of furniture, but they seem to represent so much...
Liz, I'll make sure not to go overboard and stay healthy.
Lurve: I loved that hat! I wore it almost everyday. More cushion for the pushing, eh?
Vianne, ach! I love that word! True, kids can be so cruel sometimes. Let's both diet and see where we are in the month of June. Good luck! I certainly need it too!
Seyoung, tell me about it! When I was a kid I longed to have blonde, curly hair and blue eyes. Now, I've learnt to love myself for who I am. The hardships we go through, the little bumps in life, make us who we are today and I wouldn't want to be without it.
I know, funny how furniture can mean so much, right?
the pictures are so interesting to look at =) they show how you've grown into this beautiful woman. good luck with dieting. don't go to the extreme.
I really enjoyed your timelines. It's always so good and look back and see how you have changed over the years, and how people around you have changed as well! When I was 12-13 in middle school, I was a little awkward chubby teenager with braces with hardly any Asian people around me to relate to. Sigh we've all been there :) Look how far you've come and how beautiful you look now :)
You are so cute! Now and even before. I can totally relate with teasing. Not only from schoolmates, but my counsin and dad kept on teasing me. I actually wasn't skinny, but I wasn't anywhere chubby back then. But they never stopped calling me idik or tambok (piglet and fat in my dialect). I had to be put on hormone therapy, plus college and all the break-outs started, and I haven't been fit since then. Your post is very inspiring. Maybe tomorrow I will check out the nearest gym. I get so frustrated when I love some outfit and just can't get it to look good on me. I can't wait until your next photos.
Aaah! June's just around the corner! I feel pressure! :) Good luck to both of us! :)
Vianne. Haha, no pressure. We could call June a checkpoint! =D
Thanks for your comments, I'm glad you had fun lookingg at them. If I can inspire someone then I'm happy.
Hey Chi! your picture now looks like you're very thin. You must be pretty close to your goal weight now?
I was also quite overweight in my youth. Then pin thin in college, then ballooned back up after college. I started watching my weight/exercising diligently around 24.
Good luck! You look wonderful...
Oh you look so cute in each and every picture. Glad you found your way to a healthier lifeestyle. I need to do the same thing! :)
Beijing--SO jealous!
Hi Chi! I found your blog through ABB. :) I don't post much, but it's nice to see that you have your own blog.
i'm glad you found your healthy weight! i used to be so weight conscious when i was a teenager!! you'll be looking even more fit in June i'm sure :D
Thanks for your comments you guys. I'll be logging on, rereading them when I'm tired and about to give up =D
that's wonderful that you're exercising and it's working for you! :)and you look really pretty in that pic when you were 18! and you look GREAT in the "now"-picture ^_^
lol the hat. I remember the big-rimmed visors being sported around in so many fruity colors haha. ah...back then....
Hiya , i just arrived at your blog teehee and i love it, Great inspirational story and i can see that you have lost weight can see it from your face shape and blosomed into you :), the pic of you with yr grandparents is sweet, boo. mine have already gone to a better place :(.
Great review of your life..:) I enjoyed reading it, and great photos too. It remind me the fact, that I havent seen many of your old photos. It must be an error, but simple to correct, how about a picture fun-day?
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