Local Influencer Christabel Chua Opens Up About Weight Gain Struggles, Including Comments From Her Mum

Trying to manage their weight is a problem many people struggle with, especially as they get older.

In a recent podcast with local content creators Saffron Sharpe and Natashan Tan, Christabel Chua got real candid about her experience with weight gain and how it has affected her confidence and self-image.

According to the 35-year-old, who's better known online as Bellywellyjelly, it all began after she moved out of her parents’ home and enjoyed the freedom that came with it.

"I was like, 'Yes, I can order supper'. Nobody is here to say, 'Why are you ordering food so late?' and that was when I let myself go," she recalled.

"But I also felt very happy at that time. I felt like I had so much control over what I wanted to have."

To Christabel, having the autonomy to reward herself after a long day also felt like a step towards self-love.

"But obviously when I meet my mum and all, they'd be like, 'You gained weight'. Or she'd be like, 'You're eating so much rice?'" she said.

"I think we've grown used to our parents saying this kind of things and also are used to knowing that it will not change," added Christabel. 

The influencer, who married her partner, Jonathan, in 2023, also found many people asking if she's pregnant. 

"I think because now I'm in my 30s, I get that a lot from acquaintances or people online. And I just had no idea how to answer," she divulged.

It was only until not long ago that she finally told her mum how those remarks made her feel.

"I recently did say, 'Mum, you know that's a bit hurtful. You saying this is not gonna make me feel comfortable about myself'," she said. 

The persistent fat-shaming, despite her having lost some weight, certainly didn’t help.

"It made me feel like, am I not enough? Am I still not in shape? What is the ideal?" she shared.

That said, Christabel has seemingly come to terms with the fact that there’s no such thing as an “ideal” weight or body size.

"I think in my 20s, the ideal is maybe looking nice in a bikini or being able to wear clothes that show your midriff. Your legs are skinny, your face is small and you don't look bloated all the time. I think that was the standard," she explained.

In fact, even at that age, Christabel didn't feel that she was at an "ideal" size.

"Now looking back at my pictures from 10 years ago, I thought: 'Eh, actually, I was slim and pretty'. Why did I tell myself that I didn't look attractive, pretty or that I'm fat?" she posited.

"I think we are just not kind in the way that we talk to ourselves at any point in our lives."