I have a concern that I have not yet seen discussed on the
TREE. I am just in the beginning stages of planning an
around the world trip. My problem is that although I am
quite fit(work out everyday, hike, etc.), I am visibly
overweight. I have pretty much come to terms with the fact
that this is the size my body wants to be, but I wonder if
I'll face much discrimination from other travellers. I
would appreciate some honest (but gentle) opinions. I am
female and 30. Thanks!
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where you are, but I have always felt the most free from
negative body image while traveling. As for discrimination
from other travelers, I would bet that they'll be pretty
laid back and more concerned with wandering around the globe
than your size. I think you'll be refreshed at the lack of
attention and how little it will matter! Have a great trip!
Check further down this branch of the TREE - there is a
post towards the bottom called "Where Should a Big Girl Go"
- don't know if it will help as I haven't read the replies.
Sorry I don't have more to add, but good luck on your
travels.
... there will be people who are critical and people who
are accepting. Some cultures definitely have less
hesitation about commenting openly on one's appearance and
will refer to people by their physical characteristics,
i.e. "the skinny girl," "the boy with red hair," or "the
fat woman." These identifiers are rarely meant to be
derogatory.
*
Here's the big thing (a cliche, but like many cliches, it's
very true) ... the only thing that matters is how YOU feel
about how you look. This is much easier to preach than to
practice, but after struggling with eating disorders for
six years, I finally started to get my head in shape last
summer when I did my first triathlon (a race composed of
swimming, biking and running.) All of a sudden, it was all
about what my body could do, not what it looked like. That
was the big turning point for me.
*
You don't really have a lot of control over how others will
treat you (although, like the above post, I agree that
while travelling, most people are pretty laid back) but you
do have control over how much power you give them over your
feelings and self-image.
*
Ruben, you sound like you have both a healthy lifestyle and
a healthy self-image. I hope you have a wonderful
journey. Happy travels!
You might find people in Asia to be a little more
intolerant of a larger sized woman than they are in
N.America or Europe. Here in Japan my height, body type
and hair colour are constantly commented on. That is
because there in little leeway for physical differences in
this society.. the majority of women are petite and skinny
with no breasts at all, for example. I'm 5'8", a solid
size 12 with the added bonus of bosoms and red hair! A
woman here is expected to be pretty and cute - that's her
main way to attract a guy. So when people meet me their
first comments usually refer to my appearance, height, hair
or whatever. They aren't very good at being tactful in
this area, despite their polite reputation. For some
reason they have a need to state the obvious, such as
"you're big, aren't you?" to which I have replied "well
you're short, aren't you?" Just keep smiling, don't let
'em get you down. I have a couple of large-sized female
friends and living here has been heartache for them. So if
you are at all sensitive about your size I would forget
Japan... although it has a lot to offer. Don't worry about
other travellers, they are mainly from countries with
multicultural populations and can deal with diversity.
(USA, Canada, Australia, Europe etc) Go for it and have a
good time!
you seem like a fit and healthy young woman - with a great
will and determination to gain some new life experiences
through travelling - go for it! Good luck in your travels.
I totally understand what you're talking about! I'm 34,
5'6" and weigh over 210 lbs. however, my muscles are very
dense so I look like I weigh much less than I do. I'm
incredibly solid. I also still have a very shapely
hourglass figure - it's just bigger than other girls. It's
hard getting people to see beyond that size - to see that I
am in good shape, that I'm not a big ball of blubber. I
just happen to be big, strong & muscular! Or, as one guy I
went out with put it...He said I was ROBUST!
.
Whatever the case may be, I too have wondered about how I
will be received in other countries. When I was travelling
in the Middle East last year, the guys there LOVED me! It
was a tremendous boost for my confidence. It didn't matter
to me that they were doing it to every Western woman. I
felt 'accepted' there regardless of my size.
.
I have been around the North American Chinese (cantonese)
community for a couple of years now. I think that some of
them judge me and say that I'm 'fat' but, there is nothing I
can do about it. I did find out though, that there are some
very big Chinese people out there too. Not fat...just
well-constructed & solid.
.
In some ways, it is an advantage to have 'presence' - you
are less likely to be overpowered. You don't look as
vulnerable and easy to take advantage of by potential con
artists, - probably because you look like you have purpose
and aren't going to be intimidated by anything.
.
