The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Bare essentials: chafing prevention starts here (image by Zerbetron)

Summer weather and climbing temperatures are upon us, and whether your preferred term is “perspiration,” “glistening” or just plain old “sweat,” the fact is we’ll be doing a lot of it over the next few months. Which makes this a perfect time to answer the following reader question:

Dear FGG,

This is totally embarrassing, but I’m hoping you guys have an answer. How can I prevent chafing between my rolls of body fat, especially when it’s hot outside?

Sure, it’s a decidedly unglamorous, potentially embarrassing subject. But we’re nothing but honest here at FGG, and the fact is if you’re an overweight woman, you likely have places on your body where your flesh folds onto itself and collects excess sweat. Fortunately, we have a few great tips to prevent chafing that will hopefully help keep you dry and comfortable during the summer and beyond.

Preventing chafing where skin touches itself

Chafing is caused by moisture, which increases the friction between skin and itself (or between skin and clothing, like when jeans or unlined dress pants rub your thighs as you walk). Therefore, avoiding chafing is as simple — and as complicated — as keeping the areas clean, cool and dry. Wash between any rolls or folds carefully each time you bathe, and don’t get dressed while your body is still damp. Take special care to dry the places that often get overlooked — rolls on your stomach/back/sides, your navel, the “belly apron” area under your tummy (if it hangs), areas under breasts or between the breasts & underarms, the spot where your thigh meets your pelvis, and even the areas where thighs meet the back of the knees. (I’ve even heard recommendations for blow drying areas using the ‘cool’ setting!) Once  your skin is clean and dry, there are several different options for keeping it that way during a long day.

For professional advice, we turned to plus-size aesthetician and skin expert, Daniela of Daniela’s Facial Studio in Chicago. Having previously schooled our readers on the down-and-dirty business of bikini waxing, Daniela didn’t shy away from chatting about chafing: “One of the most effective, cooling and non-[pore]-clogging remedies is plain old corn starch,” she says. Daniela recommends avoiding products made with talc, which can clog pores and may increase the risk of ovarian cancer, and instead keeping corn starch in a shaker jar or applying with a large makeup brush.

To further reduce friction, Daniela suggests skipping petroleum jelly (which, in addition to feeling greasy, may not provide long-lasting protection because skin eventually absorbs it) and instead trying products made with silicone. We covered a number of these creams and roll-ons (from Monistat to Anti Monkey Butt) last fall as FGG discussed chafing under skirts and dresses, and now you can add one more brand to the list — Lanacane® has just released an Anti-Chafing Gel.

Other good suggestions: For clothing that rests between parts that touch (underwear that sits at your waist between love handles, for example), breathable cotton helps, as does moisture-wicking fabric designed for workout wear, like these Junonia QuikCool™ briefs. And in the “never would have thought of it” category, Daniela says, “For chafing in the breast area, you can actually put panty liners at the bottom of your bra to absorb moisture without adding bulk.”

Treating chafed skin and ‘fat rash’

Without proper prevention, rolls and folds often gather moisture or rub together, leaving the areas sensitive and stinging; the affected areas may also take on an unpleasant odor. This could be a sign of intertrigo, a type of inflammatory infection that’s specific to skin folds. The odor some women experience is caused by the accumulation of fungus and/or bacteria, and it generally won’t improve without treatment. Over-the-counter yeast infection remedies or Desitin® cream may help, but if the problem persists you’ll need to see a doctor for expert advice.

If the area is chafed and the skin is broken but no odor is present, try an antibiotic ointment with pain reliever on the raw areas, and keep them covered with a large bandage, Daniela says. Be careful not to re-aggravate the sore spots by allowing further skin friction before the areas heal completely and again, if you’re at all unsure, see your health care provider for an expert opinion.

Don’t let summer heat — or discomfort during any time of year — keep you from enjoying all the season has to offer. Preventative measures can go a long way toward helping you feel dry, comfortable and secure in your own skin.

Readers: Have we left out your favorite anti-chafing tip? Tell us how you keep cool & comfortable in those awkward areas.

