My friend Kayla pushed her glass of wine to the side and leaned across the table.

“I think I’m going to be engaged soon,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Kayla and Ben are crazy about each other. He calls her constantly, they’re on a regular sleep over schedule and they’re tip-toeing around the “L” word. They’ve also been dating for about two months.

A week later I was at brunch when another friend announced that she’d just booked a trip to the Bahamas with a guy that she’d been dating for one month.

A trip to the Bahamas sounds like a blast, so I was excited for my friend and listening to Kayla gush about Ben made me so happy for her. She’s been through a lot with men, so its beautiful to see her treated the way she deserves. Ben is a good guy, and he seems to know what he wants, which in New York is quite refreshing.

Over the past few days my happiness for my friends began to mix with an uneasiness as I began to think about my relationship with Robert. When Robert and I started seeing each other, we agreed to take things slow. Its what I wanted then and its what I want now. But a tiny part of me can’t help but compare my relationship to my friends relationships.

Robert and I spend a lot of time together, but listening to Kayla made me feel like we should be spending more time. I’m no where near ready to get married, I don’t want Robert to propose, I would love to be in the Bahamas right now instead of rainy New York City and going with Robert would be awesome. But if I’m honest with myself the idea of sharing a hotel with him is terrifying. I’m not ready!

I’m struggling… I think I’m a little jealous… that fast passion looks so appealing!

Any advice?

As I continue to work towards dropping the pounds, I’m realizing that the scale isn’t the only way to tell if I’ve lost weight. We all know that sometimes the scale wont budge even when we’re doing everything right, so here are a few things I’d suggest doing to keep encouraged.

1. Put a Ring on It! I have a ring that I’ve worn every day since I was 16. Lately the ring has started to turn on my finger. Its loose! Which means my fingers are getting smaller.

1. Buy a Belt I bought a belt when I began my weight loss attempts this year. Every time I put it on, I count how many loops in I’m wearing it. In January it was 9 loops in… now its 12! Even when the scale doesn’t budge, I know my tummy’s shrinking. You can also buy a pair of jeans (like Marisota womens jeans) in a size or two down and try them on each month to see how they fit. I have a pair of jeans that I finally got up over my hips and that felt soooo good!

1. Ask “The Twins” I went bra shopping last week and I couldn’t buy anything! the “DDD” was a little too big but the “DD” was still too small. Although I hate to say good-bye to my boobies, they’re usually the first things to go when I’m dropping weight.

1. Listen to Your Friends When people start randomly telling you how good you look… its probably code for “you’re losing weight”.

1. Look in the Mirror If you think your face is slimmer, it probably is! Trust your observations and the scale will catch up!

How do YOU measure weight loss without the scale?

The ideal plus size swimwear should work to flatter your appearance, accentuate your bust, trim your tummy, camouflage your hips and of course make you feel 100% confident relaxing by the pool!

It is good news that plus size swimwear is now largely available on the market as buying swimwear can be a daunting enough task.  However, choosing a swimsuit for the fuller figure no longer has to be a difficult task, regardless of your size or shape.

There are however a few tips that should be followed if you wish to invest in the perfect swimsuit.  If you wish to hide a bigger belly then investing in a full swimsuit complete with a vertical stripe pattern is a good option.  Another tip is to look for a swimsuit that has gathering around the stomach area, as this will hide any signs of a bulge.

If your figure is made up of a small top half but a more shapely bottom then look into purchasing a swimsuit that has wider shoulder straps or alternatively one that comes with a skirt attachment or wrap.

For those that have a smaller bust yet possess a bigger bottom half, choosing a halter bikini top with added underwiring for that extra lift.  Lighter colours are also a better option if you wish to enhance your upper half, as blacks tend to make you appear smaller.  Strapless swimsuits will also give the appearance of a flatter chest so it is best to avoid this type of garment unless of course you want to hide your bust.

If you do have an extremely big bust then you will need to invest in a swimsuit that offers a lot of support.  Wider straps and underwiring is also a good option, which will in turn add a little extra lift.

