Say it loud! I'm fat and I'm proud!

[scarlet_owl]

Since there are so many threads about body types, lets hear it for the fat people! I have a weight problem. I am 5'7 and 204 pounds. Five years ago I was 132. They put me on a certain anti-depressant and I gained a ton of weight. I do what I can to keep it in check, but for the most part, I'm okay with my new body. I do eat right, but my activity levels are not what they should be. Now I can see things from the other side, as I was thin all my life. It is hard to be overweight in this country, even though half of Americans are. When I watch television, there is no one who looks like me. I had never noticed that before, because before, everyone looked like me. I feel good about myself as a big woman! Who else has fat-pride?

[EV1Ltimm]

1. 6'2", 265 here...

Having a desk job for the last 4 years threw some weight on me. But i can still single-handedly move an apartment if i have to, which is all that matters :)

[blu_dog]

2. Fat Pride?

Sure I’ll go with that. I graduated high school at 6’4”, 149 lbs. Today, 6’5”, 340 lbs. Yet I get hit on by 20 year old hard bodies! Go figure.


Anyways, skinny women aren’t worth a damn. There’s no shade in the summer, and they can’t keep you warm in the winter.

[REP]

6. Hey There - Nothng Wrong With ANY of Us!

Some people are just skinny - not a damn thing wrong with that, or ANY body. Thin women get shit, too, that they don't deserve, just like big women get shit they don't deserve. Don't be part of the game!

[blu_dog]

32. NoBody (pun intended)

says that there is something wrong with a body type. But people have preferences, and I like my women with meat on them. Different strokes for different folks.

[Bronco69]

3. 5'11" 225 here

and I have an audition next Tuesday for a tv part. :-)

[scarlet_owl]

4. That's cool!

What kind of part is it?

[Bronco69]

5. I don't want to give too much away,

but it will air on ABC Family in January. I'm auditioning for the part of the main character's brother. BTW, Did I mention I'm a male? :-)

[lizerdbits]

7. Pamelor: 15 lbs in 6 weeks

We have the same anti depressant weight experience. I think it's something hormonal for me because it made my menstrual cycle go completely bonkers (actually it doesn't qualify as a 'cycle'). I gained more when they upped the doseage. Before the pills I was 135 and I'm at 165 now (I'm about 5'6"). I was heavier during college but that was from eating naughty foods and less excercise. I'd rather be fat than constantly wishing I was dead is the way I see it. I know so many people who say they'd not take the stuff if it made them gain weight which doesn't make sense to me. I exercise every day and eat pretty well (but still can't completely quit smoking :( ), I'm not eating junk food or restaurant sized portions of food. My blood work from a physical was good, my cholesterol was like 130 (I'm 29) and the LDL/HDL ratios are good, my triglycerides I think were like 60 something. (I can't remember the units for any of them) I had another physical a few weeks ago so should be getting the latest numbers shortly. So except for the smoking I'm in pretty good shape despite excess weight.

[Endangered Specie]

8. 6' 1'' and 310 lbs (M)

got y'all beat!

Just remember my saying

"Fat men have better sex. Why? Well, you can't drive a nail with a tack hammer, now can you?"

[DivinBreuvage]

53. That's a good one, Endangered Specie

I hadn't heard that one before, but I like it.

Françoise

[Samurai_Writer]

9. 5'10" and 250# -- pretty, tall BBW

I have been a fat activist for years. I weighed between 125 and 140 until I was 29 years old. I used to be a runway fashion model in my late teens/early 20s. A car accident changed my life forever. Because of my injuries, I was bedridden for several months, and gained a great deal of weight. The meds they put me on didn't help, either. I went from 140 to 310 pounds in one year. I have been at 250 for at least the past 10 years (I'm 43 now). It took me about 5 years to accept myself as a BBW. Now I do BBW modeling, enter BBW beauty contests, and am active in BBW social groups.

Since I have seen both sides, I can honestly say I like being a BBW far better than when I was what society considers 'beautiful'. I know now that if someone expresses interest in me, it's because of who I am, not how I look. I don't get harrassed nearly as much as I did when I was younger and thinner. My self esteem and self confidence is MUCH better now than when I was a fashion model and professional musician! Back then, I was always obsessed with my weight and looks, as if I gained 10 pounds, it would ruin my life. Today, I could care less if I NEVER lose weight, because I am perfectly happy with who I am.

