100 Days In Bed: Does This Bathing Suit Make My Stretch Marks Look Sexy?
You guys write the most awesome comments ever. They are so supportive, rockin’ and insightful. There was one in the section of the entry “Eatin’ Pants” that I wanted to comment on right away.
But it all became so giganta-loric, that I thought I’d make it it’s own entry. Here’s part of that comment from Anonymous: “…but I have to mention one thing that's never been brought up on this blog. I know it's not a weight-loss blog, but we talk about it. After I reach my goal weight, I will still have these damn stretch marks from the weight gain in the first place. So knowing after all this work to better myself, I'm still going to have these horrible, embarrassing flaws leaves me so depressed. Okay, there, I said it 
Sorry to be depressing.”
First of all awesome reader, you are allowed to say anything you want to say here and I promise you, if you read some of these entries here, you can be sure, I can OUT-DEPRESS you. So never feel self-conscious about that.
So let’s talk about STRETCH MARKS. First of all, women that give birth to babies have them. It’s a beautiful reminder of what love created and that their body housed a frickin’ miracle. Men get stretch marks on their arms when they gain muscle after pumping iron. I see it in the gym all the time. So why do we, as, woman, wearing our own history of bummed-outed-ness or depression weight have to feel so guilty about ours?
When I was at my ideal weight, I had stretch marks. I was in the cutest cherry blossom tankini you ever saw at a work retreat but I was still the girl that wanted to get out of the hot tub last because I still thought my butt looked big. (I would now kill for that butt… I would kill for that butt plus 20 pounds more!!!)
Now, I can’t wait to be that weight again and THE ONE THING I WILL NEVER DO, is be self conscious in a bathing suit again. WHY? Because like a woman who puts on weight for her baby, I put on weight for my own life sustaining reason. I was depressed. I was in the black hole. I lost my cousin, my family was shattered, I lost a job, my boyfriend and my Mom… well, you all know about my Mom.
This weight was hard won to put on and it will be hard won to get off. But when I do, I’ll feel sooooo UNBELIVEABLY proud of myself when I get there that I will not care about stretch marks, whether they are white or red or black & blue.
Now I know some people are not gonna be on board about my “Rah, rah, love your stretch marks!” So for you, I say this, I didn’t always feel this way either. One thing I forgot to mention about that retreat was the HUGE bottle of Neutrogena spray tan I applied before I went to it. And it worked! Stretch marks be gone!
You need the help of a friend, I learned the hard way. I was so desperate to have the perfect J. Lo glow that I applied Spray Tan to my wall and shimmied my naked back up and down to get the good stuff on me because I couldn’t reach there myself!
The image of that makes me laugh and kind of gasp at the same time. But I didn’t know then what I know now… that I need to love myself all the time – Pale and Stretch-Marky or Super Tan with a Stretch Mark Secret.
Does This Bathing Suit Make My Stretch Marks Look Sexy?
Similar articles
- Spray Tanning: An Interesting and Intimate Experience!
As I have grown older (and bigger) I have come to a conclusion: Fat looks better dark! Therefore, as summer gets closer, I am getting antsy about wearing my shorts (let alone bathing suit!). With all the dangers associated with tanning beds, I decided to try a spray tan. If you have never had a ... - Spray Tanning Booths
Summer is just around the corner and that urge for that beautiful golden tan might be getting stronger. The problem is most of us are aware of just how dangerous it actually is to get a suntan. So what should a person do? Well the answer may be much easier than you thought. Spray tanning ... - How To Get Rid Of Cellulite Naturally
I love the way my butt and thighs look now more than ever before thanks to the Lower Body Makeover to get rid of cellulite! My main goal is to help others get rid of cellulite because I know now how much more fun it is to wear short and swimsuits without worrying ... - Spray tan blog.
Spray tan blog. Whenever I come across new and exciting news and products in the spray tan and beauty industry I will post it on my blog for you to check them out. You will also find out when I put up any additional content on my site. Make sure you subscribe to the blog ... - Stretch Marks, Stretch Mark are my Biggest Regret
Stretch Marks Are My Biggest Regret I have some of the ugliest stretch marks known to man. It’s rather disgusting and repulsive. Of all the things I have regretted about letting myself get so overweight, it’s my stretch marks that I regret the most. I have bunch of them along my sides that wrap around ...
