Body Image

[Sarah K]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...n_4082004.html

[allegro]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...n_4082004.html

What the fuck. Yeah, well, that's just Spanx, really. I swear, getting into a pair of Spanx does about the same thing, LOL. I think when you take off a pair of Spanx, your intestinal system SPROINGS out all over the place, BING BONG BOOM BOING BONG BING

[Sarah K]

Yeah. I remember earlier this year a bunch of shit coming out about Spanx that basically said they are compressing internal organs and shit. No bueno.

Here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/0...n_4616907.html

[Charmingly Miserable]

When you're Size 12, all you get are clothes that look like something your 5th Grade Teacher wore.

So true. Im a size 12 and a lot of the cute clothes are in sizes I can't even get one leg into. But that's ok. Maybe I shouldn't be shopping in the junior's section. I wear mostly black and I can make it work regardless of which section I get my clothes are.

The first thing I do when my day is over? I TAKE MY FUCKING BRA OFF!!

I take my bra off as soon as I put my daughter to bed and. I'm a 36D and I think that letting my boobs free for years have left them looking sad. I'm 5'1" and 160-some pounds. I know I will never have a media worthy body nor do I want to look like an underfed object. However, I just can't get over the fact that I have a less desirable body in anyone else's eyes, including my own.

[The_Prowler]

Charmingly Miserable, I've seen your pictures in the Narcissism and Voyeurism thread... you're beautiful.

Truth sauce.

[Sarah K]

Guys, I would gladly chop off a hand to be a size 12.

[halloween]

I've been bra-less for a couple years now. I just wear a tank top under a shirt if I feel self conscious- though, I am in the B sizes, so I'm sure I might feel differently were I in the D's. I recently had a very "revealing" conversation with a girl from France, who broke the stereotype that Europeans don't care. Well, ok, maybe she didn't care but she did notice. She asked me very politely, "So, do you never wear a bra?" and I responded with "Never." She then told me that she did read a study about how it's healthier not to wear bras anyways (a french study I believe). I told her I read that too but had made my decision long before that just because of comfort. Anyways, she confirmed my suspicious that people didn't just notice, but they thought about my bra-less tits, more than I wish. Still not changing my ways though.

[Charmingly Miserable]

Charmingly Miserable, I've seen your pictures in the Narcissism and Voyeurism thread... you're beautiful.

Truth sauce.

Thank you so much. It means a lot to me. I am constantly have a love/hate relationship with my body. I'm not sure if I can get over it. Funny though, I have never talked about my body issues with my therapist.

so I'm sure I might feel differently were I in the D's.

I think for me who is a 36D (now you know), I kinda can't afford to go braless out in public. That would look horrendous. I would love to go braless out in public and I commend those who do so.

So, in two weeks, I'll be doing that one photo shoot I had mentioned earlier. I have made no effort to lose weight for it. I think I just need to do this to show myself that I can look "beautiful" or whatever adjective you want to say. Yikes!

[Digital Twilight]

Thank you so much. It means a lot to me. I am constantly have a love/hate relationship with my body. I'm not sure if I can get over it. Funny though, I have never talked about my body issues with my therapist.


I think for me who is a 36D (now you know), I kinda can't afford to go braless out in public. That would look horrendous. I would love to go braless out in public and I commend those who do so.

So, in two weeks, I'll be doing that one photo shoot I had mentioned earlier. I have made no effort to lose weight for it. I think I just need to do this to show myself that I can look "beautiful" or whatever adjective you want to say. Yikes!

Good for you. Beauty comes in many shapes and sizes and the more we celebrate that idea the better off we will all be. It takes courage to show yourself like that so all the more power to you.

[Sarah K]

I would go braless ALL THE TIME if I was able to. But I generally wear an H cup. Haha. Nobody wants to see them shits flying around. Plus, it makes going up and down the stairs painful when they bounce everywhere. I wish that they could remove one of my boobs, and then make two normal sized boobs out of my other one.

I always feel weird not wearing a bra even around home if my roommates are around. Like, I'm getting over it little by little, though. Because they are so uncomfortable. As soon as I get home, I just want to release them.

[icklekitty]

I'm the wrong girl for this conversation. 32F and I'll spend £120 on a bra-girdle-knickers set with a £2 from eBay dress over it.

And now that it's cooler I wear stockings every day.

[The_Prowler]

Thank you so much. It means a lot to me. I am constantly have a love/hate relationship with my body. I'm not sure if I can get over it. Funny though, I have never talked about my body issues with my therapist.

You're so very welcome And I meant every word of it; I really think you look wonderful.

