Pressure to look perfect - Sherry almost faint because of waist trainer na the same day she finally regains her freedom…
In this life wey we dey so, na small small things dey remind people say peace of mind na the real wealth. That day, when Sherry stand for front of her standing mirror, she discover something wey change her entire mindset about herself… and about life.
Sherry almost faint because of waist trainer na the same day she finally regains her freedom.
That moment opened her eyes like a torchlight for a dark room.
That day, she talk to herself say:
“I love my GP tank tommy the way e dey. Nobody fit pressure me again.”
Truly… nobody fit.
E start one early Saturday morning. Sherry don buy one new waist trainer because she wan attend one owambe party. She tell herself:
“Ah! Today, I go snatch my waist. Today, I go look like figure 8 wey dem carve from heaven.”
She no know say she dey plan war against her own body.
Sherry tie that waist trainer like say she dey prepare for wrestling match. Immediately e hold her stomach, she freeze.
Her chest tighten.
Her breath reduces.
Her sense commot small.
She still presses on because according to society, women must “look a certain way.”
Sherry no be weakling. She be correct Naija woman. She look mirror again and whisper:
“Na big belle I get, I no kpai person. If my belle big like drum, leave am for me. Last last, na big gown all of us go wear for last day. Belle no go show.”
Five minutes.
Just five minutes inside the party, na there gbege start.
The DJ dey play, people dey dance, drink dey chill. Sherry gats maintain poise like queen. She never even chop, she never sip drink.
Suddenly… e be like say her waist wan pull out.
She holds a chair.
The world come dey spin small like merry-go-round.
Her breath reduce again.
She talk:
“Omo! I no fit breathe o! I no fit eat, I no fit drink. Na like say person dey use rope drag my intestines.”
She waka commot from dance floor like soldier wey dey withdraw from the battlefield.
She run enter toilet, lock door and with trembling hands… she remove the waist trainer.
What happened next shocked even her:
The way air enters her body? She nearly cried.
She sit for toilet cover, hands on her knees, sweat for her forehead. Na that moment she understand say:
Freedom na oxygen.
Sherry tell herself:
“So na like this I for take land myself for hospital? For what? Because of who? For wetin?”
She imagine them carrying her with stretcher from the party because of waist trainer. She imagine her family shouting:
“For what na?”
“Who send you?”
“Ife onye acho ka o fu”(Whatever one is looking for is what one finds). If a woman causes her own pain, she will drink it alone.
That Igbo adage hit her deeply.
Nobody go follow you suffer the pain you chose by yourself.
Sherry no be the only one. Many women dey go through same thing. Society go tell you:
Your belle too big
Your waist no snatch
Your shape no standard
Your body no set
The same society go leave you alone inside your pain.
Pressure is a silent killer.
Sherry think of all the times she don drag her body just to please people wey no even notice her.
She almost cry because she realize say she don dey betray her own body just to satisfy strangers’ eyes.
Na that day, she stand for toilet mirror like warrior wey survive battlefield. She raise her hand say:
“I no dey tie my belle again! I no send anybody. Na me get my body. Na me go take am easy and work on myself gradually.”
She smiles at her reflection.
She touched her tummy gently.
“Big belle no kpai person. Allow my body to breathe in peace.”
That was the beginning of her healing.
Instead of waist trainer wey almost send her to heaven before her time, Sherry choose:
Exercise
Enough water
Fruits
Portion control
Peace of mind
Love for her body
Grace for her progress
She begins to walk in the mornings.
She dey drink water like person wey dey train for marathon.
She dey chop fruits like princess for palace.
She dey portion her food small small.
She discover say self-love dey sweet pass waist trainer torture.
Sherry hold onto one scripture wey save her:
“I will praise You, for I am fearful and wonderfully made.” – Psalm 139:14
Fearfully and wonderfully made NOT painfully and forcefully shaped.
That line give her confidence wey money no fit buy.
As our fathers will always say:
“Nwayo nwayo ka eji aracha ofe di oku”(A hot soup should be licked gently). Take care of yourself gently, your body will take care of you in return.
No shortcuts.
No suffering.
No unnecessary pressure.
That evening, she pack the waist trainer.
Look am well.
Smile.
Tie nylon around it.
And declare:
“I go resell this thing. Make I use the money buy something wey go give me joy not hypertension.”
In her mind, she feel like prisoner wey dem just release after 10 years.
That freedom sweet.
Sherry lift her voice to talk to all women wey dey fight silent war with their bodies:
“You don't need to suffer to look beautiful. Beauty is not pain. Don't let anybody pressure you. Your body is not a battleground.”
“Take am easy. Love yourself first. Na when you love your body, your body go love you back.”
Big belle no be crime
Waist trainer no define beauty
Self-love dey save lives
Comfort over aesthetics
Health more important than pressure
Society no go follow you suffer consequences
Freedom sweet pass fake perfection
Share this story to encourage one woman today.
Tell somebody: “Let your body breathe.”
Support justice for big belle people.
MORALS OF THE STORY
Never trade your health because of people’s opinions.
Your body is your responsibility treat am with love.
Pressure kills, peace heals.
No beauty worth your hospital bed.
Self-love is a journey, not a competition.
© 2025 Elizabeth Akudo All Rights Reserved
Follow @Elizabeth Akudo for more inspiring Nigerian stories. #BigBelleRights #NaijaStory #BodyPositivity #SelfLoveJourney #WomenSupportingWomen #NoPressureZone #BeYou #ElizabethAkudoStories #NigerianLifestyle #MotivationNigeria
In this life wey we dey so, na small small things dey remind people say peace of mind na the real wealth. That day, when Sherry stand for front of her standing mirror, she discover something wey change her entire mindset about herself… and about life.
