Hi Dacora,
There's a procedure called laser permanent hair removal. I wonder if that might be a help for you? Don't know how much it costs, though.
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It's pretty expensive. I'm getting it done within the next two years or so, ish, but I can have it done for basically free thanks to a barter program my mom is on.
Boyfriend said that his mom had it done, but that it didn't work. The hair grew back.
It depends a lot on who you do it with. You get what you pay for (in most scenarios, although not all).
really? my friends and i used to make a lot of "going to hell for.." jokes. they placed me as glutton xD
Raina, you look fantastic! Congratulations on achieving what you have! This might sound a bit weird, but I'm proud of you for keeping at it for so long- so many people would have just given up. Keep up the great work, you are a huge inspiration!
Just keep swimming, Azira. I know it's hard with a concussion and it feels like forever until you are even semi-yourself again, but you have to keep at it. It's been four, almost five, years since my brain injury and I'm still working around some of the effects of it. It gets better, much better, but you have to keep at it, all the time.
If you are struggling with your school work, and/or the time it takes to complete it, talk to your doctor about cognitive rehabilitation therapy. It helps rebuild/construct new neural pathways in your brain (which may have been damaged with the injury), especially those referring to the brain's higher functions.
Best of luck to you! If you need someone to talk to, feel free to message me!
As a kid I didnt really care about my Body image until High School. In a Teens Camp I met my bff and suddenly I was fighting a war on two fronts.
On one side there was me. I had the perfect BMI according to my doctor and would look perfect as a model, but at 170cm tall I was too short and I always felt that my body looked more stick insect then sexy.
Then there was my bff. Next to her exercise regime in HS I looked so lazy I was sloth-like. She was a dancer, did 3 different styles/classes at once with a dance class a day back then. (Ballet, Irish-dancing and Cheer-leading.) But her mum would constantly rag on her for being over-weight. This on top of the bullying she'd get at her Girls-only high school.
To combat this, I'd take to complimenting her gorgeous breasts, I'd always wanted bigger boobs. (still do.) She'd laugh and compliment my cute butt. It helped.
B's gained in weight and strength since then, She doesnt look obese to me because she carries it so well, her legs are still toned and her breasts are F cup, but she's gorgeous and she's finally found out the cause to her constant weight gain. (stress.)
She's happier in her own skin now, having met a Celt who is in love with her and her body, and having researched her nordic ancestry. She's Beautiful by her own standards.
My weight yo-yoed a bit between what I would consider healthy and underweight. Usually due to me not eating enough when unemployed. Luckily I now have a job and a healthier bodyweight. My breasts still look small, but are now a size 10DD! (32-34DD) This is not due to Plastic surgery but to me finally gaining enough weight! :yay:
All the girls at work talk about going to the gym, diets and getting tan. I talk bout eating more, gaining weight and wearing the right sunsreen. lol.
I finally feel sexy... well almost.
I still hate how hairy my legs get, but since I started swimming in a tail I dont mind as much. ^.^
Makeup Art Cosmetics is a company that has always like to be on the edgy side of the industry. They've just started a new ad campain featuring a woman bodybuilder that will probably cause a lot of controversy among the women who think only certain body types should be used in high fashion advertising. I personally think it's a great blow for freedom from the tyranny of the fashion police.
Attachment 8876
http://jezebel.com/mac-jelena-abbou/
What do you think?
Thank you love,
Im confident because I know im beautiful, and girl your beautiful too. Ive been doing wonderfully in less eating my feelings and putting more into working out :) Im into the whole just dace/dance central craze. Ive been very aware of my weight (it took 165lbs to kick me in the head) and im working hard to make myself feel even better and look even more amazing im my tail hehe. Lol when im angry/ sad/ depressed i go take a walk or work out do some pull ups. lol Music is the best motivation I tell you :D. Go on girl do your thing and be happy with yourself.!
And those who feel that they have bad acne scars and such, Im going out of my confort zone here, this is me without any makeup, my face is this red because i get bad flareups and you can clearly see my acne scars.
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0f9b0802.jpg
And Here's the after photo after 15 minutes of putting makeup on.
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9ffbc76d.jpg
Big difference aint it. I use Kat Von D makeup. Ive tried proactive, retin-A and acouple of other things, nothing really works well but Ive been using this algae face toner and its been helping with less flareups and the scars are starting to fade a bit.
