Don't be afraid to let them see

This is the time of year that many women dread because it means shopping for a bathing suit! How do you pick the best one? Every magazine on the racks will have advice for making the most of your "rack." Or a style of swimsuit that will give you a waistline. The magazines know that you want the answer to the age-old question, "If you have big hips is a high cut leg more flattering?"

But the best advice I've heard on choosing a bathing suit was from a friend who weighed 400 pounds at the time. She related to us a story about being invited to a pool party. Her "little friend" (her nickname for her friend who is quite short, and not overweight) asked Maria if she was going to wear a swimsuit. The thought implied seemed to be, "Um, you're fat. Are you going to let people see you in a bathing suit?" Maria's response will stay with me forever! Her answer to her friend was, "Of course I'm going to wear a swimsuit! What, like all of a sudden, when I put on a bathing suit, people will realize that I'm fat?"
 



Colourful racer back swimsuit, tankini tops, and swim shorts

So when I had a foot injury last Winter, and I needed to do exercises in the pool I went swimsuit shopping. And I thought of Maria. I needed a swimsuit that would give me enough support for my "rack." Nothing worse than jumping in an aqua-fit class and knocking yourself out! I wanted a skirt to cover my thighs but during an aquafit class it kept floating up around my hands. With another suit, a tankini, the front piece kept floating up exposing my rather rotund tummy. So now I'm not as worried about what optical illusion we can create with a bathing suit, and focus more on what's functional and comfortable, as long as it keeps all the bits in the right places. But the most important lesson from Maria is, let yourself WEAR a bathing suit, regardless of your size!
 

Neon workout shirt with my True Colours bracelet

I had a client referred to me from a Personal Trainer because he felt she was self-sabotaging her weight loss plan. I asked her what she was afraid would happen when she lost the weight. She was afraid she'd be more attractive to men if she was thinner, something many overweight women worry about. Of course in her case she was also afraid that with this attention she would cheat on her husband (again). I also asked her what she was NOT doing because of her weight. She had avoided wearing a swimsuit, letting anyone SEE her in a swimsuit. She had never gone swimming with her children who were two- and four-years-old. How sad is that??!! What are you putting off until you lose weight?

Last summer I decided that I was not going to wait to wear colourful clothes. I don't do a lot of clothes shopping but I usually need some new things at the beginning of winter and the beginning of summer. Last summer I decided, "Who says you have to wear black if you're fat? I'm going to get some colourful clothes, colours that reflect my personality, and colours that are flattering with my skin tone." And I did just that! So when we headed to Nova Scotia for our annual summer vacation I took my True Colours bracelet which I could wear with many of the new T-shirts I bought. 



My "True Colours" bracelet with some T-shirts from last summer

And just last weekend I declared that I needed some more colourful clothes to match my Pandora! These colours are ME! 

 

I named this bracelet "True Colours" after the song by Cindi Lauper. Do you ever feel like you're wearing a mask? That you don't let people see the real you? Many people with depression or an eating disorder are not being their authentic self. I love how this song reminds us to show our true colors. Let people see your true self. Don't be afraid to let them see...
 

Let them see you in all your colours.

Let them see you in a bathing suit.

YouTube video: Cindi Lauper's "True Colours" with lyrics

 

True Colours

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh, I realize
It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors
Are beautiful like a rainbow

Show me a smile then
Don't be unhappy
Can't remember when
I last saw you laughing

If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
Your true colors
Are beautiful like a rainbow