Being a plus size woman is different! We’re led to believe that the size of our jeans dictates our self-worth. The bigger the jeans, the less accepted we are by society and often by our own reflection.
Plus size women are judged in situations where thin women get a pass – from ordering dessert in a restaurant to the items in our grocery cart.
And we sure can’t walk into any store and know we’ll be able to try on clothes that will fit our body.
My fellow curvy friend, Amanda Ervin, of the Shapely Sisterhood, joins episode 50 of the Plus Mommy Podcast to talk about five things only plus size women understand. By sharing our frustrations, and helpful tips, we hope plus size women will feel less alone and more supported!
Things Only Plus Size Women Understand
1. Plus Size Clothing Frustrations
As a plus size woman, going to the mall can be like navigating a landmine field. Step into the wrong store, and you’ll experience an explosion of body shame. Most often we bring this shame upon ourselves while standing alone in the dressing room.
Here are some recommendations Amanda and I have for plus size clothing options –
Stores
Torrid (Lane Bryant is great too, but Torrid is more our style)
Maurices (a favorite of Amanda’s)
Walmart (they have really great plus size leggings)
Online
Amazon Wardrobe
Dia & Co
eShakti
Fabletics
Rosegal
If you’re struggling with plus size maternity clothes, I’ve got you covered here!
2. Limited Seating Options
If you’ve ever broken a chair in public, you’re not alone because Amanda has too. The reality is many seating options, from restaurants to airlines, aren’t designed with plus size people in mind.
Amanda shares her helpful tip for reviewing restaurants on Yelp before dining out. This isn’t just to see if their food is good but to view the photos to see their seating options before you arrive.
We cover all the things you need to know about flying while fat in depth during episode 15 of the podcast.
3. Dating Woes
From partners trying to “fix you” to not wanting to be seen with you in public – dating, as a fat woman, is incredibly challenging.
At the end of the day, you have to love yourself first!
You have to know who you are and what you bring to a relationship. If you don’t know your self-worth, it can be easy to find yourself in an unhealthy relationship.
You deserve better!!!
You also deserve to have great orgasms! Yup, we went there!
There are “personal massagers” with plus size women in mind, and my favorites are the Womanizer and this wand.
4. Healthcare Size Bias
Every human should receive compassionate, evidence-based healthcare! Connecting with a size-friendly care provider is essential when you’re a plus size woman, and it’s a topic we often cover on this show.
One tip we highly recommend is joining a local mom’s Facebook group. Then do a post to see if anyone who is plus size has a care provider they recommend.
For maternity care, you can download a guide on how to connect with a size-friendly care provider here.
5. Feeling Unaccepted
As we shared in the beginning, there’s just so much that plus size women experience that only plus size women can truly understand.
We want to be like all the other girls, doing all the things everyone else gets to do without judgment.
The truth is sometimes we are far more limiting of ourselves than we need to be.
It’s time to care less what others think, and know that we are worthy of all the beautiful things and experiences people of smaller sizes get to experience!
Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 50
Resources Mentioned On The Show
- Plus Size Travel With Chubby And Away
- Follow Amanda’s project, Shapely Sisterhood via YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
As a plus-size woman, I’ve been made to feel less worthy by society most of my life. Somehow, the size of my jeans makes me less beautiful, smart, creative, and worthy of the life I’ve always dreamt of. Enough is enough!I decided in 2017 to say, screw that, and live my life the way I want. My boyfriend and I sold everything we owned and left the country to live in Asia for a year. It was the most incredible experience of our life, which we documented on our YouTube channel, Chubby and Away.
I can’t tell you how empowering, incredible, and freeing that experience was for me. So much so, we are planning an epic two year or more trip in 2020. While away, I began thinking about other women just like me. Women who were being made to feel less than due to their size or some other unjustified reason. It isn’t even just a “plus-size” thing. I have friends that are often told they are “too skinny”. We can’t continue to believe the bulls*** society is feeding us. We as women need to be supporting each other no matter our size. It was through all this The Shapely Sisterhood was born.
The Shapely Sisterhood is a supportive, size inclusive space for women. Here we discuss beauty, fashion, travel, and spirituality so we can all live our very best life with our favorite shade of lipstick! We are all beautiful and worthy of the life we dream of, so here, we support each other in this incredible journey of life! You can meet your fellow sisters on social media, and on YouTube. YouTube is where all the tips, tricks, and fun stuff lives.
Beyonce had it right, we do run the world, so let’s do it together! Welcome to the best #girlgang out there!
Thank You To Our Sponsors:
Modibodi is modern, protective, leak-proof apparel, underwear and swimwear, for periods and incontinence that work! Use coupon code PlusMomLoves to get15% off your first order (excludes packs, sales items, and gift cards).
This episode is also brought to you by Plus Size Birth! Use coupon code PlusMommy to receive 20% off the My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide that covers everything you could want to know about having a plus size pregnancy.
Yoko
Wednesday 17th of April 2019
Hello! I am a plus size woman and I definitely struggle with the things mentioned. Thank you for this article :))
plusmommy
Friday 3rd of May 2019
You're so welcome!! Glad you found this helpful.