I will soon be one of the BBW models featured on a new adult website. I'll let y'all know when it is up and running, and you can judge for yourself.

RadFemFL
Fat Chick Extraordinaire

[rppper]

21. you go girl!!!...... ;-p

6-2, 235...i have always been "tall and stocky". my weight varies from around 225 to 240. i am useing isometric exercises and light weight training to both tone up and slim down. ideally, i'd like to get down to between 210 and 215 and stay there.....

you ladies shouldn't be so self conscience about it...there are a lot of nice men who like a full figured woman...just have to smoke them out....

[guitar man]

39. Don't assume

That just because you are a bbw that you won't draw interest because of your looks. I like the way big women look.Don't get me wrong,I am attracted to great personalities,but I have always been attracted to the Rubenesque female form.

I can't wait to see the website;)

[BiggJawn]

10. Not me. 6'4" and 304#

It's gonna KILL me if I don't get rid of it. Tell me, WHAT is there to be "proud" of in THAT?

High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, joint pain, the "looks", the fact that my SO doesn't crave my hot, naked body like she used to...
Yeah, sure a lot to proud of...

Guess you can rationalize anything if you work hard enough at it. That explains Afghanistan and Iraq....

[Droopy]

13. I'm with you. I'm not happy at all about my weight.

I'm 5'10" 225 and that's down from 260 earlier this year. I wasn't happy at all being a fat guy. I'm only 31 and already I have high cholesteral from eating all the fast food I used to eat.

If other people are fat and okay with their weight, I guess more power to them then. But for me it has to come off.

[BiggJawn]

14. That's what I'm saying...

It doesn't matter how much you weigh, if you can amaze your doctor with your good health and you have so many people who wanna poink you that they have to take a number, great, That's just great, and I'm happy for you.

But my health has gone down the tubes, and everything I have read and heard (not from my doctor. He thinks he has a pill for EVERYTHING, and I'm SICK of pills!) say that if i don't lose about 90 pounds then I won't have to worry about surviving after I retire in 17 years, because I won't MAKE it to retirement, and if I do, it won't be that much fun riding around in my little scooter after they cut my feet off and split my chest open to tinker with the pump...

So I'm not gonna say "I'm fat and there's NOTHING wrong with that" because the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of everything being wrong with it.

Your Milage May Vary, of course.....

[Samurai_Writer]

16. I'm sick of doctors blaming my weight for everything!

And also sick of their shock when they find I have perfect cholesterol, perfect blood sugar, perfect blood pressure, etc. Some people DO have problems when they gain weight, that is true. But not EVERY fat person is one step away from death.

I have two major health problems -- asthma and a bad back -- both of which I had LONG before I gained weight. But doctors have told me over and over again that if I 'just lost weight' (like it's so easy -- hah!), that all my health problems would disappear, basically. They are WRONG. Most doctors are extremely fat-phobic and will blame your weight for anything that is wrong with you. There are doctors out there that are fat-friendly, and will work with you to become healthy at ANY weight.

*If* you think your weight is causing your problems, then by all means, do something about it, if you can. However, I would focus more on being healthy than losing weight. I eat a lowfat, mostly vegetarian diet and have for the past 10 or so years. I am active, by going hiking, swimming, and camping. My weight has remained the same, with no fluctuations to speak of. I will NOT starve myself just to lose X number of pounds. Did that when I was THIN, and was less healthy than I am now!

Also, as far as attractiveness is concerned -- if YOU feel you look handsome/beautiful, others will too. It's a matter of self confidence and positive body image. Plus, I don't know about most women, but for me, looks is the LAST thing on the list I look for. If a man's not honest, intelligent, caring, and has a good sense of humor, I don't care if he looks like a GQ model -- I won't be interested. Conversely, I have dated men that others might think 'unattractive', but I found them VERY attractive, because of the person inside.


