So what's your body hang up? Are you afraid of anal sex? Do you hate your thighs? Are you too fat? Too thin? Do you hate to date people smaller ((or bigger)) than you? What's up?

-- Meghan (meghan@blurredlines.com), July 21, 2000

Answers

For me there are lots of little things that annoy me. I wonder too many times if it is just me seeing these things, or are they a real issue. I finally have somewhat come to terms with the fact that I am overweight. What I mean is I finally have become comfortable in my skin. I have moments, hours, days, where i am not, but for the most part its fiting. I suppose the next step is finding someone that likes it too. :D

-- Crystal (cforsley@mail.com), July 22, 2000.

This ties in closely to a question on one of the forums about nudity. My body is as it is and what you see is what you get - - - if you are polite. I am old and crippled (not handicapped that's what they do with horses and golfers) and have long passed the point of a body hang up. Knew I wouldn't be handsome or super athletic, but I have been happy pursuing contentment in my life.

-- Denver doug (ionoi@webtv.net), July 22, 2000.

This is an 'issue' for me or rather, it has been in the past and anyone who's read my journal should know this by now. Unfortunately, in the past, I've allowed my opinion of myself, i.e. my attractiveness, to be based on what men may think of me or because of what I've seen in the media and because I tend to be a perfectionist, I became my own worst critic. I was unrelenting and I was beginning to hate the way I looked from head to toe, so much so that it was greatly affecting my self esteem (yeah, I was an idiot). At the not-so-ripe age of 36, I think I've finally come to terms with what I am and I'm learning to appreciate the way I look. I can't please everyone and if someone else doesn't like my legs, face, hair, breasts or whatever, well then...they can lick my nuts. In other words, I am much more than the sum total of my body parts.

-- Sasha (sasha@restraint.org), July 23, 2000.

I'm too fat. No, seriously, I am... but I'm working on losing weight and getting back into shape. A month ago I was 206 and now I'm 199 and still losing weight... getting in more running, etc., building endourance... Want to set up basement as a workout center for myself and my family... a place for my wife and me to do aerobic workouts with videos (we have always liked "The Firm" - vol. 1 -- and I got her the Billy Banks book and tapes)... and for my son and me to workout with weights... and a treadmill for the whole family to use. (of course I have to buy the treadmill and weight bench and weights)

Unfortunately no matter how much weight I lose and no matter how much I train, I'm not going to get any taller... when I was a kid I always thought I would pass six feet... it was what people always said (you're growing like a weed, bet you're gonna be six foot two when you grow up) but my legs stopped too soon and I maxed out at five eleven and a half (and by now I've probably shrunk down to 5-11 even) and that's pissed me off for decades... My brother is six two... but seated we appear closer to the same height... his legs are two inches longer than mine.

My eyes annoy me... I've had to wear glasses since junior high school, forty-four years of wearing damned eyeglasses, I'm sick of them... So now they've got laser surgery... but now I'm not just extremely near-sighted, I also have short arms... (that's a geezer joke, means I've also become far-sighed as well) so my glasses are multi-focal... and I've got some astigmatism in my right eye... meaning I'm not a good candidate for successful laser surgery so I'm stuck with these damned glasses!

Hair... I don't mind that it's getting grey... hell, I've had grey in my beard since I was in my late twenties... of course then it was a light dusting, looked like maybe I'd had a sugar donut but now it would be difficult to find a few dark hairs in my beard, mostly snow white... hair on my head has had a certain distinguished touch of grey at the temples for years... now it is spreading (yes, even getting some grey pubic hair!)... but it's not the change in hair color that bothers me -- it's the increased amount of forehead. No, not going bald on top, not even the slightest touch of thinning on top, but my hairline has receeded... my hair is full and I tend to wear it a little long and people don't seem to notice... but I do! I look in the mirror and I remember when I had less forehead and I can see that the first quarter inch or so of hair is much more thinly populated than the rest... I'll not end up bald but someday I'll have an extra inch or so of forehead. And I'm not pleased about it... it's been going on for years, but without my consent!

Wow, how's that for a bunch of body image ranting?

Jim

-- Jim (jimsjournal@yahoo.com), July 31, 2000.

Hmm. I'm not the biggest fan of my butt when I have PMS. It seems acres bigger then. But normally I'm okay with it. I stopped doing my darn crunches and working on my arms when I came home from school for the summer and I'm getting a little flabby but it's my own fault for being lazy. I'll get back into it when I go back to school. Other than that...my nose is a little big (my God, when I was little the thing was ENORMOUS...I've somewhat grown into it and I can only hope it keeps shrinking) and my jawline isn't pronounced enough.

I've got nice feet.

-- Suz (Suzanne833@aol.com), August 03, 2000.

Meghan, I am afraid of anal sex. I have never tried. Do you really recommend it? Please reply. Do you shave your pubic hair. I do.

-- James Martell (football02364@yahoo.com), April 12, 2001.