Im having body confidence issues.

See, it is this kind of supportive response that helped me get over my shyness and join this community. I am overweight and carry a lot of it around my middle, but skimming this forum I saw a lot of heavier mers who were beautiful and confident and being told as much by everyone else. Like many others I hope to lose a few extra pounds for my health, but guess what a lot of swimming can help you with?

Also, let's not forget that our "blubber" lets us stay in the water longer. I have a friend who is quite skinny and can stay in the water maybe 1/4 as long as I can on warm, sunny day. No way I would have gotten her into the pool today at a mere 75 F out.

Thank you everyone for the kind support! It's incredible to be part of such a welcoming and warm community! I feel a lot better and I hope my tail makes me look even better!

Just think of it this way, you'll slowly lose those extra pounds when you start fish swimming. I dropped down one size in pants and shirt size(size 11, used to be size 12). My size 12 clothes feel a little baggy... I only started just before Christmas last year, so only a few months of mermaid swimming and long walks. Its slow progress but you will get there eventually. The only upper body exercise I do, is stretching and I was gonna say toe touching but I can't reach that far (not flexible), lets just say knee touching! Oh and 30 butt squats a day. I want zat tight arse like Arion...

That's awesome! Good for you! Swimming seems like wonderful excersise. 😊

I feel like I can chime in here cause I'm in the same boat, kind of (185 lbs, 38-33-45, have gained some weight since I got my tail). First, let me say: everyone who says you are beautiful, and you should love yourself and not worry about it, etc. is 100% CORRECT. You are gorgeous- look at your profile picture!- and size really, really doesn't matter when it comes to mermaiding. However, since everyone's already got the ephemeral stuff out of the way, let me give you some practical advice.

- If you're anything like me, you'll pick how you look in a tail apart. Don't bother. When people see you, they're seeing the sum of the parts, and if they're being critical enough to pick you apart, they're not worth your time. People are going to say "HOLY SHIT A MERMAID!" and get all excited. Half the time they won't even register you so much, but your tail. They're not going to worry about minute differences or 'imperfections' or whatever, and neither should you. Just be confident in your interactions and you'll be fine :)

- Everyone looks funky in their midsection in a tail, particularly silicone. If they're fitted correctly and meant to be swum in, they're snug. Take a human, put them in a sitting position, and wrap something around that midsection. There are going to be rolls, pockets, bumps, whatever. This is a human thing that happens, even to the skinniest people. Try not to let it get to you, or get psyched out because it happens! Because it will happen. Don't worry about it :)

- Learn different poses to minimize the bumps. Everyone, of any size, has good angles specific to them- learn to work them! It will help you to be more confident, and make for better pictures if you do photoshoots and stuff.

- If all is lost, photoshop. Even pro mer models' stuff is retouched.

- When photoshop just won't cut it, learn to laugh at the bloopers. They're some of the most fun pictures, in my opinion. (For real- even Lanai's mad photoshop skills couldn't save me in the pics of the last meetup we had. I couldn't get my tail up all the way, and every seated position was unflattering. So I said fuck it and posted the pictures of me jamming hot dogs in my face, cause why not- it was hilarious!)

- Make sure your tail is sitting where it is supposed to. For example, mine is supposed to sit at my belly button- if I can't get it to that location, it doesn't look as good.

- Don't worry if you're feeling insecure about it. Everyone does. You do what makes you feel comfortable. If that's using a longer top to hide the torso to tail transition when you swim, do that! Just don't feel like you HAVE to. I wear short or long tops, depending on my mood.

- What they say about going in warm water is true. A little bit of extra padding is nice, and does keep you a bit warmer.

Hope that helps!

I'll defiantly keep that in mind. I hope once I get my tail I can meet some mermaid/mermen friends who can show me the ropes. 😊 Unfortunatley I live in Connecticut and there's no one here. Though I hear New York...

You should totally come to New York! We've got a great group going here :)

I would love to come to a meet but I don't think I'll have my tail until the end of August. I placed my order at the end of May. And you look fantastic in your tail! It's gorgeous!

Don't worry, we meet up right through when it gets to cold to swim- I'm sure we'll have a get together in September. And thank you, I'm glad you like it :) I can't wait to see yours!!!

I hope to meet everyone in September then! And I cant wait to see mine. I'm stressing, hoping it'll come out like a dreamed. And fit correctly of course.

I hear you. As a mama with hard-earned tiger stripe stretch marks, deflated saggy breasts that were pulled, stretched, and bitten by my babies, short hair, and 50 extra pounds it was one of the hardest things I've ever done to get in my top and tail and out in public. In playing so much with such a beloved icon as the mer it's easy to fall into the idea that they're all the same if they're successful and sexy. But it's the best thing I've ever done for my self-esteem. When I was 18 and 5'9" and 120 I would have looked a lot "better" in a tail. But people were always saying things like, "Your legs are so long, I hate you." Now I'm doing lots better with not giving a bubble. :) You're not alone, and we can totally be hot just being ourselves.