Okay, I want to chip in here:
Firstly, shortly after my initial discovery of the mermaid hobby/subculture, I had considered it but threw that right out the window mostly because of my body. I am 210 pounds, BMI overweight, and I have a LOT of hair on my chest. Like, I've gotten used to it, but it frightens me every now and again. :P
I never took pride in my body and don't plan to anytime soon. I'm a mind kinda guy.
But for all the mermaid gals (and guys) out there, I want to say: You are all beautiful. I believe that your mission to be loving and supportive of others is revolutionary, and I believe that in a few years, I might have the privilege of saying that I was watching this wave long before it broke along the shore of mainstream culture. What you do for yourselves and for each other is noble in the highest respect, and I'm glad you guys are out there. You give hope to a lot of people, not just those who are into it.
Society is so caught up with notions of "conventional beauty" that it sickens me. I hope that I might help enact some sort of change along those lines. I believe that you folks already do.
As a mother i went from a 10 (UK size) to a size 16... my eczema flared up all over my face and hands. My legs are scared from scratching, have massive stretch marks all over my stomache and every body used to comment on my face and it got me down, until one i thought you no what? F**K IT! I am ME, im not here to impress everybody, if people say things then let them! Yes i have a jelly belly but since i stopped worrying my eczema went and i have been so much more happier :-) sod what anyone else thinks regardless of how you look. You are you and you can change you, they will always be the same. I will gladly post my body. I am proud to be who i am, and so should you all. :-) so embrace what you are, people will notice a smile and see how happy you are. I am now a size 12 :-) because i changed my attitude and became at peace with myself.
I wouldn't trade my squirt for anything, but I do wish I hadn't gained so much while I was pregnant with him. If I'd gained much more I could've gotten gestational diabetes.
I was 210lbs one week before I had him. Fast-forward 5 months and I'm still over 200 lbs. And, yes, I am nursing him. (Though my milk supply has dropped horridly in the last two weeks; only 6 oz a day when it should be that per feeding!)
My knees crack and pop every time I walk up a set of stairs. My back has begun to ache in new and incredibly awkward places. I'm so low energy, and I really have no excuse, since my baby sleeps all night and takes two naps a day for a couple hours apiece.
Our family Christmas Present was supposed to be a couple's pass to the rec center, but I don't know if that will happen, since it appears Medicaid didn't pay all of my doctors bills from the pregnancy.
On the plus side, I have figured out some interesting ways to (hopefully, fins crossed) supplement our income, which may be enough to help pay off those med bills and possibly get me to FL for Merpalooza this year. Once the bills are paid, then I get my Rec center pass.
After that it's just a matter of finding a regular sitter. (My sister and Niece have already volunteered.)
My goal isn't a weight goal, though. It's getting back to the size I was when I got married a year and a half ago. 35 inches around my middle, and 45 around my hips. (my bust will be whatever size it wants, I'm not really concerned about that.) 5 inches apiece.
I should also point out that I LOVE my Merternity photo shoot. I did gain much more weight than I should have, but I also felt beautiful that day. To float along with my seven months along baby in my belly was as sweet as sunlight on sugar-water.
As Much as I appreciate your comments about the rest of us, I'm afraid you haven't absorbed the message.
We are all mers because we WANT to be. As Pebbles just put it, "Sod what anyone else thinks..."
Don't throw something out the window because you don't think you would look good to other people.
I first donned a tail to improve my self image (and to help me cope with some trauma in my life) and that's exactly what it does.
Sure, sittin around the house all day cleaning up after a five month old and a 26-year-old, I don't feel too pretty. But every time I don my tail I become someone else. I'm weightless, floating, twirling, peeking out of the water to give my baby a kiss and then back underneath to do a corkscrew or flip, just enjoying the wings that God made for me out of a zillion hydrogen molecules, and 2 zillion oxygen ones.
Let me start by saying I love this forum! There are so many informative & useful threads. Everyone is so willing to share and is nice. This feedback on this thread has encouraged me to share my story. You all inspire me by sharing your hardships. I’m a shy person and I keep much to myself. But it’s hard to just hold everything in and never talk about it. I feel like your all so supportive though and never judgmental. Most of my family & close friends don’t know half the things wrong with me.
I’m only 22 and I have so many health problems I feel extremely unhealthy. When in reality many of these things where there to begin with.
