Neferet

Hello, I started dancing in January so am a beginner although I absolutely love the dance and am practicing as much as I can. I am a size 16 lady (have put on a lot of weight in last two years!) and feel a bit embarrassed about my body shape. I have also started a running regime in order to tone up and get fit, which I really enjoy also. Has anyone any tips or even just a bit of encouragement for me. I do feel conscious of my bust size also and have bought a sports bra for my dancing and running.
I intend to continue with dancing and would like to progress, love all the glamorous costumes and hopefully will be able to wear one once my confidence has improved.

belly_dancer

best advice... stand up tall & keep dancing.... if you keep dancing... (alot.. like 45-60 min per DAY) soon you will wish you had more to shake!!!!
what is your height.... & bone structure??? size 16 is NOT very big!@!

Jayms_fallen_angel

Take heart my dear. The average dress size is 14 so you're not too big :P

Best advice I can give you is eat ealthily and dance you're ass off. I dance for an average of 2 hours a day and I'm getting back into clothes which cut into me only a month ago.

Keltic_Oryantal

...So shake what you were given and be proud of it!

That's what belly dancing is all about. It crosses all color, size and even gender boundaries. Be happy you don't look like everybody else!

If it really bothers you, take the advice of those before me and drink plenty of water. Sometimes when you feel hungry, you're actually thirsty. You also might want to check in with your doctor and make sure you're not suffering from anything like thyroid problems, which can lead to weight gain. Dropping weight is different for everybody, so if you're not slimming as fast you would like, don't worry about it. Just keep running, dancing, and eating healthy.

Small doses of common sense that everybody under the sun has probably heard of and I live by:

1. Stop with the fast food.
2. Instead of cream dressings, try vinegarettes. I'm a salad-aholic, so this really helps. Lettuce isn't all that healthy or unhealthy for you, so try spinach instead.
3. Knock it off with the fast food. Seriously.
4. Eat in smaller portions and don't skip breakfast, even if you're not hungry. Eat half a bagel, half a grapefruit, a piece of toast, something. It will help you get over those in between munchie hurdles.
5. Ditch the sports drinks that actually do have tons of calories and fill yourself a bottle of lemon water, which is a good diuretic and less expensive.
6.The whole "don't eat three hours before you go to bed" really works, but if you're a night time snacker like I am, try water first. If that doesn't help, grab a carrot, slice up some veggies or have a small cup of chicken broth*, which has both staved off colds and helped with hunger pains. If you're a vegan/veggie*, green tea with lemon is great before bed and you won't feel guilty.
7. Did I say stop with the fast food? I think it bares repeating.
8. Change it up. Eating the same things all the time is boring and probably leads to everybody looking for something sweet, sugary and unhealthy to gobble. Go online, hit the bookstore and try different healthy recipes. You would be surprised what you can eat!
9.Need something sweet? Stock up on fruit. Dried fruit is a life saver and sometimes less expensive.
10. Above all, make sure that you're eating enough for your daily calorie intake. I can't stress this enough. Our bodies store up everything when we don't eat enough, much like a bear going into hibernation. It's a nasty defense mechanism, but it sure works, doesn't it? That's why most people loose weight more when they eat healthy rather then starving themselves.

And for goodness sake, buy or make yourself a costume so you can celebrate how beautiful you are. I've got huge breasts too, so what? Honoring our curves is half the fun!

__________________
Wishing you cool winds and soft silks....*K.O*

Shanazel

Neferet, one of the best dancers I ever saw was a lady who was nearly six feet tall and weighed 260 if she weighed an ounce. She was magnificent.
Drape yourself with beads and baubles and the hell with the extra weight. Pounds come and go, but the dance goes on forever.

janaki

Hi there,

Bellydance is one of the few dance forms that all women, regardless of the size, shape and age can do it. As long as you feel fit and healthy I would not worry about the dress sizes. Dancing is good excercises and it helps you to keep fit. Keep doing what you are doing. As Shanazel said, pounds come and go but dance go on forever!!!! Being beautiful comes from within. Feel beautiful, think beautiful and no one beat you. There is nothing like having a booty and bust !! I think it is very sexy and feminine!!! Celebrate your body!!!

Cheers
Janaki

sstacy123

This may not be the case for everyone but since I've started bellydancing (I started last October) I am starting to be more comfortable with my body...I still feel like I'd like to lose a few pounds and have been trying to do so...but I no longer want to lose as much as I used to and feel more comfortable where I'm at now...maybe this will happen to you too as you continue to dance.

Reen.Blom

And hey if you keep on dancing you WILL lose all that you are not happy about! Belly dance does magic!Also confidence-wise, I feel much more accepting about myself than before! I used to be shy about my "under A" bra size, but now I am enjoying it immensly I am so happy to be the way that I am - that is unique- just like everyone else :P:P:P

And for goodness sake get yourself some jingly stuff to dance in! There is no wrong bodies, only wrong clothes! If you get a costume that suits YOU, you will feel like a diva, dancing away!

Good luck and lots of love to all the belly dancing sisters!

Neferet

Thank you all for your replies, advice and great support. I did not imagine to have that many replies!
It really has helped me think that size really doesnt matter and I will take the advice to dance more. I go to class once a week but now my instructor has made a video I have something to help me practice on other days.
In answer to what my height and bone structure is - I am only 5' 2" and probably medium bone structure so I know that medically (as they say) I am overweight but I do manage to dance (beginner) with no probs and am running more each week so not unfit.
Thank you for good excuse to get an outfit, I have a shimmy belt so need to add to my collection now

Jayms_fallen_angel

Get a whole array, then take photos and we'll boost your confidence even more