You can go ahead and love your stretch marks, but for some
I'm not
reason just knowing that mine aren't from babies, I think I can't
love them… LOL! I know mine are from french fries
bathing suit ready yet, but I'm getting close… I doubt anyone can
see them the way I see them though. Most women have teeny stretch
marks and we see them with our own eyes. My husband has never once
noticed them until I pointed them out. He wanted to know what the
big deal was
I could probably make you feel better about this with “if you
think your stretch marks are bad” I told you in a previous post
that I have sarcoidosis, one of the things about sarcoid is it
infects scars and yes stretch marks, mine aren't even hideable, I
have to cover them with clothing. I am a mom of a 14 year old so I
can say I got them from the miracle of childbirth but they are huge
purple and ugly. It's ok though, they look good next to my varicose
veins and gigantic surgery scars, two of which are on my neck for
everyone to see. I am still here to hide them. When I start to give
myself a little pity party I think about how lucky I am to be here
to be at my pity party. I hope this helps you are a young healthy
girl and I am sure it isn't so bad, but even if it is you are still
here to hate them.
hugs,
Laura
Mary – I LOVE it – I'm SO using 'hiney-sight' from now on.
I am late to the party, but I have read every single post til
here without a comment, didn't want to “butt in.” But today's post
made me literally LOL – I have shoulder issues, and I have put
lotion on the wall and shimmied up against it to get it to the
places I can't reach! I also have no qualms about laying down naked
on the carpet and writhing back and forth like a fish, when i can't
quite reach the itch…..we find ways to get
around/past/over/through everything that comes our way…..
Mystical_Dreamer91 i know exactly what you're saying. I knew
this girl who was pretty heavy in grade 6, and she had strech marks
all over her, and my mom had strechmarks from pregnancy, and those
were the only ways that you could get strechmarks, or so i thought.
When i was 12,i started getting strechmarks inside my thighs, i was
so confused, but i just tried to ignore it, it was winter after
all. Summer is my favourite season, and the pool is part of that,
but im so uncomfortable in a bathing suit now. i was always that
tiny girl, the girl that they would lift up, i was active, involved
in soccer and track, why was this happening to me?? a year later i
decided that it was really bothering me, so i looked it up and
apparantly you can get strechmarks from puberty D:. As if it wasn't
enough, bleeding every month, my breasts were really sore, and now
, for the first time in my life, i'm self concious. now i have
strechmarks on the upper portion of my thigh, and on my hips, iand
i find it extremely noticable. I'm 14 now, and i'm just thinking
wow, i'm stuck with this for the rest of my life. the hard part is,
there's nothing i can do about it, because i can't go out and buy
creams and stuff. My mom doesn't know about it, i'm too embarassed
to tell her. Right now im just worried about my trip to cuba, where
i'll be on the beach with these intense strech marks. Thanks for
your support guys, makes me feel more confident, a boost that i
really needed. Love you girls STRECH MARK SISTERS!!
thanks for all of the thought provoking words – I know alot of them
have come from pain and your depression, but as a writer, you have
found such an eloquent, universal, understandable voice…as a
theatre artist, I am especially drawn to the vivid tactile pictures
you “paint” with your words. i am looking forward to reading the
rest of the year!
Completely true. 100%. Your body is the physical embodiment of
your life story, of your experiences, your pain, your joy, your
successes and failures. Embrace it, completely because without
that, you aren't embracing yourself.
If we are going to do a whole post on stretch marks, don't
forget the one on cellulite in the back of the legs. Skinny/Fat, or
somewhere in between, most of us seem to have them and for me being
a slender girl, I still hate it and there isn't much we can do
about it. I guess you just have to embrace what you do have. And
bless Dr. Oz when he said, “ladies, men don't really care.”
