Curvy Beautiful

A little introduction

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:23:59 GMT

Hello CurveyBeautifulWomen,
I was asked by Coyotewoman for a little intro, so here it is.
I found your community while browsing on LJ and thought I'd join since I'm curvey and pretty cute!
I am a potter by trade and also teach belly dance classes in the evenings and those two jobs keep me pretty busy all year round. My jobs are quite physical, artistic and creative which suits me well. I could never have survived the office atmosphere long, which I did sample many times in my life. I'm finally okay with being an artist! (Artist or musician was a dirty word in our house that meant "no retirement plan, nothing to fall back on." It was once predicted that I would become a "bag lady" by the time I was 50!) I also love to create costumes for belly dance, but sadly there seems to be little time for that these days.
Tonight is my last belly dance class then there is a break for the summer. I've hosted 3 parties for students and had some of my students dance in two big belly dance shows this past week. They did an amazing job and had so much fun! Thank goodness I now get a little break from dance. I have a big show coming up at my home studio this weekend, so I'm busy firing the kiln and getting my shop looking nice.
In early July I'll be a part of a huge pottery exhibition called 1001 Pots in Val-David, Québec (Canada), which is just a couple of hours drive from home. This month long pottery exhibition is my 2nd and I look foward to what this year brings!
If you're interested in seeing some of my work, you can visit my website here.

Confusion...

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:41:31 GMT

This morning, I took a good long look at myself when I stepped out of the shower...and it conflicted so much with what I learned at the doctor's office about healthy body size that I couldn't help but to wonder about what is healthy, really?

I'm tall and a little curvy, not anywhere near overweight...or so I believed. Even the clothing size I wear--a 10 or 12--agrees with this observation. When I look at myself, I see little problem spots, bit they aren't really a problem... The BMI index tells a different story...at 6'1 and 184 pounds, I am just barely within normal limits, and, quite frankly, think I would look quite unhealthy if I did loose the recommended 15-20 pounds,.

I am confused by this. Should I even try?

In need of a lifestyle change!

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:37:07 GMT

Hello! I just joined this community! I adore my curves, but I've recently put on a few recent pounds. I'd like to change how I see them. I don't know if I'll loose the extra winter weight (I've never been able to before) or I'll just start walking outside when the Weather is nice again. And my curves will look better. They will feel better! I see the world better when I'm staying active IN the world. I spend way too much time online and in the classroom.

I'll call it winter weight, I'll call it break-up weight. AND IT'S ALL ME! That sounds wonderful to ~~say~~ type. :) I like knowing I'm proud of my body. I'd like to start ~~working out~~ walking again. I'll set my goals realistically. And I'll let you guys know once in a while how I'm doing! Comments and questions always nice~~

&Thanks <lj user="lacey"> for being my stepping stone to find this community!!

Love Your Body Day 2007 is Tomorrow - October 18

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:46:33 GMT

reposting from my LJ

From the Love Your Body website

Do you love what you see when you look in the mirror?

Hollywood and the fashion, cosmetics and diet industries work hard to make each of us believe that our bodies are unacceptable and need constant improvement. Print ads and television commercials reduce us to body parts — lips, legs, breasts — airbrushed and touched up to meet impossible standards. TV shows tell women and teenage girls that cosmetic surgery is good for self-esteem. Is it any wonder that 80% of U.S. women are dissatisfied with their appearance?

Women and girls spend billions of dollars every year on cosmetics, fashion, magazines and diet aids. These industries can't use negative images to sell their products without our assistance.

Together, we can fight back.

I'll admit... some of the ads they display on their website are not offensive to me (for example, cigarettes are not bad but they're bad for all people & the ad itself is not offensive to women, IMO) but I do think that a day to celebrate the real bodies we have.

Also - I don't see this as just "a women's issue." Men also are provided with unrealistic body images (just because more men don't give a fig about appearances doesn't mean it doesn't exist) and don't get me started on the lack of ethnic & cultural variety in the media... it's enough to make me wish we were all blind.

Beauty exists beyond the physical three dimensions and our eyes can only register the 3-D. To rely on them alone is like relying only on your sense of taste to enjoy a good meal. Sure, it's probably the most important sense in the act of eating but how much more does the scent & visual add to the experience.

Beauty is found whenever it is sought - the viewer simply needs to be receptive.

Let's celebrate that beauty all day tomorrow.

