Feeling so FAT

This is pretty much my heaviest weight ever!

Just not feeling like myself. Just wish I could shake this "woe is me I'm fat" feeling.

I mean I hate to dwell on something as vain as weight when things could be so much worse and for many others things are worse with serious health issues.

BUT on the other hand, I want to feel comfortable in my skin, I'm working on losing weight and doing much better, but I wish I was alot closer to my goal weight for this cruise.

It's soo silly to have this wonderful cruise planned, with my son and our great friends and being worried about being overweight.

Trying to make sure I preplan all my outfits and know what I plan to wear each day, being overweight makes this alot harder.

I just want to feel better about myself.

Hi July2012

Okay take a breath, I know how you feel. So you have plenty of time to feel better about your weight.

You need a game plan. If you manage to get a tiny bit more fit...I said FIT...you will be more limber and feel more energy. So get some frozen mixed vegetables and some frozen pre cooked chicken. Pour out a big portion of each on a plate heat it and eat it. Eat as often as you want. Prior to eating anything that is a treat, have a big bowl of vegys and protein, then you can maybe handle a smaller treat. Drink lots of water.

Put any scales in the closet, just dont worry please, put them in the closet.

Walk every day or even better, purchase, or check out from your library, or find her on u-tube, but do as much of Leslie Sansones "Walk a way the Pounds" DVDs. Richard Simmins always puts me in a happy mood too.

Okay after several weeks, you will have a lighter spirit, happier moods, and your clothes will fit better, you will feel better. Doesn't mater if you lost weight, you will feel so great and healthy! You can do this!

Before you go make sure you have a couple great tunics, some shapewear tank tops ( tuck into your undies to stop roll up....trust me on that) and some capris, better quality ones with some stretch. Make sure they hug you somewhat tight. Dont go baggy. Also get some knee length skirts that match those tunic shirts too. Skirts are so much more flattering than shorts. For your bathing suit, what works for me is two tops. I wear a non padded black bra, or a bikini top in the same print, under my tankini top, for lift and support. you can also wear your shapewear tank if its black and your tankini top is black or a black print. Check how it looks in the back, you want a tankini that the back comes up as far as possible for the best look, and a wider strap. Pair that with a pair of black bathing suit bottoms like from lands end, they suck you in, and then I also have a swim skirt I put over the bottoms. I know sounds silly, but I feel confident and I know things are not looking like bouncing jello!

Think layers if you still have money left to spend on new fabulous clothes. Sleeveless tank tops with a short sleeve button up top or light sweater over it. The top nor sweater will look good buttoned up so dont worry if they cant.

I know this is a lot of goofy information, I hope it helps you. There are a bunch of us who are heavy. There will be others who are heavier, others lighter. We are all just also trying to be comfortable in who we are. You are not alone, so try to accept where you are right now. I know its hard. I know you can do this to feel better, not to lose weight. To feel healthy and in power of you wonderful self.

I know how you feel...I'm not what anyone would consider "fat"...but I FEEL fat...I'm thicker than I'd like. Unfortunately, I enjoy eating...and while I know I don't need to eat everything I like....sometimes, I do...

Dress your body the way it is now....it's really all you can do. Once you're on the ship, you will see you are NOT the biggest one there. Don't let YOUR perceptions cloud your fun! No one else is bothered by your feelings of "fatness"...honestly.

ONLY YOU can "feel" better about yourself. Remember that!

You will not be the only overweight person on board. In fact you'll probably be amazed how many overweight people are on board. One thing I don't like about many cruise line ads is that they show beautiful, glamourous men and women in fabulous clothes. The women have perfect figures. Of course, everyone is young too.

That is what cruise lines would have you believe but the reality is far different. I wonder how many people don't cruise because they fear everyone on board looks like the fabulous models in the ads.

If you want to try a little harder, ine, but I'm one person who does not see the sense in drastic dieting and exercizing just to be some smaller weight to please strangers you'll never see again on a ship.

