The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Keep your head above water in aqua class (image by The Udall Legacy Bus Tour)

Exercise and I have never been good friends. Like many fat girls I’ve met over the years, my gym class experiences were always a torment, and I gravitated toward friends who were more likely to pass time playing cards or watching 90210 reruns than starting a pick-up game of basketball or soccer. Between the sweat, the beet-red face, and the fact that every movement was a struggle, most workouts I’ve tackled as an adult have been faced with gritted teeth and an eagle eye on the clock’s second hand. So when I skeptically accompanied a new weight-loss friend to her fitness center several years ago, I expected to grind through my guest-pass meetings with both treadmill and trainer before scampering back to the safety of my couch – or at least my Tae-Bo videos and closed blinds.

The minute we walked into Galter Life Center, however, the smell of pool chlorine greeted me like an old friend. As a direct result of my Pavlovian response to water of any kind, I walked out of the gym that day with a membership contract and began working out regularly. But for some reason, I never set foot in the pool – the very thing that sold me on joining — until last Friday. Years after previously abandoning my membership and gaining back the weight I’d lost, I put every fear and excuse aside and joined my best friend in the pool for my first-ever water aerobics class . . . and it was love at first splash.

Good for what ails you

Unlike land-based exercises where you support your entire body weight (and the accompanying impact on your joints) during your workout, water-based workouts provide cardio, strength and flexibility training opportunities without placing the same stress on your body. The resistance of the water actually increases the effectiveness of the workout while cushioning and supporting your body. A 200-pound woman will burn an average of 360 calories during an hour of water aerobics; for a 300-pound woman that number skyrockets to 540 calories. And because you’re surrounded and supported by the water, there’s no way to fall or land awkwardly during a movement.

Best of all, if sweat is one of your workout nemeses, grab a pool noodle and rejoice: You can’t tell that you’re sweating in the pool, and the water provides a cooling effect. It takes almost nothing for me to get red-faced and overheated, but I flipped, kicked and lunged through the entire routine feeling refreshed even though my heart rate was up and my muscles were warm.

Anything but a beauty contest

One of the things I’ve noticed over the years is that many water aerobics participants tend to be older or overweight, likely because of the benefits described above. The obvious upside to such a demographic is that no one really stands out. Our class involved approximately 15 participants of varying ages and sizes. My friend and I were definitely the youngest in the pool, but there was no awkwardness, and everyone was too busy focusing on his or her own balance and technique to spend much time watching others. Another perk: once you’re chest-deep in the water, only the instructor can really see your lower body or movements. Unlike some aerobics or step classes I’ve taken where I’ve felt conspicuous because of my weight – despite being fully clothed – this setup didn’t make me feel self-conscious at all.

Look, ma – I’ve got stamina!

Because I’ve managed to get myself into pretty rotten shape, one of my biggest fears was that I wouldn’t be able to complete a full 60-minute class, much less keep up with the pace and the intensity. Sixty minutes on a treadmill or elliptical would kill me. So imagine my surprise when I still had energy, breath and strength left after 20, 40, 50 minutes of water exercise!

Like traditional land-based aerobics, we never did any one movement long enough for me to burn out. Instead, the instructor (who – bonus! – was a down-to-earth woman of about 30, with a normal figure and no ridiculous cheerleader schtick) led us through a variety of alternating sets from her position on the pool deck. Accompanied by her own mix of cardio jams (pretty decent except for that awful “Mambo No. 5”), we warmed up for 10 minutes with marches, kicks in front, kicks to the corner and travels left and right.

When the workout picked up, Instructor Megan was careful to model and remind us of ways to raise or lower the intensity of our movements with each new action. Almost every movement included a variation that allowed for more limited range of movement. Lessons learned: Jumping jacks are easier in the water. Reversing momentum (beginning to walk backward when you’ve previously been traveling forward) is far more challenging than it looks. “Rocking horse” movements are as baffling as they sound. Your butt and hips don’t jiggle when you run or jump underwater. And moving into deeper water will increase the water resistance, and therefore a movement’s level of difficulty.

What surprised me most was that the cardio portion was a breeze compared to the challenge of working with the aqua barbells, which we received about 35 minutes into the hour. Although arm movements like pushing the water out or down had been incorporated all along, the added resistance of holding down the floaty barbells during the same motions was more than I expected. By the time our 15 minutes of barbell work (which included several movements to target the abs while floating with arms to our sides) was completed, I was ready for the 10-minute cool down and stretch. I left the pool feeling tremendously accomplished and my muscles continued to feel nice and well-used for the next 48 hours.

