A plus size model has revealed what the festive season is like for her as a “fat advocate”.
When she was younger, Cierra Giesbrecht struggled with her confidence with people constantly giving her looks or sharing unwanted snide remarks.
As she moved through her 20s, the mum, now 32, realised that she needed to accept the body she was born in and learn to love every part of herself.
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But as Christmas approaches, she has reflected on what life is like for those in bigger bodies throughout the festive period – which often includes a focus on food and treats.
“People often make the assumption that people living in larger bodies eat more food, and this can be heightened during holiday party season for sure,” Cierra, from Saskatoon, Canada, told What’s The Jam.
“I know that I am definitely more aware of the portion size or what I am putting on my plate when I am eating in public.
“Often times I hear from others that family members will make remarks, like: ‘Oh, do you really need dessert?’ or ‘Are you sure you should have another helping’ at dinner.
“It can be so humiliating.
“And it makes me not want to eat in public again.”
The self-described ‘fat advocate’, who is a size 3X (Canadian) / 22 (UK), tries not to let being plus size impact her enjoyment over the Christmas period.
She said: “Christmas in general is an exciting and joyful time for most.
“When spending time with friends or family, I have not really had many direct comments about my weight or body.
“But I often hear so many body comments in general around this time as we are often indulging in food and desserts more regularly in the holiday season.
“We often hear comments like ‘oh I am so bad for eating this food item’ or ‘I am going to have to never eat again after this big meal’.
“This can often have an impact on anyone listening as they then internalise their own food thoughts
“Sometimes, it is hard not to take it personally.
“If a person smaller than me is speaking out loud about their body growing larger as a negative thing, I often [wonder] what they think of my body.
“Often times these people don’t mean it as a direct insult to myself, but it definitely leaves me wondering what their true thoughts are on my body or if there is judgment about what is going on my plate during the holidays.”
Cierra started her TikTok account to defy the bullies and to become a role model for her daughters Alerra, seven, and Rylee, five.
Before accepting herself, she felt anxiety about seeing family members whom she hadn’t seen in a while – especially if her body had grown or changed.
When it came to work holiday parties, or she was around a lot of people, the mum would be mindful of what, and how much, she was eating.
With potlucks often popular during the festive season, she claims to have felt the need to bring a healthy item along in a bid to show that she does eat a balanced diet – and to combat any negative thoughts or comments from others.
She said: “I have spent a lot of time working on myself and my confidence or the last several years, that I try my best to still enjoy the holiday season.
“I especially want to set a good example for my two young daughters who are also watching me, watching how I speak to my body, how I fuel my body with food.”
And she has also shared advice to anyone else who is plus size at this time of year.
She added: “The holiday season can be a huge source of stress for people for many reasons and it is important to set boundaries about what topics are acceptable and what aren’t.
“Often times we may have not seen these family members for an entire year and our bodies may have changed.
“It is just as important that we don’t comment on weight loss as we do on weight gain.
“Weight loss happens for a variety of reasons, and it isn’t always positive.
“Same goes for bodies that may be larger.
“My general rule of thumb is we just don’t discuss other people’s bodies.
“Just enjoy yourself.”
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