So I think this is rather interesting…and frustrating. I’ve lost about 34 pounds now and have gone down a size (almost two). I plan on losing another 16 pounds at least before summer. Last year, I would have given anything to be 50 pounds lighter in my bathing suit…surely I’d feel so much more confident and look so much better in my bathing suit! How could I not?

Well, after a 34 pound loss, I’m dreading bathing suit season more than ever. I actually think my body looks worse in a lot of ways now that I’ve lost weight. The grossest development is my inner thighs…smaller, yes, but I have these…bulges of fat right at the top that look just plain awful. Those were not there last summer (or if they were, they were concealed by firmer fat and therefore less noticeable). Also, I’ve lost my butt. I’ve gained a lot of muscle…but it’s still hidden under my last layers of fat. My body is not rockin’.

I’ve seen a few people say here that they’d rather be smaller and flabbier or with loose skin than bigger and fatter and unhealthy…but let’s just be vain and superficial for a moment. Do ya’ll really feel better naked or in a bathing suit now, after your loss? Maybe everyone doesn’t have this problem. I never would have imagined that weight loss would make me look worse in a bathing suit…seems rather unfair.

Can anyone else relate to this? Do you think it will get better the more weight I lose and the more I tone up? Also, I know you can’t spot reduce…but what on earth can I do about my bulging, flabby upper thighs?

You better freakin believe it! I do!!!

I have just recently seen a couple pictures that a friend took at a water park a few years ago and then she also had some pictures of when we went to the lake last summer, (after 190 pound loss) without a doubt my body looked 100000% better. Fat is not attractive on "most" people. My adorable new skinny bathing suit helped...instead of the tent swim dress I wore to cover up what was already so obvious....

No, I don't think I look worse! I loved buying my new bathing suit and wearing it!

Oh, I do have some loose skin on my thighs and upper arms, but that's because I let myself get fat. Too bad! Who cares!

What's the alternative? Get fat again? I don't think so...

I go out in my bathing suit to swim and relax, not to win a beauty contest.

As for naked, you'll find that as you get older and have more experience, this will matter less and less.

Some exercises can help firm up that butt! And the legs, too.

Jay

I absolutely look worse. Can't even find a suit that'll fit with my saggy boobs. No beaches or swimming for me.

I look worse...sagging skin, sagging wrinkled skin...do I care...Nope...that is my award for losing weight. Get over it, love yourself. Better than being fat.

I don't know about bathing suits but I think I'm gonna look worse naked. My fat is fairly well distributed and, when I'm standing up, I dont have many major rolls but I think when I lose that I will develop a "skirt" from my abdominal skin and my perky boobs are becoming less perky as I lose. TMI? lol

Ok, this is a total bummer! I am not looking forward to seeing what I look like 50 pounds from now.

I used to say I look better naked, now way better with clothes on.

However, if I'm going by appearances, I spend way more time with clothes on so I like the trade off. I'm only naked with myself or my beau. If it's just me looking, I can remind myself it's a 50 year old body that carried around 100 extra pounds for 20 years, of course it's not going to be pretty. And if it's my 54 year old beau looking, I know he's just thrilled to have me naked!

I would say it's a matter of toning. I know there's only so much you can do with weight lifting to firm up skin and muscle, but I would try that before thinking of anything drastic like having all your "saggy" bits nipped and tucked. Do you do a lot of toning exercise or are you mostly watching what you eat and doing cardio? And you never know! Once you reach your final goal, maybe all those trouble spots will be gone! Either way, I think you're beautiful and should be so, so proud of yourself!

In a bathing suit, sure I look worse--in street clothes waaaaayy better. I'll take it.

One thing you should also realize is it may take time for your skin to catch up to your weight loss. Your high weight isn't very high as opposed to some of us that weighed well over 100 lbs overweight. I have loose skin but I was also over 300 lbs for 15 years. I also think there are bathing suits that can flatter you so things like Miracle Suits are what I use It helps.

For me - I don't think it is so much I think I look worse as much as I think I am just more focused/aware of how I look. At my heaviest I was pushing 250 and I don't think I had any idea at that point how I looked, so it was easier to be confident in a suit/naked. Now that I am working hard at eating better/exercising more, I zone in on different areas of my body (ie. my arms look more toned, my tummy more saggy, etc.) and I am am more aware of my body.

I have also since had a baby - that will do a lot to your body too! Yikes!

I figure, as long as I can tuck my tummy flab into bikini bottoms, who cares? I mean - even my thin friends are not winning any bikini contests.

I think, also ThickNPretty, you might just be in an 'inbetween' stage with your weightloss as well. Kind of like when the old jeans are too loose, but the new ones are still too tight to wear out...

Give it time and try not to be so hard on yourself! You are doing SO well!

I mean really, come on girls, how many people do we actually know who think they look terrific in a bathing suit??? Unless you bare it all on "Beach girls gone wild" there are very few people who look at themselves nekkie and say..."WOW, I LOOK HOT!!" I know very few naturally thin girls, but even they have body issues, (and hate they way they look in the buff). Fat or flab, better or worse, in my HUMBLE opinion, anyone in a swimsuit has my respect...because there was a time you couldn't catch me dead in one...I missed out on a lot of fun worrying about what other people thought.

I definitely look 100x better. I went from 200 lbs to 130 lbs. Yes, I have loose skin on my belly and inner thighs and I have saggy boobs. My favorite bathing suit is a 2 piece tankini with a swim skirt. The top has a halter, it holds my boobs up nicely. The swim skirt hides the belly and the loose skin in my inner thighs. My arms and the rest of my legs look nice so I feel completely confident in my suit.

I don't have a bikini body, but I never thought that I would. I am grateful for what I do have!