Dress the part

There’s really no way around the fact that water aerobics = swim-friendly attire, which is what kept me from suiting up until now. My approach to swimming tends to involve as much covering as possible. Swim dresses with skirts. Over-sized t-shirts on top. I haven’t owned a skirt-free suit in 15 years. After listening to me make excuses about how the skirt would float up or my girls would pop out for an unapproved guest appearance, my best friend wisely told me to shut up and try on one of her higher-necked, skirt-less suits from Longitude. (I hate it when she’s right.)

The no-frills one-piece I wore to the pool covered my butt and boobs completely, while allowing full range of motion. Best of all, I actually think it was more flattering on me than any of the skirted looks I’ve sported in the past several years. The straps were wide and the neck was high, which is a must if you’re large-chested; you want to be able to focus on your movements and breathing, not about whether you’re over-exposing yourself. If one-piece suits aren’t your thing, a tankini that stays put and allows movement would work well, also. I threw a pair of swim shorts over my tank, but probably would omit them next time, because they bunched up between my legs during the cycling and cross-country skiing motions. Above all, wear what makes you comfortable, confident and able to move freely. And if you’ve got long hair, secure it in a ponytail or pigtails so you’re not messing with it during the workout. (Note: At no point were we asked to put our heads under water.)

Be sweet to your feet

Water may be forgiving on joints and muscles, but you still need to be conscious of your form. Try to avoid spending the whole class standing and landing on the balls of your feet. Not only will using  your whole foot work your muscles more effectively and prevent injury, it’s also less likely to cause calluses and blisters. To minimize irritation from repeated contact with pool tiles and grates, consider purchasing aqua socks; for better stability, upgrade to water shoes.

Don’t be afraid to shop around

Like any type of workout, one size doesn’t always fit all. Most gyms will offer multiple aqua fitness classes to suit different levels of ability and intensity. Some classes focus more on cardio, others on strength conditioning or stretching. Believe it or not, the class I jumped into was a high-intensity class (hello, ego boost!) that the center calls Aqua Blast. (Consider this a road-tested late addition to our Guide to Unleashing Your Inner Superhero!) Several gyms have hopped onto the current Zumba craze and offer Aqua Zumba, water aerobics with a Latin dance flavor.

Whatever class you choose, remember that you control your own tempo and pace. If a movement demonstrated by the instructor is too “big,” you can always adjust to something that feels more comfortable, or just kick your legs or march in place until the next move.

Going rogue

If the local gyms don’t fit your needs, comfort level or checkbook (I’m still turning over couch cushions for change to fund a membership), there may still be a way to get your water aerobics fix. Girls lucky enough to have a pool of their own (or a friend who will share) can create a water routine using imagination and/or resources like DVDs, aqua barbells or weights from retailers such as WaterWorkOut. The same can be done in a community pool or, during the summer, in a lake or other local body of water. Everyday household items like empty milk jugs can be used in place of barbells, or you could just grab a $3 pool noodle and start kicking. Even walking laps during open swim at your local YMCA/YWCA will provide cardio and strength benefits.

As for me, I’m wishing I hadn’t wasted so much time psyching myself out of an activity that feels like such a natural fit for a water-loving girl. Don’t follow in my ‘fraidy cat footsteps, ladies — dip your toe into an activity that you’ve previously only wondered about. It might turn out to be the fitness “aha moment” you’ve been waiting for.

What do you love about water aerobics? Have you wanted to try but held back? Or waded in then decided it wasn’t for you? Tell us in comments.

the weigh-in by I Don’t Know, Maybe?

Dear FGG: Are there any bathroom scales that are better for us big girls?”

Yes! If you caught the recent press onslaught for the Withings Wi-Fi Body Scale, which now provides users the option of broadcasting their stats via Twitter, your response may well have echoed that of my friend Stacey when she linked to this gem on Facebook: “Um, no, I don’t think so.” (I might have added a few other choice words there and concluded with “death first,” but Stacey likes to keep it classy.)