Body confidence is difficult. I'm 4'11" and before I got pregnant I was 170lbs, the biggest I've ever been(non-preg) in my life. 6 years ago I was 130lbs and I still felt "fat" because society has brainwashed me into never being happy with my body. Now I have stretch marks, saggy boobs that point straight down, and my arms are huuuuge. But I do burlesque, and actually did burlesque while I was 7 months pregnant, and I've found that "fake it 'til you make it" is actually kind of working. I'm super self-conscious and down on my body, but you wouldn't know it to see me on stage. And while I'm privately critical of myself, I'm glad when I push through it and perform anyway, because I have these awesome memories and photos too look back on and remind myself that I'm not letting my body-image issues or anyone else's opinion of me keep me from living the life I want to live.


Fat, (almost)naked, and on stage in front of strangers!

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Mermaiding has helped this mamas confidence too. I was 140 when I got pregnant with my first, and now after two back to back pregnancies and almost three years of breastfeeding, I'm sitting at 152. I'm only 5'1" so it doesn't wear well haha. But when I'm swimming, none of it matters. I've been in a bikini more lately than in all my tiny waisted college years. You can learn to love your body and be impressed with all it can do.

Caleno, you are so brave to do burlesque! And you look amazing!

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Originally Posted by Mermaid Strega

Mermaiding has helped this mamas confidence too. I was 140 when I got pregnant with my first, and now after two back to back pregnancies and almost three years of breastfeeding, I'm sitting at 152. I'm only 5'1" so it doesn't wear well haha. But when I'm swimming, none of it matters. I've been in a bikini more lately than in all my tiny waisted college years. You can learn to love your body and be impressed with all it can do.

Caleno, you are so brave to do burlesque! And you look amazing!

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Aww, thanks! It's tons of fun. I haven't performed since I relocated to the UK, I miss my troupe back home.

I think I'm going to get a bikini this year, for the first time ever! The older I get, the less I care about looking "perfect" and the less I care about anyone else's opinion of my cellulite thighs and back bacon.

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I was called a whale nearly every time I went swimming all through school by jealous haters. I mean, here I was swimming with sharks while they were pissing themselves on the shore. Fine, I'll be a whale and they can be guppies. :) And I'll feed them to my sharks, muahahaha!

Everyone gets insecure. You're beautiful and I'm sure your curves will look amazing in your new fin! Thin mermaids look awesome, curvy mermaids look awesome. BECAUSE MERMAIDS ARE AWESOME AND BEAUTIFUL. ALL OF THEM. :)

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Originally Posted by Celaeno

Body confidence is difficult. I'm 4'11" and before I got pregnant I was 170lbs, the biggest I've ever been(non-preg) in my life. 6 years ago I was 130lbs and I still felt "fat" because society has brainwashed me into never being happy with my body. Now I have stretch marks, saggy boobs that point straight down, and my arms are huuuuge. But I do burlesque, and actually did burlesque while I was 7 months pregnant, and I've found that "fake it 'til you make it" is actually kind of working. I'm super self-conscious and down on my body, but you wouldn't know it to see me on stage. And while I'm privately critical of myself, I'm glad when I push through it and perform anyway, because I have these awesome memories and photos too look back on and remind myself that I'm not letting my body-image issues or anyone else's opinion of me keep me from living the life I want to live.


Fat, (almost)naked, and on stage in front of strangers!

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Celaeno, I love these pictures!!! I am a burlesque dancer also! Burlesque actually helped in my body confidence. I realized when I got up there on stage and performed, the cheers I got were just as loud, if not louder than the ones the smaller girls got. There are people who like all types out there! And confidence looks sexy on everyone!

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Originally Posted by MermaidAine

Celaeno, I love these pictures!!! I am a burlesque dancer also! Burlesque actually helped in my body confidence. I realized when I got up there on stage and performed, the cheers I got were just as loud, if not louder than the ones the smaller girls got. There are people who like all types out there! And confidence looks sexy on everyone!

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Fat Burlesque FTW! XD

Our director, who also performs, is a very large woman, and men and women alike just go absolutely mad for her. She has charisma and sex appeal off the charts and just owns it. She can be on stage with a half-dozen naked women who look like supermodels, and no one even looks at anything but her.

XD That little comic is so me these days. I got sick of constantly getting badly infected follicles and just gave up shaving anywhere except occasionally my underarms. Still not brave enough to show my stomach, but I'm okay with that.

So, where does one see these incredible looking Burlesque performances?

I performed in Spokane WA, I haven't found a troupe to perform with here in England yet, sadly.

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Originally Posted by Celaeno

Body confidence is difficult. I'm 4'11" and before I got pregnant I was 170lbs, the biggest I've ever been(non-preg) in my life. 6 years ago I was 130lbs and I still felt "fat" because society has brainwashed me into never being happy with my body. Now I have stretch marks, saggy boobs that point straight down, and my arms are huuuuge. But I do burlesque, and actually did burlesque while I was 7 months pregnant, and I've found that "fake it 'til you make it" is actually kind of working. I'm super self-conscious and down on my body, but you wouldn't know it to see me on stage. And while I'm privately critical of myself, I'm glad when I push through it and perform anyway, because I have these awesome memories and photos too look back on and remind myself that I'm not letting my body-image issues or anyone else's opinion of me keep me from living the life I want to live.


Fat, (almost)naked, and on stage in front of strangers!

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IS THAT THE MONARCH FROM VENTURE BROTHERS!? OMG, I'M GEEKING OUT. XD

I love your pics! You're super sexy! You totally own the stage!!

Also, I LOL'd so hard at that comic strip you posted and I'm definitely sharing it on my FB (I'll give you all the credit of course). XD