Just choose a healthy eating plan and stick to it all the time. Trying to diet down for special events is counterproductive in the long run. Have a wonderful time and don't worry about not meeting some ideal.

Thanks everyone for the support. I'm not just losing weight for this cruise, I have been working on losing weight for over 1 year and just wish I was alot closer to my goal. I have been walking on treadmill at home and stairs at work, doing a couple of spin classes at the YMCA and all those things makes me feel stonger and alot better. I have been eating better foods, more veggies, making green juices at home. It also makes me feel stronger.

I know why the cruise is causing some anxiety, I've started to think about what I will wear on the cruise. I have lost some weight and believe some inches.

I will be taking some shapewear for the evening with my maxi dress and jumpsuits. I love maxi dresses love jumpsuit and feel pretty good in these.

I have 3 new swimsuits, 2 one pieces with skirts, 1 tank and boy shorts. I will have cover ups to take. Looking for knee length sundresses to wear during the day and at ports. I will try to wear the shaper underwear to help hold in my stomach area which makes me feel more comfortable.

My capris are jean capris so not taking them on cruise toooo hot. I feel better in a sundress just need to have the correct shapewear if needed.

Just typing right now I realize it is the anxiety of preparing for my cruise "what to wear", not going to let something so exciting and fun be ruined by how I'm feeling about my weight. I like to bargain hunt for great deals, I like to plan things out, so I will just put those skills to use, get some new clothes for spring summer which I can also use on my cruise.

I

I am 60 ish and bit "thick" around the middle too. I was on 5 cruises last year, most on Princess and was surprised how casual everyone was. I found that my higher end clothes and dresses never got off the hangers and I wore casual pants with elastic waist bands and longer t shirts or blouses. I have a couple fancy shirts that go with a pair of black slacks for the dressy nights. I dress more for comfort then flash. As you know there is lots and lots of food on the ships. I have found that I eat a lot the first few days and then the thrill is gone and I eat more sensible. There is plenty of exercise to be found on the ship and not just in the gym. I try to take the stairs as often as I can and you can easily walk a couple miles a days around the ship.

All that being said you know what makes you comfortable so wear what makes you feel good and don't worry about everyone else. Also, how do,you find room for all of the clothes you are taking? I could take some packing lessons from you.

Diana

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I will be 65 this month, and though I have never been overweight, I have been at the high end of my limit. I also carry it around the middle, and it just got to be very uncomfortable, and wasn't helping my aching back.

I am just finishing up my 3rd month of Nutrisystem, and I am 3 lbs from goal. I always ate healthy, but I overdid it on portions. This has taught me portion control. I also downloaded "myfitnesspal" app, and nothing enters my mouth before I scan the barcode or search for an item with no barcode. I think this really keeps me honest about what I am eating. The app also syncs with my Fitbit. Even though the exercise allows me more calories, I never go over what my normal allowance is a day.

It sounds like you are on the right track, and have a good positive mindset. Good Luck!

I've been overweight for years and years. I have a closet full of plus size clothes, most of which I bought on ebay. Just because I am overweight doesn't mean I don't look nice.

I have found longer jackets with open fronts that fit loosely over the torso are very forgiving on cruises, and make great evening outfits with knit/slinky knit pants and a shell/tank top. I buy mostly chiffon tops to save weight in packing, plus I can take more!!

Having said that, I am in month 5 of my new "eating plan". I don't call it a diet, because I realized it was the way I'm SUPPOSED to be eating. For now it's more strict, but as I lose the weight, I can judiciously add foods back in.

I COULD NOT LOSE WEIGHT before; couldn't; huge struggle. I gave up.

What I found is that carbs not only make me gain weight, they make me feel HUNGRY, so I eat more.

Mid-December I eliminated potatoes, bread, pasta, and rice. If there's some in a soup, I'll eat a small amount of potatoes and rice.

I eat as much protein as I want: cheese, meat, fish, poultry, yogurt. Also, as much veggies and fruit as I want, avoiding oranges (high carb).

