To tell you that if you're overweight and worried about going on holiday, don't be!

[SpeedbirdSquawker]

I'm almost 24 stone and a size 24. I'm lucky enough to be able to get away a few times a year, but my weight has always held me back doing things. I know other overweight people have similar fears, so I was hoping to alleviate those with this post.

Firstly I worry about the flight and if i'm going to fit into the seat. I always need a seatbelt extender (with Ryanair, not so much with other airlines), but I fit in the seat absolutely fine! I use the toilet onboard and have room to manoeuvre.

When I have been away, the beach is always full of the people with perfect bodies, as is the complex pool and i've always avoided the beach (for fear of looking like a beached whale) and i've only used the pool when it's empty, first thing or just before sunset.

I don't eat out at restaurants because I thought people might judge me scoffing my face.

Well, this holiday, I thought to fuck with it all. I ate out in restaurants. I went to the beach and even stripped off to my swimwear and went in the sea. It was liberating! I sunbathed on the beach. I went in the pool at busy times. You know what, people didn't bat an eyelid? I got friendly hellos and people were more busy with themselves and the people they were with to even look at me and if they did, to give me a second glance.

I know that being overweight can put some people off living life to the full, but please just do it.

And if not wanting people to die by not normalising obesity makes me a cunt then I'll happily own it. Anyone celebrating such a damaging lifestyle are crazy.

thanks OP for your post, I've liked reading about your holiday. I've got a beach holiday coming up and am worried about it as I feel self-conscious about how I look in a swimsuit. I'm not very overweight, but the precise weight is not what your post is about - it's about living and enjoying yourself. Life is short.

I'm losing my extra weight but it takes time, and don't want to hide away for the duration.

Ha ha ha ha, I may have to steal this one!

This was unkind and everyone should feel free to enjoy themselves at the beach or anywhere regardless of weight or size but.....Let's not pretend it's normal or healthy to be that big.

We're not normalising being 24 stone, we're celebrating being confident to get out there and do things. Would most people, including me, want to be 24 stone if there was an immediate fix to be 8 stone and beautiful? Not at all.

He is somehow more mature and decent than many adults, including some on this thread. He says that it’s almost acceptable to be fat-phobic. And people can just pretend they are ‘concerned’ so they hide behind that.

Why wouldn't you be happy that someone has enjoyed themselves? Even if they are "24 fucking stone"? Is enjoying yourself the preserve of those of a healthy weight? What about people who are underweight? Are they allowed to enjoy themselves or not?

This attitude is the fucking issue (seeing as we're swearing) that fat people shouldn't enjoy themselves and other people certainly shouldn't be pleased that another human enjoyed themselves because they're fat, and fat people shouldn't enjoy themselves. Ever.

People are really missing the point of this thread. It isn’t about “normalising” being a particular size or weight, it’s about encouraging people to live their lives.

Irrespective of a persons target to lose weight, stop smoking, quit drinking etc - they can still live and enjoy their life as they are. Putting things off until a goal is reached leads to a limited life and potentially missing out on things. Life is too short. Of course everyone should strive to be as healthy as possible but they can still live their lives to the full whilst striving. That is the point.

The funny-not-funny thing is that your posts contain the attitude that encourages fatter people to get fatter. If you think more people getting fatter is a big deal, then you really need to think about your mindset and how you approach this, because right now you are part of the cause of the “obesity crisis”. Doesn’t that bother you?

I don’t know about “striving”. I think people doing activities like the OP describes, if it makes them happier/more content/relaxed then they are likely to be healthier. They don’t need to be striving to do anything to be allowed to have fun.

But so what? People are not hating themselves at size 24. How on earth is that a bad thing?? Overweight people know that their weight isn’t great and probably want to lose some when they can. Feeling shit and not going on holiday helps whom?

I am a size 6/8. I don’t see someone who is a size 24 and happy, and think yes, that’s what I want to be.

So what is the harm of someone who is a size 24 enjoying a swim in the sea? Explain that to me.

Why do you hate overweight people so much?

Why can't fat people go on holiday and have fun?

If you actually cared about health, you'd know that we tried shame and deprivation in the 90s and it only made people fatter.

If you want to boast about owning what you're doing, actually own it. You're not fooling anyone.

Well, this holiday, I thought to fuck with it all

This is such a great sentence! Love to see it.

I've not heard that before 😂

Thank you for such an inspiring post, op.

Yeah agree, the striving was a general comment about everyone.

Because very few people, if any, can claim to be a pinnacle of health and virtue. But we should all still enjoy our lives, regardless of whatever our aims are or are not. We only get the one!

@Look85 24 stone on a 6 footer and 24 stone on a 5 footer will be spread totally differently, so it doesn't mean all at 24 stone will fit the same in a plane seat.

Rude.

Chuffed for her as in she was able to think 'sod it, I'm not going to let judgemental people get to me so I'm going to enjoy my holiday and sit in a bikini or whatever'.

And so what if she's 24 stone? What's it to you?!

WOOHOO OP!

The most enlightening moment in my life came when I do not owe strangers anything. I do not owe them to look fuckable or attractive. I do not owe them health. I deserve to feel the sun on my skin and to be respected like the frankly quite brilliant person that I am.

Thin people hate fat happy people because it invalidates the worth society places on them.

I have nothing but respect for your confidence: I have battled with my weight since I was a teen and now have a body riddled with scars and a colostomy bag.

Life is short. Grab it. You are a poster chick for self confidence :)

Being one judgmental 'cunt' (directly quoting you, not calling you one although if the cap fits) on MN does not make you the concerned, anti-fat crusader you think you are.

Shooting someone down when they are feeling positive about themselves, and countering their joyous, gracious posts with wholly unnecessary buzzkill nastiness, however - well. Like I say. If the cap fits...

Some people are determined to read this thread as a celebration of obesity when in fact it's a celebration of someone not hating themselves and hiding away. Fat people are normal, sorry it upsets you so much. That doesn't mean that they don't want to lose weight or aren't trying. In the meantime though, it's fine to go out and go swimming and wear nice clothes and feel confident. Someone who feels ashamed of their body doesn't want to treat it well, by the way. Self hatred goes one of two ways: crash diet, lose the weight and like 99% of dieters regain it and a bit more down the line OR turn to comfort eating, maybe bingeing and being too afraid to exercise in public.

You seem to want fat people to hate themselves, but I promise you that's a path to weight gain and ending up fatter. So why, if you care so much about the problem of obesity, are you pushing for that?

Being happy in your own skin helps a person to make better choices. Most obese people really do want to lose weight - being slim and healthy is still far more desirable. But harsh judgement and ostracism isn't the solution, as much as you might imagine it is.

Overweight people (myself included) often shy away from doing exercise because it feels uncomfortable, and they're worried about being judged in public. If the OP is in the sea jumping over waves and off on holiday instead of sitting on the sofa, that is to be celebrated. Depression and inertia do not help people to lose weight or adopt a healthy lifestyle. Happiness, fulfilment, enjoying life and moving our bodies is what we need to do. Nobody should be dragging the OP down for that under the guise of 'concern'.

Absolutely right, you owe nobody your health...except yourself.

Thin people hate fat happy people because it invalidates the worth society places on them

Now as for this sweeping statement about thin people hating fat happy people, could the same be said that fat people hate skinny happy people because they have the body/bone structure/metabolism that they would really like to have?
It works both ways.

Back to the OP, I am delighted you felt liberated and free on your holiday, every woman should feel like that whatever size they are.

The irony of those being fat phobic twats who have faux health concern for others is that they’re potentially actually contributing to fat peoples’ health issues. It’s well known that stress causes problems.