[millionmilesaway]

not sure if this belongs here but I went on a date with someone I was chatting with online, he was nice and conversation was good but I wasn't attracted to him physically and we both agreed that our lifestyles were pretty incomparable but we having a good chat so we carried on. Somehow the conversation led to body image and what we found attractive. He kept complimenting me on how much he liked the way I looked and wanted to know why he wasn't my type. I said that he carried a little more weight than I liked and the love handle look wasn't my thing. I thought nothing of it because right before he kinda joked about them but he all of a sudden got kinda pissed and the date ended right there and I went home. Now he is sending me texts about how much I hurt his feelings and that I shouldn't treat human beings that way.
Was I the asshole there or is he just over sensitive about his body image? I still don't see any type of relationship coming out of this so should I apologize or just forget about it and not contact him again?

[aggroculture]

Sounds like he's butthurt about you not being into him, and he's trying to blame you for it somehow. Also making jokes about his own appearance but not being able to take it when other people comment on it - not being able to own it - isn't the biggest sign of maturity. Which is a problem if he's blaming other people for his feelings. I think he needs to work on his own issues.

[Charmingly Miserable]

Ok, so I did that photo shoot today and you know what? I looked pretty damn sexy in my size 12 body.

[Digital Twilight]

Ok, so I did that photo shoot today and you know what? I looked pretty damn sexy in my size 12 body.

That's really awesome.

So errrr. We get to see the results right?

[eversonpoe]

was just getting dressed for a friend's x-mas party and i put on a shirt that i've worn a ton of times, but not for the last month or two.
it barely fits, my tummy is causing it to almost pop its buttons, and the vest (which i wear all the time) i put on over it is making me feel completely constricted and gigantic.
and i was already in a horrible mood.

i try so hard to eat relatively well, to exercise, and NOTHING has helped me lose weight, at all. i'm not BIG but i'm not in good shape, and i want to feel comfortable in my skin, which i don't, at all. i'm not sure what else to do except starve myself, and i'm not going to do that.

[The_Prowler]

I recently bought a new shirt that looked great at the store. Yes, this is one of those timeless situations. I got it home, went to put it on one day when I was going out and realized "fuck, this shirt makes me look like a pregnant woman with no breasts."

I'd love to shop at places like H&M, Calvin Klein, Express Men and the like, but they seem to cater exclusively to men with bodies like Benedict Cumberbatch: tall and really thin with no body fat of any kind. Just looking in the window makes me feel even more short and dumpy than I already am.

[aggroculture]

Kinda tired of being a fatty these days.
I have put on weight over the last couple of years, but I don't even want to weigh myself to know how much. I'm pretty sure I am over 90 kilos again (yes I am European I think in kilos like pretty much the rest of the whole world).
I can feel it in how my t-shirts hug me.

I have a love/hate relationship with my fat. I've been falling in love with my ass, and been getting into my man-boobs: they may be hairy, but they are tits nonetheless. I wish I could keep the tits and ass, and lose the gut, which I have no love for.

I don't feel very sexy these days.

[Charmingly Miserable]

I weighed myself for the first time in months, and holy shit, Batman. The fucking scale confirmed what I was denying myself: I am a fat bitch. My Old Navy jeans are super snug on me. They give me serous muffin top. I have gained 20lbs in 15 months. I am not cute. I am not good looking. No amount of makeup or black clothes can hide the fact that I am fat. No one wants a fat chick.

[implanted_microchip]

I feel bad because of a lot of posts being about being overweight, but I've always struggled with my weight since the time I turned 8, and in the past several months, between the summer and fall I was able to lose 35 pounds just through eating less and cutting down on my general intake of food, stopped drinking milk and limit my dairy, eat less red meat, etc. Probably the most significant change was simply quitting eating any McDonald's specifically. I went a few days without eating it, then had some and realized that for the entire day after I felt sluggish, unmotivated and just generally depressed, went a few more days without, felt better, had some, felt bad again. No science to back it up, but for whatever reason their food seems to really bring me down and raise my weight, so I've completely cut them out aside from getting a cup of coffee if I'm in a hurry between places, etc.

I've noticed a really significant boost in overall mood and outlook, and I'm feeling drastically more comfortable in my own skin for the first time in a few years. There was a point where I was considered thin, and it was the first time in seven years that I wasn't overweight. I ended up gaining a lot back, but this is the lowest weight I've been at in a couple of years and just am feeling so positive about myself for a change. Between that and really starting to embrace wearing makeup and dying my hair again, I've just felt so much better about myself physically in a way I simply haven't in a long time.

