Amy Ong, 38, Relationship Manager
I used to be chubby in my early 20s, or at least I was made to think I was chubby (I was 65kg then). My first boyfriend was a bodybuilder and he used to pass remarks about how I looked chubby and had a big ass and chunky thighs. After breaking up with him, my self-esteem dropped drastically. That was when I decided I needed to lose weight so I started running.
I was running everyday for a few years and I even went on to run a marathon at 26. Unfortunately I busted my knee in that process and now I am unable to run anymore. It hit me very hard because I was so reliant on exercising to maintain my weight and my self-esteem. My weight was down to 55kg!
Determined to continue exercising, I started going to the gym fervently. Somewhere over the years, I gradually realised that it is not about the weight loss or the appearance anymore. There are days where I face moments of self-doubt, still thinking that I have chunky thighs and struggling to look nice in photos.
Thankfully, I have a very supportive husband and he helped me understand that you don’t need to be slim to be beautiful.
Photography & Styling: Franz Navarrete, Timothy Chow, Coby Travis, Hosanna Swee.
Hair & Make Up: Airin Lee, Vicky Ang
Calligraphy: Trudy Zhang
