Last November, my situation with my (now ex-) boyfriend stressed me so much that I lost 20 pounds in about a month and a half. It’s a very unhealthy way to lose weight, but it was weight that I’d been trying to lose for years anyway. I just didn’t expect the changes in my life that would come with it.

My tips at work doubled (and so did the amount of harassment - I delivered pizzas). Also girls in my classes started noticing my existence for the first time in 4 years and were suddenly turning to me to ask, oh hey, do you want to study later? (I won’t even go into how guys treat me).

My dad constantly reminds me that I’ve lost weight. Every time he sees me, “don’t you feel so much better, looking this nice?” “don’t you feel so much healthier?” And I’m scared to gain any weight again because he’ll just go back to “do you really want to eat that?” “why don’t you go outside?”

All from losing just 20 pounds. Now everyone in my life and everyone I meet treats me very differently. I went from a size 13 to a size 9, and it’s as if I crossed some invisible line into what people consider “healthy, sexy, pretty, having self-control” etc etc etc. It even goes on to people respecting my opinion more and listening to me when I talk.

I never expected any of this. I’m hoping the experience is making me a better feminist at least.