Switched to club soda or sparkling water with lemon. I have alcohol several times a week, but I'm not a heavy drinker. A single glass of something about 4 times a week.

I am rarely hungry. I eat out a lot, and just order fruit or veggies instead of potatoes, no bread, and throw the bread away in a sandwich. The insides of a sandwich are where the good stuff is, anyway.

4 small pieces of dark chocolate a day, if I want. (Hershey's minis). My total daily calories runs about 1,200 - 1,300 a day.

I lose about 3 lbs a month. I've been weighed at my doctor's office twice: end of December and March. I lost 9 lbs between those visits. I also lost about 15 lbs before I even went to the doctor the end of December.

I walk 1.5 miles about 4 times a week, too.

I don't do scales at home: I do clothes. My clothes are getting too big, so I alter them to fit. It's like a part-time hobby. Ebay is the best way to get new clothes if you don't sew: tops are $10 - $15, and pants, too.

Just to show what I've found recently in a smaller size, plus I found a slinky knit jacket/capris to match the pale coral in this blouse. All three pieces were $37.

Good luck!!

So, for another perspective on this,

I was a fluffy person, and then 2015 happened. I walked off of the Fantasy after a 10 day cruise and into the hospital where I was diagnosed with Gastric cancer. 9 weeks of chemo, 33% of my stomach removed another 6 weeks of chemo and I nearly starved to death before they got my throat to quit closing. Now I have to force myself to eat, and am 65 lbs lighter, and a really thin (read boney here) 145 lbs. I am 6 ft tall. It is hard for me to get enough calories in to not lose weight.

Be glad you are fluffy and healthy! It could be so much worse.

p.s. on the plus and minus side, I've had to get rid of almost all my clothes and buy new, right down to my underwear. My shoes still fit. I also spent nearly the whole year bald.

Now, get it together, get healthy, get plenty of exercise, and enjoy the skin you are in!

I think to be comfortable with yourself, you should try to concentrate on health, not on fat -- and certainly not on weight (i.e. the number). Think instead about how your clothes fit, how much energy you have, and how strong you are -- not about the number on the scale. Think about eating healthy foods, not about eating less or, worse, skipping meals. Make being healthy your goal, instead of "losing weight" or being thin. Not too long after I started Pilates classes I actually had to buy a smaller size in pants and have some clothes taken in, but I discovered I had actually gained weight! The classes had reshaped my body and increased my strength, but they hadn't helped me lose any weight.

Make sure your cardiovascular system is good (blood pressure, cholesterol levels), and if not, work on getting those in order......you'll live longer to enjoy time with your family, regardless of what weight you are.

Dressing when you are overweight can be hard, because it's not just about your size but your shape. I personally don't care as much about how I look to others as how I feel myself (so I'm happy in cargo pants, t-shirt type tops, and sandals), but I do wish I could find more things to fit, flatter, and be comfortable in but I can't (and I've been looking for 20 years). That's my method, but to each her own - don't do as I do if it will make you uncomfortable, but don't do as someone told you that you should do if that's not what you want to do either. The truth is that not many people who matter will really care about what you're wearing.

Dressing when you are overweight can be hard, because it's not just about your size but your shape. I personally don't care as much about how I look to others as how I feel myself (so I'm happy in cargo pants, t-shirt type tops, and sandals), but I do wish I could find more things to fit, flatter, and be comfortable in but I can't (and I've been looking for 20 years). That's my method, but to each her own - don't do as I do if it will make you uncomfortable, but don't do as someone told you that you should do if that's not what you want to do either. The truth is that not many people who matter will really care about what you're wearing.

I'm going to politely disagree with you. I have a HUGE wardrobe (I mean my closet is 14 feet long with upper and lower poles). Smaller clothes are up on top on one side, but that section is thinning out (see my post above). I still have my more expensive clothes from Catherines, but now buy everything on ebay.

Knit and slinky knit pants and capris are a fluffy's best friend. White, black, and brown, and you're ready for any top. Like I said above: open front jackets are great and versatile with a variety of tops.