I was born with Ladds Band Syndrome (basically: folds in the intestine & duodenum that partially or completely block the system) and Intestinal Mal-rotation (my guts were backwards). I had complete obstruction to my stomach and was unable to eat anything! Unfortunately my father & mother didn’t understand how a completely healthy baby couldn’t eat and would only throw up so I wasn’t taken to the hospital till I was about 5 months old. I starved for 5 months and should not be alive. I was all bone. My grandma has old photos of me as a baby and I look like a little skeleton : (
I had an exploratory procedure, appendectomy, and my intestines were cut & completely rearranged.
It left me with an ugly scare on my stomach.
http://mernetwork.com/index/image/jp.../4Mz/qI/y9f//Z
It bothers, but not as bad as it use to. I guess I’m finally use to it. My stomach has never been flat & never will be. I’ve always had the dent my from my scare, it’s pretty much a permanent roll in my stomach. Whenever I throw up the scare tissue behind the scare gets pulled. It feels like I have something sewn in that spot and someone its yanking on it very hard. It hurts so bad.
After my surgery, the nanny who was sitting me was lying to my father about feeding me. I starved for 3 more months. The nanny told my father I was already eating solid foods like eggs. Once my grandma was able to visit she found all my baby food hidden around the house and she said I DID NOT KNOW HOW To eat! Needless to say my insides are pretty much ruined. My stomach does not digest food due to all the damage. Many times I go on full liquid diets because I’m in so much pain form food building up in my stomach. I cannot pass it afterwards either very well. My liquid diet even has more restrictions though, and I’m only allowed to “eat” thing that are completely liquidy, like water, but not pudding (because its too “thick”) I’m either always hungry, but my stomach feels so much better, or I’m eating food and I feel terrible and my stomach just keeps getting filled & filled. And then of course I take tons and tons of meds to help with digestion and a special abrasive I drink to help scrape my insides out. Once the nanny was found out, I was taken to the hospital again and they gave me really…idk “rich” baby food I guess. They fattened me up Very quickly….
I have a few skin condition: dermatitis, eczema and I have a problem with the elasticity in my skin. So after the rich baby food my butt got kind of big. And I’ve had these stretch marks since I was a baby. They don’t look too bad in this pic but they are much more visible in real life (I’m always trying to hide them).
http://mernetwork.com/index/image/jp...f8/l/q/L/J1//Z
I have 3 birthmarks; one is right on my face. This is something that has always had a big effect on my body image. My hairline is not even, and my forehead is not even because my birthmark is a little bubbled. And the hair that grows out of my birthmark is extremely coarse compared to the rest of the hair growing out of my head.
http://mernetwork.com/index/image/jp...r9OBKzt3xV/9k=
When I was 16, I got the chickenpox. Everyone at school made me feel so terrible and disgusting for getting it (I even had the vaccination for it, but had never caught chickenpox when I was little). One student call me a “chickenpox infested freak”. It devastated me so much. I even heard my volleyball coach tell her children to stay away from me because I might still be contagious (pox had gone away at that point, but I had gotten one in my eye and it left a red mark for a month or so). Right after that, I developed, well I have no idea what it is but I call it a “living scar” on each armpit.
http://mernetwork.com/index/image/jp...k+I/6b/L59f//ZIt doesnt look very bad at all in this pic compared to when it flairs up.
I know its gross, sorry if its too much. It’s getting grosser though…
The scars flair up and get very irritated and sore. They peel, peel & peel. Then it dries up, cracks, and bleeds. It is so painful, I’ve tried so many prescriptions and creams and ointments, but nothing helps. At one point I got a prescription that helps and it completely stopped the flair ups and it went away over a period of about 6 years. But then about 6 months ago I had another flair up and the scars came back, but the prescription no longer works. It was only a few years ago that I was able to start wearing deodorant without the scars breaking out. This has had a big effect on me as well. I’m in AZ & it gets up into the 100s in the summer time. When I was in high school we had a 3 day dance camp in our school gym with no A/C and it was 8 hours long. Obviously dancing like that your going to be very gross and sweaty afterwards. At that point I could not wear deodorant at all without breaking out and causing bleeding. The upper class girls made fun of me because I smelled bad at camp (who wouldn’t after dancing 8 hours in a 100 degree gym). And told me I needed to wear deodorant. Me wearing deodorant meant agonizing pain and not being able to move my arms because it moves the skin.