I agree with what everyone else has said so far. I don't
think most travellers are really going to care - there's a
certain mindset that travellers have. It doesn't include
worrying about body image.
is the word for us, my dear. Is this my sister who added this post? We are also large and lovely, having cycled around the Netherlands, scrambled Lembert Dome, hiked Malakoff Diggins, snow-camped the So Cal Sierras. She has tramped around Aztec pyramids alone, I am about to embark across Asia alone. I weigh in at almost 200 pounds, and she definitely tops 220. What stops us? Nothing. What's going to stop you? Nothing.
You might get some giggles or fingers pointing somewhere along the way, but that's more likely due to your overall foreignness, not a size. Remember, you are a powerful woman. Don't ever forget it and those around you won't either. Enjoy!
I too was a little concerned with my size and what others
would think before I left on my RTW adventure. I weighed
in at about 110kgs (aprox 235lbs) I was fit an healthy I
valiently tried too shed some bulk before i left for 7mths
I tried finally the day before leaving I weighed in at
98.6kgs big effort poor results.
Most fellow travellers didn't pass any comment nor did they
make me feel uncomfortable. I did come across some
interesting attitudes though. Throughout Africa in mosy
places I was a highly desirable bride (white + big =
wealth). However after almost circumnavigating the globe
after 10mths away I was 23kgs lighter when i got home I
weighed just over 76kgs the lightest i had been for 10yrs.
Unfortunatly the results didn't last.
I know what you mean Ruben, I am starting to plan my RTW
and at 6 feet tall and a statuesque 225 pounds, I know I'll
get plenty of stares and comments. My concerns aren't so
much about comments from the locals, but about meeting up
with other travellers along the way. I usually feel self-
conscious about my size in the presence of strangers and
have always been a little shy on top of that. I am hoping
that my experiences in this trip will help me gain more
self-confidence because I know I will constantly be pushed
out of my comfort zone. I wish you the best of luck and I
hope we meet on the road.
I'm planning on going to Taiwan to teach English. I weigh
over 200lbs and must admit I'm a bit nervous about students
reactions or questions. I do feel pretty confident and
good about myself generally, but I don't know if this will
be too much to handle. I just don't want to be seen as a
total freak. I know that attitude (my own) will have a lot
to do with this. I travelled in Europe a few months ago.
I must admit I didn't feel self-conscious most of the
time. I've also been to Guatemala where I felt like a
goddess. Anyways...I hope to be mentally prepared for
this. I'm also concerned about my wardrobe. I guess I
should bring a good supply of clothes. Any advice? Thanks.
I have noticed that most of my plus size clothes are made in
China, S. Korea & India. When I asked a sales clerk at a
plus size store in North America if they were able to
provide me with a list of the clothing suppliers in third
world countries. My plan was to find them and frequent them
while abroad. My hopes were dashed however, when she told
me that the clothes are made for export only. Boo hoo!
.
Not to be dissuaded, I have since done some serious research
and am beginning to believe that there is a black market in
China/India/Korea for North American-bound clothes. I am
going to hunt until I find some!
.
Also, I understand tailors are quite cheap in the third
world. So if any of your are really desperate, just go to a
tailor and have something hand made.
I have to disagree with elisabeth who felt that you might
discriminated against moreso in Asia. Japan is not the
rest of Asia first of all and I have found in Nepal, Sri
Lanka and India that these societies have a much healthier
opinion of a womens' ideal body size. Take a look at their
movie stars etc. 'Curvy' is in there - it's great!! In
fact like someone else mentioned- I too lost weight after 7
months of trekking, and occasional illness. When I
returned to Sri Lanka at the end of my travels before
returning to Canada I was told by many friends I looked
terrible b/c I was too skinny (I was in fact probably close
to my ideal weight for the first time in my life!).
Travel freely and don't give a second thought to your size!
Good call on BIB's (above) part. Guess I just meant north
east asia -japan, korea, china. People in all these
countries have commented on my supposed 'big' size. But
hey, I would never fit in with the local no matter what my
shape was.
So the point is: Go! Enjoy your travels! What a shame it
would be for something so superficial as this were to hold
you back. Have fun and be yourself! Maybe I'll run into
you on the road..
I'm a litlle overweight girl and I've travelled a lot. In
Turkey the people didn't mind about my size and the men
seemed to love (!!!) it. In Greece I haven't heard any
comments. The thin people might look you badly, but I
don't care about them. No one has ever said anything
straight to my face, but I've seen the looks. My advice:
DON'T care about them!!!!!!!!! Simply enjoy!
