You could have your friend donate some of her cellulite to you! 
OK, it’s not a very economical solution, but having been close to that size, I’m sure she’d be glad to be rid of it and obviously, your body would just turn it into muscle…
It’s something to think about if either one of you ever win the lottery, right?
Veni, Vidi, Visa … I came, I saw, I bought.
I’m a skinny guy, with almost no muscle tone, and no fat at all. If I sat on your lap it’d be painful for you, I’m that thin.
So that may be one reason why I prefer slim women. Though that’s not an exclusive taste, it’s just a preference.
Cristi: One thing you forgot to mention you got: a great father.
I have been thin, chubby (after pregnancies) and to the place I am today - not fat, not thin, but fit.
Feel free to check out my pic on the Teeming Millions Reg page (I’m listed as Kitten8808). I ain’t no Ally McBeal.
http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/profiles/
I would like to lose a few pounds but as the years go by it seems to be a lot harder although I workout 1 1/2 hours each day (run, aerobics, weights). Sometimes it feels like a losing battle, but for the first time in my life I have come to the conclusion that this is how I look so I better accept it. I’m okay with myself even though I can no longer fit into my size 5 jeans.
I may be out of line in speaking for the men, but I think most are more attracted to women who have confidence and an acceptance of themselves. I know many women with less than perfect bodies who have men knocking down their doors because their attitudes tells men they are beautiful.
>^,^<
KITTEN
Coffee, chocolate, men . . . Some things are just better rich.
If only someone would give me a sandwich.
– Poor College Kid 
Cristi, Zette, Diane – you three ladies ROCK! Thank you for sharing in this thread. Especially since you shared that thin or fat you like yourself (first and foremost) and do not base your self-worth on your weight. I’m so sick of women who decide that due to some genetic trick (small breasts, big hips, tenancy to store fat) they are somehow “worth-less” than other women. Not worthless but worth less in terms of attractiveness. Attitude, self acceptance and self love mean a lot more to men than we give credit.
To the guys, thank you too! It’s interesting that not many men are really interested in real life women who look like that. I’m not knocking those who have a personal preference for thin women; it sounds like it IS your personal preference and not something you have just because the media told you too. You rock as well.
As to me? Most of you know I’m big. No, I’m not fat but believe me, I’m big enough and strong enough that I can scare the hell out of some men and women. I’m not a bully or trying to intimidate them I just do because I don’t need them to help me move my couch or even push my car down the street. Some men are afraid of me for my physical strength but I’ve found most men are far more interested in me now that I’m bigger (and more secure, happier) rather than when I WAS starving to death due to anorexia.
If I can take Diane’s words and rearrange them a bit:
No matter what size you are, you are more attractive if you hold your head up and are not ashamed of how you look.
Wow, you really rock!
Yes, some women starve themselves so that they can look good, or what they believe is “looking good”, but not all of them do. When I was 18, I was six feet tall, weighed 125 pounds, and ate like a horse. Then, for some reason, food just stopped being appealing to me. It started small. First, I lost my taste for really greasy stuff like bacon, then I cut out the meat entirely, and finally it was a tiny green salad each meal, and nothing else. I got down to 110 pounds, and was sick all the time. I still have no idea exactly what the whole anti-food kick was all about. I had to force myself to start eating again. I’m still a vegetarian, since I never did regain my taste for meat, but I’m back up to a healthy 125 pounds. Of course, I still look like a toothpick, and people still think I’m anorexic, but I really could not put on any more weight if I tried. Thanks for the sandwich.
I am 5’7" and hovering between 138-142lbs (depends on time of month and stress). I was 125lbs in high school, 134 in college, and have been this weight for the past 5 years. Interestingly, my family and friends tell me I look better now; though I was never super-thin, I’m curvier.
Still, every now and then I freak out and think I must get skinny. I started a diet last spring (needed; but just for about 10lbs) and it was so hard to say, “Okay, I’m at my goal weight. Time to quit.” I think, hey, if I just lose 8 pounds, I’ll be skinnier than when I was in school… But I know I would probably never be thin enough in my own eyes with that line of thinking. I came from a family with a mother with a serious compulsive eating/weight problem, and I can’t escape its affect on me and my body image.
But…today I was trying on leather jackets at the mall, and was looking at myself in the mirror. The usual criticism filled my thoughts–arms too big, belly too round, I’d be pretty “if.” Then, I looked again. Hey, I have a nice shape. Overall, it’s bigger than the models on the larger-than-life billboards in the store, but it really does have a nice shape. What the hell, I don’t need to diet!
And I bought the damn jacket.
“Me fail English? That’s unpossible!”
“English? Who needs that? I’m never going to England.”
