Thursday 21 April 2011

Does My Belly Look Big In This?

Photo credit: luigi diamanti
It's usually "does my bum look big in this?", I know.

Thing is, I've been lucky enough never to struggle with weight gain over the years.  When I went past the age of 30 (*cough* over 6 years ago) I finally felt normal.

Up until then, in school especially, I was always the 'skinny' one.  I got teased in primary school for being thin. "Ethiopian" I'd hear them shout. Kids can be so bloody cruel!  I had HUGE ridiculous glasses too which were 'all the rage' then apparently. Oddly though, I never struggled with male attention - despite looking like the off-spring of Deirdre Barlow!

In my teens I was still thin but once I turned 21 I started to fill out a lot more but I was still very slim. In my mid twenties I was happier with my body and my stomach was so toned/slim that I had a feminine 6-pack. I've never gone over a size 10-12 (38-40) and I know a lot of people, friends included, who would kill for that.

However, when I hit my late 20's/early 30's that's when I developed what's known in our family as 'The Robinson legs'. They stem from my Mums side of the family. Mum too, like me, had a great set of pins on her when she was younger but all of a sudden they filled out. The same thing has happened to me. I hate my legs. Actually, no, I loathe my legs. I hate the summer time when everyone starts wearing shorts. Most of the time you'll see me in linen trousers even when it's scorching - that's how much I hate them. They also never tan so they resemble the shade of Casper The Friendly Ghost most of the time.

People always think that thinner people are happy with their bodies - they aren't. I still squirm and get offended when someone calls me 'skinny' and I point out my thighs to them. I guess those are scars from my school days that have never really healed.

I put on 3 stone in weight when I was pregnant with Mini Cheddar.  6 months of solid breast-feeding saw the weight come straight off. Since having her my body has taking a battering. I don't have any stretch-marks but my boobs have headed south and it's my belly that's starting to become a problem. I'm forever sucking in it for fear of my parents people thinking I'm pregnant. I'm not.

I've just tried a new top on that I've bought. It's lovely but it ties under my boobs. I study myself in the mirror. In my eyes I look pregnant. I'm not sure if it's the cut of the top or the fact that most of my old maternity tops were cut in this way so I'm just paranoid that people will think I'm expecting. BMC (Before Mini Cheddar) I was always wearing tops like that.

Mind you, before I had Mini Cheddar I could sneeze without thinking I was going to pee my pants.

I guess times have changed.




11 comments:

Lady Estrogen said...

Love it :)
I now carry around a giant deflated sagging balloon in front of my body - it's sexy, I'm tellin' ya.

JoJo said...

i have only had major probs with my belly since having thomas before that I was obsessed with everything else looking fat!!!

Lauren said...

My tummy is the cause of me not enjoying being pregnant as much this time.
I was unfortunate enough to get stretchmarks with Charles but only right at the last minute (grrrr) but they don't bother me so much, the saggyness bothers me. And it means that with this bump, I have a nice rounded bump but at the bottom I have a lovely saggy bit :-(
xx

Sa said...

aww bless ya, welcome to the world of post pregnany. \o/ potential for peeing pants and wobbly belly I am now the owner of both

Stephs Two Girls said...

My tummy is probably the one thing I'd be tempted to go under the knife for.... but I'm way too squeamish. I also look like Casper, but with at least a hundred moles - the number seems to double every month at the moment. So it's fair to say I'm probably not being given much of a second look these days. Boo hoo. Motherhood is cruel, eh?!

Anonymous said...

I totally get where you're coming from, and yes even a 'skinny's' bod changes after pregnancy. Like you say, reading that someone like me is a size 8 people probably think I've no issues. Wrong! Like you, I've no stretch marks, my tummy can be flatt(ish) but since I had babyzoid it is now the first place my double-choc chip cookies congregate when I've been really naughty. But aahh sod it. I've reached a kind of peace with it all - well, some days anyway ;) And for the record, I 'hate' my legs too!!! :D

Mrs E said...

I hate my tummy since having Mads- and I am scared about what my boobs are going to be like when I have finished breastfeeding! x

Unknown said...

I call my lower belly 'the joey pouch' because its so saggy and awful looking like a wee kangaroo is living in there. I've always been overweight but during my pregnancy I felt the most confident with my body than I have ever felt in my life. I wish I could feel that again but like you say, things change. I too would like to be able to laugh/cough/sneeze without peeing my pants! lol

Unknown said...

Thanks ladies. It's awful what happens to your tummy after having a baby....and the rest of your body.

Ooh Baby - All things Cuteable said...

So know how you feel! Did you read my post about my bridget jones knickers? and as for the sneezing - I'm with you on that one lol. My tummy looks like a bag of hammers after my section. I used to be a size 8, and now I'm a 12. I put on 2.5 stone when I was pregnant, mainly because I stuffed my face ;o)

Unknown said...

No Lynne, I didn't read your post about Bridget Jones knickers....I'll head over your blog and try and find it xx

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