Image from a Cornell University Library collection (circa 1920), demonstrating correct posture

If we had a dollar for every time someone ordered us to stand up straight, we could probably treat our girlfriends to a round of caramel macchiatos at Starbucks. Turns out the straight-backed drill sergeants in our lives were on to something, since poor posture can lead to a host of physical problems – from misalignment to pain. Bad posture also feels yucky, and let’s be honest: it doesn’t look all that great, either. The extra pounds we carry coupled with today’s increasingly sedentary and stressed-out lifestyles means we fat girls need to pay extra attention to this issue. Good thing we spoke to a few experts skilled in several disciplines, who give it to us (ahem) straight on how to regain and maintain great posture.

“Many people predominately drag their bodies and lead with their heads,” says Liz Weaver, a martial arts instructor and founder of BreakPal.com, a  site dedicated to “workplace wellness” through better body positioning. While we’re naturally supposed to walk from the heel of the foot to the ball of the foot, many of us walk head first with our backsides sticking out. “This wears out your lower back because it’s in an unnatural position,” she says.

Ginger Garner, a physical therapist and founder of Professional Yoga Therapy Studies, sees similar imbalances in her female-focused practice, along with sloping shoulders, weak upper back muscles, tight chest muscles, and excessive rounding of the upper back. “These problems can be caused by ‘occupational  hazards,’ from ill-fitting desks or chairs at work to carrying or nursing children to everyday tasks like housework,” she says. When you add extra pounds to the mix, a few unique problems crop up, such as excess sway in the lower back and strain on the upper back due to larger breasts. “You have to work harder – against a heavier body – to correct and keep good posture,” she says.

The good news is, absent any structural problems or medical conditions (check with your doc if you’re at all unsure about making any new moves) you can improve your posture relatively quickly by switching out some bad habits for better ones. Personal trainer Elena Ciccotelli (aka TrainerDiva) knows all about forming good habits in her work with clients. “It takes your body about 300 repetitions to form a new skill, and about 5,000 repetitions to reformulate a skill,” she says. “This explains why it takes such a long time to break bad habits, so be patient in your quest for better posture. It’s completely possible to transform slouchy shoulders into sexy, confident shoulders with a lot of practice.” And once you’re there, “good posture is actually easier to maintain than bad posture,” says Garner.

“I use the term ‘body geometry’ to help my clients visualize their best posture, the position that will have them feeling their best throughout the day,” says Christine Binnendyk, a master Pilates trainer at the Nike World Headquarters and author of the forthcoming book Ageless Pilates:

Imagine a rectangle over your torso. Your shoulders should line up to form the top edge; your hipbones line up to form the bottom edge. If one hip rides up, it’ll displace the shoulder on the same side. If your right shoulder rides up, you’ll shift your left leg out to counterbalance that shift. Over time, these little changes and counterbalances add up to major energy drain. Level out your rectangle, and you’ll be better balanced and more energetic.

“Good posture has nothing to do with pulling the shoulders back,” says Garner, who suggests another simple way of thinking about – and correcting – how we stand. The key, she says, is “engaging the transverse abdominis (TA) muscles by drawing your belly button into your spine without moving the spine and drawing the shoulders slightly down and shoulder blades down into a V-like shape. This will help engage the proper stabilizing muscles of the spine.”

“Posture is about body awareness, which means just being mindful of your body,” says Weaver. “Just pay attention when you’re really into a project, and listen to what your body is telling you. If you have pain in an area of your body, it’s trying to tell you something.”

Here, we share some common posture problems and our experts’ tweaks. Keep in mind that you know your body best, so avoid any new moves that don’t feel right from the start, and check with your health care provider, both to rule out any structural or medical causes of poor posture, including scoliosis, and to get suggestions on an appropriate posture expert for your needs, which may include a chiropractor, physical therapist, or other professional.

If you sit all day

Strengthen the legs

Girls, are you sitting down? Of course you are – everybody is nowadays, whether at work or surfing the ‘net or watching TV at home. But wait till you hear this: “People who spend the better part of their days sitting end up with weaker leg and glute (butt) muscles,” says martial arts instructor Warner. “But those muscles are there for a reason, and they’re bigger for a reason: to work harder and to do bigger jobs.” Yes, you heard it here first: we’re supposed to have strong, muscular legs and glutes! (Take that, mass media ideals!)