RadFemFL
Fat Chick Extraordinaire

[YellowRubberDuckie]

22. My doctor has never done that...

I don't think she has ever said anything about my weight. And I have bad feet and ankles. I know that if I lose weight, it would be a little better...I'm 5'7 and I weight somewhere around 250, but I carry it well. I think my bones have a lot to do with that weight. I am fairly big boned.
Duckie

[geniph]

25. My husband's in the same boat, BiggJawn

and he doesn't like it either (he's a Big John also - 6'2" and I'm not allowed to say what he weighs - let's just say it's more than double my mass and leave it at that). His father was killed by his weight, and he doesn't want to go the same way. His mother was also indirectly killed by her weight - she became so heavy that she ended up in a wheelchair, and the combination of being so sedentary and having diabetes finally killed her.

I don't want my husband to be skinny - I like a big man - but I don't want him to wheeze when he exerts himself, either. I want him to be healthy. He can be healthy at 240. He's not healthy at 280. Plus it does take a toll on the sex life - I'm 125 pounds, and I don't want to be suffocated.

My John's strong as an ox, and relatively healthy, but he was even stronger and healthier when he wasn't carrying around that belly he hates so much. It's not appearance that makes him want to lose weight - he doesn't want to die young like his dad did. :-(

[scarlet_owl]

41. Not quite what I'm getting at.

While it is important to eat well and exercise, it is also important not to feel bad if you are large. Would I rather be back to my fighting weight? You bet! Do I feel bad about myself for being fat? Hell no! I think everyone should do everything they can to be healthy, I don't think anyone should beat themselves up for being overweight. That's not healthy. I'm sorry about your problems. I am going through the same thing with my husband as far as attraction goes. That is kind of hard. I wish you all the luck in the world in your quest to slim down.

[BiggJawn]

45. Thanks...

As long as you have your health, you're OK. If not your husband, then SOME guy out there wants a "little extra" to hold. Hell, I like Rueben-esque women, too.

Do I feel "Bad"? Yes I do. Do I blame myself? No, I don't. If I had an INKLING 25 years ago that I'd wind up in this poor of health, would I have done things differently? Hell yes. Am I trying to change things? Yep. Is it hard and frustrating? Youbetcha.

[Plaid Adder]

11. 5'6" and somewhere around 200.

Am actually not particularly happy about that but it's a very long story; I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, and it is associated with weight gain, although there are various disagreements over which comes first. All I know is that although I have sporadically gone on diets and am fairly active (at least compared to the average American) the only time I lost a significant amount of weight was the year I spent depressed. Not willing to go through a major depression again just to drop a dress size.

I seem to gain a few pounds every winter; sometimes I lose it in the spring but sometimes I don't. Over time, of course, this trend is going to be a real problem, but so far I have been unable to reverse it. Ah well.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[lizerdbits]

23. PCOS

One dr thinks I have this because of screwy periods. Plus slightly high testosterone and not much estrogen according to blood tests. Estrogen varies in the cycle but since I don't actually have one he couldn't really tell how off it was. I saw an endocrinologist who, after telling him I exercised every day and what I ate, laughed at me and told me to go to weight watchers and then I wouldn't have problems, and charged me $250. He ordered bloodwork that I made sure was also sent to me so I could take it to a nicer dr. Well I did lose about 25 lbs and my hormones actually got WORSE! According to weight tables I've seen I'm about 20-35 lbs overweight but I do a lot of weight lifting and definately have more than the average amount of muscle for women. I still do have excess fat though and I'd like to get rid of it and see if I can not have month or more long periods without constantly being on birth control pills. My sister has the same problem and she's a size smaller so I have a feeling the weight loss might not help.

[tjdee]

33. I have that too!! And the weight gain SUCKS.

I wish I could be comfortable with it, but I'm not yet.

I'm still kind of bitter because it's not something I can help unless I stop eating altogether and run 5 miles a day.

