To ask for your fat girl sportswear tips

[Eatingwormswithwine]

I’m a bit porky and need to hit the gym but have no idea about gym wear. I don’t want skin tight Lycra. I need supportive underwear but loose outerwear in muted inconspicuous colours. Please help! Where can I find such things?

You need a good bra, loose long t shirt or vest top and cropped leggings .

What bra size do you wear ?

For sports bras don’t scrimp on price, get measured properly (somewhere like bravissimo) and it really will
Make a huge difference.
For sports wear try layering, I wear a tight vest with a baggier one over the top, I like everything held in place but don’t want everyone to see! primark & matalan are good for gym/active wear and to various styles

Reebok do a surprisingly wide (no pun intended) range of plus size sportswear on their website.
Agree with PPs re cropped leggings / joggers, layers, decent sports bra a must. M&S do a decent range of sizes of good quality sports bra. My favourite is the kind with the zip at the front.
Make sure whatever you're wearing on the top half won't continually ride up when exercising (and bottom half ride down!). Jog on spot when trying on to prevent being stick with something you have to adjust every 5 seconds.
Also sit down when trying on to assess situation for rowing machine etc. (ie no 'builders bum'!!)

Get a decent bra, I'm a G & I like Shock Absorber. Order a few sizes & jump around in them at home to see what fits best if you don't want to get measured. Get high waisted trousers with a drawstring. They'll stay up & as you start to lose weight you tighten the string instead of buying lots of new ones. I wear men's cheap crew neck tshirts because they are long enough to cover my bum & belly & the sleeves are usually longer to cover flabby arms.

I’m a 38d bra, great tips on making sure whatever I wear doesn’t ride up. Can you recommend a (cheapish) online retailer? Don’t live near the city.

Agree with layering. Try a tighter vest (that you can tuck into bottoms to prevent gaps) with a baggier vest/top. Mountain Warehouse are good for sports gear and a bit more generously sized than some.

Lesley where do you buy your trousers?

I would never have thought of mountain warehouse. Thanks notenoughcushions!

Decathlon are online and cheap for sports wear

But you can also buy in large supermarkets like Tesco and clothes stores like primark and M&S. If you live near a gym you must also have these shops nearby.

For bras - you are not a big size so you will have a good choice of sports bras. I’m a GG and the only one that stops bounce for me is Ennell. It it’s not that confortable and a bugger to put on.

Sainsbury's jogging bottoms are good

I wear Ronhill which I buy from a local running shop but I guess you get them anywhere. I googled to find the Ronhill because I was sick of pulling my trousers up but didn't want to pay loads.

What size are you? Primark is pretty good for up to a size 18 - 22. If under size 18 then sports direct (us pro is the best, then karrimor)

Costco do £12.99 leggings that are thick enough to give support & they have a drawstring waist. It's just hit or miss if they are in stock

Brilliant thanks.

Agree with the above clothing recommendations.

As a bonus tip, if you really are "porky" as opposed to merely self-deprecating... don't forget the talcum powder. It will stop the horror of "chub rub" that will leave you walking like a cowboy.

Assuming you don't have a thigh gap, a bit of talc at the top of each thigh where they touch will make for a much more comfortable workout, regardless of what you're wearing on top.

Talc isn't just good for babies!

Decathlon sell decent clothing at reasonable prices.
They have loose fit t-shirts which are nice

Asda do good loose training tops. For bras try shock absorbers, Freya active or panache. You can quite often get them cheap online if you don't mind last year's colours. eBay often sell new ones.
If you are planning on cardio such as running, you will need decent trainers. If you are doing more strength training, supermarket trainers will probably do the job.

I agree with Lesley... Costco leggings are really very good.... I normally pair with a basket ball shirt (sleeveless but baggy as can't run in sleeves for some reason) from sports direct

I get all mine in Primark. They're comfy, fashionable and come in bigger sizes than most places. Also they're a really good price, so if you drop a dress size it's not so much of a waste.

Ahhh, just seen the bit about online. Sorry.

I wear Tesco joggers they have cuffed ankle and elasticated waist with a tie. For tops I just wear a vest and a baggy t-shirt. I'm size 18 and very short though so the idea of anything Lycra horrifies me