But I Can’t ‘Move Joyfully’ Without Workout Clothes!

I know that many large women have trouble finding workout clothes in their size.  They either can’t find it or can’t afford it.

I remember wanting to start working out a few year ago, having nothing appropriate to wear, and going to Target, where the only pants and shirts I could find were just a smidge too small, but what else was I going to do?

Well, I’m older, wiser, and love online shopping.  Of course, I’d love it more if I could shop in stores, but I’ll take what I can get for the moment.

In stores, Old Navy carries workout gear through an XXL.  Their regular sizing is generous, and an XXL will likely fit through a 22/24, even though they’re marked as 20.  They have capris, yoga pants, sports bras, tanks, and t-shirts, and carry compression gear.  Online, they carry sizes 18W-30W in their plus section.  While the selection is a bit smaller and the fat-tax is pretty generous, they carry all styles of gear at decent prices.  I went on a spree a few years ago, so Old Navy is what I wear, and I find it pretty darn comfortable!

You’d never know it by their pathetic in-store offerings, but Target carries some decent women’s workout clothes online.  Unfortunately, their search function is difficult to use.  Some good sleuthing will find you good deals, though.

Woman Within has cemented a place in the online shopping experience.  It is great for basics, has excellent prices, and they consistently offer up to a size 40W.  Workout pants, skirts, shirts, comfortable swimsuits, and sports bras are available.

Junonia is synonymous with classic plus size activewear.  They’re a little pricier, but they’re known for quality and a variety of clothing to cover every activity from skiing to golfing to swimming to tennis to running.  Their sizing goes up to a 6x/40W in some pieces.

I’ve heard great reviews of Sparkle Skirts from the fitness group I’m a part of.  With pockets, compression shorts, and as finely obnoxious of a print as I could ask for, I’m excited to order one in the future.  Sparkle Skirts offers sizing up to a 3x.

Share your favorites, too.

Back from the HAES® Training

The training was amazing.  Linda Bacon and Lucy Aphramor were brilliant.   There were over 50 people at the training, and about half of them were dietitians.  There were people from as far away as Australia.  Everyone in the room believe that fat people have the same health goals as thin people. We covered a few things I have thought about before in conjunction with Health at Every Size®, but never quite connected in the same way.

We talked about how health is multi-dimensional- there is physical health, emotional health, spiritual health, social health- you can’t hold one above the others and expect to feel well.

I mentioned First, Do No Harm in my previous post.  I’ve talked in classes before about the futility of prescribing weight loss to patients, as it almost inevitably results in weight rebounding and worse health than just being fat.  I’ve talked about how our current medical model creates a barrier to treatment.  However, Linda and Lucy clarified and condensed these issues.  These are all issues of medical ethics.  Providers, by and by large, get into the business to help people.  But when providers are taught to prescribe weight loss, and that weight is a result of laziness and a lack of willpower, they are harming the vast majority of their patients.  That is simply unethical. If providers knew and shared the facts about long term weight loss attempt results, we wouldn’t recommend it anymore, and more and more, people wouldn’t consent to trying it.

In the next few months, I’m setting up a forum to create a conversation between fat patients in Denver and Denver care providers.  Hopefully we can address some of these barriers to quality care.

We talked about the fact that being fat can exacerbate some conditions.  Being fat can impact joint pain, diabetes, and heart disease.  However, is weight loss necessary? Experiencing one of these conditions doesn’t make weight loss any more reasonable of a goal.  Also, there are things that you can do for any condition that doesn’t include such drastic measures with such poor results.  While it is clear that eating a varied, enjoyable, quality diet and physical activity can improve diabetes and heart disease regardless of weight loss, joint pain is harder to assess.  Eating low-inflammatory foods and getting enough sleep can improve joint pain, and sometimes physical therapy can improve symptoms, without weight loss.   Thin people with diabetes, heart disease, and joint pain are given suggestions to improve their health that don’t include weight loss.

The last thing that I took away from this training a reminder of the community available to me.  I was reminded of the HAES Community, where you can find researches, authors, activists, care providers, and more in your community.  I heard more about ASDAH, who actually owns the HAES trademark.  They have another listing of health professionals that work within a HAES mentality.   They hold annual conferences, do lots of work in the community, and have excellent educational resources on their site. I heard of local HAES activists, and left having met many many awesome people.

Fat Fashion

I I’ve been asked about where I get my clothes for a while now.  I usually wear dresses or shirt and skirts, and I like to dress up.  So here are some places I shop.

My number one recommendation would be to learn your measurements, know them by heart, and always order to your largest measurement.  You can always get things tailored down.  The exceptions would be stretchy material (you have a 2-or-so inch margin if you’re comfortable with a tight fit), and if your hips are your largest measurement, any flowy skirt will probably not be an issue.

I’ve called a bunch of these companies for sizing help over the phone, they’re usually very helpful.

There’s a mix of trendy and classic, cheap and kind of expensive ($100 dresses).  But, at least with these retailers, you really do get what you pay for.  If it is expensive, it will last you a looooong time – long enough to get tired of stuff!

So without further ado:

Classic:

Igigi  Kiyonna   Land’s End (COATS!, but their dresses are lovely, too)

Trendy:

City Chic   ASOS Curve   eshakti  (also somewhat classic, they include made to order options,  including customizable length, sleeve style, and sometimes neck line!)

Funky:

Re/Dress Domino Dollhouse Lucie Lu   B&Lu  Torrid

(Torrid is, in my opinion, a bit overpriced for the quality, so keep an eye on the sales!  Cute underwear and sexy stuff, too)

Basics: (t-shirts, youthful, cheap, on-trend)

Old Navy ( I wear between an XL and a XXL in almost all of their clothes, but they have a plus line, too)

High Quality Basics:  (Camisoles, sweaters, simple skirts, belts, tights…)

We Love Colors tights great quality tights!   Coldwater Creek  Talbots  Nordstrom  Sock Dreams (socks and more tights)

Here are some places for fat fashion inspiration: http://chubby-bunnies.tumblr.com/, http://deathfatties.tumblr.com/, http://fatshionista.livejournal.com/7561736.html

You may notice a few names conspicuously absent.  I don’t care for most of the easily available things at the big stores, but they have their purposes, including Lane Bryant’s bras and panties, which are reasonably priced and decently made.  Which is the nicest thing I think I can say about them…

Please leave your recommendations in the comments!