Warner suggests practicing the “horse stance,” (here’s a video demo by Warner, with an added Tai Chi breathing technique, and here’s a detailed written explanation to help you visualize it). “Your legs and glutes will start to burn right away, and that’s how you know you’re doing it right,” she says. Warner suggests getting up and doing the horse stance every 30 minutes if you work in an office, for about 60 seconds, shaking your legs and walking around afterward (don’t overdo it, of course, depending on your fitness level). You can do the horse stance at the kitchen counter while cooking or get up and do it during television commercials each evening. “A 60-second interval a few times a day will make a tremendous difference,” she says.

Support your core

Ciccotelli recommends an isometric, or static move called the plank (here’s a video demo). By holding your body in this position (while remembering to breathe, since the tendency is to clench and hold the breath), your body is engaged by working to hold you off the floor. She suggests starting with 10 seconds and working up to 30 seconds at a time. If your lower back hurts in this position, lift your pelvis toward the ceiling so your body creates a V. As your abs and back become stronger it will become easier to position yourself in a straighter line.

Find your ideal chair

“Because we spend so many hours working, which in our society now includes a lot of time sitting, a good office chair is essential,” says yoga therapist Garner. “Good” doesn’t have to mean dropping a grand on an Aeron chair, however; finding a chair that fits you and your computer setup is what matters.

Garner’s tips for finding the perfect chair:

*The feet should reach the floor, or you can place a footstool under the chair so your feet are completely supported
*The chair should not have a solid low back support – good chairs will actually have an adjustable back rest that moves up and down or a cut out where the buttocks can stick out through the cutout – hence providing the proper curve for low back support
*Forget the arm rests–you don’t need them. Save yourself $50 or more and don’t bother with them, unless you are actually going to sit in the chair, rest your arms on them, and do nothing at all.
*Look for a short seat pan (where you rest your bum). It’s usually too deep for women of average height (meaning less than 5’7”). This will prevent problems like sciatica, which is common for smaller women who get stuck in typical corporate chairs built for men.

After reviewing “literally thousands” of chairs online, Garner found her perfect chair for 70 dollars. “It has a padded backrest and seat pan, adjustable height for workstations of different height or different work requirements, a “cut out” for the bum, and a short seat pan (it’s a stool, so it’s actually round!)”

Ciccotelli suggests using a stability ball instead of a chair “as often as possible to improve your overall balance, stability, and posture.” Just be sure to find one you can sit on comfortably without rolling off.

Work your upper body with Pilates at your desk

Dumbwaiter: “If your shoulders droop a bit forward, Dumbwaiter is for you. Sit or stand tall; glue your elbows to your ribcage with your palms facing up. Keep your elbows at your sides as you rotate the arms outward, like you’re serving a drink to people on either side of you. This move draws your shoulder blades together, while opening your chest.”

Wings: “Do you hike your shoulder up whenever you’re reaching for something? Wings is for you. Set yourself up like dumbwaiter, but with your palms facing down. Keep your shoulders low as you float your elbows wide — it’ll seem like you’re flapping imaginary wings. This move loosens up the muscles aroung your shoulder blades, allowing you to reach your arms more comfortably. It helps in eliminating neck tension and shoulder strain.”

Behind the wheel

Yet another way in which we sit all day, for many of us while driving to and from work. “Pretend your shoulders are pinned to the seat,” says TrainerDiva Ciccotelli.

Take it easy while texting

“Many people don’t realize there is a strong connection between neck posture and back posture,” says Ciccotelli. Even slightly leaning your head forward for long periods can negatively impact posture (by causing rounded shoulders and improper trunk stabilization). Unfortunately, this is exactly the head position most people use while texting, so she suggests keeping your head up the next time your mobile device dings.

One easy way to lighten your load

Keep only essential items in your purse; who wants to look like a bag lady, anyway? If you simply must lug everything with you, Binnendyk suggests a messenger-style bag that crosses the body, or splitting your belongings into two bags while traveling to balance the weight evenly. “If you need to lean, it’s time to purge,” she says.

