Battling With Being A Plus Size.

I along with so many people have battled with my weight seems like all my life.  It starts with the looks we get... fatty....why should we have to put up with the stigma of being a plus size?

So much people have battled with weight problem at one point in time in their entire life time; some persons are living a highly restricted life style in their eating habits so as not to get into the weight issue. Some have gone beyond far just to get to the size zero that is seemingly the 'gorgeous' look.

In this category are majorly women. They seem to be the ones that have the pressure to 'look good'.

The world today have made plus size women feel so uncomfortable in their body that some have to go extra miles to get the 'rocking' body and some of these actions have resulted in the women endangering their lives health wise.

Being overweight is a condition, not really a normal thing because some people that are overweight are as a result of some genetic issues and not their inability to control their appetite! But the society tends to look at them like "she eats too much".

I am not in support of people who are overweight not doing anything about it or unhealthy eating habits and life style, No, but I think if you are on the 'big' side, while you are doing something about it, you should feel beautiful! Some 'big' people have actually become worse because they do not feel beautiful neither do people see them as one, so they end up being depressed and eating more junks and getting worse. That is not helpful at all.

Besides, there exists different body shapes; Ectomorphs- Persons with a lean and delicate build of body, Mesomorphs- Persons with a compact and muscular body and Endomorphs- Persons with a soft round build body and a high proportion of fat tissue.

Whatever your body structure is, you cannot really change it, you can only make it look better. So if you are an endomorph, and all your life you have admired the slender, lean-looking runway models and hope to be like them, you may never be that. You can lose weight, but may not look all slender and lean. This simply implies that we all should be comfortable in any body size we have, as long as we maintain a healthy eating habit and lifestyle.

Feel sexy, look gorgeous and trust me, different individuals admire and are attracted to different people so it is not a one way thing and therefore, very wrong to say that EVERYONE must look slender and lean to be seen as beautiful. That is so wrong.

How Can You Buy Flattering Plus Size Clothing--Its Easy.

How Can You Buy  Flattering Plus Size Clothing--Its Easy.

Have you ever purchased a blouse that you believe would be flattering on a plus size body? Only to realize that it didn't flatter your body at all; instead the clothing made areas look even larger. Here are some tips on how to choose flattering plus size clothing for your body type. Just a reminder plus size women come in different shapes and sizes, so clothing should be worn to draw attention to the good and hide the flaws.

• Tip 1- When you go to buy blouses/shirts pay attention to the length. You do not want to have your stomach hanging out, especially when dressing for work. A good tip is to purchase tops that hit midline of naval or lower.

• Tip #2- Layering clothing on a plus size body can be flattering and is a good buy (makes more than 1 outfit). This can be done with a tank top (keeping tip #1 in mind) and a blousy shirt.

• Tip #3- Overflowing cleavage is never flattering, no matter if you are a plus size woman or a petite woman. Buy shirts that are v-neck shaped flatters the plus size body because it lengthens the neck line.

• Tip #4- Pants are usually hard to buy when you are searching for the perfect plus size fit. Rule of thumb is that anything that says 'skin tight' or 'skinny' means don't buy... run the other way. Even though these types of pants fit, they will definitely make your butt look BIG and that's never flattering. Instead buy Jeans that are a sleeker fit, provided that they don't outline any budges or rolls on the body. For dress pants, the best pair to purchase is the wide-legged pants. They will flatter a plus size body only if the fabric drapes and flows properly.

• Tip #5- If you are having a hard time finding the perfect dress to buy, look for these clues: For a dress to flatter a plus size woman it needs to have some shape to it. Dresses with princess seams down the front are very flattering. A dropped wait plus size dress is also a nice addition to a flattering wardrobe. Stay away from dresses that look like tents, especially if they are filled with flower prints.

• Tips #6- Never buy over size clothing which will make you appear bigger. Skimpy clothing will show off all the parts you are trying to hide.

• Tip #7- Worse than over size clothing is house dresses and muumuus. Definitely stay away from buying these types of clothing. It is fine to wear if you are bumming around the house, but consider the tips in this article on how to wear flattering plus size clothing.

My Plan For Shopping For Plus Size Clothes!

I hate shopping for clothes.  Everything seems to be designed for stick thin women, and if you are curvy as I am, you have to settle fo second best!  Why should I have to do that?

Over the years i have developed my own thoughts and methods of shopping for plus sized clothes.  I have put it here for you to see...hope you find it useful.

Clothes shopping at any stage of the shape shifting/size changing game should be an enjoyable time for every woman. It's an opportunity to clear your head, give yourself some space and time away from work or the fam and enjoy seeing yourself from a fresh and fabulous perspective. It's like playing an adult version of 'the children's game, "Dress up'. It should be tons of fun. But you can't immerse yourself in the joy of the experience, if you're not in the right frame of mind. Before you head out the door, you've got to first have the right attitude.

If your goal is to feel better about your body, boost your confidence, channel your inner sassy, and momentarily step away from your body hating ways, then you've got to treat yourself to a self image makeover, That means being willing to see yourself from a different perspective.

Wiping the Slate Clean: Start Where You Are
Many women regardless of size, struggle with body issues. For years no matter how fat or thin I was, I couldn't stand my thighs. I truly believed that I was miserable because I had fat thighs. One day I looked at myself, standing naked in the mirror and for the first time ever I realized that I had it all wrong. My thighs were the result of being miserable, not the cause. That's when I began to become more compassionate toward myself and my body. One of the tools that I used to change the way that I felt about myself and my thighs was to read the book, "Heal Your Body" by Louise Hay. The mirror exercise I've described is one of the tools from her book.