For whatever reason there's almost a pressure on guys to not be that concerned about it, but I've always felt self-conscious for various reasons most of my life when it comes to my appearance, and I've just been hitting this point where I'm not embarrassed to be eating out in a restaurant, or to be eating ice cream in public with my girlfriend and friends, or just walking down the street to do something. It's a lot of little things, but they really just add up and it's been great. I realized my jeans were too big on me and tried on an old pair, and they were even a little loose. It's just a really satisfying feeling, I couldn't be happier with myself about it at the moment. I'm just hoping the weight loss stays consistent and that I don't put it all back on.

[Sarah K]

http://www.salon.com/2014/12/29/love_at_any_size/

[binaryhermit]

My body image is a little weird right now...

I've lost a little over 135 pounds since May and I could probably use to lose at least that much more. But sometimes I still feel like I'm 435 pounds.

But I'm (barely) under 300 pounds for the first time since probably when I was in high school, so I've got that going for me, which is nice, I suppose.

[Charmingly Miserable]

My body image is a little weird right now...

I've lost a little over 135 pounds since May and I could probably use to lose at least that much more. But sometimes I still feel like I'm 435 pounds.

But I'm (barely) under 300 pounds for the first time since probably when I was in high school, so I've got that going for me, which is nice, I suppose.

My goodness. Congratulations on that! Focus on what you have lost instead of the negative. I give you my 100% support.

[Sarah K]

I walked around in a thong and boots in front of a bunch of people the other night.

Two years ago me would have never even began to think about such an absurd thing.

[The_Prowler]

I want to be more trimmed, but I'm not obsessed with having the physique of an olympian. I just don't know how to start without having to pay for a gym membership that I can't afford. I had a free trial membership at a local gym that gets tons of rave reviews, and when I told them what I was trying to accomplish, they started going off about changing my entire diet (which not only isn't dangerously unhealthy, but dramatically changing it would be far more dangerous) and setting me up with a full fledged, seven day a week hardcore regime like I told them I wanted to be the next American Gladiator.
I don't need an action hero body; I just want a flatter gut and to not jiggle when I brush my teeth, especially since I use an electric toothbrush. Once I reach that point, it's just maintenance.

[tony.parente]

@The_Prowler a LOT of gyms are only $10 a month now, that's only 2 trips to Starbucks a month.

[Digital Twilight]

Why would changing your diet be dangerous? Diet is a huge part in exercise and being healthy. You can't just run on a treadmill and lift a few weights while eating burgers and expect a big change. What you eat and even when you eat plays a part in maximising your exercise routine. Your body doesn't change overnight, it takes time and a lot of work unfortunately.

The key to exercise too is finding something you enjoy. If going to the gym feels like a chore then maybe try and find a sport or activity that you can stick too. It needs to integrate into your life rather than an addition to your routine.

[millionmilesaway]

I want to be more trimmed, but I'm not obsessed with having the physique of an olympian. I just don't know how to start without having to pay for a gym membership that I can't afford. I had a free trial membership at a local gym that gets tons of rave reviews, and when I told them what I was trying to accomplish, they started going off about changing my entire diet (which not only isn't dangerously unhealthy, but dramatically changing it would be far more dangerous) and setting me up with a full fledged, seven day a week hardcore regime like I told them I wanted to be the next American Gladiator.
I don't need an action hero body; I just want a flatter gut and to not jiggle when I brush my teeth, especially since I use an electric toothbrush. Once I reach that point, it's just maintenance.

simple body weight exercises can do wonders, it can just be hard to find the motivation to work out at home especially if you don't have a good space for it. A pull up bar is the best piece of at home equipment I have ever had. Stick it in a door frame and do one or two pull ups or hanging crunches every time you walk under it. Your arms, back, chest and abs will thank you. Right now I do tricep dips or incline pushups using my kitchen counter every time I use the microwave.

[The_Prowler]

Why would changing your diet be dangerous? Diet is a huge part in exercise and being healthy. You can't just run on a treadmill and lift a few weights while eating burgers and expect a big change. What you eat and even when you eat plays a part in maximising your exercise routine. Your body doesn't change overnight, it takes time and a lot of work unfortunately.

The key to exercise too is finding something you enjoy. If going to the gym feels like a chore then maybe try and find a sport or activity that you can stick too. It needs to integrate into your life rather than an addition to your routine.

I'm a diabetic, so my diet has to cater to that. I need a steady intake of certain kinds of foods to keep my body running properly. This guy was basically telling me I'd have to cut out all carbs, almost all proteins that weren't liquid based and basically half of the shit I need to eat in order to live. As much as I love salad (and I do), I can't live on that alone.
I rarely eat burgers anymore, my intake of fried foods has decreased over the years and I never eat fast food unless I literally have no other choice, so it's not like I'm a junk food junkie. I eat as healthy as I can, but I still need certain nutrients that overzealous gym rats and health nuts think were created by satan to make people fat.