The Well-Endowed Pain in the Neck

“Every gift comes with a bit of salt, doesn’t it?” says Binnendyk. Sometimes, large breasts come with neck and back pain, so a proper bra fitting is essential. “Well-placed straps in a good foundation garment will make a world of difference,” she says, adding that sexy bras are fine for a night out or a romp around the bedroom, but stick to functional comfort the rest of the time. “Think about it this way,” she adds. “If the girls are riding higher, it’s easier to stand up straight. The less forward lean that you have, the less back and neck pain you’ll feel.” After bra shopping, try the Dumbwaiter and Wings Pilates techniques 3-4 times per week.

New Point of View (with the permission of Elizabeth Patch)

One of the first voices that stood out when FGG made its Twitter debut a few months ago was the encouraging and whimsical @elizabethpatch – artist, teacher, author and lover of the human form in all its myriad shapes and sizes. A browse through her web site, More to Love, and her blog, the More to Love sketchbook, cinched it: this was a woman we wanted to know!

Elizabeth’s work as an artist mirrors FGG’s core philosophy: even if we’re working on becoming healthier, we need to change the way we see ourselves, our place in the world, and what we’re capable and deserving of now. We loved her outlook and her portrayal of overweight women so much we asked her if we could dig around in her world a little bit by way of a few questions. Here’s what she had to say.

FGG: We found you through Twitter and right away fell head over heels for your  illustrations. They’re lively, colorful, whimsical and they instantly evoke feelings of pride and happiness with a full-figured body. When did begin sketching/painting the  human form? How has your work evolved since then?

EP: What a great fun surprise Twitter is, I’m so glad we connected! I’ve been drawing people all of my life, starting with copying comic book heroes and Michelangelo drawings as a kid. When I was an art student I focused on learning human anatomy, and I still love drawing from live models whenever I have the chance. As an art student I did huge, emotional charcoal drawings of nude figures, very dark and full of angst. They look nothing at all like my current style!

FGG: What materials do you use in most of your work (oils, canvas, charcoals,  sketchbooks, digital…)? How often do you produce a piece, and what do you do with most of them?

EP: All of my illustrations start out as scribbled ideas in a kid’s doodle pad (really! I’m more creative if I have cheap paper) Once I have an idea I like, I trace it onto smooth white paper. Then the clean drawing is scanned into my computer, and all of the color and detail is added digitally using a program called Painter. I love the messiness of real charcoal and paint, and I still play with them when I can, but for my illustrations I really love the flexibility of working digitally. It’s hard to  estimate the time it takes to make the raw, messy ideas as many of them are thrown out and revised quite a few times. Once I have the drawing done, the final illustrations take between 20-40 hours of painting, depending on how complex the details are. The final versions exist as digital files until printed.

FGG: How does the idea for a particular female form to paint or sketch come to you? Are they all conjured up in your imagination, or are some based on real characters in your world?

EP: I am always doodling the people I see out in public. At a concert I often spend more time looking at the audience than the stage, at the mall I’d rather people-watch than shop. So I gather ideas from real people. Occasionally, I’ll use a photo or a sketch as a reference, especially if I can’t get the pose just right, but I usually draw my characters from the memory of people I’ve seen.

FGG: You’re a teacher, you’re privy to the lives of young girls struggling with identity, body image, sense of self and how they fit into the world. Tell us about some of the memorable things you’ve seen over your career?

EP: In 20 years of teaching I have rarely met a girl who hasn’t had an issue with her weight, no matter what size she actually is. It’s beyond tragic how girls grow up believing that normal is underweight, and that one’s value is measured in the size jeans that they wear. The most memorable, and most heartbreaking, was when one of my favorite students was at normal weight as a Freshman, returned underweight as a Sophomore, become hospitalized with extreme anorexia as a Junior, “recovered” as a Senior, and then died from heart damage 6 weeks before graduation day.

FGG: As an artist with a wonderful eye for depicting full figures in a vital, positive light, I’m sure you must be attracted to other artists that have a similar ability. Can you share a few with us?

EP: Thanks! I love anyone who can really draw well.