Sherry almost faint because of waist trainer na the same day she finally regains her freedom.
That moment opened her eyes like a torchlight for a dark room.
That day, she talk to herself say:
“I love my GP tank tommy the way e dey. Nobody fit pressure me again.”
Truly… nobody fit.
E start one early Saturday morning. Sherry don buy one new waist trainer because she wan attend one owambe party. She tell herself:
“Ah! Today, I go snatch my waist. Today, I go look like figure 8 wey dem carve from heaven.”
She no know say she dey plan war against her own body.
Sherry tie that waist trainer like say she dey prepare for wrestling match. Immediately e hold her stomach, she freeze.
Her chest tighten.
Her breath reduces.
Her sense commot small.
She still presses on because according to society, women must “look a certain way.”
Sherry no be weakling. She be correct Naija woman. She look mirror again and whisper:
“Na big belle I get, I no kpai person. If my belle big like drum, leave am for me. Last last, na big gown all of us go wear for last day. Belle no go show.”
Five minutes.
Just five minutes inside the party, na there gbege start.
The DJ dey play, people dey dance, drink dey chill. Sherry gats maintain poise like queen. She never even chop, she never sip drink.
Suddenly… e be like say her waist wan pull out.
She holds a chair.
The world come dey spin small like merry-go-round.
Her breath reduce again.
She talk:
“Omo! I no fit breathe o! I no fit eat, I no fit drink. Na like say person dey use rope drag my intestines.”
She waka commot from dance floor like soldier wey dey withdraw from the battlefield.
She run enter toilet, lock door and with trembling hands… she remove the waist trainer.
What happened next shocked even her:
The way air enters her body? She nearly cried.
She sit for toilet cover, hands on her knees, sweat for her forehead. Na that moment she understand say:
Freedom na oxygen.
Sherry tell herself:
“So na like this I for take land myself for hospital? For what? Because of who? For wetin?”
She imagine them carrying her with stretcher from the party because of waist trainer. She imagine her family shouting:
“For what na?”
“Who send you?”
“Ife onye acho ka o fu”(Whatever one is looking for is what one finds). If a woman causes her own pain, she will drink it alone.
That Igbo adage hit her deeply.
Nobody go follow you suffer the pain you chose by yourself.
Sherry no be the only one. Many women dey go through same thing. Society go tell you:
Your belle too big
Your waist no snatch
Your shape no standard
Your body no set
The same society go leave you alone inside your pain.
Pressure is a silent killer.
Sherry think of all the times she don drag her body just to please people wey no even notice her.
She almost cry because she realize say she don dey betray her own body just to satisfy strangers’ eyes.
Na that day, she stand for toilet mirror like warrior wey survive battlefield. She raise her hand say:
“I no dey tie my belle again! I no send anybody. Na me get my body. Na me go take am easy and work on myself gradually.”
She smiles at her reflection.
She touched her tummy gently.
“Big belle no kpai person. Allow my body to breathe in peace.”
That was the beginning of her healing.
Instead of waist trainer wey almost send her to heaven before her time, Sherry choose:
Exercise
Enough water
Fruits
Portion control
Peace of mind
Love for her body
Grace for her progress
She begins to walk in the mornings.
She dey drink water like person wey dey train for marathon.
She dey chop fruits like princess for palace.
She dey portion her food small small.
She discover say self-love dey sweet pass waist trainer torture.
Sherry hold onto one scripture wey save her:
“I will praise You, for I am fearful and wonderfully made.” – Psalm 139:14
Fearfully and wonderfully made NOT painfully and forcefully shaped.
That line give her confidence wey money no fit buy.
As our fathers will always say:
“Nwayo nwayo ka eji aracha ofe di oku”(A hot soup should be licked gently). Take care of yourself gently, your body will take care of you in return.
No shortcuts.
No suffering.
No unnecessary pressure.
That evening, she pack the waist trainer.
Look am well.
Smile.
Tie nylon around it.
And declare:
“I go resell this thing. Make I use the money buy something wey go give me joy not hypertension.”
In her mind, she feel like prisoner wey dem just release after 10 years.
That freedom sweet.
Sherry lift her voice to talk to all women wey dey fight silent war with their bodies:
“You don't need to suffer to look beautiful. Beauty is not pain. Don't let anybody pressure you. Your body is not a battleground.”
“Take am easy. Love yourself first. Na when you love your body, your body go love you back.”
Big belle no be crime
Waist trainer no define beauty
Self-love dey save lives
Comfort over aesthetics
Health more important than pressure
Society no go follow you suffer consequences
Freedom sweet pass fake perfection
Share this story to encourage one woman today.
Tell somebody: “Let your body breathe.”
Support justice for big belle people.
MORALS OF THE STORY
Never trade your health because of people’s opinions.
Your body is your responsibility treat am with love.
Pressure kills, peace heals.
No beauty worth your hospital bed.
Self-love is a journey, not a competition.
© 2025 Elizabeth Akudo All Rights Reserved
Follow @Elizabeth Akudo for more inspiring Nigerian stories. #BigBelleRights #NaijaStory #BodyPositivity #SelfLoveJourney #WomenSupportingWomen #NoPressureZone #BeYou #ElizabethAkudoStories #NigerianLifestyle #MotivationNigeria
