Harnaaz Sandhu on her diet, exercise and being bullied for weight gain: ‘It’s not about how you look’

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The winner of the beauty pageant from Chandigarh, India, said People magazine recently that she doesn’t care about weight per se, but it’s online bullying that has made her uncomfortable.

The 22-year-old told the publication from her New York apartment: “Physically, I’ve grown, put on more pounds and increased my weight, which I’m totally comfortable with right now.

“They harassed me for gaining weight. It was kind of awkward and really surprising for me to see how people started to have their opinions, which really shouldn’t matter. It’s not about how you look, it’s about who you are inside and how you treat people and what you believe in.”

Sandhu spoke of her diet and exercise in the days leading up to the competition, saying it was all about winning. “I was really focused on my goal and I was [not] thinking about my health. The whole time we were working out, doing so many activities, and right after I won, I had almost a month to relax,” she said.

The former Miss Diva Universe added that during that period she did not exercise. “I was eating and enjoying that time with my family. I never realized it would start to show on my body.”

She admitted that some comments on social media were so cruel that they made her cry. “I definitely broke down so many times. Sometimes at the most unexpected moments. I’m about to go on stage or something and all this comes to mind. It is very sad.”

Earlier this year, Sandhu was quoted as saying by ITP that she has struggled with celiac disease. “A lot of people don’t know that I’m allergic to gluten. I’m one of those people who was first bullied saying that she ‘she’s too skinny’ and now they bully me saying ‘she’s fat’. Nobody knows about my celiac disease. That I cannot eat wheat flour and many other things”.

She said People magazine that after moving to New York, she became more aware of the foods she is allergic to, saying they include soy and coconut. “I am allergic to eggs and I realized that when I came to New York. Because, [eggs are considered] vegetarian and is known as non-vegetarian in India. It took me time to realize that the things I was allergic to, I still had. I did not know, I did not know it.

Previously, the actor-model, while answering a question about how she stays safe after all the cyberbullying had said, “But, there are many other people who are trolled every day, regardless of whether they are Miss Universe or not. I am empowering them by making them feel that if I feel beautiful, [they] they are beautiful, too. It is in our minds how we perceive beauty.”

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