FGG: You’ve said that you, too, struggled with body image. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

EP: I’ve written about my experiences with eating disorders on my website, in an essay called “But Elizabeth, You’re Not Fat!” But the short version is that I come from a thin, lanky family and yet still felt that I needed to be thinner to be more attractive. I fell into anorexia after a series of very stressful events in my life as a struggling single mother of two. Thankfully I was never too ill to care for my children! I really woke up to the pointlessness of wasting time and energy on being super thin when I started working with all these young girls repeating the same destructive body image attitudes that I had grown up with.

FGG: I checked out some of your previous interviews, and loved the line about how you traded in “Do I look fat in this?” to “Do I look good in this?” Tell us how those kinds of attitude shifts, along with your artistic process in painting and sketching women with realistic body types, has changed how you see yourself, and your relationship to the rest of the world?

EP: Isn’t it amazing how one word can change that entire question around? Once I began working on More to Love, which truly started out just as doodles and journal entries, I started reading every single thing I could on the topic of self esteem, body image, and fat acceptance. I began to see that my experiences, and those of my friends and family and students were not just personal, but almost universal. I wanted to share the messages I was discovering! I knew that I really couldn’t say anything new on those topics, but I might be able to say it in a new way, in a gentler, funnier, softer way. I know I can’t change the fact that most photographs of models and stars are altered to be impossibly flawless, and that fashion still insists on calling size 12 plus-size (!). I know I can’t change the fact that the cute illustrations of women on cards, magazines, even blogs are skinny girls happily shopping for shoes (nothing against shoe shopping mind you!) But I have a gift for drawing people, and a passion for healing this wound that has harmed so many women, and so without really even planning it, I’ve become an advocate for size acceptance and positive body image through my art.

FGG: Do you see any changes in recent years about attitudes toward overweight women and how they’re depicted in the media (or represented in the marketplace)?

EP: Without question, there has been a very recent shift in attitudes towards larger women. One the one extreme hand, there are groups of hateful fat-bashers that blame obesity for everything from the failing health care system to low test scores in children, but on the other hand, there are books, movies, TV shows, blogs, online magazines, stores, fashion and resources for big girls that weren’t available even five years ago. There is a growing movement for “health at every size” rather than just a narrow focus on size as an indicator of health. The plus-size (really the normal) woman is no longer as invisible as she was, even though it is still somewhat surprising to see anyone in the media that is not rail thin.

FGG: We’re big Etsy lovers here, and I would think your work would strike a chord there. Do you sell your prints on Etsy.com, or have you considered it?

EP: I love Etsy too! I’m still juggling my teaching position with my artistic life, and right now I haven’t had the time to set up and maintain a shop. Hopefully I will pair up with the right partner to help me put out a line of prints and cards, and maybe a calendar, in 2010.

FGG: You published your first illustrated book, More to Love, on Amazon earlier this year, and I understand you’re working on a second book. Can you give us a hint about it?

EP: OK, just a hint, as I’m still working out the details with a publisher. The next book will be along the same line as More to Love, short messages paired with fun illustrations, with the intention of putting a lighter touch to an often painful topic. Each page will feature a “Big Girl” who is doing everything and anything except crying. And I’m also working on an expanded version of More to Love! Because as we all know…bigger is better!

FGG: Our missions are just about identical: to encourage women to live full, exciting and satisfying lives NOW instead of waiting until they’re a magical size or weight. What would you say to FGG readers about that philosophy?

EP: Yes, yes and yes! Each of us gets our own amazing body for the duration of our life, and any moment that is spent wishing, pretending or agonizing over having a different body is time that you will never get back. It is commonly said that nobody ever says on her deathbed “I wish I had spent more time at the office.” I don’t think anybody will ever say on their deathbed “I wish I had spent more time feeling bad about my butt” or “I’m so glad I stopped myself from doing (whatever) because I thought I was too fat.” It’s your life; live it up!

FGG: OK, before you go: tell us something most people don’t know about you?

EP: Hmmm…so many secrets, so little time! Even though nobody ever sees it except my husband, and despite having a “mommy belly,” I have a gold ring in my navel, just for fun.

Thank you, Elizabeth! Elizabeth’s illustrated book, More to Love, is available for purchase at Amazon.com.