I can remember a time when I would become offended if my DH came into the bedroom while I was changing clothes. When I became very ill and he had to help me with bathing and such, modesty pretty much went out the window. This thread had me thinking last night and I slept without clothes for the first time in many, many years. It felt great.
My DH isn't modest at all and says that when the kids have all left home, that he plans to walk around naked all the time. lol

This thread hits home. I spent most of my life at 120 lbs (I'm 5'3). Even then, I wasn't entirely comfortable b/c I've always had BOOBS. But, I didn't hide either.

I now weigh 230 lbs. When I hit 160, I knew that I couldn't be comfortable being intimate and haven't been w/anybody for a long, long time.

When I lose enough weight, I'll find someone.

But, unless by some miracle my skin fully recovers, I will never let anybody see me naked again. It's just ugly.

It hits home for me too. Some people are just more inhibited than others. Maybe because of the way they were brought up, childhood experiences, being self conscious about how they look... or whatever. Don't tell them to just get over it. It's not that simple. I have been with my husband for 25 years, and I still hate getting dressed in front of him. Just can't do it. I get dressed in the bathroom. Sex is different. I am OK with that. But just standing there?

It's not self-esteem. I think I am pretty much OK. It's just that I feel incredibly self-conscious. I used to hate getting dressed in gym class. And oh the showers - don't even go there! Never used them.

Just realize that everyone is different, and we all have our hang-ups of some sort or another.

Mel, I've had some wicked hot flashes in my time! Really, it's summer when I go outside!

Interesting thread...

I walk around naked all the time, both DD and I do when we're alone, silly I know... But I do not walk around nekkid with DS around and DD doesn't walk around nekkid when DH or DS are around...

The one thing that bothers me when I walk around naked with DH around is that he thinks he's gonna get IT just cause I'm naked .... ... TMI?? Probably

Ohh my DH has seen it all, at my heaviest and lightest

Mine too, Leenie...but it's how I feel about it, not him. He always tries to feel it Remember, IT'S ALL ABOUT ME!

I agree, maybe it's not so much a self-esteem issue as selfconsciousness. I was rail thin and anorexic when I got married but thought I was too fat then. I also cringed in gym class, hid at shower time, and changed in closets at sleep-overs. Being able to walk around naked now is a big deal.

Mel

Umm... yeah. I haven't had sex for two years because I can't stand the thought of anybody seeing/feeling my flab. And I'm 22! These are the prime casual sex years of my life! I wasn't all that thinnner back when I was getting laid regularly (20 lbs or so) but I was still self-conscious about my weight. Big time.

Ilene - that must be a man thing. any time i'm getting dressed aparently he thinks its happy fun timie. boys!

i used to have a real hard time with it myself. when i first started getting heavy. now that i'm bigger than ever - i guess i don't care as much. for me it was about finding the right partner. While hubby was not my first sexual partner, he was the first to see me without my clothes on. i guess it's a trust thing for me.

hey ladies thats my problem too. I hated being naked in front of a man. i feel that when a man sees my body the thoughts that comes to his mind are o my god she has a ugly body and she looks worst then i thought and shes really fat and i feel that he would focus to much on how fat and disgusted i look naked. then i think that when he saw me i was fat so he could suspect to see fat under my clothes but still i cant convince my self of that i just think it.

lol I would to say that I use to be carefree.... walking around in front of my hubby but as I have gained the weight my shyness has slowly crept in. My husband just laughs and says its funny that i try to hide... " i know what you have!" I just cringe.... I know i shouldn't care but Sadly i do. Maybe that wil be my goal for the week.... flash my husband tomorrow morning... it would be liberating lol!

Do you think these people don't have an image of you naked in their mind - probably worse than it actually is since you go to such great lengths to cover it up. Never occured to me to cover up in front of my husband, even at my highest.

Eh, I used to be uncomfortable with my body until I had my son... which is funny because my body looked a lot BETTER before I had him. There's nothing like laying naked as a jaybird on a table with your feet up in stirrups with a baby coming out... and everyone standing around watching to nip insecurities in the bud! I'm over it now... DH wishes I'd put clothes ON most of the time now... OH WELL.

I feel like I have to jump in and stick up for my fat. I am naked ALL the time around my husband - as is he. Does my husband want me to lose weight? Yes, he does - but not because he wants me to look better naked. He wants me to lose weight so that I can be more healthy and we can enjoy each other's bodies for many more years.

I totally understand that each person is different and not everyone is comfortable showing their bodies in the same way. But please don't blame your BODIES for making you feel this way. Your bodies are beautiful - as is mine. Right now, you simply are what you are.

We're here to become more healthy, more fit, more "acceptable" to society (don't even GET me started on that one). But losing weight should not be the road to loving ourselves more - or being sure that our husbands love our bodies. Those are very separate issues that need to be dealt with separately as well.

Its ok to not be comfortable being fully naked - that's everyone's right. But it hurts my feelings, frankly, to hear it all blamed on fat. I am not ugly and should not be hidden away if I don't want to be. I respect your choices but know that those choices are about what's inside you, not what's outside.

I must have a problem. My DH grabs me more and tries to get "handsy" when I'm cooking than he does when I'm naked. LOL. He literally can't keep his hands off me when I'm in the kitchen. Maybe I should cook naked.