Omniscientnot: Yeah, my dad is pretty great. My mom is, too, BTW. I jokingly refer to myself as an “adult survivor of a happy childhood.”
Byzantine: Thanks! No one’s ever told me that I rock. I like it!
I come from a very long line of short, sturdy females. My mom is 5’5", and she’s the tallest. I can’t stand it when people think that just because I’m short (5’1", on a big hair day), I must be delicate. Please.
If I can’t reach the cobwebs in the corners of my living room ceiling, I’ll just drag the couch over there to stand on.
neuro-trash grrrl – hey, hon, I didn’t say every woman who looks like that WANTED that. When my anorexia got going I had no idea when it started or why. It just did. An apple to me was a thing to be feared. I didn’t want to eat it, couldn’t stand the taste of almost any food. Because of the media? No. It was in my own head. I’m not trashing you or any one else. Believe me, if I were flaming you, you’d know it. I’m not. That was not my point with this thread. If you or anyone else was hurt or offended I apologize right here, right now, that was not my intention.
I didn’t have a man or my family hanging over my shoulder telling me I was too fat. It wasn’t even in my head. For some reason, sounds a lot like yours, I just stopped enjoying food. And to top it off I got paranoid about fast-food or restaurant food. I thought they were spiting in it or what ever and couldn’t eat it. To this day I still have problems with that. I wouldn’t eat anything unless I made it myself. Even if I made it myself by the time I was done making it I no longer wanted to eat it. It was weird. Just like you say. My own attitude toward food changed and I can’t point my finger at why. Control issues? Maybe, I don’t know.
Anorexia is very complex and I wonder if you have a touch of it. I’m no therapist but your description is so close to where I was at about 8 years ago that it gives me pause. Any odd, strange or bizarre food issue is usually driven by an emotional issue. My attitude toward food is very different now. I know it’s what makes it possible for me to lift weights, to run, to sit at this computer for hours on end and not get the shakes from low blood sugar.
Food drives my body. I see it differently now. But I am really worried about you. If food is an issue to you as it once was to me please, talk to me (e-mail me) or share it here. It’s one of those things that a lot of people won’t talk about. I will. Don’t let me worry about you, K?
If I had to decided on attractiveness based solely on looks I would say that thinner women are generally more attractive to me than fuller-figured women (actually, muscular women are more attractive than thinner women, but I think this topic is about thin vs. robust). But, in reality most people don’t do this. Granted that men (who are considered more visually stimulated) can get aroused looking at a fictionally air-brushed model in a glossy print magazine, real-world attraction is quite complex. For an example, In my short lifetime I’ve encountered a nice range of real women who arouse me. Their sizes don’t fit into an absolute category. What I have noticed though, is that personality is more important in the attraction process than raw looks. An exciting, funny, insightful demeanor inside a plain shell will always win me over, whereas a woman with raw physical appeal (thin, or muscular) yet little personality will always be a bore.
As for the eating thing, well I’ve noticed a few people relating eating less to being less than healthy. Well, as far as I’m concerned there’s a difference between eating disorders and eating sparsely. Studies have shown that eating less actually encourages a longer life-span. Some suspect that by eating less a person’s body has less contaminates to process, and the organs can sustain longer periods of functionality. I’m only bringing this up because there’s been plenty of backlashes against thin people over the last few years. While I know that some thin people do suffer from eating disorders such as Anorexia, many don’t, and there’s really nothing unhealthy about that particular lifestyle.
Well, I’m currently dating a man who looks at magazines like “Mode” (a fashion magazine that features normal to large women as opposed to the typical model) and telling my how sexy he thinks all the women are. He loves big breasts, curvy legs and butts, etc.
I’m not tiny - I feel my best when I’m 10-20 pounds lighter than I am right now - but I’m in kick-ass shape and I think I look good. Apparantly, men do, too, since I never seem to have any problems attracting them. I think a lot of it’s attitude and personality.
I agree that most people are attracted to people who aren’t overweight, but the media’s idea of overweight is incredibly skewed. What we look at as a “normal” weight is overweight in a magazine. The Victoria’s Secret models are starting to look gaunt in their bras and panties - let’s see some women with curves! Men seem to have a little more leeway, but still, I’d rather have a guy willing to go out to dinner and have a beer with me than someone who stops for a salad on the way to the gym. Yuk!
If I recall, Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 and she pretty much has been the definition of “sex symbol” for quite a while.
Me, I’m 5’4", 115. Too skinny? Maybe. My mom would like me to gain a little weight but I’m in excellent shape, great muscle tone, and don’t watch what I eat. I’m happy with me. When I was in high school, I would’ve liked a little more meat on my…ahem…chest region, but I’ve grown to be happy with what nature/God gave me.