LINK: Small, Medium and Large: How Clothes Make Us Crazy

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:50:39 GMT

A great post by cadhla:

Small, Medium, and Large: How Clothes Make Us Crazy

Bikes

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 00:37:42 GMT

Does anyone have recommendations for a bicycle for someone 250lbs plus? Riding would be mostly streets and improved paths with the goal being 20-30 mile day trips. I would also use it for around town errands (library, farmer's market, etc.) Thanks

losing and gaining

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 23:18:20 GMT

I lost 10 lbs in about 10 days due to being too tired to eat. Unfortunately that also means too tired to take supplements, which are how I control the chemo side effects. And some of the weight loss was water but pro'ly some of it was stuff I can't afford to lose, like protein mass.

Then I regained it all in the next week, while they held me over at the hospital for a week, to check whether some symptoms were heart problems or just anemia (which I get a couple days every 3 weeks anyway due to the medication cycle). The doctor is very happy with my weight staying more or less constant (between 168 and 172 lbs) over any given 3 or 4 week span, because a sudden sustained drop in weight could mean the tumors are interfering with my liver function again.

The food at the hospital is all good and organic. The nutritionist told me to start each meal with one or more servings of protein, and get 6 servings of veggies and fruits per day, and somewhere in there at least one serving of whole grain starch, such as beans, legumes, oatmeal, long grain wild rice, etc. I can't eat that much volume per day! Calories, no problem. Volume, groan!

Introduction

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:45:48 GMT

Hello ladies,
I am a 36 year old woman named Joy and I was refered here by ED. I have been stuggleing with my weight as long as I can remember and sadly since before it bacame an actual problem. I am working on losing woeight in preparation for becoming pregnant in the next year, I am having some problems not focusing on the numbers but on the health aspect but it is a struggle not to fall into the old patterns sometimes.
I am not sure what my goals are right now but I look forward to the joourney with you ladies.
Cheers

A silly girdle tale

Sat, 26 May 2007 02:30:59 GMT

I don't think they call them girdles any longer, so what IS the official title of those undergarments you would pour yourself into and smooth all the bumps and bulges in the belly area with?

I've been searching for one for two months, haven't seen anything worth purchasing. I saw the California Slimnlift product but it has some horrible reviews and I don't like ordering particular clothing online. I only want to smooth and lift this lower belly portion that looks so horrible in blue jeans.

On a whim I dropped by Catherine's last night after a very emotional day at work. I spotted a couple of seriously CUTE clearance shirts and then I spotted a girdle-like object that goes from your waist to your knees. It looked exactly like the thing I needed for my problem area. I figured 'what the hell' and bought it. I tossed it in the wash with some other items and then it sat in a basket, looking all satin and pretty.

I fished it out of the basket this morning and poured myself into them and went to work feeling superb, it fits great, holds in all the stuff I want it to lift and support, makes my jeans look GREAT (no unsightly camel toe or bulging belly). I was feeling super spiffy in my new duds and my slimmed middle section. (my knees were pissed off at me though) I was having a great morning at work and then I went to the ladies room while on break.

Imagine my surprise to find they make these undergarments crotchless.

Imagine the toilet stall occupant next to me's surprise when I yelled OHMYGAWD while sitting on the toilet.

I'm so embarrassed.
But , dayum, I look good in my crotchless girdlethingy.

EDIT: SERENADA is the name. It's a Catherine's exclusive. The smallest size they carry is 3x and it fits 22/24.

"Thin outside, fat inside"...

Fri, 11 May 2007 12:54:20 GMT

Another article that stresses exercise, but not for the usual reasons : CLICK HERE

a question for the group -

Mon, 07 May 2007 17:37:58 GMT

does anyone know of any sites/blogs similar in theme to curvybeautiful - but geared towards men?

the love of my life is a man of ample proportions. i love each and every inch of him and remind him of this at least daily. however, lately he's been feeling down about his appearance. knowing how sites like this have helped me come to terms with my own physical appearance i thought it would help him to see others struggling with the same issues as he is. but after an admittedly brief search i've found nada. any suggestions?

Plonk...

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 01:08:51 GMT

5 mile walk to work

12 hour shift

5 miles walk home

Seafood lasagna, diet pepsi, low fat cheesecake

*dies*

I forgot it's been a year since I'd done this, and didn't realize it was uphill all the way, and the wind in my face, I'm gonna need a backpack for my purse, water and lunch

Edit: Ooooops... that should be KM! not miles... my brain really was fuzzy last night

*cross posted to my own journal*

rediscovering Victoria's Secret

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:35:36 GMT

Haven't shopped there in a while, but stopped in while wandering a mall looking for aloe lotion on the way home from last Saturday's rugby game ...