I was in a car accident that messed my hips up, and the labrum of each hip are tearing. One side needs surgery. This makes it very hard for me to exercise because movement causes friction and tearing. My hips have been messed up so long that my pelvic bone is rotated on one side and it causes faster wear down on the femur head of the hip bone. The muscles have also formed rather strongly around the pelvic bone so they actually hold it in the incorrect position. The Dr. has a hard time adjusting it & it usually rotates back in a day or so. I have popping hip syndrome too. And sometimes the nerves get pinched and my entire leg goes numb for hours. The longer it last the more it hurts. There’s nothing in the way of painkillers that helps either.
I have asthma, and my lungs are very week. Mermaiding will help me with breath holding so I’m excited to see my progress after awhile. And I have a kidney stone.
I also have a mental disorder. (I don’t wish to disclose what it is because it has a particularly bad stigma, and most people who find out about it never treat me the same again): This I think actually has the most effect on my body image. As it makes up much of my personality, it also effects at times how I view myself and the things around me. This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever dealth with. And continue too. I will be medicating for life (should be). And with losing my health insurance I can no long get the meds I need. Without my meds I can’t function well. At time it feels like my mind is degrading and it is very embarrassing. I’ve seen the quality of my work deplete greatly at my job and I’m not even doing anything differently or new. I have a harder time with numbers now and my ability to spell is going down hill. Simple words I could spell easily as a child I now have to look up. One day I forgot how to spell my fiance’s name and I could not for the life of me figure it out. I sat there forever trying to spell his name and finally had to get on my phone and look it up. I’m to the point where I’m about to quit my job, even though I actually like my job and enjoy the work.
At one point I was put on a new prescription and developed Tardive Dyskinesia (a condition in which you have repetitive & involuntary body movement & spasms). It was awful! I could not stop my tongue from rolling under itself or from sticking out of my mouth. I seriously couldn’t even push my tongue in my mouth or close my mouth over it. One day at work I ended up watching the store by myself and my tongue started spazing. I couldn’t talk and I had to cover my face whenever customers came in because my tongue just hung out of my mouth. I had one guy ask me if I was okay, I could barely even reply to him. I was so embarrassed so I simple mumbled “speech disorder” to get him going on his way. I had spasms in my jaw and it would clench repeatedly. My lower jaw started moving from side to side and I couldn’t stop it. The meds caused me to fall down the stairs. I didn’t slip or miss a step either, I literally just fell down them. (i found out later the meds can cause that right after waking up so your support to sit for a while before getting up) I had tremors and I finally started having uncontrolled movement in my arms so I had to stop the script immediately. And they couldn’t even ween me off so I experience bad withdrawal for a week.
I’m a little chunky but I don’t mind my curves. Well actually im stubby lol. I was a bit heavier when I was younger but it kind of leveled off one summer. I’m very short 4’11”. And with my weight and height, my BMI is actually overweight, even though I’m tiny. When I was younger my weight was one of my bigger body image issues. But as I got older I saw that there are many types of beautiful. It does not bother much anymore.
All that being said. That’s my story. Lots of things that cause image issues. I haven’t begun mermaiding on a public level yet, I’m still in the “practice” & getting together phase. But it still has an effect, as at times I become greatly discouraged. It’s all a lot of stress in general, but I’m hoping I can take mermaiding far enough to support myself, and quit my job. I’m tired of hecktack situations and stress. Swimming is my choice of exercise & it is much easier on my body (: and it its an overall great workout and I seem to respond well to it. It also is a great release for me so mermaiding as a career seems perfect. I just hope I don’t let my insecurities stop me before I’m started. I’m sorry this is soooo long but I appreciate the opportunity to share it all.
@MerEmma
I LOVE your hair! It is beautiful. (: When I was little and my hair was short it look very much like yours. This is what it looked like when I got older and it grew out ^_^
http://mernetwork.com/index/image/jp...tf6e/de6//2Q==
ok well I haven't figured out the photo upload thing i guess. Sorry the photos aren't there for you to see what I'm talking about.
With IPL (LASER Hair Removal) it takes around 6 sessions on the same area for the hair to stop growing back. And the darker your hair is, the better the effect is going to be.
Do make sure you do and see a licensed Esthetician and be prepared to pay around $100 a session. Some Estheticians will have a package deal (i.e: 6 sessions for the price of 5). And as far as pain is concerned, it's like getting snapped with a rubber band, so it's not that bad.
