A woman who lost 150 lbs has spoken out about how everyone treated her differently after she changed her body. Even her family members.
Katiria Duque, a 28-year-old woman from Houston, Texas, lost weight in 2019 due to a lack of energy and concern for her health. She lost between 275-285 and 130-135 pounds. She noticed a shift in how people interacted with her.
It was like strangers were becoming more friendly to her. People were more interested in her friendship and men who would have rejected her started to buy her drinks.
What really affected her was her relationship with her family. Katiria, a photographer and filmmaker, revealed in a TikTok clip that her grandma wanted to take a photograph of her after she lost weight. It was very personal for her.
“For the first ever time, my grandma took an image of me,” Katiria said. I remember that day because it made me cry,’ Katiria recalled in the clip, which has now garnered more than 2.5 million views.
Katiria Duque, 28 years old, lost 150 pounds in 2019 and noticed a shift in how people interacted. She lost between 275-285 and 130-135 pounds (left)
Speak up! The Houston, Texas, native has gone viral on TikTok for sharing her experience, with the video gaining more than 2.5 million views
Katiria admitted that before her weight loss, it felt like she didn’t matter.’ But, after her weight loss, she said that ‘everything around me was perfect.
“She was like, ‘Oh, me flaca! My skinny girl, I want an image of you!” She has never taken a picture with me. [before].
Katiria explained to her that things were different with her family members as well. Instead of telling her to stop eating, they offered to cook for her.
‘I would invite my family over and they’d ask me what I want to eat. What can I make for you, your favorite? She replied.
“And it’s so insane because when I was a lot bigger, it was like, “Hey, stop eating,” or, “Make yourself something to eat.”
Katiria admitted that before losing weight she felt like it didn’t matter. However, afterward she found better job opportunities and everything around her was perfect.
‘I felt like I didn’t matter. I was receiving better job opportunities. It was like everything around me was perfect. She stated that this messed me up because it was not something I could do for myself.
“I was afraid that if I gained weight back, everyone would hate me.” After being treated differently, you feel like “Oh damn, it was me that was hated.”
‘I kid you not, if something bad happened in my family or in my friend group or just out in life, I was always easy target to blame or I would get like the s**t end of everything.’
She continued, “I don’t know what it was in my head but whenever I lost all that fat, I could do nothing wrong.” It was very strange.
“I developed an eating disorder. I was afraid to gain that weight back. I tried to eat as little as possible, and to work out as hard.
She noticed that strangers on the streets were more friendly to her, more people wanted to be her friend, and men who had previously rejected her were willing to buy her drinks.
But what affected her the most was the way it changed the relationship she had with her family
Katiria explained to us that once she started eating again regularly, all the weight she lost was back.
“I gained every pound back. I’ve now spent the [last]She said that it took her two years to reach the same height as when she started.
“I’ve been hiding for two years, haven’t been to any events because I don’t want people to see that my weight has gone back.”
Katiria said in another video that she didn’t blame her family members for the treatment she received.
“I don’t blame them for thinking the way they did. We were all raised by society to like smaller bodies and to appreciate them. She stated, “That’s just how it’s always been,”
‘I was born in the 90s. It wasn’t high-rise jeans. America’s Next Top Model was my favorite TV show. I don’t remember the time my grandmother and my mother were raised.
“I imagine it was even worse so I don’t blame their ignorance.
“People will never be able to achieve what we have done unless they have experienced it themselves. You can only ask for more if they are willing to listen and learn.
She also shared that her incident with grandma sparked an important conversation.
They now offered to cook for her, rather than telling her to stop eating. Her grandmother took a photograph of her for the first-time.
There’s still plenty of room for growth: She said she doesn’t blame her family for the way she was treated because they were conditioned to appreciate and prefer smaller bodies.
She was like, “You know that I love you, no mater what.” Every shape. “Your whole life, I’ve loved and respected you.”
“I love that this happened because it gave me the opportunity to have a conversation with her. I had the opportunity to talk with her about body positivity as well as how the world has changed.
Katiria, speaking with Bored Panda, said that she was overwhelmed by the positive feedback she received on her video.
‘My reaction to my video going viral was overwhelming and not because of the views but people’s reactions! She said that she had no idea so many people could relate to my story.
‘Brought me to tears because I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. It also brought me peace knowing that we all can overcome fatphobia together if we continue to live our lives.
“It seems like everyone stopped living so we could accommodate people who hate looking at us in bigger bodies.
“So many people have been hiding for years in the comments. Enough is enough!