While bathroom scales can provide a reality check when used properly (i.e. for weekly weigh-ins, not after-every-meal obsessions), most of us probably don’t need our friends, family and the guy we sat next to in geometry class reading real-time updates of our weight fluctuations. In the interest of a down-to-earth approach to weight monitoring for those who seek it, we’ve compiled a few scale suggestions that accommodate higher weights and offer just the facts, ma’am.

Weight Watchers Glass Memory Precision Scale

Conair makes numerous Weight Watchers-branded models, but the WW43D provides a weight capacity of 380 pounds (the standard these days is 330), a wide (12.5″), stable platform and a large display for easy readability — all in a sleek and affordable ($40-$45) package. It tracks weight (including goals and progress) for four users, and reviewers rave about its consistently accurate readings, thanks to a leveling device that tells you when you’re standing squarely on the base. And don’t fear the “Weight Watchers” moniker; the company’s logo (two W’s and a swirl) is relatively subtle and doesn’t scream “plus-sized” or “Diet Girl.”

Tanita HD-351 Digital Weight Scale

The over-sized (19″H x 15″W) low-profile weighing base on the HD-351 ($65-$75) is a great match for girls with thick thighs or joint issues that prohibit placing feet close together on a standard scale. Better still, those weighing in at the high end of the scale’s 440-pound capacity report that it still feels sturdy and stable. Described by users as very consistent with its readings, this model gives the current and previous weight for as many as five users, delivered on an easy-to-read, two-line LCD display. This feature provides greater personalization, (tracking morning vs. evening weights, for example), though some more private users have been known to keep a “reset” gallon of water in the bathroom to weigh afterward — or to banish husbands from touching the scale altogether.

Seca 813 Robusta High Capacity Digital Floor Scale

Despite a weight limit of 440 pounds, you won’t find the word “robust” visible anywhere on this professional-quality, fat girl-friendly scale. Instead, users will appreciate the extra-wide (15″), low-profile weighing base, which is covered in non-slip black rubber and soft, raised circles to give feet extra traction. This is a pricier model ($115-$130), but users say the heavy-duty stability and thin, lightweight design is worth the expense. Be sure to switch the LCD setting to your preference of pounds or kilograms via the small switch on the scale’s bottom.

How do you choose to track your weight, if you choose to track your weight? Share your thoughts on basic vs. “bells and whistles” models in comments.

This week’s guest post is from an unusual source for FGG: a personal trainer who helps celebrities (including Leonardo DiCaprio, Audrey Tautou, and Colin Firth) get into camera-ready shape. Cornel Chin, author of Celebrity Body on a Budget, talks about what it’s really like to train like a celebrity and shares some more practical body toning moves for the rest of us.

[We probably don't need to tell you this, but you should check with your health care provider to ensure these moves are safe for you to perform]

Training to become super-fit like a celebrity isn’t on every woman’s to-do list. While some women want to lose weight, others simply want their clothes to fit a little better or to be able to catch the bus without panting and sweating. But even if you’re not interested in having an “Oscar-ready” body, you may still secretly be wondering what holy grail of exercise celebrities seem to have found that the rest of us haven’t. In truth, celebrities live in the limelight and are constantly under scrutiny, and the dangling carrots of fame and fortune play an important role – where choosing between shedding some extra weight vs. a $10 million movie deal provides powerful motivation.

But don’t be fooled into believing that even the most fit celebrities are doing exercises different from what you may be doing at home or at your gym. Trust me on this: there’s nothing new in fitness–no magic machine that shakes you like a smoothie blender or stretchy cable apparatus that pulls you like a medieval torture device. The biggest difference is that famous people are probably exercising more often and under professional guidance. Many celebrities pay very generously for the right advice and service. They hire personal chefs to serve up their favorite foods, nutritionists to advise their chef what to prepare, and a trainer to do all the fitness thinking for them. All they have to do is show up and perform (no pun intended).

My book, Celebrity Body on a Budget, is designed to encourage people to try working out like a celebrity without having to spend top dollar on nutritionists, trainers and personal chefs. Even if you have no desire to whip yourself into a frenzy worthy of Hollywood, you might find a few new moves to shake up your regular exercise routine–or kick one off if you’re currently sedentary.

Here are a few simple moves that can be easily incorporated into your daily life. I’ve chosen exercises that don’t require a lot of getting down on the floor and back up again, which can be challenging if you’re substantially overweight, but that will yield visible results over time if you’re doing them at least every other day.