I think regarding your body image you should strive to be how you want to be - if your unhappy with your weight under or over then try something to make it the way YOU want it .... not how anyone else tells you it SHOULD be... Im very short 5ft 1" and about 3 years iago i was around 120lbs which i felt was wayyy to much for my height and I wasnt comfortable really - I started work as a diver and through exercising every day and with the physicality of my job im now 97lbs and feel great ! I have cut out a lot of junk food and tried to do at least some sort of exercise every day - I found hulahooping to be great fun and so good for the abs ! also pole fitness - when i first started pole fitness there were many larger ladies there to try and kick a few pounds off and you know what it worked ! all in all ... do whats gonna make you happy
Cheaper than a tail! (; ehehe
Melanie, I'm with you. 5' 1", and I weigh anywhere between 110-115. Because of how chunky I used to be (145 in middle school, then dropped to 125, then 120, then magically went down to 107 in 1-2 weeks lol), I freak out anytime I hit 115. I've sworn to myself I'm never going back to 120. Some people are all, "Oh boo-hoo for you" but really, at my height, and depending on where the fat decides to go, there can be some serious rolls :P I told my boyfriend that I wanted to get down to 98 and he freaked out and told me that that's way too skinny, blah blah blah. So I've decided I mostly just wanna work on my arms and abs-I don't want the butt to go byebye and I don't want my boobs to get any smaller than they already are haha I'm gonna go buy myself a hulahoop now! I was really good at it when I was younger, so maybe with my "curves" I'll be even better. What the heck is pole fitness, though? o.O
Good for you Sydthefairebrat ! Yeah i know it doesnt sound like a lot of weight but for a short person small things are big things for us haha ! well im very happy with my body image just now and my bf says i look great - he didnt notice i was a little chunkier when i was but now that ive slimed down he says he can see a difference! and for sure u dont wanna go too slim but just working on the abs and arms is a good thing ! I use a heavy metal and foam padded hula - really works the abs and if you do it to some upbeat tunes you can get a great rhythm going ! pole fitness is exercising using pole dancing ( not sleazy or provocative though - look up some vids on youtube - some beautiful performances) i have one in my bedroom and also i do some dance workouts - check out Nika Kljun on youtube for some example for intense dance fitness she is amazing ! all of these combined with stretching off i find to be very helpful in keeping my figure ! x
Whilst not directly related to Body Image; I find that the video below actually echoes most of the comments on this thread... find your line; find who you are; and be confident in yourself and enjoy nature.
http://www.adventure-journal.com/201...your-own-line/
Get cans of food the same weight and so arm presses. If you have a gym ball (which arm really cheap) do sit ups, then do the plank. I have the ahaun t hip hol abbs. It does really work and i wouls recamend it :-) every exercise they use you you have to tense your abbs. When i get really fit i did the shaun t workout :)
Phoenix, I am so so so so sorry that all that happened to you as a baby!
That is exactly why I only leave my son with family and take him to the doctor whenever I feel like something is wrong.
What a horrible nanny! If she goes to hell, I will feel justice only half served to you.
I hope God takes all your bad health experiences and pours out equal or greater pain on this woman.
I also pray that He will cause swimming in your tail to heal you, body and soul, so that one day, you'll find yourself in the water, swimming without pain.
I also wanted to mention:
My biggest insecurity is my teeth.
When I was a kid my parents could never afford braces for any of us kids, but I'm the only one with a crooked smile. I am so jealous, every time i see someone grinning with perfectly lined up teeth.
If you'll notice, all my pictures (the ones that I like) have close-mouthed smiles. I very rarely say "cheese" for the camera...
Body image debate, not religion ;) unless you feel like starting another thread :p It would be kinda hypocritical for us to judge each other in this thread, since the very essence of it is about overcoming people's judgements of our own bodies.
Don't look at me, I didn't start it by forcing my prayers on other users. Suggest asking Dottie to keep her faith and hate-filled, hypocritical bigotry to herself and stick to the topic of overcoming people's judgements of our own bodies, like you so aptly raised, Raina.