A girl can be overweight and still look great.

A girl can be overweight and still look great.

I didn't say an overweight woman can't look great, I said finding good fitting and flattering clothes can be a real challenge. If you have the right body shape and proportions to fit into mass-marketed clothes well and you like what's available, that's great. However, for those of us with atypical shapes and proportions, irrespective of size and weight, it can be a real challenge. Frankly, I'm sure it wouldn't be easy if I was a size 12 either, but I'd have many more options to try than I do when I am a size 18-24 or so. I don't have a single pair of pants that hasn't required at least $50 worth of tailoring in order to fit me properly -- and it took me years to find a tailor who would actually do the alterations for me.

I've seen many, many overweight women who look great in their clothes, but by and large they either all have the same shape and proportions, or they're models or celebrities who can get pricey custom alterations done.

I didn't say an overweight woman can't look great, I said finding good fitting and flattering clothes can be a real challenge. If you have the right body shape and proportions to fit into mass-marketed clothes well and you like what's available, that's great. However, for those of us with atypical shapes and proportions, irrespective of size and weight, it can be a real challenge. Frankly, I'm sure it wouldn't be easy if I was a size 12 either, but I'd have many more options to try than I do when I am a size 18-24 or so. I don't have a single pair of pants that hasn't required at least $50 worth of tailoring in order to fit me properly -- and it took me years to find a tailor who would actually do the alterations for me.

 

I've seen many, many overweight women who look great in their clothes, but by and large they either all have the same shape and proportions, or they're models or celebrities who can get pricey custom alterations done.

Well, at my heaviest I was a 3x bottom with a 1.5x top, so that's not exactly symmetrical! :D That's the reason I rarely wore fitted pants: they didn't have enough "give". I've loved slinky knit forever: it has a great drape to it, and can go 2 up and down 2 sizes.

I was actually just commenting on your statement that it's hard to dress when you are overweight, and I'm sorry if you misunderstood my last post. It's just that I've had no problem finding clothes.

For me its all about eating better and being healthy and strong. Being overwieght makes it harder for me to dress me in a way that I feel good about how I look to myself.

Packing my clothes, I take 2 pieces of checked luggage and a carry-on. I would rather take more then I need then to be away from home and need something I don't have with me. BUT with my preplanning what I will wear each night this time, I may not need as much luggage.

I'm working on losing weight and doing much better

Heck yes, good for you !!!! :)

It's all about commitment and progress.

Point 1: It's not how you will look on this cruise, but how you are NOT going to look in a hospital gown down the road. You stay with what works for you, not for the cruise but for life.

Point 2: If fifty percent of us on your cruise are adult women, and more than a few of us have created babies with our bodies, lost people we have loved, faced rejection, been belittled, had our bodies cut and scarred from cancer and surgeries, looked in the mirror to see our hair fall out with radiation, been the lucky recipient of the big-nose gene, we are nothing as women if we don't uplift each other all the time. That said, reread #1.

Point 3: Isn't it quite remarkable that we would all be together on a little speck floating on a sea in a vast universe of space and time? Don't worry. This makes us practically family.

we are nothing as women if we don't uplift each other all the time.

That's powerful, thank you for saying it :)

 

And family doesn't judge you by what you wear, so you shouldn't either.

Thanks for all the support.

Health is the most important thing.

We all have our vanity moments and we all want to look our best, but at the end of the day being alive and healthy is what matters the most.

Getting very excited about my cruise.

I can understand where you're coming from.

I've been overweight pretty much all of my adult life and just within the last month, I've been referred to a weight loss program that I'm starting this week. I'll be cutting out quite a lot, but my weight is affecting my health and I can't have that anymore.

My next cruise is in 116 days (I fly out in 112 days!) and I'd love to lose about 30lbs before I leave. Even if I don't hit this mark, I do have clothes that I will feel comfortable in during this trip. By the time my B2B comes around next November, I'm expecting to have lost close to 100lbs. There are definitely places that you can find clothes you'll feel comfortable in and don't dwell on it during your trip. As others have said, enjoy the skin you're in :D

I commend you on your quest for a healthier lifestyle.

