Hello r/plussize,

I am happy to have just found this sub via r/findareddit.

I've been steadily gaining weight the past...9 or so years of my life, and it's gotten to a point where I really need other fat people to talk to about issues that have come up, from clothing to chub rub to whatever else it may be. I think I've been kind of avoiding taking a more proactive approach to learning how to live well in this bigger body and have been more reacting. I'd like to lose weight but I know that many approaches to weigh loss are unhealthy and lead to more weight gain. I've experienced a bit of that the past few years, so I'm trying to take a step back and adapt to where I am at now, while planning to consult with my doctor about healthy approaches to weight management moving forward.

I just learned the word "small fat" from the FAQ which more or less describes me, although maybe I'm just out of that range (I wear 2X these days). This leaves me feeling kind of awkward because I definitely face issues of having a larger body I didn't used to have, and being called/considered fat by some, but I also feel guilty when I talk about my struggles with weight because I know some larger people are bothered when someone still around the "average" weight thinks of themself as fat.... Having gone up to an official 2x I feel like I can sort of officially claim it, but ...

I do think it's unfortunate that it feels like a there is dichotomy between being "fat" or "not fat" in my social setting (USA), as a lot of the issues I've been dealing with (such as finding affordable clothing that looks good on me and is in my style) have been gradual as I've gotten bigger. It's a spectrum, not a binary issue.

Anyway, not sure what else to say, I wanted to get this off my chest to help me feel more comfortable participating here. I hope all of you are doing well. I