..... or have "ideal weights" gone down over the years?
10 years ago I was bordering on underweight for my height,
and despite not having shrunk in height or put much weight
on, I now seem to be overweight on most of the charts!
Wow! Thanks a lot for all of your support, everyone. I
thought that I might be the only one out there travelling
who weighed over 120lbs. It's great to know that so many of
us are not letting "fattism" get to us and are venturing
out to see what our wonderful world can offer. I hope
others will continue to write about experiences and
opinions.
I agree with everyone, I have traveled around Europe and
latin america with little issue from fellow travelers. In
fact I felt that I been spared some of the overt sexual
harrassment that is so common, from men on the road. A weird
side bennifit.
The one thing I did find in Hong Kong and Thailand though
(and I suspect this might be true as well in other s.e.asian
countries) is that buying clothes from street vendors is
next to impossible. All those great fashions, and I could
not find one to fit me. Other tall western women I know have
this problem with shoes as well. Like what was mentioned try
a tailor, some are cheaper than buying at home, and you get
a better fit.
My friend and I have just started traveling and have found
that weight doesn't seem to matter. We both have thyroid
disorders which cause us to have "abnormal" weights for our
heights (she looks anorexic, I look well fed). But no one
really notices. Enjoy your trip!
In Quedlinberg, Germany, briefly lost on our way to the
Markt platz, we wandered into a residential neighborhood
carrying all of our backpacks, etc. Two local girls walk pat
and one said, in English, "Fat lady." At that time I was a
size 16, but fairly fit. I let that comment basically run me
out of town--I couldn't enjoy the next of my vacation, in
spite of all my loving spouse's attempts to cheer me up...I
never told anyone else about that moment. Four years later,
I know I should have not have let it happen--perhaps should
have said something back in German. But these things happen
no matter where you go. I'm just happy to see all these
comments here...It's a long road toward ebing strong enough
not to succumb to things like that. ANd it can at home just
as easily...I haven't let it stop me from travelling. We're
off to Morocco and Spain in a couple of weeks.
Briefly lost in Quedlinberg, Germany, on our way from the
train station to the Marktplatz, we wander into a
residential section. Two girls pass us and one says, loudly
in English, "fat lady." At the time I was a 14/16, but fit
and healthy after a summer of hiking and biking...I let that
one comment drive me out of that town (we left days before
we'd planned to) and ruin the next week of vacation. Three
years later I know that you need to realize its their
problem not yours (though coments like that would still make
me cry) no matter where it happens...
I agree with what has been said about Japan and Far East
Asia... people in these countries do seem to be pretty
fast to comment on your size. (the paleness of your skin,
how fast Western hair gets knots, etc)
*
But you will be too big as any size Western woman, at 5
foot 4 and 120 pounds I still had to shop at stores for
pregnant women. Far East Asian women are petite and have
no hips, etc.
*
Just have to laugh it off...
*
However in the Pacific, particularly the Polynesian Islands
it is the reverse. My mother who at 5 foot 10 and more
like 180 pounds is not a tiny woman, was seen as puny. My
father was even asked how he felt having such a pathetic
wife!
*
So you just have to laugh that off too...
*
Go and have a wonderful time, if your body is fit enough to
get you everywhere you want to be, ignore any taunts and
remember there is always somewhere in the world that will
say the opposite.
*
Enjoy...
I agree with what has been said about Japan and Far East
Asia... people in these countries do seem to be pretty
fast to comment on your size. (the paleness of your skin,
how fast Western hair gets knots, etc)
*
But you will be too big as any size Western woman, at 5
foot 4 and 120 pounds I still had to shop at stores for
pregnant women. Far East Asian women are petite and have
no hips, etc.
*
Just have to laugh it off...
*
However in the Pacific, particularly the Polynesian Islands
it is the reverse. My mother who at 5 foot 10 and more
like 180 pounds is not a tiny woman, was seen as puny. My
father was even asked how he felt having such a pathetic
wife!
*
So you just have to laugh that off too...
*
Go and have a wonderful time, if your body is fit enough to
get you everywhere you want to be, ignore any taunts and
remember there is always somewhere in the world that will
say the opposite.
*
Enjoy...
Go to Asia or India, you'll lose weight and have a great
adventure!!