To wish I’d spent more time running around in my bikini

62 replies

Whathappenedhuh · 18/04/2023 20:50

My parents have come to stay and brought a huge box of old photos, many I’d not seen. Pics of me in my early-mid twenties…I never considered myself a looker, I was ok and had boys after me, but wasn’t one of the *Pretty ones. I was looking at these photos and couldn’t believe what I looked like, the fresh skin and eyes, the hair and mainly the boobs and figure…why didn’t I realise I looked like that? Why didn’t I make the most of it, why did I lack confidence and think I needed to lose weight/look better.
I’m 45 now, puffy under eyes, v different figure, a few greys creeping in.
It really shocked me…just all of us, all young people just generally look amazing don’t they?
I wish I’d been prouder of who I was

OP posts:

Silentbarking · 19/04/2023 11:30

It’s so hard to challenge that inner critic/enemy. The years I’ve wasted not accepting myself. I know where it all came from but it still overrides any logical thinking. How I loathe my fucking sister for giving me a lifetime of shame.

MereDintofPandiculation · 19/04/2023 11:34

I was told this at 17 by a teacher. "Such rubbish" I thought.

BarrelOfOtters · 19/04/2023 11:36

Absoblutely bloody right. I'm in my 50s now and very classic menopausal shape, I had a gorgeous body till my mid 30s. And I had no idea how to dress, or what to wear or how great I looked!

Got a friend who has kept her figure but was saying she didn't want to wear her bikini on holiday - and I was thinking of saying to her, you'll look back when you are 70 and wish you had....

warmeduppizza · 19/04/2023 11:36

I was brought up super strict and wish I’d ever been encouraged to wear a bikini or listen to contemporary music or just generally relax.

JamSandle · 19/04/2023 11:37

It's not too late! Wear it now!

Sophie1980 · 19/04/2023 11:55

Make the best of N O W my dears>
And Stand up Straight, all of you. Shoulders square!
I spend more time looking down than into peoples faces than I should.

Loobyloo68 · 19/04/2023 11:58

Listen to the song sunscreen, so many things in that song that ring true, the older you get!!😎

QueefQueen80s · 19/04/2023 12:13

Passerillage · 19/04/2023 10:08

I realised this when my daughters hit their teens, especially when I look at the girls in their school, who are all shapes and sizes with varying attitudes towards hairbrushes. They are all gorgeous. The simple fact of being that age bestows enormous beauty. I didn’t know this then and hated myself. Was convinced I was ugly and hideous. I can’t think of any photos of me at 14 or 15.

There’s a sweet scene in Schitt’s Creek where Moira is trying to find her youthful nudes online and tells Stevie to get photos of herself naked NOW because even though she is a mess (it’s still Moira, after all), she is perfect and beautiful and won’t realise it until it is gone.

This is so sad.

QueefQueen80s · 19/04/2023 12:28

@5128gap Exactly, I can't relate to these comments at all. It was all puppy fat, awkward looking features, acne, bad dress sense, no confidence. I blossomed about 35 and feel better every year since.

Original poster

Whathappenedhuh · 19/04/2023 20:45

Interesting comments…perhaps those who were more attractive when younger do become less so and vice versa 🤷🏻‍♀️It seems the ones who deem themselves less attractive when younger blossomed later and became more attractive
The other type is beautiful all their life!

OP posts:

lljkk · 19/04/2023 21:00

What are you not appreciating now that you will lament in 20+ years time?

CleaningOutMyCloset · 19/04/2023 21:01

I found some photos the other day, early 20s wearing hipster jeans and a crop top. I don't even remember owning a crop top. I looked amazing. I'm 50 now and my tits would be hanging out the bottom of that top and resting on my belly - if only I'd know what a cracking figure I had (I hated it as I had a tiny waist and big hips)

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