This thought was sparked by the fact that my friend called and asked if hubby and I might want to go hiking or to the lake today to swim. Hummm, I might be swimming today! Sooo, I had to try on my bathing suit. The last time I wore it was two summers ago when I went to Greece. I was probably about this size last time too. It's still a really nice bathing suit-Pretty well cut for a girl of my size no less. Looks pretty good on me. Then, I was thinking about if I should wear shorts over my bathing suit or not. I finally got in front of a full length mirror. I have fat thighs and cellulite on the outside of them and fat on the inside. But you know what? I still looked pretty cute despite the shortcomings of my body. I have a lot of fat on my belly, but this suit really does a good job of drawing the attention elsewhere. I feel like I look worse with shorts on because even if it 'hides' the fat, it also hides my shape which makes me look more fat. So you know, I'm going to bring shorts but I am not going to wear them into the water this time. Anyway, I just think it's neat that I finally feel like I'm seeing myself more objectively. I have nice aspects as well as those I don't like, but I don't in fact look like a blob, or a bog monster and that is a big step up for me to admit that.

Great to hear you don't look like a blob! LOL!

Bathing suits suck. There's no two ways around it. For years, I wouldn't go swimming, I didn't even own a suit. And for someone like me who was practically a fish during childhood, this was tough.

At some point I just figured, I look big regardless, might as well have some fun and cool off on those hot summer days!

I hope you have fun!

I had some huge bathing suit angst a couple weeks ago. I wasn't going to buy a new one and my options were one that was way baggy and one that was a bit too tight. Both were tankini and shorts combos. I ended up going with the too tight one. Hopefully it won't be by the time the next swimming occassion roles around.

Good for you!!! Have fun in the sun!

Excellent!

I'm with you--I think it's actually more slimming to wear something appropriately sized and flattering, but designed to be form-fitting than to wear big ol' baggy stuff. Brava to you for looking in the mirror and seeing beautiful you, not just a collection of parts!

My inner thighs, now that they aren't as full of fat as they once were, look like biscuit dough, but I haven't blinded anyone at the local Y's swimming pool yet. Life isn't some stupid self-hating "Cathy" strip where we all have to look at ourselves in bathing suits and say "ACK!" in horror. If we're wearing bathing suits, chances are it's because we're about to do something awesomely fun like go swimming at the lake or splash around in the pool. Why fear something awesomely fun?

Thank, ladies. Nola, it totally is more slimming to wear clothes that actually fit your form. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that. It's also hard to see yourself as a whole too, at times-But it's true that nobody is their fat belly or arm fat. We are all of that combined and most of the time, it's not as bad as we think. We had a great time, btw. We went for a hike and then went swimming in the river at the end of the trail at Cumberland Falls here in KY. It was nice.

Congrats!
If you feel like it, you might want to try some kind of sheer bathing suit skirt, or some kind of sheer dress to drape over the bathing suit (I don't know if they make those, but they should!)
However, I think you are right in not wearing shorts, hiding yourself sucks. Sometimes I feel better covered, which is why I have a couple of small skirts that I can wear over my butt, and actual dresses (the short, revealing kind) are good in the water because they end up making you look feminine, unlike most shorts (at least shorts don't look good on me, I gain in my abdomen.)

edit: But I am just now learning to wear form fitting clothes. I agree--the whole Cathy Ack thing is over the top. I don't have to hide my body just because I can't compete in the skinny muscle meat market. (Ok--I go to a California beach-town college where everyone has to be skinnier, tanner, blonder, and more hairless than the other--so I hope you excuse my ugly term, but my college doesn't reflect the real world.) It is nice to just exhale and put on the proper size of clothing in a cute style.