I have 3 tattoos already, now I plan on getting my marathon finishers metal on my lower back even though I havent reached my goal weight that was really a sign of a new me, and a new life, and nothing will ever compare to that accomplishment, so I want to carry that with me forever! :-)

I have three tattoos, but one is specifically body-image related. I have an abstract/stylized outline of a swan on my right outer thigh. I have it to remind me every day that even though sometimes I feel like an ugly duckling, I am really a beautiful swan. I have had this one for about 10 years now.

OH SEE!! Now I have another tat to pick out!!!:D I love Miami ink!! Ami is the cutest and Garver is the best!! TEEHEE!! I have 4 tattoos,I have a anche~symbolizing eternal life and fertility(cross with the loop on the top) on my ankle with a band of thorns around it,done at seperate times so thats 2,I have a heart with ivy coming out the sides and I have a Scottish thistle on my left shoulder blade(by my heart).
I am going to get a celtic knot symbolizing motherhood and now something to symbolize my weight loss....That's going to be hard to come up with something.....!!! Anymore suggestions ladies???? Now I need more ideas!:D
Wendy

I love tattoos, myself, and even attempted to get one done once. My cousin was going to do it, but as soon as he touched me, I chickened out...so now I have a dot on my right arm...don't laugh too hard...Anyway, my boyfriend is really into tattoos, he has two and is getting two more right away, and he is always after me to get one, so maybe when I reach my goal I will. What better time, eh? I know he'd love it...Now if I can just get it done without a needle...;)

:D You could buy 5000 stick ons and pretend!!!That's funny about the dot! I bet there is alot of people walking this earth with dot's on them for the same reason!! Don't let the pressure get to you,if you want one bad enough,you'll deal with the irritation that comes with the art!Good Luck!
~W.~

icmethinner: i totally agree with you with the belly button piercing! every girl with a flat stomach has one and i would love to wear a shirt where you can see the little diamonds or beads hanging down just a little.. i think that is so cute. and no ink damage either! :)

I have my belly pierced...although you can't see it from the rolls!!!! LOL!!!:D Actually,it's not that bad! I don't show off my belly though! By the way, if you want your belly pierced,I got to warn you,I think it really hurts!!!!! I would rather have 20 tattoos done at the same time than to do that again!!!!
This coming from a woman who was in hard labour for 69 hours!! LOL!!!

Thanks for the warning! I didn't know it hurt that much!! I pinched that area and it doesn't hurt - I remember it hurt bad when I got my ears pierced and can't imagine it being much worse. Do you mean during the piercing or while it's healing?

JUst during the peircing! It seemed to take forever! Some people have no problems what so ever,but mine got infected right away and started to grow out before it could heal properly! Turned out I was allergic to the stainless steel! So,I bought some colorless iodine and a gold belly ring and all has been great so far! I have got the ball caught on the button of my jeans a couple times,fixed that by wearing a belt, and have to wear the lower jeans all the time or it rubs/sticks to you! Otherwise I love it!:D I can't wait to see it again! LOL!!!
~W.~

This is a great idea, I thought about getting a tatoo when my 50 pounds is gone, however I didn't look at it as a gift or using it as a symbol of weight freedom. But, that is a great way to look at it.
I have always wanted the sun with water splashing on the outside and the pisece symbol inside the sun. Now I might add a crown to the sun for the Queen symbolization (in other works saying that I am the ruler of my body=)
Thanks!

I've thought about getting a small tattoo, but I think the biggest thing that keeps me from doing it (aside from the money that I don't have) is the fact that tattooed people aren't allowed in Japanese spas and hot springs sometimes. I'm not really sure why. I went to this massive spa called Spa World when I was there and there was a sign that said tattoos weren't allowed. You go completely naked, too, so there's no way to cover it!! There's no way I'd ruin my chance to ever get back to Spa World for a little picture on my skin. lol.

Hmmm... maybe to prevent those still healing going into common waters? I dunno! Are open wounds ok? :lol: Ewww, gross out! ;)

What if you had a small tattoo and wore a band-aid over it? :s:

I have always told my husband when I reach my goal I would love to get a pair of wings on my lower back. The symbolism for me is that I will finally be free. I don't know about the rest of you but I am sick of feeling like a prisoner to weight. I want to be free from it and move on to just living a healthy life.

You might be right about that. Or it could be some crazy Japanese thing that I just don't understand yet, but next time I go there I'll bring a Japanese friend along and ask!! A bandaid could work, but if it came off in the water that would suck. But that's what's butt glue is for!! :D Yes, there is such a thing as butt glue. Ask any experienced pageant girl.

I was thinking that maybe a tattoo on the neck just below my hair might be cool because it'd be easy to cover up and easy to reveal if I pull my hair up, but that'd be sooo painful I think! I have a cousin who was apprenticing as a tattoo artist, though, so maybe he could give me a family discout if I ever got one. If I did, it'd either be Hello Kitty or the Japanese character for "asahi", which was the name of the school I went to in Japan (Asahi High School). It's such a beautiful kanji and has a lot of personal meaning for me. I don't think I'd get any specific related to weight loss, although if I got one of those tattoos after losing that weight as a sort of reward it would be fun.

I've also thought that it'd be fun to get a tattoo on my butt. Hee hee.