Man's response to his girlfriend’s past 'overweight' photos restores her self-confidence

At some point, we have all felt insecure about how we look because of our weight, and at that time a little reassurance can help us go a long way. This was seen in a post written by u/One_Flower9961 on Reddit, she wrote about how earlier she had gained a little weight and she was insecure about how she looked. However, when she showed her pictures to her boyfriend, he appreciated her and it made her feel loved and seen by him. It also made her rethink her insecurities. The post began with, "I’ve been seeing this guy for two months and it’s been great. He has all of the qualities I’ve been looking for in a person; he’s sweet, funny, polite, great in bed, etc. We go out to eat at least once or twice a week and in the past couple of months I’ve gained a few pounds, maybe 6-10."

"When we go out we get appetizers, mains, drinks and dessert and then breakfast out the next day. I was joking with him earlier today about gaining weight but I also said 'It’s a good thing I look good at different weights, whether it’s 120, 140, or 170.'" Her boyfriend asked her in disbelief, "170??! no way you’ve ever been 170." The woman pulled and showed him a picture of her from 2019. She explained, "I could see sparkles in his eyes. He begged me to show him more photos of me at that weight."

The post continued, "His reaction shocked me because I so often feel like I have to force myself to be small, and for what? it’s okay to not be teeny-tiny. His reaction made me feel safe and appreciated."

She further edited the post and added how she did not know that her post will be appreciated so much. She wrote, "Due to a decline in my mental health for several years in the recent past, I’ve lost a lot of weight and needed professional help to regulate my eating. So, although I’ve been 170, I’ve also been 118 in the past two years and now I stay around 125-130. I do struggle with body image so hearing someone compliment my body at a weight I’ve felt insecure in felt really good."

She further explained, "When we go out to eat, we eat a lot. He enjoys eating and I enjoy eating with him. It’s hard for me to eat when I’m alone, I don’t have the desire to eat the way other people do. Food doesn’t really excite me anymore and I pretty much only eat to make the hunger go away. When I’m left to my own devices, I drink coffee until 3 PM, maybe a protein bar and have a simple dinner with my family." However, she explained how it is different with her boyfriend, "when I go out with him, have a drink and get into an engaging conversation, it’s easy for me to eat a lot and I feel so much better than when I’m starving. I normally eat 'girl dinner,' if you will."

The comments section was filled with an outpouring of appreciation for her boyfriend, with many people expressing their admiration and support for him. u/humblemeercat wrote, "That was not what I was expecting, but also pleasantly surprising!! Good for you!" u/JaiRenae wrote, "Me neither! As someone who is struggling with health issues and currently 176, I am happy to read this story!" u/oldwitch1982 shared a story of their own, "The guy I’m with now - when we started hanging out I called myself fat and he said 'hey - do me a favor and don’t talk about yourself like that.'"