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For the past few years, Canadian vlogger Kyle Jennerman, more popularly as Kulas from the vlog Becoming Filipino, has tagged us along his countless travels around the Philippines. But even though he has strongly connected with his Filipino followers, Kulas has rarely shared some of his most personal thoughts and sentiments.

That seems to have changed as one of his recent Facebook post showed, where he shared not only his first shirtless photos on social media, but also a “secret” he's been hiding for years.

In the said FB post, Kulas posted a series of photos of himself shirtless, after finishing his beach run on July 11 at Cateel, Davao Oriental where he is currently residing.

He also revealed that he has suffered from an extreme body insecurity all his life and this is why he has never taken his shirt off in any of his photos or videos.

“Today, I am just going to take the first step towards seeing beauty in myself. Because the truth is... I struggle with my own image... everyday.

“Only a few people will know this, but I grew up struggling with my body.

“I was addicted to food. By my mid-teens everything was spiraling out of control.”

Kulas also recalled how instead of being pleasantly surprised whenever his parents announced a trip to a dream destination such as Mexico, he would be truly terrified of it because he knew that would mean he would have to take his shirt off.

“And when you are a 16-year-old kid with the nickname "Jenner Tits"... yes that is my last name "Jennermann" with the added slap of "Body Image" attached to it. No, it wasn't exciting. It was terrifying.”

The vlogger who currently has 1.2 million followers on Facebook also detailed how concerning his previous battle with obesity was.

“My whole childhood was a battle with being morbidly obese.

“How big was I? Well, it got to the point where my mom wrote notes to doctors worried that I was on a path that would eventually lead to my death.

“Yes, I was really really big and incredibly unhealthy.”

Fortunately, Kulas decided to make a much-needed lifestyle change in his late teens to address his weight and health problems.

“As my late teens came to an end, so did my unhealthiness. I took a stand.

“I ended up studying health and recreation education, lost more than 75 pounds, and have maintained a healthy weight, and active lifestyle for more than a decade.

“I am fit, I am strong, and I live a balanced lifestyle...”

Vlogger Kyle Jennerman a.k.a. Kulas gets real about his biggest body insecurity / Source: @ becomingfilipino (FB)

However, the travel vlogger confessed that even though he's much healthier now, he still struggles with body image issues.

“I am so freaking scared of people seeing me without a shirt on. Even typing this now... I debate just deleting it all. I am scared.”

He added, “The more I became watched, the more I trembled in fear that people will focus on my body.”

Kulas also shared that during the span of his career in vlogging and doing some TV shows, he made all excuses just to avoid having to take his shirt off in front of the camera.

He also revealed that he almost caved in to the pressure of looking good for the camera in 2017 by undergoing surgery to remove his “man boobs.”

However, that didn't push through as he headed instead to Marawi City to help in relief operations.

Kulas said he doesn't regret choosing to help out in Marawi instead of getting the surgery that would make him look better and feel more confident.

But he admitted that his body insecurity still haunts him to this day.

Even in the midst of his recovery from an accident he figured in back in December 2020, he still has struggles with his body image.

“You know what hurt me the most during this shoulder surgery recovery?! That I couldn't do chest exercises like pushups.

“And because I couldn't, my chest would get even more unappealing. Yes, that is what I think about often. And it hurts.

“I find it sad I wake up everyday with these thoughts running through my mind... “

However, he's hoping that opening about his insecurity and posting his shirtless photos would be the first steps toward healing his mental struggles with body image.

“I need to stop thinking that my body is going to hold me back from living a purposeful and positive life.

“I need to believe that the world is going look past "man boobs" and uplift the beauty they see within me.

“I am Kyle Jennermann... also known as "Kulas". And I am so freaking afraid of taking off my shirt.

“I hope one day that changes. I believe it will. And this is a start.”

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Be inspired by these Filipina celebrities who promote body positivity.