To think nothing terrible will happen if fat me wears swimming attire on holiday?

[BlowDryRat]

Assuming we're ever allowed on holiday...

I used to be a size 10 but this has crept up to a size 14-16. I do a lot of exercise but eat too much. None of my clothes fit and I feel quite self conscious.

We're off to the beach over the half term and summer holidays and I've been stressing over what sort of cover-up to wear. It then occurred to me to wonder what would actually be so terrible if I just wore a normal swimming costume or tankini (I've never been a bikini person). Will the fish jump out of the sea in fright? Will ladies faint? Will small children run away in terror? Will everyone turn and laugh at my wobbly bits? Probably not.

AIBU in thinking it will be fine, or is there some terrible consequence I haven't thought of yet?

Women don’t exist as decoration. What does it matter what you look like on the beach as long as you’re comfortable and enjoying yourself?

I'm short and fat. A lot of years ago I was in France, on a beach full of local families. There were loads of old, fat women having fun in groups or with their daughters and grandkids. I loved it! I'd never felt I was the kind of person who could let themselves be seen semi-nude in public.

Fuck that shit.

Ever since, I've just put on my costume, occasionally without even the socially obligatory pubic topiary, and enjoyed the beach. And you know what? Nothing bad happened! I had fun with my kids, I had fun in the sea and i even persuaded DH to "help with the sun cream ;-)"

Life is short and if someone has nothing better to do with their time than to judge the bodies of others, they have sad lives, empty of joy.

Get your cossie on and enjoy!!

I agree with all the PP comments about just doing it, but I’m surprised no ones been on with diet tips and concern for the NHS yet, usually people can’t resist!

Nobody at the beach knows you used to be smaller. No one will notice or care. Your size isn't I even big, maybe feel so to you as you were smaller previously but as I said no one else knows that. Go for it

If anyone does happen to have a fleeting thought about you it will be just that - a fleeting thought in the mind of someone you don’t know and won’t see again. So get in your cossie and enjoy yourself. I reckon last time you were on a beach or in a swimming pool if someone had asked you a few hours later if you could describe anyone you saw there, you’d struggle to remember.

When you go to the beach do you judge fat people? No, don't really notice them? Then you can assume no one is judging you. They won't even notice, they're more bothered about themselves.
I'm just back from the pool, I'm a size 22, wore a swimming costume. Can't say I noticed what anyone else in there even looked like.

I'm a size 8 but not proportioned well and pasty and would never wear a bikini, I wear a (long top and shorts) tankini. Wear what you want to wear and feel comfortable in. If you don't feel comfortable you're not going to enjoy yourself but if you hide yourself away then that sounds pretty miserable too - just do what works for you.

You need to be at least 5 stone overweight to be noticeably larger than average in my local pool/local beaches.

I bet not many men agonise over whether they can wear trunks or shorts on the beach!

Nobody will even notice you, unless you're thinking of sporting a teeny weeny triangle bikini at South Shields in May.

I guarantee you won't be the fattest person on the beach.

Men have plenty of other body image issues.
Men's clothes tend to be inherently less skin- or flab-revealing than women's.
Whole 'nother discussion in that... why do women go along with such nonsense.

I'm a size 20 and so far as I'm aware no catastrophes have occurred due to me and my swimsuits or indeed my leggings when I go running either.

@BlowDryRat ooooh! I could’ve written this. This summer will be the first time I’ll be getting into swimwear since having a baby and being a size 14 and I’m really dreading it. Which I know is RIDICULOUS.

@BlowDryRat

Definitely obese.

I feel the same way @ViolaValentina. I was looking at all sorts of swim dresses, skirts, floaty tops but just thought I'd be drawing more attention to myself.

Totally. The only people I notice are those who are obviously 'hiding' under weird, voluminous beachwear.

I was once on a beach feeling very self conscious in my size 12 bikini and I saw a woman who I thought looked amazing. I couldn’t take my eyes off her for a few minutes wondering why she looked so great. I figured it out.
confidence
She was quite short and quite fat but she had such body confidence that she look amazing, and far better than me feeling all self conscious. She stood out not because she was fat but because she had the confidence to not be apologetic for her size.

Do you know you'll get there and wonder why you worried, everybody more concerned about themselves than you ... just go for it x

I struggle with wearing a swimming costume, not because I’m particularly overweight but because I have a skin condition which has resulted in large brown patches of skin on my otherwise very pale body. In particular I have 2 big streaks running down my inner thighs and other patches spreading out from my arm pits. I have seen people do a double take when they see me, although no ones ever said anything.

I’ll admit it’s not easy but what’s the alternative? Cover up in shame? No. This is who I am and I deserve to have fun at the pool or beach as much as anyone else. We all have our “issues” but life is for living.

I'm fat and also have the added issue of having had a double mastectomy. I do wear my 'swim boobs' but you could probably tell if you looked. I am self conscious but I love the beach and the sea, so I'll cope!

Get yourself a nice bikini! I have this flirtelle one I love as it's properly supportive, my BMI is higher, I'm a size 16/18 and yes I'm fat. Nobody cared

I think women of every size feel self conscious when they wear swimming outfits. Now I’ve got older when I put it on I fake my confidence. I couldn’t care less what people wear on the beach and I hope they feel the same. If you feel comfortable and confident wear it

I get self conscious as over the last 5 years I’ve had 2 stomach operations and thanks to a Bowel condition I’ve lost weight then gained it so I’ve got stretch marks. If someone asked me id explain but we are all natural and never going to be perfect. Don’t cover up because you feel ashamed. Wear it with pride.

QueenPaw That bikini top looks wonderfully supportive. Looking at your pic you seem to have a similar body shape to me. I will check out Flirtelle.

There will be people who look better than you are and people who will look worse. Give no shits and enjoy your holiday

@Arbadacarba it's from brastop, they have great bikini tops on there, it's slightly padded and wired so more like a bra

"People will look at me".
This is only true if you are very young and very beautiful.
Otherwise you are invisible, no-one cares how fat or thin you are because they don't notice. They are too busy admiring the cute toddlers or the gorgeous 20 year old.