Bluey, thank you for your response! I don't live too far from Dallas, so perhaps I'll look into what can be found there. ResiliantWoman, you sound wonderfully happy and proud! I hope to reach that place one day! LatchkeyPrincess, you live near San Francisco?? OH!! I've wanted to vacation there for a while and see the sights. Especially Haight-Ashbury and Napa Valley!

I'm taking baby steps at this time, as life has been busy and not always kind. But here's hoping I regain enough confidence to venture forth once again!

You'll love San Fran, i vacation there every year since 2001. cute story, the first time i was there i stayed at the loverly renaissance hotel on nob hill...one block away from a 24hour male strip club.

WOW!!! Awesome to see so many proud kinksters here. I've buddies up with a kinky gal pal, and we correspond via e-mail for motivation and such. We both want to feel better about our bodies. Seriously I'm sick of the Smers who believe that SM stands for Stand & Model. :-)

Oh yeah, I hear you on that one. I'm blessed to be living out and proud in the great PNW. We have an amazing body-positive, size-positive, kink/bdsm/leather/fetish/poly/etc. community here.

No problems with the locals but back in the SE, where I'm from, we had several who were more fashion fetish size 0 wannabes who loathed themselves and our larger denizens for reminding them that people come in all shapes and sizes.

I love Seattle!

I'm in NYC, and a lot of the public parties are attended by TNGers (18-35 year olds), and honestly it's a bother to see the younguns prancing around in their latex and g-strings--just prancing, not playing mind you. Some of the spanking parties I attend are different, as I tend to be on the younger side of most of the attendants.....the cool thing being is that I PLAY!!

I look forward to becoming more fluid physically, I think that will help combat some of the negative feelings that rise when out and about. Taking pole dance lessons should also help feeling more sexually confident and attractive.

Best two investments for my bucks that I've been privileged to find is a neuromuscular rehabilitation system called Z-Health and the RKC, Russian Kettlebell Challenge certified, community of women as coaches/personal trainers.

Mine has helped me lose over 100 pounds of fat and put on a respectable amount of muscle. (I love my Kettlebell.) Check out Lauren Brooks' DVD - The Ultimate Body Sculpt and Conditioning with Kettlebells. She even has a joint mobility warmup that is cutting edge neuroscience informed that has been integral to my rehab and continued regaining of my mobility.

Lauren survived 2 C-sections and has rehabilitated many women and men who've needed to lose huge amounts of fat and relearn how to move well again.

My personal trainer/movement coach is Jen Waak she is amazing and has been the reason I found 3FC and keep coming around.

Check out her site if you have time. She has a lot of medical and health tips that you won't find just anywhere and I noticed your goal setting and thought her article on S.M.A.R.T. goals might be of some encouragement.

I'm looking forward to the day when I can return to the BDSM community playspace here and have that experience of no one recognizing me because I've transformed myself so completely. I was an active Leather Daddy for many years before I had my daughter and became thoroughly lost in "mommy-land" for about 5-6 years. Now I'm planning to complete my health goals before Summer 2011 and return to college and then med school Fall 2011.

For me it's all been about having the tools to do what I've always dreamed of and one of the dreams that I put on hold due to injury and obesity was attending Diva Midori's bondage dojo intensive training weekend. It can be very physically demanding and I can finally see that happening and my being physically able to do more challenging rope art then ever before.

Glad there are so many diverse communities here at 3FC because this is one place that feels like home when I don't often feel like I have one.

RW

*raises hand*
I'm part of the club too.

Welcome!

Me too!! Wish there were some clubs out my way that were body and sexual orientation friendly. Not the nicest bunch of people around my neck of the woods. :-\

Proud kinkster here. Sub by nature. My Dom is pretty far away so it's only a part time deal but I do love it when I get a chance to play

*raises hand*