A pretty face should be enough

I've always wondered why my parents named me Marvel...well Marvelous (had to change it to Marvel 'cos people always sang 'Marvelous is Your name' when they saw me)? I never did and don’t think I would ever ask why I was given the name. In my own opinion, I figured they were marveled at the beautiful baby GOD gave to them and decided to call me Marvel. So what does my name mean? According to the Advanced English Dictionary, it means 'being or having the character of a miracle' (I can live with this) while Marvel means 'something that causes feelings of wonder'. Oh well, I’m not going to say anything more on that, it quite explanatory...I am a walking miracle and it causes people to wonder :-)

Moving on, I have always asked myself if a pretty face is enough for any guy wanting to choose a mate. In my undergrad days, the guys used to run after the slim girls no matter how ugly they looked... which meant fleshy girls with pretty faces had no chance and this led to my beginning my journey on the way to winning the battle against F-A-T. However, as the years went by, I discovered that these guys were young and just wanted to have sex and since slim was in vogue, they didn’t care about the face... how do I know this? My friend Greg loves pretty faces no matter how they look and he was confronted with a lot of beautiful fleshy girls and not so beautiful slim girls. Now Greg was in a dilemma, he wanted a pretty girlfriend but his mates were all dating or chasing after slim girls and he didn’t want to be the odd one out. He eventually settled for a slim girl he didn’t find attractive. Needless to say, he couldn’t take the relationship beyond sex and ended up breaking the girl's heart. I can say now that Greg is married to one of the prettiest girls I have ever seen and guess what? She is extra fleshy and thick. In his own word, 'I’ve always wanted a pretty girl and I got my pretty girl'. I told Greg that beauty will always fade and he goes 'she had to be pretty for me to approach and fall in love with her so I don’t care if her beauty fades now, I have fallen in love'.

Another scenario, my friend Aisha is one of the prettiest girls I have ever seen. She is about 6ft 1, beautiful skin and very friendly. Aisha was a fleshy girl (notice the word ‘was’…Aisha is now slim) but had so much confidence. There wasn’t a club we went to that guys wont be all over her…I mean I had my days but hers was everyday. Aisha had been dating her husband, Ehighale since they were 16 and at 16, Aisha was at her biggest. Ehighale’s friends were all into slim or skinny girls at that age but he wanted Aisha and would not succumb to peer pressure. They dated all through and finally married when they were 27.

The scenarios above are wonderful but I would say these are exceptions. Employers these days don’t have the patience to train an employee; they want an experienced employee who is ready to go. The same goes for spouses, these days, guys want a ready made wife and don’t have the patience to get to know the heart of their spouse. That is, if they are attracted to the lady (mostly slim), they go for it. There is no time to get to know and love the personality (most guys are impressed by sight).

Lately, I have been up and about; going to the gym, movies, work, lounging etc. These have been good. I can’t believe that the highlight of my days is when I have to go to the gym. I used to find going to the gym a chore but now, it is a habit and I must say I am enjoying it. I am trying to get the food part right though. Everyone says I am not eating enough and will soon start looking starved and emaciated. I think I am eating enough, I know I have given up a lot of things (sodas, biscuits, sweets etc.)But I have taken on board some healthy stuff like vegetables and fruits and loads of water. I just try to limit myself to 1,200 calories a day and try to work off at least 400 calories a day (tedious, but worth it).

Ok people, I gotta leave you here. Just to let you know that you are beautiful no matter the size you are and there is always someone out there who will appreciate you whether you are skinny, slim, curvy, extra thick etc. Just continue doing your thing, love yourself, build your confidence and finally, trust the Lord ‘cos He has got the MASTER PLAN for your life.

Ciao!

TIP: Have a piece of Kola nut before exercise. It helps build your stamina.

Who am i?

I should have done this at the time I started this blog (2007) but in 2007, this was a different blog with a different name.

I was born in an era where "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" by Ian Dury & The Blockheads (UK) and "Le Freak" by CHIC (USA) were topping the charts (don’t ask me what song was no. 1 in Nigeria), Mother Theresa had just won the Nobel peace prize and the average cost of a dozen eggs in the USA was $0.84 (pretty expensive if you ask me). I know that I share a birthday with some famous peeps such as King Charles V of France (d. 1380), Lloyd Cole (British singer) and Justin Timberlake (American singer).

I was born into a family that if I had to do it again, I will still want to be born into that family. My parents brought us up to love the Lord and walk according to His counsel but with every human, I have tried to live according to these principles but sometimes, I fall and have to get back up. I used to have a best friend and other friends but as the years have progressed, I now have some best friends and so many acquaintances (don’t need to point out the difference; everyone knows where they fall into).

As a child, I was very athletic and remember winning prizes for sports. I could also and can still dance. There wasn't a party I attended and didn’t come back with all sorts of gift such as Exercise books, pencils, sharpeners etc...Life was good. My family owned a big farm which I hated working on. I couldn't understand why we had to have a farm (why couldn't my parents buy stuff from the market like other parents and worse, why did I have to go to the farm...after all they didn’t ask my opinion before starting the farm).

I currently live and work in Lagos, love my space and being alone (I'd rather curl up under the duvet and watch a good movie than go clubbing). I don’t drink nor smoke (what’s the point?). I am very adventurous with food and can eat anything as long as it tastes nice.

So who am I? My name is Cynthia Marvel and I am F-A-T!