First time in a bathing suit since childhood
 

Yes, it was the weight. And the ways bathing suits used to need constant monitoring and always seemed to have a strap that cut into me somewhere. Of course I felt terribly exposed even in a one piece. (And the vigilant shaving required!)

Bathing suits are so better now, and come in a variety of mix and match styles. I am older but (thanks to low carb) slimmer. And I'm sunbathing and swimming this summer, at our town beach.

Whatever size you might be, I urge you to get over the trauma of wanting to be out there looking like a swimsuit model. The real ones have a whole crew working to make them look like that. And even then, it's airbrushed!

Instead, I met other people in suits, and no one cares what we look like. We're just here to have a good (and healthy) time. No swimsuit models there :)

I am currently at a weight I have not seen since the onset of puberty. This is the first time I am able to "go to the beach" and have a normal developmental experience.

It really is fun. I will not deprive myself!

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Having kids got me back in the water again. I found a little black skirt that made me more comfortable.

These days Im looking for a good shirt.Think I found one.

WearBear, That's wonderful news.
Look at you at 136 WWWWOWWW!!!!!!

When I first showed up on the board in 2003, I think it was Jean/Cotonpal who said, “You might be surprised. I was.”

One wonderful thing about now is the way that people can choose what's comfortable for them without the extreme social penalizing I knew as a young adult.
I swim in colder places--ocean, a chilly pool, and used to envy the little kids that would come in with warmer swimming gear. One day I decided to emulate them, and now I swim in the ocean in fleece-lined tights, a tissue-weight wool shirt, my swimsuit over these, and a high-tech sport shirt over that. It helps a lot in terms of staying warmer, but it's also more comfortable in terms of not having my body exposed. If it keeps me active and comfortable, then what could be wrong with that? It tripled the time I could stay in the ocean before hypothermia started to set in.
Incidentally, since I started being the `weirdo' with more clothes on in the pool, I noticed others coming in wearing leggings, a shirt, or a short-sleeved/shorts version of a wetsuit.

Life is too short not to do the things that make us happy.

Good for you Kathleen!!

Your story reminded me of my teen years, every day after school I headed to the coastal shores of Maine to decompress. And often ended up in the water in sneakers, jeans and a shirt. Rarely purposely put on a suit for swimming. I prefered to check out the cool things just out of reach when feet limited to dry land. Getting feet wet usually led to deeper and deeper wading, lol.

I stare at bodies in swimsuits all day long (lifeguard) and no one is really paying attention. And everyone looks good in a suit if it fits well whether it is a modest design or just a patch of fabric. It's a huge emotional hurdle for a lot of people to wear a suit, though.

A fine insight from an expert!

I have seen a most welcome development in the whole department of what women wear since I was forced to care in adolescence. Right now, I am experimenting in ways I have not since then, simply because women's wear was so relentlessly policed at that developmental period.

Now, the rules have relaxed so much we can craft a fashionable outfit no matter what we might currently look like, we are allowed to care what we feel comfortable with, and so we should :lol:

Thank you ladies, what a wonderful post.

I too have returned to swimming after years of avoiding. I am experimenting with different kinds of swimming suits, tops and bottoms. I have found some that have capri bottoms covered by a skirt that I like. They look nice enough to walk around in and can go right in the pool. After losing almost 90 pounds my legs are kind of loose and flabby looking. I feel more comfortable in some capri tights or shorts or board shorts. I found some at Coolibar which makes clothing for sun protection and also Lands end. I haven't found the perfect swim attire for me yet but I am experimenting. I am not really bothered by others, especially now during covid because I am swimming at home :D but I like to be a little more covered up now.