How much do looks define your self-image?

[Mr. Bloom]

but I wish we could move away from equating looking good with looking young and vice versa.

Ironically, as I was at the peak of my '08 fitness...and a few pounds lighter, I looked older due to the lines that formed in my face as the 'jowl fat' was burned off...

[Crankin]

There was just a study verifying that phenomena, Mr. S. Twins who weighed more, looked younger, particularly in the area of wrinkles.
One of the negatives of maintaining a lower weight has been the prominence of laugh lines. Both my mom and dad had (have for my dad) them. And they both maintained a healthy weight into older age. My dad is almost 84 and pretty trim. Yet, he does no exercise. I always thought my mom's laugh lines were from too much sun, after years on the Cape and living in FL and AZ. But, they got worse as she became thinner.
Still, I don't want to gain weight to get rid of the wrinkles!

[OakLeaf]

The brain struggles: how is wearing a thong comfortable when doing any sport? Please inform nuthead here.....

Some people require underwear under their workout clothes. (Not me, which also solves the VPL problem when I'm working out...)

Underwear winds up in the crack of your *ss.

The less of it there, the better.

Ergo, thongs.

[emily_in_nc]

And yes, I appreciate being with cyclists more than other types. Where else can you discuss bodily functions, while being totally sweaty, dressed in lycra? And, nobody cares! But, I still like make up!

Me too!

[lph]

Probably girdles. My mother told me of having one basically explode off of her, it was so taut.

This one had me chortling out loud

I had a pair of uppity buppity nylons as a young adult that were like that. They turned my already small tush flat and ROCK HARD

[silver]

And one day maybe I will know of a woman in person who had and will tell others that she had plastic surgery just to make herself more beautiful...not because she suffered breast cancer, was a burn victim, etc.

Until then, my world remains narrow.

hmmm....I've said this on this board before.....I had plastic surgery (got breast implants). I got them to make my body more attractive.

That's the bottom line. But there is much more to it.

With them I have a better self image of my body. I could discuss this at length, but I know that there are those would never understand my decision and would call my swallow or have some other less that positive opinion of me because of it. And although, I really do care what others think of me.....It's my intention in life to have a positive, inspiring and encouraging influence on other people....It doesn't matter to me if there are those who disagree with my decision to get plastic surgery.

[Zen]

This one had me chortling out loud

Chortling? Just chortling? I guffawed at that one.

My mom told me a story involving her swimming and what were known as "falsies".

Buoyant falsies.

[malkin]

Preggers bellies are buoyant too.
Even if the fetus is a girl.