[Plaid Adder]

40. One thing I am considering...

I have never really made a concerted effort to lower my carbohydrate intake. Because I also have high blood pressure and bad cholesterol, most of my earlier attempts at dieting were focused on lowering fat. Then, of course, came the whole obsession with lowering your carb intake, and the Atkins diet. Well, no way was I getting on the Atkins bandwagon, because I don't care what you tell me, I can't get behind the idea that eating bacon all day long is better for you than eating vegetables. But I have been thinking about looking into the South Beach diet, although if any of you ever tell my mother that I will hunt you down and kill you. (Me, my mother and weight loss is a long friggin' story you don't want to hear.) My parents have been Zoning it up one side and South Beaching it down the other forever. My father is always abotu the same, and my mother yo-yos between two fairly firmly fixed points (and they are not really that far apart, to my eye, but it apparently makes a big difference to her).

But, before I get into doing THAT, I must face the fact that when the heat gets turned up at my job, my eating habits crumple like newspaper, and figure out a way not to have that happen. It's a lifetime struggle. Yee ha.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[lizerdbits]

43. I've been doing low carb for a few years

And I still can't get it all off although it is definately an improvment. But I read somewhere that some drs are now using low carb diets to help women with PCOS lose weight. Atkins didn't do much except keep me from being tired a lot, not a whole lot of weight loss. Now I guess I would call my eating low refined carbs- I eat small amounts of whole wheat bread (I bake mini-loaves and slice it) and a bit of rice or pasta with my lunch. All my other carbs are fruits and veggies. I don't eat large amounts of fatty foods but I don't work for 'low fat' either. I only occasionally make foods with cream based sauces and use olive oil for all cooking unless the taste won't match the meal. The only thing that really works is filling up on water and getting used to being hungry a lot. I can do that because I do something similar to that Body For Life book (Bill Phillips) where you get one day a week to eat what you want. So I can resist Monday through Saturday if I know I can have it on Sunday. When I first starting following the book I ate what he said and gained weight in the first week so I cut out lots of carbs and the amounts of everything. It makes sense since the author is a gigantic muscle machine so obviously he needs more food than I do. I like the exercise program he has because it's less time but greater intensity. I was exercising 10-12 hours a week before that so I have much more free time. So I have been losing 2-3 lbs a month for a year or so now. That's what works for me, I think different things work for different people.

[THUNDER HANDS]

12. 5-10, 189 here

I'm not fat, per say, but I am kinda squishy and do have a big butt and a nice compliment of love handles.

:D

[MissMillie]

15. I'm in shape!

Round is a shape!

[soleft]

17. Here's a Great Website for support

www.bodypositve.com

[kimchi]

18. I'm not fat; I'm Rubenesque!

Although, according to my doctor, 30 pounds ago I was "obese". I weigh 177, and I'm 5'5".

It gets harder every year it creeps up, as I'm less active. Although it looks like I might lose some weight since I have an active toddler!

Men still look at me, my husband doesn't notice the fat, and I'm happy. When I was 21 and 120 I thought I was fat, because society told me I was. Now I really am fat, and I feel fine.

[hippiechick]

52. You GO Girl !!

:toast: Good on ya for finding peace :toast:

I wish I could be happy with myself. All these years of media conditioning, dieting, exercising, and countless rejections from dudes because I'm neither 'thin'(5'9, 190) nor am I a "BBW" ...

I don't seem to fit in anywhere and it's getting frustrating.

:hippie:

[populistmom]

19. I envy you

I used to be bigger (I was bigger than you after my last baby) and felt uncomfortable in my own skin and would get really depressed about it. Now, I'm smaller than everyone here, but I still don't have the kind of gonads it takes to even say my weight. I'm still trying to become comepletely comfortable with the shifts in my body after having children even though it's been 11 years.

[chefgirl]

20. Excellent!!

What a great attitude you have ScarletOwl!

I used to have a weight problem and worried over it constantly. Tried all kinds of ways to 'trick' myself into losing weight, always to no avail.
Finally, when I started cooking for a living, and stopped thinking about it, the weight fell off me and I've been at a healthy weight for years now.

Here's to ya ScarletOwl........:toast:

-chef-

[CO Liberal]

24. 5 foot 10 and 230 lbs

And 30 years ago, I was rejected by the Army because I was underweight.

I feel better at my present weight than I did when I was skinny.

