Sorry, Not Sorry!  How to Stop Apologizing for Your Size 

By Randi Bryant 

The other day, I caught myself apologizing for my size. I was riding the train home from work when another woman sat across from me. She was thin, beautifully petite, and was too interested in her phone to see me watching her sit down. Seeing her thighs fit perfectly into her seat made me suddenly very self-conscience. Looking down, I saw that mine were so thick they spilt over the plastic seat on either side. Without reason, I squeezed my thighs together tightly in an attempt to shrink myself. I stayed in that uncomfortable position, legs shaking, the entire way home. I was apologizing for my size. And I’m not the only woman who does. 

As plus size women, we unconsciously apologize for our size daily. We avoid sitting down at a party, scared to produce stomach rolls despite our feet begging for relief. We refuse to use the restroom on a flight, causing our bladders to burst simply because we don’t want to bump other passengers. We wrap, strap, or lock down any part of us that is deemed “too big”, causing our bodies to cry out in agony throughout the day. We’ve been painfully apologizing for the sheer size of our bodies day in and day out. But now it’s time to stop. We need to recognize how these little apologizes are harming our bodies and let ourselves take up the space we need. We have every right to live comfortable, pain free lives, regardless of how thick are thighs are or how large our ass is.  

So what if my thighs spill over the seat? My body, as well as yours, deserves comfort. It deserves to be heard, to be accommodated, and to enjoy life. And, honey, it deserves every inch of space that it takes up.