That is truly awesome!!

I just wanted to throw my insecurities into the mix so you know that you are not alone.

I am small. 5'3 and weigh 130ish. I'm fit and healthy. But...I have cellulite on my butt ( the biggest part of me) and my thighs. I worry constantly that I will be judged while in my bathing suit on our cruise.

I go back and forth between thinking it's not too bad, stressing about it and extreme depression about it.

At the end of the day...I just have to remember what a previous posted said, "be happy in my own skin".

So thin or fat...we as women do need to just embrace each other and lift each other up. (Thank you to the previous poster who said that!) our bodies are amazing...we created life after all!! And no matter our size...we all have those things we wish we could change about ourselves.

So OP...you are not alone and I appreciate this forum to share those insecurities with other women.

Have fun on your cruise!!

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I needed to reread this today. Just one of them days.

But when I start to feel like this, I make myself think of all the things I'm grateful for.

Just lost a friend last week to what we think was a heart attack,,,,so puts complaining about being overweight into perspective and make me focus more on getting healthy.

Putting the best food choices into my body and being more active.

I am a plus-size gal, who has recently lost 157 pounds after bariatric surgery (and lots of hard work after it). I have been uncomfortable at certain weights too, but I try to bring the clothes that I think I look best in. I would recommend against the shapewear. I have worn it before and it has made me feel too warm and not comfortable, because it is constricting. I prefer to just be me and even chose not to wear shapewear at my own wedding, so that I am enjoying the moment, rather than feeling constricted. Remember, you will not know almost all of the people on board and you will not be seeing most of them ever again. Do I feel great in a bathing suit? No, but I would rather wear one, cool down in the pool, and have fun, rather than not wear one and miss out on the fun.

Shapewear under that sundress can become very uncomfortable in hot weather. Give yourself permission to remove it if it effects your enjoyment of the day. Not usually a problem on air conditioned ship. Relax and enjoy.

I needed to reread this today. Just one of them days.

But when I start to feel like this, I make myself think of all the things I'm grateful for.

 

Just lost a friend last week to what we think was a heart attack,,,,so puts complaining about being overweight into perspective and make me focus more on getting healthy.

 

Putting the best food choices into my body and being more active.

I hope that you are feeling better today. You are right about food choices and being more active. That is what my MD just told me. I find for myself, the best thing is to make small weight goals. For me it is one lb. a month to get off. At the end of a year it is 12lbs. I need to cut down on sweets. They are too easy to grab and eat. Now I am trying to put down most of the cookies in place of some grapes/apple. Also I am trying to watch when I eat, like at the computer, watching TV. For me that is more of a habit and not hunger. The main thing I find is not to be hard on myself. I am also switching out sweets also with a prayer. That helps me too. Let us know how you are doing.

I'm 24 days out from my cruise and I'm feeling very uncomfortable with my weight and how I look. I had vowed to lose weight before the cruise and it didn't happen (my own fault). I'm now on a last ditch effort to loose a few lbs (or in Aussie speak- Kilograms) in the next few weeks before I set sail...

I'm doing okay- have lost a kilo (which is roughly 2.2lbs) in the 2 days since I've started this health kick, that's just cutting out the mindless eating I tend to do at my desk at work and halving my evening meal portion along with walking half an hour to 40 minutes a day on the treadmill - only 7kgs more to go LOL. Oh! and I've been guzzling the water as well but I naturally drink a lot of water anyway so water intake has never been a problem.

I can't go and buy new/bigger clothes either as it's going into winter here in the land down under and all the clothing stores and online stores are stocking winter clothes. The cruise is to QLD in Australia which will still be rather warm even for this time of year here so I'm going to be going through my wardrobe in the next week or so and try my summer things on to figure out what I'm going to pack.. at this stage, it wont be a whole lot! :eek::(