I'm going to Mexico for the first time next week! I'm looking for any advice, tips, or comments about how to travel as an obese person, specifically for Mexico.

I am going with a female friend. We're both moms in our late 30s, I'm single and she's in the process of divorce. We are going to Merida and Playa del Carmen, and it's a week-long trip.

I flew recently and know that I can buckle the airplane seatbelt without an extender.

My biggest concerns are wearing a bathing suit on the beach (my friend is in great shape and will probably be in a bikini). I feel slightly uncomfortable being my weight and being in a bathing suit, but I wouldn't let that override my enjoyment of the trip!

Is the Cancun/Playa region one of these high-end places where you only see perfect bodies in bathing suits, or is it a wide spectrum of sizes?

Is snorkeling completely out of the question, or does snorkeling stuff work for any size person?

I've seen videos of the ruins, and I wish I'd started doing some stair-climbing activities a month ago, so I could plan to climb to the top of them!

Is there clothing for sale in all sizes, or is it hard to find things for sale that would be in the 2x or 3x size range?

Are there any other "red herrings" I should know about?

Thanks for your input!!

Hey there! When I was in Playa, there were woman with many different types of figures there! You don't wear anything special to snorkeling - just a life vest and stuff on the face. (I would think they have life vests large enough for you...) As far as clothing, We didn't shop there (only a stop on a cruise) so I'm not sure on that one. Try not to worry about weight and attempt anything you would have wanted to do at 120 pounds!

I don't know where I went when I went with my friends but I was 300 lbs. You can wear a bathing suit, you can go snorkeling, etc. I love Miracle Suits if you want a suit that will help flatter your body. I went snorkeling at my highest weight in Hawaii and it was awesome and I did go when I went to Mexico although there was some jellyfish and my friends got stung.

I don't remember buying any clothing there? I'm sure they do have some larger sizes for tourists but it is all going to be touristy type things.

Standard thing is - drink bottled water and also inspect the bottle before you buy it. Coke/diet coke may actually be safer. Avoid buying 'agua' drinks and chocolate drinks from vendors as they probably most likely use their water rather than filtered water. Again, I don't know the areas you are going to but use only the official taxis and be conscious of your surroundings.

Also have fun

I havent been to Mexico, but I did go to the Dominican and there were A LOT of Spanish and Italian people there for some reason. Like hardly any people from North America at all.

And pretty much everyone on the beach was in a bikini. and we're talking like large Spanish woman. Many of whom also went topless. and these were not fit women. And no one blinked. It's strange how big the cultural gap is between some countries and how they view nudity.

It was actually quite refreshing to see women who were big and in their 50's just wanting to feel the sun on their skin and not give a crap what any one thought about their bodies.

My husband & I are going to Cancun next week as well. I am so excited! I'm also nervous, though, b/c I have been doing SO WELL with weight loss since the new year (saw 143 for the first time this morning) and REALLY don't want to have a major setback while I am there. I know it will be really hard w/ the food & the booze & not being able to maintain my regular exercise routine...

I was in Mexico briefly for a cruise so I wasn't on the beach long but that place will be swarming with Americans and what do Americans look like? If anything I'd say people go to Mexico to be less inhibited so you'll probably see a lot of bikinis on not necessarily bikini bodies.

I was just in Thailand and it was the same deal, except with Europeans. I always thought of Europeans as thin, sophisticated people (been to Europe 3x)... well, that's not who vacations in Asia and I'd say I was average size and I'm 30+ lbs overweight. I thought Thailand & Mexico were very similar.

And go snorkeling! It's awesome! I was in Cozumel, an island right near Playa del Carmen and the water was bright turquoise, perfectly clear, just awesome.

Thank you for your responses! I'm getting more excited, and all of your comments have made it even better for me.

I'm so glad to hear that snorkeling will be an option. I wasn't planning to buy a new suit, but a "miracle suit" sounds like a worthwhile investment!

One of my goals has been to get to goal weight (or at least get closer to goal weight) and go to a topless or nude beach. I think it would be a very liberating experience.

Su-bee, enjoy your trip! We'll probably rub elbows somewhere.

i have family in that area and i love merida/playa del carmen. there are ppl of alllll sizes. mexico is very diverse. the advice i have is to smile a lot if you try to speak spanish, youll flatter the pants off of shopkeepers if you give it a try. avoid street fruits and drinks as your body isnt used to the water. always haggle. enjoy the sunshine. buy local crafts, not made in china stuff from the big shops. have fun and forget about your size!

Oh, I love that!! I'm glad you said that ... I will brush up on it right now!!