It might help if you browse a plus size retailer such as Onestopplus.co.uk and you can check out all of the latest styles on trend this season.

Note: Since I started dating Robert, I haven’t had any single/dating stories to share. Those stories are so much fun, so I thought I’d share a story from before I became a boring relationship girl Here goes:

The air inside of Belmont Lounge was thick with sweat and smoke. My hair was glued to my face with perspiration and there were bodies pressed against me from every angle… I was having the time of my life!

I’m a huge fan of Reggae music, so when my Jamaican friend, Bettyann, invited me to a Dancehall party I jumped at the chance to go. We hadn’t stopped dancing since we walked in and if I didn’t know how Jamaican men felt about Plus Size Princesses before, I knew now! All I had to do was move my body to the sexually charged beats and every few songs a different guy would approach me. Some would quietly take my hand and intertwine their bodies with mine. Others would slip behind me and slide their hands over my hips and soon we’d be moving in-sync to whatever song was blasting through the speakers on either side of the room.

This went on for hours, until I decided that I needed a break. I grabbed a bottle of water and leaned against the wall to cool down. As I stood sipping my water, I felt someones fingertips on my thigh. I looked to my left and standing next to me was a beautiful man with shoulder length locks. His back was against the wall, but his pelvis was pushed up slightly and there was a curvy cutie “winding” on him. (For anyone who doesn’t know, “winding” is the equivalent of giving a lap-dance while standing up).

Because the Curvy Cutie was dancing with her back to him, she had no idea that he was trying to get my attention. I looked up at him and he gave me a sexy smile, “hi” he mouthed. I gave an embarrassed smile and looked away. I kept my eyes averted, but soon, those fingertips were creeping up my thigh again. This guy was so incredibly attractive, even though I wanted to walk away and find someone else to dance with… it was as if the light touch of his fingertips were pinning me against the wall.

Between sips of water, I would give shy glances at my dread-locked friend and every time I looked over, his eyes were glued to me even though he was thrusting his pelvis on another girls behind.

I knew it was silly, but I was basking in the attention of this beautiful man. I was hoping that he and Curvy Cutie would get bored with each other after a few songs and then he and I could dance.

I decided I would be patient and wait.

Just as the thrill of his fingertips was beginning to wear thin, the Curvy Cutie turned around, whispered something to him and walked away. I stood quietly and waited for him to dance with me, but he didn’t move. I looked into his sleepy brown eyes and he looked around the room a few times before leaning into my ear and saying.

“That’s my girlfriend I’m dancing with…”

I rolled my eyes and started to walk away, but he caught my wrist and leaned into my ear again, “give me your number and I’ll call you tomorrow.” I pulled my wrist away and headed back to the bar for something stronger than water.

I hate men sometimes.

Happy Friday!

Three things made me happy this week:

1.) Skinny Tees are advertised as “the diet you wear” these comfy, colorful cami’s are built to smooth out lumps and make a seamless curvy figure. I’ve worn Skinny Tees in a few different colors this week and I think they do a good job of smoothing without rolling. I still wore them with spanx, but I really like them. The part I love about them is that I was able to run some errands without a bra!

2.) Happy Feet Insoles are amazing! I wore them with a pair of stilettos this week and with every step I felt like I was getting a foot massage. These insoles are filled with strategically placed liquid and when you walk the liquid moves under your feet. At $39.95, they’re a little more expensive than regular insoles from the drug store, but they’re sooo worth it. (They’ll also cut them for flip-flop sandals if you need it).

3.) Sweet Valley Confidential marks the return of Elizabeth & Jessica Wakefield, the twins from Sweet Valley! I used to devour these books growing up, and reading the latest installment of their lives (at 27 years old) is a guilty pleasure that I’m getting a kick out of.

Soooo I have a gift pack of these three items (Skinny Tees, Happy Feet and a copy of Sweet Valley Confidential) for a lucky TBGB reader… just leave a comment on this post to win!

xoxo,

CeCe

***CONTEST CLOSED***

Dear Cece,

I was 16 and had just finished a performance with my high school show-choir. We ran off stage to change out of our costumes and as I pulled the dress over my head, I smelled something. I was 99.9% sure I had put on deodorant and when I smelled the armpits of my costume it was fine.

