Siti Heriany: My family needs me and I have to be in the best of health

After her first pregnancy back in 2003, Siti Heriany, affectionately referred to as Yanie, kept gaining weight year on year. Every time she tried to lose weight, she would fail. That made the mother of four kids very stressed and she became desperate to lose weight. Yanie tried every diet out there but her weight just would not budge.

Then in late 2018, her weight hit 87kg and she started to suffer a lot of health issues. Her back was hurting all the time. She always felt very tired and fell sick easily. She was sad that she wasn’t able to join her kids for their outdoor activities like hiking and cycling due to her lack of energy.

“On top of that, I hid my big-sized body under baggy clothing and stretchy jeans and constantly compared myself to other women. I would feel jealous about their slim and beautiful bodies,” the 41-year-old reservation officer said.

“I was so unhappy with myself that my self-esteem hit rock bottom. Sometimes, I felt like my friends were talking about my weight and appearance behind my back so I stopped going out with them.”

Finally, with strong support from her husband and kids, she was determined to change to a healthy lifestyle by eating the right food and doing exercise, instead of relying on fad diets and slimming products to help. After one year, she managed to lose about 20kg.

“I’m so happy now that I have the stamina and energy to join my kids for outdoor activities. My family needs me and I have to be in the best of health,” she shared.

“Learning how to accept your new postpartum body can be a struggle but try to avoid negative self-talk. You are not alone and we are here to offer support and celebrate each other’s success. Let’s build confidence and bring positive energy into our lives! Open doors to share with others, be honest and talk openly.”

*This is a collaboration between Rock The Naked Truth and Pink Salt

Sandra Ho: I am worthy just the way I am

Growing up as a chubby kid, Sandra Ho faced a lot of criticism from her mum and relatives. When she got into her first relationship at 19, her then boyfriend compared her to other girls and she would also compare herself to Victoria Secret models who were on posters all over shopping malls.

Stuck in that toxic mentality for a long time, she struggled badly just to strive to look like them.

To stop herself from feeling guilty for eating, Sandra was exercising 2 to 3 hours day when she was in polytechnic. It bothered her that she was struggling to fit into a size S and she only ate an apple or just a bowl of fish soup for the day.

“I was going for Muay Thai classes two to three times a day for five days a week. I was pushing my limits just to look fit. Then I started to get really thin and I liked the attention I was getting all for the wrong reasons.”

“But because I wasn’t eating and I was exercising so much, I almost blacked out once and was feeling so light-headed,” the 30-year-old healthcare professional recalled.

“A blood test then showed that my haemoglobin level was way below normal and the doctor said that I have to start eating normally or my health was at risk.”

Eventually, it was pole dancing that led Sandra to learn how to love her body. Picking it up five years ago, she was amazed at the tricks she could do and how strong she became.

“The pole dance community is a very strong union of women coming together and we celebrate each other’s small wins. That’s when I realised that my body is so amazing and it gave me strength to pole dance.”

“I realised that I don’t have to be a certain size or look a certain way to be worthy. I am worthy just the way I am. I hope to bring a message to girls like me who suffered from body dysphoria and is also stuck in a toxic cycle of family members constantly commenting on your body – you are always worthy and you are beautiful.

“Your worth has got nothing to do with your weight. Be confident and shine like the brightest star!”

*This is a collaboration between Rock The Naked Truth and Pink Salt