UPPER BODY MOVE: ANYWHERE DIPS

The triceps (rear upper arms), also affectionately known as ‘bingo swingers’ or ‘bat wings,’ is a troublesome area for many women.

The Dip exercise is perhaps one of the best moves, which can be performed against any safe, fixed bench, desk or chair. Think kitchen counter top, work desk/station, park bench, or waiting room bench–most places have a fixed surface. Simply face away from the surface, place your hands hip width apart and keep your knees slightly bent. Then, bend at your elbows to lower your body to no lower than a right angle. To extend up again to the start position, just extend the arms again avoiding locking out the elbows. Try 10 repetitions and work up to 20 reps. Progress up to a couple of sets of 15 reps, then 18, then 20 etc.

MID-SECTION MOVE – THE T.V. PULL-IN

This little discreet number is perhaps one of the simplest exercises, yet it offers a big payout in terms of benefit. This can literally be done anytime and anywhere-sitting, standing, kneeling or even lying down. It works the main core muscle (Transversus Abdominis), which is the main muscle responsible for keeping you upright and maintaining a flat stomach.

All that is required is a little practice, as it’s a bit tricky if you’re new to it. As you take a deep breath in, draw in the area of your stomach situated between your navel and your upper groin. Pull in this area as if drawing in toward your lower back. Hold for 10 seconds, as you breathe out slowly for the same amount of time. Repeat three more times. As you improve, try holding for longer intervals. Try this several times a day, while standing waiting for the kettle to boil or waiting for a bus or train.

LOWER BODY MOVE – DOUBLE STEPS

A great habit many people adopt is taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. To further boost that benefit, try taking two steps at a time instead of one. By doing so, the quadriceps (front thighs) and gluteal muscle (buttocks) are engaged and are worked 50% more than if taking one step at a time. If the steps are not too steep, you may wish to attempt taking three steps at a time. As a safety measure, just ensure the knees are not bending more than a right angle or 90 degrees to avoid undue stress to the knee area.

Cornel Chin is a fitness expert to the stars with over 20 years of experience as a fitness professional. He integrates his diverse background to create an all-encompassing approach to fitness. Cornel is credited for getting Leonardo DiCaprio into shape in double-quick time for the film The Beach, and, as a leading fitness expert, he is a frequent guest on numerous television and radio shows throughout the United Kingdom. Cornel has also been featured in, and regularly contributes to, a host of leading international publications.

Group spinning, by Kj

Thank you for your site – I’m really struggling to accept myself, and my family is all thin which makes me feel judged all the time. Do you perhaps know of a weight rehab place I could go to to help me lose the unwanted pounds? I just know I cannot do it alone”

Going it alone when you’re trying to lose weight is tough (we know, we’ve tried). But I actually don’t recommend weight camps or rehabs because most of those give you situations and tools that aren’t available in everyday life — like being secluded to focus only on weight loss, planning your diet for you, giving you access to 24/7 exercising. Those things will help anyone shed pounds in the short term, but because it doesn’t fit into our real everyday lives, that won’t last and you may (like most do) end up gaining it all back quickly and then some once you’ve graduated.

Instead, I’d recommend hooking up with some local people who also want to lose some weight and forming a small group. Both Toni and I have had GREAT success with this approach recently! I highlighted it in a recent post here.

You might even be able to get a personal trainer to sponsor you and/or your group with free nutritional and fitness lessons. Just be sure that anything you do to lose it is something that’s also available to you to KEEP doing/using/relying on after you’re done with the initial loss.

Your turn, readers. What tips do you have on ways to stick with healthy lifestyle changes long term?

Danskin NOW Pants ($12.99) and T-Shirt ($7.99)

A reader wrote to ask:

Dear FGG,

It’s a new year and I made a resolution to get in better shape. But I’m having a hard time finding workout clothes that fit and I can actually afford. Help!

Here’s a starting point that’s relatively convenient for most people: the Danskin NOW line launched recently (and exclusively) at Wal Mart, with plus sizes ranging between 1X and 4X. These are definitely affordable – tops and bottoms range in price from between $9 – $12. The fabric is comfortable too: very soft, flexible, and it even handles sweat well. The pants pictured here have gathered ankles to keep you from getting caught in fast-moving equipment.

As with the White Stag Woman line we wrote about last week, not all styles are available on the Wal Mart web site, so you really have to dig around your local store to see what they offer. I’m going to look for one of those $9 tank tops now that I signed up for regular (gentle) yoga classes again. Love that fiery orange! (They even have pretty yoga mats for $15).

