I did a boudoir photo shoot in February. I weighed just shy of 300 pounds and had just turned 37 years old.
It was one of the most profound experiences of my life.
I felt brave and sexy before the shoot even happened – just committing to doing it was enough to boost my confidence and self esteem.
Those were not familiar feelings to me.
I had so much fun shopping for plus size lingerie, exchanging ideas with friends who were also getting photos done and sending my husband selfies of my purchases. The photo shoot was at an annual retreat for moms of traumatized children I attend. There was a private Facebook group for us to encourage and support each other, as boudoir photos were SO FAR out of just about all our comfort zones.
The day of the shot was fantastic – just so much fun. I felt hot in my outfits, got my hair and makeup done and posed however the photographer and her assistant (both good friends of mine) told me.
The photographer sent me a couple of pictures that night and I forwarded them to my husband. The response was two emoticons with hearts popping out of the eye sockets.
I got all the pictures last week and decided to write about the experience. I pitched it to XOJane.com and got a “yes” back within a few hours. It was published the next day.
I included two photos from the shoot. Yup, not only did I share my weight with the Internet, I also voluntarily put photos of me sporting plus size lingerie out there.
And I’m so glad I did.
The response has been amazing. In two days, the post has had over 2,000 shares. The comments have been so supportive.
My favorite comment so far is,
You’re big, but hot as hell.
I’ll so take it.