Setting the Record Straight
As a professional coach, I've learned that people treat us the way we treat ourselves. If you're used to putting yourself down and trash talking your body in front of others, they will inadvertently pick up the habit and eventually get used to talking to you in a similar way. The best way to correct them without putting undue stress on your relationship is to let everyone in your family know that any criticism or comments about your body is off limits and will no longer be tolerated. By making it clear to the people around you, that you respect yourself, they will be more appreciative and respectful of you.
As a sales associate for the women's retail plus size clothing store chain, Avenue, I see a lot of things that my customers do that often create tremendous fitting room frustrations (FRF) for themselves and others. Find out if you're making these same mistakes and learn what you can do to make your next shopping trip fun.
FRF #1 - Expecting the worst. Lots of larger women dread the prospect of clothes shopping because they've had many negative experiences in the past. It doesn't have to be that way.
What to do instead: As world famous success coach, Tony Robbins says, "your past does not necessarily determine your present." You can change the way you feel by making the choice to do things differently. Plan to have fun. - Rather than going with the worst case scenario movie rolling 'round in your head, set an intention to have a great time and plan on enjoying a fabulous shopping experience. This is your time to explore your beauty and get the most bang for your buck.

FRF #2 - Body Dysmorphia - "The I'm fat and ugly syndrome" - According to statistics, in the U.S, 4 out of 5 women strongly dislike or even hate their bodies. If you feel that way, you've probably got a lot of negative feelings toward your body. Harboring these emotions, prevents you from being able to see yourself as you really are.

What to do instead: Do your homework. Realize that as a plus size woman, you're not alone. In the U.S., 62% of women are plus sized. According to the modelling/fashion world, plus size is now considered any size larger than a straight size 6. No matter what size you are, stand proud. Spend some time on the internet or watching TV to look for plus size women role models who embrace their bodies. Keep your eyes peeled each day for gals with similiar body types to yours. Their style of dress can inspire and inform you.
Watch empowering body lovin' TV: The cable TV show, "How to Look Good Naked" hosted by Carson Kressley is a fabulous tool that you can use to change the way that you think and feel about your body. I like to call it a 60 minute self image makeover.

Using a combination of tools that help the women to see themselves in a more realistic light, the show is a powerful inspiration that can empower any woman to be more accepting and loving of her body. Whenever I can, I watch the show or I visit the site because it has so much to offer. It is an incredibly healing experience to see women just like you, who move from hating their bodies to loving them, exactly as they are. No surgery or dieting necessary.

You can view previous episodes of HTLGN online through iTunes, and you can also peruse the site and pick up a ton of useful information on what types of clothing silhouettes will flatter your particular figure. Another of my favorite sources for plus size fashion and information is Plus Model Magazine. PMM is an online fashion magazine for the plus size community.

FRF #2 - Spreading yourself too thin.
Many women come into the store, either with kids or griping husband in tow, feeling the pressure to multi-task, and the need to please. By demonstrating to your family that you're okay with squeezing your needs in to fit their schedule, you are making the statement that you're not really worth the time or trouble to take care of yourself. This almost always guarantees a miserable shopping experience for you, creates feelings of resentment towards hubby and/or the kids and gets you a one way pass for an "I'll show them. This'll Make Me Feel Better binge" that's waiting for you just 'round the corner.

What to do instead: Take the time to plan out and schedule a trip for yourself or you and a friend on a day when you have some time. If you do bring someone along for the ride, make sure they are supportive and helpful. No whiners or meanies allowed.

Consider this some special high quality "me time" and if need be, hire a babysitter or arrange to do a kid watching exchange with someone you trust. Unless you know exactly what you want to purchase and don't need to use the fitting room, leave the little ones and other poor shoppers at home. It's too trying for you to try on clothes while also attempting to keep the peace.

FRF#3 - Being stuck in a box -
A few days ago a woman came into the store and she asked me to help her find a nice sweater or jacket. She told me that she wanted to hide her hips and get something that gave her a lot of coverage. I looked at her and laughed gently as I teasingly asked her, "What are you hiding from? She told me that she couldn't possibly bear to show her behind and feel comfortable without having her thighs fully covered by plenty of fabric. I explained to her that it's a common misconception to believe that wearing baggy clothes hides our figure flaws. If anything it emphasizes them.
Noticing that she had a pretty curvy pear-shaped figure, with full hips and larger thighs, I suggested that she try on a soft boucle tweed knit sweater cinched with a leather tie belt. I explained to her that in order to show off her curves, she would want to choose items that had a belt because that would work to visually draw the eye down, emphasizing her smaller waist. I also told her that with her lovely auburn hair, I recommended that she choose the blue and green sweater, rather than the black and white. When she tried it on, she looked fabulous, so curvy, vibrant, filled with life and so pretty. But she was so upset seeing more of her curvy body than she was used to, that in the end she decided not to buy the sweater. Sadly she refused to step out of her comfort zone of hiding behind black and dull shapeless clothing. How 'bout you? Can you relate to her dilemma?

What to do instead: Pearls of wisdom - In many plus size stores, the sales associates are often plus size women themselves. They understand what it's like to struggle with excess weight and because they 'get it', they're eager to give you the benefit of their personal experience combined with their fashion expertise. Once you find a sales associate you like enough to trust, be willing to listen to their suggestions and be open to seeing yourself from their eyes.

Ask for help. Rather than hunting around in a big store, feeling frustrated, alone and uncertain, get some help. By doing this, you'll see more possibilities and feel less pinched. If you need something in another size, color or style, ask for help. If you want assistance to put an outfit together, tell someone what you're after. The sales associates in the store are there to make your shopping trip a wonderful experience.

With a little planning, and some time on your hands, you can enjoy a great shopping trip. Remember this is fun time for you. Put on some makeup. Slip into some comfy shoes. Scope out some local plus size stores, get ready to try on lots of different clothes, be fearless with color, play with accessories and have some fun.