No matter how many posts I read about embracing your stretch
marks, and how you are still beautiful even with your flaws, i
still can't seem to accept myself. I was about twelve years old
when I got those hideous things. At first I wasn't quite sure what
they were, so I really didn't do anything about it. I didn't think
it was possible for someone who was as skinny as me to get them. I
used to just believe in the typical stereotypes about stretch marks
that only overweight or pregnant people got them. Everyone I tried
to tell about them, would laugh at me and tell me to shut up
because I'm as skinny as a stick and there was no way I had them,
boy everyone was wrong. I guess I got them from just getting
taller, but I didn't know that could happen. I just wish I would
have acted sooner while they were still red/purple so that they
would have a chance at going away. Now I am stuck with them forever
and it's not even something to be proud of. They aren't the result
of a beautiful little baby or the success of overcoming weight
loss. I have nothing to be proud of about them, and that's why I
hate them so much, they have no story behind them, no purpose. In
reality, I know that no one can even see them, unless I'm
completely naked or in a bikini, but for me just seeing them myself
is enough to make me go craxy! I'm not trying to be perfect in any
way, I have plenty of other scars and imperfections on my body that
I am fine with, because I feel as though they are battle scars from
something important or special. But there was no reason for me to
have these and I hate them with every fiber in my being. It makes
me even angrier that I only have them on my left hip, and not my
right. I don't even understand how that's possible since both of my
legs are the same size. I just think it's ridiculous and I can't
stop kicking myself for not doing something about it sooner.
You want stretch marks.. I had Twins one was 5 lbs. 9 0z. and
the other 6 lbs. So my stretch marks are deep and huge they go half
way up my belly. Also I get this wonderful leftover skin that won't
go away. I just want a bathing suit that will hide it all.
I have always been able to find flaws with my body. Always. Now
at 44, I look back at my body at 23, 28, 32, 36, and think “What
was wrong with you?!”. “You looked great, or at least good.” But I
couldn't see at the time. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.
Stop focusing on the negative because you'll always FIND it. Focus
on what you love and you'll be happier for it.
I
Awesome perspective, I'm sending this around so all my friends
will shut up about their “imperfections.”
it's a lot of pages, but focusing on the last 20 pages (350-370)
has a lot of promising results. And until I get rid of them, I'm
going to be grateful that I can go to my own pity party!
Personally, I have stretch marks and lumps and bumps. But I think
my body is beautiful – it's strong and it's healthy.
If we keep trying to make ourselves “perfect” we'll never be
happy.
ferretspaz27 – Now I need to do a whole blog on you! Thanks for
giving me THE MOST AWESOME PERSPECTIVE OF THE DAY!!! Sometimes I
forget, even with all the illness and unexpected death, how
frickin' lucky I am to be here. So today I say, “Good afternoon
stretch marks and chub rub, I am so glad to be here so I can see
you.” Thank you!
Just wanted to add something again after reading the newer
comments: I was thinking about what the last poster said, about how
its a reminder on what we've been through. thats a good way to
think about it. “See this hole? This is where I had my belly button
pierced BEFORE i gained the weight. See this scar? Bicycle
accident. See these stretch marks? COLLEGE.”
Hi Adventure grrl,
I didn't mean to humble you or make you feel bad with my comment. I
just wanted you to see it from another perspective. You are
probably more beautiful than you realize and it isn't just physical
beauty. I have a story that relates to this topic. A couple of
years ago when I was feeling not too pretty we bought some angels
for our christmas tree. While we were hanging them my son pointed
to a very beautiful angel and said “look mommy, that one is you!”
It had similar characteristics to me but I in no way felt as
beautiful as that angel looked. That is how other people see you,
they don't look into the mirror and see the flaws we see, they see
you as the beautiful angel hanging on the christmas tree. I do hope
you have a wonderful day because you deserve it, I really enjoy
reading your blog.
hugs,
Laura
I think we all need to remember that we're NOT perfect little
Barbie dolls. We all have 'flaws' and we're gorgeous for it.
let me tell u. i got stretch marks when i was about 11 years
old. I was the tallest girl in my grade and i just grew like a weed
and then stopped abruptly in the 6th grade. i had stretch marks
underneath my arms, on my hips, on the outside of my pre-puberty
mosquito bites. i remember a friend pointing at them and going
“what the HECK are those?!”. i went home crying to my mom but all
she could do was buy me some coco butter. since age and skin
elasticity was on my side, my stretch marks are all but gone. this
little white ghost lines that remind me of the reason that women
are so strong. when i became a freshmen in college, swapping
physical exercise for brain exercise put me at about 30 lbs more
than i weighed on day 1. by the end of the year, i had ugly red
stretch marks RIGHT on the front of my belly. they are like little
red hands holding up my gut. i hate them. but i know they will
fade, if not forever but possibly out of my self-conscienceless .
and in the meantime, they have these adorably cute, backless one
piece bikinis that are all the rage now
so stretch marks be praised! I love it! I've gotten them from
cheerleading…my boobs growing in puberty. Hell I've got em from
the weight i lost and the pounds i gained. you're right…they're a
quiet reminder