So, since VS has - for a couple decades anyway - had the best price on good quality all cotton underwear, I bought some ... Their largest size in the style I like is XL, which fits nicely right now (Cherokee shorts size 14 are snug) but - I know from experience - has enough give to wear without discomfort when the Cherokee 18s are snug.

Also, they have a sports bra that has an opening where I can insert a foam prosthetic. Probably not what the designers intended but it works nicely. Got a 36B which would'a' fit comfortably a couple of weeks ago, but between having to eat more to "cushion" the Xeloda and getting less exercise, it's a bit tight. The bra has side hooks that I'm wearing "released" to loosen it a bit.

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:45:22 GMT

i hope i've managed this
i am a techno - unsophisticate.
i've taken this site off my friends list because I want to read it at my leisure.
i've bookmarked the site so i can come here directly.
i'll probably check in once a week or so.
yes. i know this isn't how LJ seems to work but it's the way i work.
hope to be able to chat with women here,

intro

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:16:17 GMT

Hi and hooray! for a place we can discuss body issues that include weight but aren't focused on pressure to be thin. I already see some of my friends here and am looking forward to meeting everyone else too!

I'm Ruby the Meglimir (or RubyMeg) a lot of places online and some offline, and Robin or occasionally Annie offline. I've lived a lot of places - as a child: Houston, TX and Den Haag, NL; as adult: SF Bay Area, Oregon, Washington (state), North Carolina, and now Virginia. My parents are healthy, active octogenarians in Houston. I have a wonderful hubby, sammyd; two marvelous sons, grendies and nibblesnsnacks; and an excellent godson, dajonjon. Oh, and a most lovable, smart dog, His Nibs Lord Langolier, AKA Nibbles. By profession, I'm a project manager, sometimes middle manager - hopefully, not too pointy-haired! For interests ... well, see my profile.

Until my first pregnancy at 24 yo (I'm 46 now) I weighed about 120 lbs (at 5'4" tall) and followed a fairly inactive lifestyle (i.e., physically lazy *heh*). Gestational diabetes has all sortsa fun metabolic effects - my postpartum weight was about 180 lbs. Since then, I've been down to 135 lbs, which didn't last, because lowcarb is boring even if it does give ya tons of energy. My breast (the one remaining after a mastectomy in 2005) is a B cup (as it's been, except when nursing my kids, since I was about 16 yo). Most of my weight is in my abdomen and "apron" with the rest on my behind and upper arms.

I've found attractiveness depends mostly on one's attitude and demeanor, not on conforming to whatever is the current decade's ideal physical image. You can't be the perfect beauty for a whole lifetime anyway - for example, when I was a kid, thin elegant lips were "in" (I tried all sorts of things to minimize what I saw as my big ol' bottom lip) and now, people are actually getting surgery to have the sort of puffy lips that were ridiculed and scorned as "coarse" back then. I know women who are prettier or more slender than myself who are not as well liked or as effective or influential or as happy as I am. And, over a lifetime of trying to become the sort of person I can be proud of being, I've found my best role models (some of whom have become dear friends) by ignoring the "slender/chunky" or even "pretty/ugly" question entirely - if nothing else, thus bypassing a whole category of jealousy, superiority, or intimidation problems with which we might otherwise both shoot ourselves in the foot! As a result, I've learned to consider my own weight, strength, and energy issues in terms of health rather than looks.

Last year, after the cancer had metastasized to my liver, I was down to the 150s. My oncologist was thrilled when it got back up to the 170s. Oncologists have a whole different attitude toward weight - he worries when I lose more than 5 lbs in 3 weeks or lose weight at all for 6-8 weeks in a row. OTOH, the hormonal suppressant and chemo meds cause rapid weight gain and insulin resistance.

So, my purpose for diet & exercise is to combat fatigue and anemia, boost my immune system, and keep my weight stable: by core strengthening, aerobics, lots of green leafies, and avoiding refined things and additives. Except when I get frustrated and tired of the whole business for a week or three - it sometimes feels like being forced into an obsession! I'd like to be lighter simply because the latest chemo also makes the soles of my feet very painful; but realistically, I'm shopping for a nice-looking cane. For the same reason, at least through June I'll be exercising with the Pilates ball and mat instead of the aerobics and resistance machines.