I pulled on my jeans, a T-shirt and piled into the back of our directors mini-van with my best friend, Holly. The smell was still there, but I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. I shoved my armpit into Holly’s face “do I smell?!” I asked. She took a whiff (that’s what friends are for!) and shook her head, “nope!”.

Three times that week, the phantom smell would haunt my nostrils until one day after my tap class when I peeled off my tank top. My hands were in the air and my 40DD breasts were mere inches from my face. That’s when I realized… my boobs were sweating!

The smell was from the friction that “the twins” created as I bounced around like a normal active 16 year old girl. Just like armpits, as my boobs rubbed together, they would create moisture and emit a faint odor.

Gross!

I rushed to the girls bathroom, soaked a paper towel with soap and water and did my best to rinse my cleavage.

The next morning, I began looking for boob sweat remedies. I started with baby powder, but I found that it was noticeable on my shirts and sometimes it would cake up in between “the twins” leaving little gooey balls which looked even worse!

Eventually, I tried swiping my cleavage with deodorant. It was an invisible and sure-fire way to avoid the issue. It worked and I’ve been doing it every morning since!

I swear there are some things only Plus Size Princesses have to deal with….

How do YOU handle boob sweat?

As I’ve mentioned before, none of my close friends are plus size. Kelsi, Kenzie and Annie are no different. They are the first friends I made when I moved to New York City and they’re all “stop traffic” gorgeous in different ways. If Audrey Hepburn had a hipster daughter, it would be Annie, a brooding brunette who can mix innocence and sexuality perfectly. Kelsi has the classic beauty of old Hollywood with her perfect creamy skin and luscious curly hair. Then there’s Kenzie, the blonde bombshell who channels Marilyn Monroe and is forever searching for a Dean Martin look-alike to seduce (I was with Kenzie when the Walk of Shame happened).

For the past two years, all three of my girls have had consistent boyfriends. And although, I was dating guys here and there I was more or less single. I remember venting to Kenzie once that I felt a little ridiculous being the only single girl in the bunch. “CeCe, you’re different,” she said matter of factly. “I’m just bouncing around the city having fun and somehow I fall into these relationships. You’re looking for something real, substantial and long lasting– and that’s not something you just ‘fall into’ its going to take a while….”

Kenzie probably said that to me three years ago, but her words have sustained me.

Last week, the four of us decided to have dinner at Frank. Frank is a cozy Italian restaurant in the East Village where they seat everyone at a huge table that seats 20+ people. The four of us were wedged in between two other dining parties, one group of 3 (a woman, her boyfriend and her female friend) and another group of 4 who seemed to be NYU students.

Leaning forward across the long table to dish with Kenzie, Annie and Kelsi was like sitting with the “cool kids” in a high school cafeteria (except this high school cafeteria served wine).  As we chatted feverishly, laughed loudly and poured wine from our bottle constanly, we caught each other up on anything we had missed since that last time we were together.

Annie and Kelsi had both made the decision to break up with their boyfriends within the past few months. They were giving advice to Kenzie who had broken up with her boyfriend a few weeks prior. As they all shared battle stories of what it was like, Kenzie suddenly put her hand up to silence everyone– “wait a minute… does this mean… that CeCe is the only one of us who IS NOT SINGLE?!” she shrieked, loudly. There was a pause. The threesome on the other side of our group, stopped their conversation and turned to look at me.

“Oh my gosh… I am!” I said in a hushed whisper. Kelsi and Annie began to applaud vigourously as Kenzie pretended to adorn me with a crown, “our little princess has a boyfriend… I’m so proud!” she said wiping a fake tear from her eye.

The threesome gave us funny looks and went back their meals. Of course, they didn’t get it. Only my girlfriends could understand what a big deal this was. I laughed uncontrollably, and took a dramatic bow.

I guess the tables have turned….