Jessy Mendiola talks about learning to love her body

15 Mar – Actress Jessy Mendiola recently took to Instagram to share her thoughts about the cyberbullying she faced for her physique, and what she learned since then.

The actress shared a "before and after" photo which showed how different she looked in the past and how she is now - in an attempt to inspire others who are facing a similar issue as her.

"I've always thought of myself as really strong and fit, yes, even in the picture on the left. I worked out regularly (weights and all), ate what I felt was good for me and you know what? It felt good, I was happy," wrote Mendiola.

The actress stated that when she won FHM's sexiest woman in 2016, she thought that people will finally appreciate her for her efforts and her body image.

"But I was wrong. I was bullied, body shamed with bashers calling me names like "pata, baboy, taba, etc", while others said I didn't deserve to win the title cos I'm [way] bigger than the other girls who they thought should've won. I felt really down and started losing my confidence," she said.

Mendiola stated that even though she loved herself at the time, she began to hate her physique due to the comments made by others.

"I stopped working out, I got depressed, binge ate my feelings off and started gaining more weight than I should. I didn't even want to be seen on TV anymore, I started turning down roles and it affected my work," she admitted.

However, Mendiola stated that she then realised that she has no reason to hate herself.

"I thought of myself as sexy, strong and beautiful in my own way. I started building myself up again despite what other people say (until now they call me names) and have lost 15 lbs since. I learned to eat moderately and exercise to feel good, to be energised rather than by punishing myself for eating chocolates or that blueberry muffin. I started accepting my build and switched my work out according to my body type," she said.

Mendiola stated that she still thinks of herself as the "pata girl" - but in a different perspective.

"When I decided to shift perspective, everything started falling into place. I may not be the sexiest for others, but I am sexy and beautiful for myself, that alone is enough. Shout out to every "pata girl" out there, just keep going. Love yourself, love your body and it will love you back. Trust me," she added.

(Photo source: Jessy Mendiola Instagram)