My curves match my sense of humor...

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:00:50 GMT

Hi, I'm Morgana. I'm 28 and the mom of three very cute kids.

I'm also a recovering bulemic who has to fight everyday just to remember to eat, so it makes me a little angry when people look at me or tell me to "put down the fork". I'm a health food nut and a cooking nut and well, a baking nut- although, I like the making part- lol- I rarely eat them other than to test a small bite of a recipe before passing the cookie or whatever off to my extremely active children. Then it's make my notes, and put away the cookies. (And I'm dead serious about this- my doctor thinks I'm lying and has told me so to my face- I must be eating more than that since I'm so "big".) My food habits are more the eat whole grains, no processed foods, and 90% veggies- although I have a soda addiction that I'm trying to get out of.

I've been big ever since I learned to read. Before that I was skinny as a rail (outside of the boobs I got at 7) and active beyond belief. I got teased often about my weight. My mom, another closet anorexic, nagged me constantly about my weight and stuck me in weight loss group after weight loss group and even tried denying me food for days on end. (Not in the trying to starve me way- more in the give me two pieces of steamed brocolli and a radish for dinner way. My brothers got things like pizza and fried chicken.)

I went to college at 15 during summer semester and was accepted in full time for the fall semester providing I take classes towards finishing out my high school diploma. Between May 20th and Sept 5th I went from 250 lbs to 115lbs- simply by not eating and it got to the point that eating made me physically ill. I looked hot to me. To everyone else, I looked ill.

I had my first child my second year of college and managed to hide my pregnancy from everyone for the entirety of the pregnancy. I did eat, for the baby's sake, but only for the baby.

I began putting the pounds back on over the next two years. When I went into the military, I discovered the second week of bootcamp that they'd flagged my folder for me being borderline overweight at 170lbs. I would be kicked out if I couldn't get my weight down. The exercise wasn't enough, I was gaining weight while dropping inches. So I went back to bulemia. My CO found out about it, and I was sent to therapy for the first time ever for it. The military doctors approved me to remain despite still being above my weight class. After I got out of the military I put on another 10 pounds before getting married.

One more child, and another ten pounds. I thought I was a cow. It was discovered that I had a neurological disorder called PTC. The doctors insisted that if I just lost weight I'd be cured completely. The headaches and side effects of the medication made it virtually impossible to lose any weight. But I tried. And tried... and tried. I divorced my husband who, in all fairness nagged me about everything except my weight. He was fine with THAT. lol.

I began working out and began to study food in a more scientific fashion. I then found out I was really good at cooking and baking. REALLY GOOD. I began to watch what I ate- while making certain I was eating. Some of my biggest charities now are things like Eat Local, The 100-Mile Diet, and Slow Foods International. I dropped a good 15 pounds and felt great- not cured from PTC... but I felt healthy. And happy.

I met and married a wonderful man who loves me no matter what I look like. He encourages me to exercise- not to lose weight, but to feel healthy. He doesn't complain that I have to spend a small fortune on my undergarments- he just understands that looking good makes me feel happy. (Although, *giggle* I think he likes the fancy lingerie on me equally.) He likes to point out that being happy isn't about a size on a tag- it's about liking yourself and what you're doing with your life.

We now have a happy active three year old in addition to our 10 and 6 year olds. I spend 90% of my day chasing the youngest up and down stairs and jazzer-cleaning my house into submission via iPod and +3 Vacuum of Virgoness. And I'm happy. I still have PTC and my neuro claims that housework and child-raising isn't "exercise" and that I'm grossly obese at 240 lbs. I looked at him, grinned, and said the fifth happiest words of my life, "You're fired, you quack." Just because I'm a curvy gal doesn't mean I can be talked down to.

I've got grit. I've got spunk. I've been there, done that, and am still willing to try a few other things. And most of all, I'm happy in my skin.

Welcome to CurvyBeautiful!

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 18:48:23 GMT

I'm Coyotewoman, owner and co-moderator of this community. Please leave a comment here to let me know who you are and who referred you, and I'll approve your membership as soon as possible. Once you've been approved, please post an intro so we can get to know the faces new to us here. :)

Please make all posts friends-only; I want this to be a safe place for us to talk without fear of Trolls.