If you’re looking for a plus size sports bra, our readers continually sing the praises of Enell sports bras; you might have to pay more for one, but when it comes to supporting “the girls,” it’s a worthy investment. Danskin also offers other plus size items (including a Racer Back Bra in up to size 4X) which run between $30-$40 and are available at most sports retailers.

Find any post-holiday workout deals for us big girls? Share your plus size bargain finds in the comments.

Open call for Biggest Loser, by Pierre Lascott

We don’t typically cover weight loss on FGG because, let’s face it, you can’t throw a Weight Watchers cookie very far without hitting a diet or weight loss web site. It’s unoriginal, it’s redundant, and in the end that stuff usually does nothing for our body image and self-esteem.

Instead, we focus on how to enjoy a fun, active, enriching and rewarding life now instead of waiting until you’ve achieved some magic, “when I’m ______” criteria. And it’s in that spirit, not the deflating spirit of “self-correction,” that I’m posting this guide. Stay with me.

I’ve seen five or six episodes of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” and I have markedly mixed feelings about it. On one hand it’s inspiring and the human stories are fascinating. Who wouldn’t be moved by those transformations, and by what they suggest about our own possibilities?

On the other hand, it’s disconcerting. Losing that much weight in such a short a time period isn’t healthy, the sequestered and intensive means by which they do it aren’t sustainable in the long term for most people, and the show is set up to be as melodramatic as possible. During every episode I’ve gone through bi-polar spells of disgust and intrigue.

I mentioned to a friend a month or two ago that it would be fun to take what’s great about the show, like the teamwork, the relationships and support, the mental rigor, leaving behind the drama, the backstabbing, the unhealthy obsessions – and create a small group of our own. We were in a rut, wanting to get back into shape but feeling uninspired. My friend said, “Why not?”

And that was all it took. Over the next few weeks I placed ads on Craigslist for people with at least 50 pounds to lose, set up a local web site and NING social network, got a gym to sponsor us with deeply discounted membership and other perks, and then waited until kick-off day on January 1, 2010. I crossed my fingers that at least 15 people would show up.

I walked through the gym doors that morning to a crowd of more than 30 very excited, motivated men and women ready to dig in. And dig in we have. The outpouring of support from sponsors and the gym staff has been incredible, and the group has already started bonding into friendships with a mischievous twist of healthy competitive spirit. I couldn’t be more pleased.

Many organizations have started hosting biggest loser-like competitions for employees, but if yours doesn’t, or you’re not working,

We defined group criteria
My friend and I felt that to be most able to identify with each other’s struggles and to feel most comfortable in a group, it made sense to recruit people who had a similar amount of weight to lose. We decided 50 pounds was a good number, and was doable and healthy in six months for a person committed to those goals. And we wanted committed: no wishy-washy, victim mentalities to drag down group morale allowed. Each member had to commit to attending at least one of two official monthly meetings (one of those would be a weigh-in). Those requirements, and being at least 18 years of age, were our only criteria.

We defined challenge parameters
Like the show, we wouldn’t be relying on the highest number of actual pounds lost to determine the winner, but the percentage of body weight lost. Each month the biggest loser that month will receive a sponsored prize, and the grand prize goes to the person who loses the highest percentage of body weight overall by the final weigh-in.

We also decided we’d split the group into teams to get people fired up and accountable to a group. That turned out to be a good move: as soon as we started planning team challenges, the buzz and activity in the group went WAY up. Winning teams get prizes for the whole team – like dinner out, or free haircuts from a local salon.

We set the group up to revolve mostly around two things: a NING social network and the sponsor gym, with some extra activities like hiking, bowling and healthy dinner parties set up separately.

When setting member dues, we we needed to decide if we’d charge only what the gym was charging us – $25/month per member for full access – or upcharge to cover time and administrative details. Because there were few if any other expenses associated with managing the group, and because we wanted as many people as possible to be able to participate, we chose not to charge more than the $25. That made logistics easier, too, as the gym collects payment automatically and we just need to show up.

We spread the word far and wide
We drew up flyers and left them at libraries and on post office counters, we created a basic web site and placed ads in Craigslis’s community groups section, then we emailed all our friends and family and recruited them to email theirs, too. The more the merrier, and we knew the more people we had involved, the less chance there was of the group fizzling out within the first few weeks.

