Get into my belly Sunshine!

ps. This is not me 

I have worn one piece bathing suits for my entire adult life until a couple years ago. I was a rounder kid and teenage and never lost that image in my head even when I started to lean out. In the past couple years, the sudden and dramatic weight lost from my UC flare gave me a different body image to think about. There were times when I was afraid to look in the mirror because I was skin and bones. After I returned to a healthy weight for height and body frame, I have also gained self confidence to bare a bit more skin. It wasn't until I learned about the importance of Vitamin D absorption through the skin from this article  that I gather courage to bare my mid section in public.

Maybe with age, I am less self conscious about the idea of showing tummy.  I know this is usually the opposite for most women but I tend to regress in my process.  As a late  "two piece bathing suit" bloomer, I have to learn how to buy and wear a bikini. Shopping for bathing suits, let alone bikini can be nerve wrecking, I searched online for tips and tried on different styles and finally found a few options for my pear shaped body.

Besides learning the basics of how to pick a swim suit for my body type,  I came across couple articles that shows how swimsuit photoshoot in the media are digitally modified. My favorite finds are several links of real people wearing bathing suits and a model reaction to her photo being highly altered. Hope these will remind us all what the human body is suppose to look like.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/heres-what-victorias-secret-swimsuits-look-like-on-real-wome#.geoZk3j10

http://aplus.com/a/australian-model-maeghan-kausman-photoshop-image-fella-swim

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/11/target-photoshop-fail_n_4940819.html

Untouched Swimsuit Campaign
http://www.buzzfeed.com/norawhelan/more-like-denise-bad-ot#.hba4d1X0l

Real Beach bodies
http://www.xojane.com/issues/real-beach-bodies-gallery#&gid=ci01bbc52e3003efe2&pid=photo202_4


At the end of the day, I learned a lot about body image and how much confidence has to do with it. When I am out there baring my tummy,  I focus more about absorbing Vitamin D through the skin, especially around my belly. With bellydancing and yoga, I am feeling more and more comfortable in my own skin.

So while the sun is still beaming down at us, get out there and get some Vitamin D for the sake of your digestion. I dare you!