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Fat people with tattoos: Your thoughts


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Love this thread! Interesting to hear how tattoos have changed people's perceptions of their body. When I was considering my first tattoo I wanted it on a part of my body that I liked. I'm not obese but I am overweight, and have always hated my upper arms in particular. Anyway, next thing I know, I'm getting a full sleeve... and to my surprise, I view my body in such a different way. My upper arms haven't seen the light of day in around 10 years, well now I get them out all of the time. And not to show off my tattoo, I love both my arms now, even my none tattooed one. I don't know what it is and I certainly wasn't expecting it, but it's totally liberating. My sleeve isn't even finished!

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...and have always hated my upper arms in particular. Anyway, next thing I know, I'm getting a full sleeve... and to my surprise, I view my body in such a different way. My upper arms haven't seen the light of day in around 10 years, well now I get them out all of the time.

Yes! I've just realized that tattoos are a perfect solution to the dreaded batwings!!!

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Reasons I love getting tattooed as a "bigger" person:

1) More space! Man, I can fit SO MANY MORE awesome big tattoos on my thighs than skinnier girls!

2) A reminder that I gain nothing by feeling as though I am "at odds with" my body; tattoos reconnect me to this imperfect skin I live in and close the mind/body gap a bit.

3) I often think about how some fat activist feminist critics comment that women, in particular, feel guilty for being fat because we "take up more space" in a society where women are expected to take up as little space as possible. I am constantly trying, in my life, to feel more at easy taking up space, being present, and not hiding - tattoos and their incredible presence obviously helps a lot with that.

4) Tattoos are like an awesome treat/adornment for my body - a reminder that it deserves to be treated kindly.

5) As others have said, tattoos have totally changed how I feel about parts of my body I am most insecure about; cellulite seems pretty insignificant when there's a huge colourful dragon over it.

6) Basically, we all deserve to feel like we have agency over our bodies. Tattoos remind me of this. Some extra fat is like, only a small part of what my body is - it's a whole lot more than that, both physically and aesthetically, and it's mine to do what I please with.

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Reasons I love getting tattooed as a "bigger" person:

1) More space! Man, I can fit SO MANY MORE awesome big tattoos on my thighs than skinnier girls!

2) A reminder that I gain nothing by feeling as though I am "at odds with" my body; tattoos reconnect me to this imperfect skin I live in and close the mind/body gap a bit.

3) I often think about how some fat activist feminist critics comment that women, in particular, feel guilty for being fat because we "take up more space" in a society where women are expected to take up as little space as possible. I am constantly trying, in my life, to feel more at easy taking up space, being present, and not hiding - tattoos and their incredible presence obviously helps a lot with that.

4) Tattoos are like an awesome treat/adornment for my body - a reminder that it deserves to be treated kindly.

5) As others have said, tattoos have totally changed how I feel about parts of my body I am most insecure about; cellulite seems pretty insignificant when there's a huge colourful dragon over it.

6) Basically, we all deserve to feel like we have agency over our bodies. Tattoos remind me of this. Some extra fat is like, only a small part of what my body is - it's a whole lot more than that, both physically and aesthetically, and it's mine to do what I please with.

I love this- all of it. But especially 3 and 6.

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  • 3 months later...

Hello, i am new here. I wonder about it too. I wonder if it depends whether you are hoping to lose weight. If you lost weight, the tattoo would look messed up, right? I got tattoos on my clavicle because it seems like an area that won't be effected by weight changes.

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Yes, but kinda going off the mantra off this site make sure you have to tools to be happy with it for a long time. That for me is losing 20 before my front

That's my problem. Even though I lost 128 Pounds, my torso is what is still kind of jacked up.

Trying to beat it with more chest exercises, sit-ups, leg raises. It's rough as hell.

Me personally, I don't want anything on my torso at least until I feel comfortable going shirtless in public.

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I saw a rather heavy lady the other day with (from what I could tell) only her legs tattooed. She had a bunch of really huge pieces done and unfortunately she was across the street so I couldn't even get a better look at them. The only thing I wondered was how come she only got her legs done.

When it comes to what our bodies might look like down the road or if the tattoo is gonna look one way or the other in 20 years or if I'm even going to be alive to care, there are so many "what ifs" that I hardly give it a second thought. I forget what I was watching but I know it was likely some bullshit extreme weight loss show where the "contestant" (for lack of a better word)went for skin removal surgery and they literally cut the tattoo off of her. I'm just sayin' YOU NEVER KNOW.

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  • 6 months later...

I am biggish - fat enough that when I have my arms at my sides I have some small rolls along the sides of my back.

I am due to start a back piece next month and have stressed for a year over the big reveal and whether the artist (a famous one) will be put off and not want to do those areas.

Just plowing through the feelings now and hoping for the best.....this thread is a comfort to me.

Hoping the artist doesn't flinch......

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In my opinion, if an artist has an issue with your weight, they don't deserve your business or money anyway. If they went so far as to flinch, they probably deserve a smack upside the head before you exit the building. I have seen plenty of artists post back pieces done on larger folks; I really doubt it will be a problem.

I think body shaming, on either end of the spectrum, is one of the most disgusting things that people can do. Our society is so obsessed with political correctness, I don't understand why so many people think it's acceptable.

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