Cristi, I agree with Omni-not, you’re dad was a great guy to recognize how important the self-esteem of his daughter was at that sensitive age. Whadda guy!
TVblen sez:
Interestingly, TV ALSO describes ME thusly (defining “majestic”, his term for me on “favorite posters”)
So it would seem, TV, that you admire MY kindness since you apparantly have so little yourself.
And when you saw me on the beach, how would you cope? Would your head explode trying to reconcile A with B? A sight I’d pay to see.
You disappoint me deeply.
Stoid
This is a non-smoking area. If we see you smoking, we will assume you are on fire and act accordingly.
OK, not to get in the midst of things, but a few points:
a) TVeblen is a girl;
b) The GreenPeace thing was a reaction to TennHippie’s joke, and by no means a personal attack to ANYONE - at least, I didn’t see it;
c) The ‘majestueous’ (sp?) quote is entirely sympathetic.
So Stoidela, I’m sorry, but no missiles launched here (to remain in line with you explosives analogies). I’d say it’s either bad reading or lack of confidence talking…
E.G. TVeblen even found it in her to send me a PERSONAL e-mail apologizing for the fact that she corrected one of my (many ) spelling errors without realizing that I’m not an English speaker by birth…
I dind’t even mind the correction she made, hey I learned from it, but this just goes to show that TVeb is definately among the decent people on these premises.
Coldfire
“You know how complex women are”
To come out on the side of the guys–
Nowadays, men have it just as bad as do women (“and about time, too!” I hear a shout from the peanut gallery). We gals feel compelled to look like Michelle Pfeiffer or Gwyneth Paltrow (and I’m talking perfect faces and hair, as well as youthful, slim figures).
But men are confronted with models and actors who are not only handsome, but have huge, bulging muscles and no body fat at all. All we women have to do is starve ourselves till we pass out; men also have to go to the gym and lift weights till their eyeballs pop out!
It looks like we’re BOTH screwed . . .
In the local paper this weekend, there was a short blurb about some concert for the benefit of hungry children. The associated picture showed Celine Dion on stage, with the caption: “Will sing for food.” 
Laugh hard; it’s a long way to the bank.
Coldfire defends:
No one does, that’s the problem. Fat people are fair game, right? They bring it on themselves, they are gluttons, they deserve to be ridiculed, either individually or collectively. Their very existance is cause for hilarity, yes? What could be more knee-slappingly delightful than comparing fat people to whales? (which of course is not to denigrate whales in any way, since they are extremely bitchen creatures. But we all know that comparing people to whales is not a way of saying: “What a marvelous and wondrous example of evolutionary adaptation and intelligence you are!”)
I never suggested that TV, who I am sure thinks of herself and probably is in general a nice person, was making a dig at me or any particular person. Nor Tennhippie. But that’s the problem. How well would it go over among any blacks in our ranks if I were to make a gag, not directed at anyone in particular you understand, about how like monkeys negroes are? Would it be unfair for any blacks among us to take offense? Isnt’ it just a harmless bit of joking around?
Furthermore, I was attempting to illustrate to TV how incongruous it is that she would find my exposed flesh on the beach a justifiable reason for hilarity and derision, when in fact she thinks of me, through my contributions to this board, as a rather special person of fine qualities.
I know, because I happen to be smart that way, that 95% of all humor that is based on making fun of people’s physical imperfections springs from insecurity. If we can point at that guy and laugh at him, we are a little safer from it ourselves. But that is A: not really very funny at all. b: cruel and c: pathetic.
I have rarely heard in my life a joke about someone’s physical inadequacies or imperfections (fat, bald, short, acned, etc.) that was anything like witty or sharp. They are almost all simply mean and obvious. I don’t think they’re funny. (One exception off the top of my head: Louie Anderson talking about how when he was a kid the snowballs never hit him, they went into orbit around him. THAT was clever and made me laugh. Because it was clever, not because the idea of poor fat Louie was so damn funny.) As a fat person (I don’t dick around with the terminology; I’m not a “person-of-adipose”) I’m SICK of listening to people make mean, stupid, pointless “jokes” about fat people (bald people, ugly people - the cracks about Janet Reno and Linda Tripp offend me completely. If you don’t like them as people, attack their ideas, words and bahavior, not their appearance!) and act like it’s alright. It’s not.
I don’t think TV is inherently mean. I think she is like the majority of people: ignorant and thoughtless. She should think. So should you.
Stoid
Confident enough to take a stand
This is a non-smoking area. If we see you smoking, we will assume you are on fire and act accordingly.
Generally I agree with everything you said, Stoid, but I’m not going to give up making fun of Rush Limbaugh.
Saw a picture of Rush lately–he’s lost a ton of weight.