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Ben&Ben's Paolo Benjamin opens up on relationship with food, insecurities over growing up a twin
Paolo Benjamin of Ben&Ben recently wowed with his body transformation after working hard to lose weight.
Shortly after his abs reveal, the musician began sharing more details of his fitness journey on Instagram.
On Friday, Paolo opened up on his eating habits and the deeper reasons why he consumed food the way he had done in the past.
"I had a weird relationship with food. I always had the feeling that I had to get more food to feel satisfied. I had to get the last piece, and I always had to get a 'better piece' of ulam or dessert than my friends or family," he said.
Paolo said he realized that this was fueled by his insecurities over growing up a twin.
"A big part of growing up with a twin is having to deal with people comparing you to each other, and oftentimes I was called the less favorable twin. Because of this, I'd always felt inferior to Migs (not his fault)," he said.
"Food was one of the ways that I 'gained back control' over the opinions of other people. I thought to myself, 'this is mine, and no one can take this away from me,'" he continued.
Paolo said food became his escape from all the hurt brought by his insecurities, but it eventually turned into a negative cycle.
"Over the years, it turned into an unhealthy addiction with, and dependence on, excessively consuming food. I was addicted to the feeling of comfort that it brought me," he said.
Paolo said he changed when he became fully aware of the reasons behind his unhealthy relationship with food.
"Food, like other blessings in life, isn't inherently bad. It's the abuse and loss of balance with it that is," he said.
Paolo then said people have to identify and befriend their negative emotions in order to build healthier coping mechanisms and heal from the inside.
He said, however, that this is based only on his own experience and it is still best to seek advice from medical professionals.
"We'll find our own way. Whether it's mindfulness, meditation, exercise, or others, the goal is self-love, which means taking care of our body and mind," he said.
"If we want change to happen, we have to look into the emotions and thought patterns that drive our habits. Then, start our journey from there. You got this!"
—MGP, GMA News
