Y'know what's stoopid? (Not off topic, honest)

You mean the special "say one thing and I'll F-ing kill you" smile?

I love using THAT smile!!!! 

It's one of my favourites too.

That's the one!

 Well, for a male perpective, and I know you were all wondering, (lmao), I find women off many shapes, colours, backgrounds, personalities VERY interesting!  And not in a creepy, stalking kinda way, but I find folks in general interesting.  We all carry emotional baggage that makes us feel and act silly from time to time.  And we all have been hurt by strangers and those who should be strangers, but they're the ones we should be reserving the nasty looks for!  My battle scars are reddish and ugly and make me leave my shirt on even when its swelting heat, but maybe someday I'll just join a nudist colony and say F*** IT!  Enjoy the pool, life's too short for sweating what idiots think of us!  Regards, Ian

I always appreciate a male perspective!  Thank you for sharing yours.

 Last summer I had a very serious infection in my leg. It is now scarred, red and still swollen(the infection damaged the lymphatic system..boo). 
I had no plans to wear shorts or capris this summer.  But the hot weather put an end to that. So on went the capri and out the door I went. And I completely forgot about it. I didn't notice one look or stare.  And still haven't.  It was worse in my head than reality. 

Go out there and rock that new bod.!!

Good for you.  Sometimes we seriously have to give our heads a shake.

When I was over 300 lbs I found all bathingsuits over size 14 usually tend to be only in black or in very unflattering designs...WHY? Is it because black is supposed to be "slimming"? I was terribly self conscious at the beach or pool, and would scurry and scrunch into a prone position as quickly as possible and hesitate to get up ( awkwardly, with much huffing and puffing and several tries, rolling over to my knees and finally clumsily hauling myself up on a cooler or someone else if I came with a friend) but finally the heat would get me into the water.  I noticed that at first people may stare at a hugely obese lump of a woman in black, which would make me nervous, and then you become INVISIBLE...People didn't bother looking at you anymore as not really interesting once the novelty of a "black and white orca" at the beach wears off,.  The guys don't look at you, they look at that hot cutie in the turquoise bikini....and prefer to look at a gaggle of them...The kids don't care, other people are talking to themselves after the initial pitying or staring looks, and you know what? I eventually worked up enough courage to go alone instead of "borrowing someone else's kid to babysit" for a day at the beach or pool...

Now I am smaller, bathing suits still come in black and sometimes in colour, and I am still not thin, and I really don't care what anyone thinks....and I get up and go into the water with everything loose on me jiggling.....and I enjoy myself because as my grandmother used to say:  "No one pays my rent so I don't owe them anything!"  Onwards and upwards, who cares what they think....

I applaud your confidence!