Suriya Krishnamoorthi: Beyond the Ideal Body Type
” I was diagnosed with PCOS in my late teens. Few months into medication, I started gaining weight drastically; hair loss and facial hair growth were an added baggage.
My body started looking more masculine than feminine; I was only focused on my external appearance, not bothering to comprehend the internal effects. Standing out in college due to my appearance and getting body shamed, withered my confidence.
I started approaching various Gynecologists, but nothing worked out. With every clinical visit, my self-esteem dropped by a level until I met a doctor in Vijaya Hospital, Chennai. She was the first one to talk to me about PCOS and the risks associated with it.
I weighed 86kgs at that point and decided to focus on my weight loss journey after graduation. Getting below 60kgs was the ultimate goal of my life. I came across a weight loss program in the newspaper ad and decided to visit them. Starting on this new journey, my happiness had no bounds. But life had different plans, I guess.
The manager that talked me through the program made some harsh comments on my weight. Adding up to that, their prices were very high. The manager’s callous comments kept repeating in my head. More than her witty remarks, it was the way she was confident in her skin that I envied. I wanted to feel that way as well, I wanted to fall in love with myself back again. Looking at my raging discomfort, my parents decided to do the best in their control.
My dad bought a treadmill home. I wasn’t as boosted but decided to give in anyway. I didn’t push myself through rigorous training but made a tiny effort every single day to work out and eat healthy, not knowing that my consistency would bring a change in my body!
It was only after a month or 2 that I started noticing the changes. It wasn’t a major weight loss, but the change was evident enough and it felt good! And there began my journey of self-motivation; everything fell into place with time. I no longer needed medication and my menstrual cycle also became regular.
Today, a decade later I’m fit and into a healthy lifestyle, but I still don’t force my body into doing something that I don’t want. Let it be cravings or training, I always focus on how I feel, rather than how I look.
So, now when someone asks me about my weight, I tell them, I am sufficiently happy and strong in my skin such that I don’t focus on specific numbers on the scale anymore.