We created a sponsor kit to get local businesses excited
The Biggest Loser is a national hit, and achievement against the odds for people in transformation is addicting to an audience. A local version of that combination with a well-thought-out plan and good materials was compelling to sponsors, and we’ve brought some great ones, including Subway, on board. We gave them each a sheet with the prize slots we still needed to fill, along with recommended values for each, and let them choose what best met their goals and budget.

For their sponsorship, they’ll receive a linked logo on our web site, mention in all our materials and press releases, and an invitation to each weigh-in, including theirs, where they can present their prize to the winner in person.

We got busy getting busy
Nothing is more motivating than seeing other people in action and enjoying it, and energy begets energy in a bonded group. We injected lots of energy into the initial weigh-ins and “before photos” to be sure we didn’t lose momentum during everybody’s “ugh” moments.

Then we wasted no time getting our “gym legs” – setting up small group meets, signing up for classes together, showing each other how to use this piece of equipment or play that game. The more we work out together, the more we WANT to work out together – in fact, I’ve been to the gym every day this week and have yet to not run into at least a couple of other group members while I’m there. I predict big successes for this group.

It’s now taken on a life of its own, and I’m loving it. I’ve made 30+ new friends, have new partners in crime for things I want to try but felt too self-conscious to do in the past, and have a whole team of people pulling me on, and vice versa, should the urge to give up set in. No matter who wins six months from now, in less than a week we’ve all changed course of our lives.

So if you’re looking for an engine for your own efforts to get in shape, why wait? Pick up the phone or open up a blank email, recruit a good friend to help, and get busy planning your big win. And when you get sucked in and start having a great time, too, we’d love to hear all about it.

Ready…set? GO.

Cecily’s ink still looks awesome. Indeed.

I’m thinking about getting a tattoo, but I’m concerned about it looking terrible if I keep losing (or end up gaining) more weight. What happens to tattoos when skin and shape changes?”

We spoke with tattoo artist Jon Kelly, owner of Olde Tyme Tattoo in Fullerton, California to get his advice.

“Prevention of any sort would be to pick the proper location on your body,” he says. “Stretch marks will ruin your tattoo, so if you find yourself prone to them, try to pick an area on your body that has minimal chance of acquiring stretch marks.” Tatts distorted by stretch marks may have to be reworked, covered up, or even removed.

“Not all women are prone to stretch marks, so there’s no generalized answer that fits every individual situation,” adds Kelly. “Let’s say you gain 80 pounds and you end up with no stretch marks. The tattoo you have may end up off center depending on where it was originally placed.” The bottom line: know your body, choose your artist as carefully as you select the location for your tatt, and accept that if you gain or lose weight, your ink might need more work later on.

We also asked fearless blogger Cecily Kellogg (pictured above), who writes at Uppercase Woman, for her voice of experience on this topic. Here’s what she had to say:

“Skin expands. Whether you are talking about pregnancy or your more standard filling out, skin stretches. If you have ink on that skin, the ink will stretch too.

With general weight fluctuations, most tattoos will look just fine. You should have no permanent misshaping of the ink, even with very fine detailed work. If you have a portrait, it is possible that the portrait will look a bit less like the original model, but tattoo portraits rarely look much like the original model anyway (unless you have an exceptional artist, who will resist putting a portrait on any place likely to do much expanding; shoulders, upper arms, upper back, and calves are least likely to expand).

I’ve gained a fair amount of weight over the years I’ve collected my ink, and while my arms have gotten larger, my ink still looks absolutely awesome. The tattoos on my back (they extend from my upper shoulders to my middle back) also still maintain their awesomeness.

Additionally, I’ve known pregnant women with belly tattoos that have stretched out to crazy, misshapen levels, but when the pregnancy is over, the tattoo looks okay. Sometimes there is a bit of sag in part of it, but by a year after the baby is born the ink looks pretty close to the original design.

The main key to preserving the quality of your ink is the same whether weight gain is an issue or not: choose the tattoos carefully, use a high quality artist, and consider the placement of the tattoo before getting it. If you plan well, and choose well, your ink will look just as good ten years down the line as it does a week after you get it (it never looks good while it’s healing), regardless of your size.”

Have a question for us? Post it in comments or send us an email and we’ll tackle it in an upcoming Ask FGG feature.