[shrike]

26. Not fat but overweight

When I was in my 20s I weighed 128 pounds at 5'8", size eight clothes.
Now I weigh between 155-160, size 12. My husband thinks I look great and doesn't want me to diet. I get looks of lust from men and I'm in my 40s, go figure. If you'd told me when I was 25 it'd be like this I'd have never believed you. However, I do walk and exercise frequently. I also eat a lot.

[CO Liberal]

27. Actually, You're Average

The average American woman is a Size 12 or 14. The average model is a size 8.......

[shrike]

28. wow, I'm average

Thanks. Feel a little silly now. Here all this time I thought I had gotten fat. Guess all those media images have brainwashed me.

[geniph]

34. Uh-uh, the average model is a size 4

at nearly six feet tall for many of them. Therein lies the real problem; a size 4 is unattainable for most adult women (and shouldn't be a goal - most women don't look good that small). I was a size 4 verging on a 2 a couple years ago, and I was starting to look like a concentration-camp escapee, and I'm 5'2".

Every once in awhile, a magazine or something rebels and does fashion photos of normal women, women who wear a 10 or a 12 or a 14, and most of them look fantastic. I wish they'd stop promoting the bony skeletal look as the ideal body type. It isn't healthy for most of us to be that thin, and trying drives people insane. Besides, it looks bad on most of them. They have to airbrush out the bones in the upper chest that stand out like piano keys. Ick!

[Maddy McCall]

35. When I worked in retail, just ten years ago, the average size was 10/12

Average isn't based on what stick thin models look like. It is based on the median size of all women, and 10 years ago, it was 10/12.

[tjdee]

37. Yes, geniph agrees with you--the average *fashion* model is NOT 10/12.

Sorry to butt in....I think you misunderstood?
Geniph is correct that the average Victoria's Secret/designer runway model is about a size 4 (I'd even say lower than that). Jennifer Lopez, so called Ms. "big butt", is only a size 6. However, some of the actresses/models lie and try to squeeze themselves into a size lower than they really are.

[geniph]

44. Right you, are tjdee

The average American woman is a size 12/14. The average fashion model is a size 4. Most women can never be a size 4, and shouldn't aspire to be, as they wouldn't be healthy at that weight.

I really like it when magazines and catalogs use regular-sized women instead of clothes hangers in their photos. I don't like the way human skeletons look.

[SoCalDem]

49. Couture/Designer clothes are deliberately mislabeled

My aunt used to own a fashionable boutique, and the salesmen always told her that the higher the price for clothing, the more "generous" the cut..

She actually measured once, just out of curiosity..

There used to be a brand of slacks for women that we carried.. They were a novel idea for their day.. They were Called Fem Form and they came like men's sizes...by waist and length measurement..

In 1967 the waist size for a size 11 was 25 inches..

So she took a couture (high priced) pair of slacks size 8 and the waist measured........Tada... 25 inches..

So a customer could pay $18.00 for a 25" size 11 slacks, or they could pay $30.00 (a lot in 1968) for the pricier size 8.. same fit, except the size 8 did not come in lengths, so if you were short, you had to hem them..


Designer clothes run BIG.. We always joked, that the size labels in them were twice as big and in more obvious places too..

It's a vanity thing..

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

29. Sorry, but no

I am much happier now that I am 116 and 5'2 than I ever was when I was 150 and 5'2. I am healthier, and there is less of a chance of me having health problems in the future. It's fine if you are proud of being fat, but I wasn't proud of being unhealthy so I finally just lost weight.

[regnaD kciN]

48. Lucky you started early...

...it's a lot easier to lose weight when you're 16 than when you're 46.

[Frangible]

30. Overweight and NOT proud

I've lost 50 pounds so far and will continue to lose more. Diet and exercise ain't easy but hey.

I don't like being winded walking up stairs.
I don't like being unattractive.
I don't like being obese.
I don't like being more at risk for health risks.

Whatever floats your boat... but I just don't think it's a good thing, for me at least.

[scarlet_owl]

42. As long as you love yourself and are proud of who you are.

That is what my original post is about. I make no apologies for my weight. I think some people (not necessarily you) have misunderstood what I'm saying. I'm not saying that being fat is better than anything else, nor am I saying that everyone else should just love me because of my weight. I am saying that I refuse to let people get me down because I'm large. I am trying to lose some of this weight, but it is a long hard struggle. I am glad for you and keep up the good work! Feeling good about yourself is the most important thing in the world.

