Bathing Suit Season

The dreaded season is approaching and there's nothing we can do to stop it. I just bought my suit for the summer. I really hate buying them its like buying condoms...we all need them but no one is ever super stoked to bring them up to the check-out lady. Last year I purchased a size 28 bathing suit...ICKY! This year I purchased a size 16! I was pretty excited about it. I put it on today and I couldn't help but criticize my body. My legs are gross! There's extra skin and blubber. Yuck. I'M awesome at dishing out positive encouragement but when it comes to myself its like pulling teeth. When will I have confidence and a better self-image? I want to LOVE my body!

Wish I had the answer to that one :(

I think part of it may be to focus on the good things about your body...not necessarily physically but functionally.  What do I mean?  When I am hating my body I try telling myself, "This body was strong and able, it got you through your education, it incubated and delivered 3 beautiful children, it gives you the ablility to create, construction, take care of and process all the rewarding things you do in your life.  If your thighs look wobbly, your skin saggy, it doesn't stop your body from accomplishing all the wonderful and fulfilling things it does every day!"

Not sure how helpful that is...look forward to hearing and learning from others out there.

Andrea.

Seriously, youre amazing!

Thank you! This was well written and I appreciate it!

Denise

I wear board shorts to hide my scary thighs when I go to the neighborhood pool. If I had the money I'd get a thigh lift, but I have learned to accept them. 

Ah yes, tis the season.  I am trying to remind myself, as Andrea said, of all the things my body can do instead of what it does of doesn't look like.

I will be buying a bathing suit so that I can go to water aerobics. My particular challenge is finding one that covers all of my chest without costing the gross domestic product of a small country.

I will be slapping on some self tanner. I figure a little color might help camoflague the paste factor.  And if not, I will be with a bunch of other ladies who probably aren't too happy with their bodies either.

Bathing suits=condoms. funny

How cool is that that you fit in a size 16 bathing suit!!!
It's always bathing suit season here where I live!  Ugh.  I went to a nicer swimwear store for my first attempt to buy a smaller suit.  The salesperson was so helpful!!  I was really impressed and it was a great experience.  
She encouraged me to buy one suit with a skort bottom and one dressier tank suit that I can wear with different sarongs.  The tank suit is a belly minimizing suit, and it really works!!  The sarong part covers my saggy legs so that makes me happy!!
Good luck!  My goal is to wear a bikini by next year.  My belly is getting smaller and smaller and smaller....so it will happen!  My legs might still be a problem, but I keep doing my squats and my stairs and they should continue to firm up.
Sara in Maui

 Ditto on the board shorts. Ordered them over the weekend and can't wait to try them on to see if they cover my "scary thighs".  Well put, by the way!

I had plastic surgery to fix what grossed me out the most, my stomach and my arms, I would love to have my legs done but I am afraid to waste money on that now in this rough economy.  I wear bikini's by my bf's pool, but could never do it in public without shorts on.  It was worth the money I spent to feel good about atleast part of my body.  I hear they have bathsuits with spanx in them that holds everything in place, I wonder if they make them to the knee.  lol