Newbie here - Plus-Size gal with severe fear of lycra

[effulgent]

Pretty much my choice of wardrobe is limited to the TE Plus specialty store. I haven't found anywhere else on the web that sells plus size biking gear (think the higher end of Lane Bryant/ Avenue, not the large end of the Gap).

So I have the shorts, the longer capri-legth, the mountain shorts or the skort that I can buy from TE. Not a whole lot of options. But, trust me when I say this, I'm just happy as hell to find options at all. Last year when we were going to the gym for a while (free Bally membership for a month from Discovery channel), I barely found one pair of pants that was appropriate for gym wear that were my size, and NO shorts at all. All the shorts were dressier or too long or too stiff of a material to wear on a treadmill or an elliptical machine. And no t-shirts that went with the legging-style pants - I ended up going to a Big & Tall Men's shop to get a shirt that was big enough to cover my butt over those leggings. And I never did find a sports bra either.

They tell women who are overweight to get out and exercise, and then they don't make any clothes that will fit women who are overweight and want to go to a gym. How are we supposed to lose weight if we can't even find a pair of shorts to go walking or cycling in? I would love to have wicking fabric t-shirts and shorts that I could wear rollerblading or walking or going to the gym here in my apartment. Instead I have my one pair of scary legging pants and two t-shirts.

At any rate, I hand washed the pants tonight, and I'm going to wear a slightly smaller t-shirt tomorrow when I ride and people are just going to have to deal with the reality of my @$$ in those stretchy pants. (sigh) And I've got it in the budget next month for me to get a pair of biking shorts and a jersey, and for my husband to get a new jersey too. He used to be smaller and has half a dozen jerseys that are too small, and only one that fits him.

[bikerHen]

At any rate, I hand washed the pants tonight, and I'm going to wear a slightly smaller t-shirt tomorrow when I ride and people are just going to have to deal with the reality of my @$$ in those stretchy pants. (sigh)

You just go girl! I've had my @$$ out there for a year now and hate it! More than once I've pictured a wide load triangle pasted to my butt! But you know what? It's working! The fat @$$ is sloooowly shrinking! I'm keeping my lycra purchases to a minimum so I can buy smaller non plus sizes next year! Bike riding is my salvation and I know that this is going to work! It will work for you too! And don't let anybody or anything stop you!! bikerHen

I will now step down from my soap box. Good Night