[Leftist78]

31. I'm proud

5' 10" 260lbs. According to my doctor I'm in perfect health. My Cholesterol is fine, blood pressure is fine, pulse rate sits at a healthy 64bpm or so.

In the warmer months I spend a lot of time backpacking through different areas in NC. A typical 3 day deal usually goes for about 25 miles. The last time I went, I took one of my friends who had never been before. I don't know exactly what he weighs but if I had to guess I'd say he's about 5'11" and 135lbs. or so. We only went 15 miles that weekend cause he had to keep stopping.

I've never believed that size is the end all be all of a person's health. I've always been a big person and I suspect I always will be, but that won't stop me from staying healthy.

[DoNotRefill]

36. I like fat people....especially fat women.

skinny women are a real "turn-off". Why? because you can see their bones. EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

It's all about the padding....

[TEXASYANKEE]

38. I'm happy for you.

I love that other people are happy with their body type or weight situation. I don't like being overweight, both for cosmetic and health reasons. I've dropped 15 pounds in the past year or so and I need to drop 15 more. I don't like the way my body looks right now, flabby arms and my legs rubbing together. Before I lost the first 15 pounds, my heart would race just walking a few hundred yards. My cholestrol was much too high. After losing 15 pounds, I feel better and have more energy. I'm wearing clothes that I haven't been able to fit into in years and years.

I'm happy for you, Scarlet_Owl, but I'm with BigJawn on this one. I will be a happier and healthier person when I shed a few more pounds.

[Demonaut]

46. Lard ASS

is a really mean thing to say too, but cheer up, most of us are over weight too....its the growth hormones in livestock.

[Momof1]

47. 5'3" and the last time...scales 150

I was 128 when I got married... then came a baby...

[skippysmom]

50. Good on you, Scarlet_Owl!

Good body image is something we should all strive for, no matter what we weigh.

I am 5'9", and by most measures a "big" woman -- I have broad shoulders, wide hipbones, muscular calves -- and I have been that way most of my life. I typically wear a size 14, which is close to the average size of an American woman -- although it's the largest size you can find in many stores.:shrug:

I don't know what I weigh because I refuse to own a scale, but I suspect that I'm about 30-35 pounds above what most charts would call "healthy." However, my BP is 120/80, my cholesterol and blood sugars are normal, I walk for 30 minutes just about every day, and I'm not a huge eater. (Yes, I could stand to eat less sugar and more veggies, but who couldn't?)

Most of the time I feel pretty good about myself. I dress well, walk tall, and take care of myself. I'm happily married, but I do still get some male attention. There are times when I feel a little down about my weight -- especially when the media keeps harping on this "obesity epidemic" -- but being fat doesn't doom you to a life of misery, as some would have you believe.

Cheers to all!

[DivinBreuvage]

51. I love being fat

This is a great thread, scarlet_owl! Thanks for starting it.

I love being fat. I didn't always. And it's true that it does have its drawbacks. But as I see it you have three choices: you can be miserable about it, you can change it, or you can accept it. I spent years being miserable about it, but I stayed fat. I spent years trying to change it, but I stayed fat. Call me weak, call me lazy, form whatever judgment you choose. I've stopped caring about that.

As scarlet_owl pointed out, accepting our size doesn't mean that we're saying being fat is better than being thin, nor are we saying that you shouldn't lose weight if that's what you feel is right for you. We don't expect you to start finding ample figures attractive if you don't already. All we're saying is that we've finally learned to be happy with our bodies as they are, and that's an important accomplishment for anyone.

I love the sense of presence, of "being here", that my big body gives me. I love the lush femininity of my big boobs, wide hips, and big round bottom. I love being able to dress to flatter my figure now rather than hide it. I love the occasional glance of appreciation in the eyes of a stranger. I love the delight my husband takes in my lavish figure and the obvious eagerness with which he embraces me. I love being able to cuddle him against my ample body and keep him warm on long, cold winter nights. And most of all I love feeling good about myself, I love being happy, and I love being free of all that unhappiness and pain that tortured me for so long.

Fat Françoise