Body Image...

[MouseWife]

Well at least you are shopping....I haven't been in ages.

What I am at least hoping is to get back into some of the clothes I'd bought beforeI gained a few pounds.

[Ponine]

Originally Posted by LSPoorEeyorick

Oh, my. I just acknowledged that I shop at Target and PayLess. What a Fashionista. (Though, I also shop at Torrid, and that place ROCKS.)

And that just mystifies me. YOu find the cutest stuff at Torrid, and nothing there fits me.
<sigh>

[Morrigoon]

Torrid does rock. There's one at Irvine Spectrum

I've noticed though that their clothes have gone a bit "mainstream". They used to be the plus-sized Hot Topic. Much less edge these days. Still cute stuff though.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Originally Posted by Eliza Hodgkins 1812

My grandmother died when I was five, but there she is in my crooked smile.
...
These days I’m feeling more “at my best" with regards to my appearance, my life, the general goodness of it all. And though I will still waste time mulling over my perceived flaws, I’ve gotten a lot better at saying, “I can see you, you jerk.” Sometimes I'm even able to convince myself that ugly is the new pretty. Why shouldn't spider veins be the new heroine chic? Heh.

I love how you see your loved ones in your own face! I get that. I have my dad's features and my mother's coloring. It's nice to be able to remember family. While I may not always like my features, they are mine honestly, and I know I'm not the postman's kid. Other days (like you say) I can smile at myself in the mirror. I've been trying to be more deliberate about smiling at myself. Approving energy, not criticism.

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

The scale says I'm losing weight. My belt says I'm losing weight. My wife says I'm losing weight.

All I see is the 10 lbs of gut that's still there and the spare tire. Sigh.

Cut yourself some slack! Be kind to yourself.

[BarTopDancer]

I shop at Target and Kohls. Haven't been to Payless in a long time because nothing ever fits me. There is one by my office. I should try that one sometime soon.

[Not Afraid]

Target had some cute stuff. It never fits right, but it looks good on a hanger.

[MouseWife]

Too funny, NA, I have thought the same thing. I have thought some things were sooooo cute!!! But, on me? No way.

One dress so reminded me of a 'Mrs. Robinson' dress, I wanted it sooo bad! But, I don't think all clothes are meant for all people.

[lindyhop]

My weight has been increasing little by little each year. It's so hard for me to stop snacking (especially on sweets when I'm at work) and getting more active is such a struggle. I finally got myself back to the gym after the holidays only to discover that the weight machines I knew how to use had all been replaced with intimidating new ones. I'll probably have to hire a personal trainer to show me how to use them.

Last fall I decided to make a skirt for Halloween and went shopping for patterns for the first time in probably 20 years. What a shock when I compared my measurements to the sizes on the patterns. I don't wear a size 20 but that's what fit my measurements. I can buy mediums at J. Jill but of course I know I'm not a medium just because that's what the label says.

I have more "body" issues with the idea of age and aging. And I'm still thinking about what I want to say about that.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I'm kind of having aging issues, too, but that's just what happens. I intend to age as gracefully as I can, and hope to love myself along the way. I have no intention of having a mask for a face as the botox ladies do, nor of having surgeons carve me up in a futile attempt to not look my age.

My body has served me well, and while I am getting wrinkles, the alternative was to avoid smiling and laughing. That's not going to happen.

[BarTopDancer]

I've been 40lbs lighter than I am now at my lightest. I've been 40lbs heavier than I am now at my heaviest. During these two time periods I thought I was fat, and ugly. Didn't care how I looked, or dressed. I was not comfortable with myself. Today, I am not comfortable with what the scale says, but I am comfortable in my skin. I have clothes that fit and look cute. I know I'm not ugly. If I were to wear a skirt it will be to my knees. I like my calves, hate my thighs and the fat in my stomach and saddlebags has to go. I feel the extra weight in my knees and back. I don't like that. There are health issues staring me in the face as well. Frankly, medical studies that show that women with excess weight/fat in certain places are at higher disposition for heart disease scare the crap out of me.

-30lbs is my healthy goal. It's a healthy weight for me and will put me at a healthy BMI. Where that goal sits on my list of goals is another question.