that's not really your place to judge honestly, the comment wasn't directed at you. The whole point of this thread is to validate each other, and that's what Dottie was trying to do for Phoenix, and if it upsets Phoenix then they can discuss it. If you start judging how we support each other it undermines that validity. I get your point- but that's your interpretation , it didn't need to be stated. We can sit here and debate a better use of language to get Dottie's point across, but that undermines the whole point of this thread. This thread is to support each other and if it turns into arguing back and forth over something clearly meant as validation I'll just ask the mods to close it. If you wanted to debate that sort of language in another thread (I don't disagree with your point, but I think the statement was made innocently to validate what someone went through) or discuss it with Dottie somewhere else, that's fine. But this thread is intended for sharing our personal experiences and validating each other, not so much debating and getting too worried about word choices. It's intended to be a safe zone where people can let their guard down and don't have to worry people are going to take their statements out of context. There's lot of opportunity for that sort of discussion over a variety of topics all over mernetwork, I'd like to keep the focus of this thread as non-judgemental of each other as possible please. Thanks :)
I think you might all enjoy this Ted Talk from a working well known model, along with the additional article at this link: http://blog.ted.com/2013/01/16/model...unning-photos/ food for thought :D
Its so nice to see everyone sharinging their problems. Often people are too worried but because we have such a great support on here its great. I have had lazer treatment and they do say about 6 treatments. But i the dark hair over the treatments turned white so now they want me to have electrolosis.. but i still need continuous lazor treatments. They might advertise it as permenent, but they mean reduction. So you will need top up treatments. Pain not bad got a cooling jet on the lazer
I have struggled with my body/weight ever science i was getting in my teens. I always liked food, going out for dinner etc; Even trough I always have been eaten healthy, not fat. But now, after all these years (and 1000 diets later) i can finally tell u the i'm happy with myself/body etc. last year i tried Weight Watchers. I started with 72 kg (I'm 1,68 meters tall) and now I reached my goal weight from 65 kg. I still cant believe I've done this! (But I couldn't have done it without my moms support and coaching!!)
It made me a total different person, outside AND inside.
This is one of the reasons I had the currage to buy a realistic mermaid tail. Wich I'm doing now.
xxx
They say 'hair reduction'. Sometimes it can on different people be permenant but not me so far! Had seven treatments and just seen a reduction of hair growth. Electrolosis is for white hairs - sometimes during lazor treatments, it turns the hair white, and the lazor machine can not pick up white hairs so you need to start electrolosis as its a machine specefic for the conduction of white hairs. All results are from the person being treated! But my experiance i would still keep going for both treatments even though it will cost me £20 more as a reduction is better than nothing. If you have the treatment you can not wax, pluck or any other form of haor removal other than shaving. Its one treatment per month as your hair folicle needs to regrow. So its very lengthy but depending what you have done it is pricky quick. Im only in there for 15 minute.
Even when I was belly dancing, before I had my baby, I never had a flat tummy. I have always had image issues. Most of them are psychological. I was a size 6 and I still thought I was fat. Even though I knew I wasn't.
Now I am trying to get back down to that size, near 130. (currently I'm 150, full term pregnancy was 180) My body is short so I should be around 110 but I have never seen that number on the scale. I have a curvy body, big hips, big boobs. So the smallest I have ever been was 115 - 120. Still in a size 6 even then and always with a belly pouch.
People on the internet don't know our stories or why we are the way we are. I've seen people look at me funny when I cosplay, especially if they recognize me from the year before. They get that "that girl got fat this year" look on their face. Of course they wouldn't know I just had a baby. So I've been refraining from wearing tight clothing and spending most of my time at home refining my dance again.
It's probably not going to stop talk, and I will still have a belly pouch in the end. And of course, I am always going to be short with tiny feet and a voice like a kid. But I love me. Flaws included.
edit: I also wanted to point out that I have recently acquired stretch marks. This is a new flaw I am still coming to terms with. I'm sensitive about them right now, but I'm sure I will learn to love them one day.
I've been overweight since childhood, and weigh between 200 and 220 lbs. I have premature greys, and a small chest, due to a hormonal issue that caused me to go through menopause at 14, so I'm a bit underdeveloped in the chest area and my body holds onto weight more. I've never felt good about how I looked, but I had a very hostile attitude growing up because I was teased and bullied. At some point, I hit a rediculous low where I discovered that, though I gag pretty quickly, I cannot be bulimic because that's not the way my throat works and I have a limited amount of willpower.
However, once I developed a very strong anti-confidence, and I suspect some form of mental instability, I started doing nude modeling because screw your eyes, you're an art student and you will deal with it. Obviously, I'm not happy with myself, but it wasn't until I got into mermaiding that I actually decided that I want to loose weight.
I'm at my usual low weight, which is about 205, and I intend to loose something beyond that (I don't fluctuate except when I attempt to diet). I want to loose enough weight to be a decent mermaid, not just because of oh, look, it's a whale (I have cruel, sarcastic friends who know the limits of my temper) but because swimming with as much weight as I have is ridiculous.