Music festival tips for big girls

thatbeautifulchick

Welp, my boyfriend and I are going to our first music festival together, we were a COVID couple who met doing stand up comedy. To me , I envision I will have some challenges my very skin y boyfriend will not be facing. From clothing, to needing to sit more often, to find a float I can get on myself for the river stage. Just basically everything and I know there's a lot I'm not thinking of. I am steady losing weight to get back down to my precovid size but I got to at least be in shape for this (it's July 15th, and we are in California where it's crazy hot lol)

Please leave any comments, tops, tricks, advice, suggestions, prayers . . . Lol

Let me know what I should bring that I'm not thinking of and how to survive this with this extra 85 pounds on me. I've gotten some dope outfits and Shein but if anyone else knows some affordable plus size festival clothing lmk please!

Thanks in advance, I am having major social anxiety about my body and there's a lot going to be on display that I usually try hard to keep covered on stage at night when in front of people 😂🙃

Help lol

lessjess22

Hey, I'm a fellow girl that struggles with summer heat. Ideas:

- Drink cold/ice water as much as possible. I know it's probably a bummer but avoid alcohol and caffeine as much as you can because it will only make you run hotter.

- They sell neck fans on Amazon. I have one and it helps when I have to be outside. You could also bring one of those misting fans that are just fans connected to a bottle of water.

- Most summer festivals have cooling stations where you can get misted with water and rest in the shade. Might wanna get familiar with where they are.

- Shade, whenever you can find it.

- I don't know where you're staying, but if you're camping maybe go rest in your tent at the hottest times of day. Your post also sounds like there will be a body of water there, so swim if you can?

Jthanmyfitnesspal

Wait, I re-read your post and I see you're going to be performing? Most of the below applies to being in the audience. Except the electrolytes. Break a leg!

Heat intolerance runs in my family and it is not just a bodyweight-related thing.

I ALWAYS carry "Nuun" tabs (electrolytes) to add to my own 20-oz water bottle. I also carry "Gu" to give a little sugar boost when light-headed. (It really can be anything with sugar, but the sports products also have electrolytes and-- optionally-- caffeine, which sometimes also helps.) A good vented sun hat is essential. A battery operated fan is awesome. Don't drink alcohol in the heat!

And, what about stopping by the sports or camping store and picking out your own chair? The backpack style is easiest to carry, can be very sturdy, and some have extra pockets to carry stuff, including a little cooler. (The Tommy Bahama ones are very nice, but there are lots of choices now.)

I hope you have a blast!

AnnPT77

thatbeautifulchick wrote: »

Welp, my boyfriend and I are going to our first music festival together, we were a COVID couple who met doing stand up comedy. To me , I envision I will have some challenges my very skin y boyfriend will not be facing. From clothing, to needing to sit more often, to find a float I can get on myself for the river stage. Just basically everything and I know there's a lot I'm not thinking of. I am steady losing weight to get back down to my precovid size but I got to at least be in shape for this (it's July 15th, and we are in California where it's crazy hot lol)

Please leave any comments, tops, tricks, advice, suggestions, prayers . . . Lol

Let me know what I should bring that I'm not thinking of and how to survive this with this extra 85 pounds on me. I've gotten some dope outfits and Shein but if anyone else knows some affordable plus size festival clothing lmk please!

Thanks in advance, I am having major social anxiety about my body and there's a lot going to be on display that I usually try hard to keep covered on stage at night when in front of people 😂🙃

Help lol

I understand that your post is more about looking nice and feeling too hot, but there's also an undercurrent about maybe tiring faster than your boyfriend, not being able to do as much.

That last bit is partly about weight loss (in two ways, more about that later), but also partly about fitness. If you're not working out now, or not much (you don't say), it's not too late to start a moderate increase in exercise. I'm not suggesting you overdo and hurt yourself, but something like moderate walking, swimming, bicycling, low-impact aerobics, active VR or video games - something just a small, manageable challenge to your current fitness level - can pay off in a month's time. Keep enough rest/recovery in there (that's when the fitness improvement really happens, from repair and adaptation), don't go crazy and exhaust or injure yourself.

Doing something somewhat similar to the challenges you'll face at the festival would be ideal, so if that's walking/standing, maybe work on that. If you visualize stooping, squatting, lifting, stairs, bending being part of it, practice that, too - you can even work on some of those in spare moments through your day, just doing a few reps of slightly challenging but manageable movements, repeatedly.

My perspective: Before weight loss, I was obese, and had been training/competing as an athlete for over a decade. I started in my mid/late 40s, and started slowly. The early gains in fitness can be surprisingly significant, and being 85 pounds overweight is not an insurmountable obstacle to making progress.

On the weight loss front, I can understand that you may feel motivated by the festival to go to extreme fast loss goals. Think hard before doing that: Fast loss is a stress on your body. It can deplete your energy, bring on weakness, compromise your immune system. Just give it a think, try to balance your short term goals with short/long term good health.

-- Signed, your concerned li'l ol' internet surrogate auntie/granny who cares about you, despite being a total stranger (I guarantee I'm old enough to be that!)

kenziestabes

Floats: I have always found the classic donut shaped floats to be the easiest to get end and out of. For one, you can go in from below, and for two, without there being a thin side, I find they are more durable and supportive. There are ones on Amazon with a lower back rest and cup holders which can hold up to 300 pounds. I am making an assumption that, as a woman, 85 pound overweight still puts you under that mark.

For non-swimsuit days: sundresses! Loose fitting, light weight material both covers your skin to protect you from the sun and helps you regulate body temperature. They also look cute. Pair it with a sunhat mentioned above. For chaffing, either rub some solid stick deodorant on your thighs or invest in some warm weather shorts to wear underneath the sundress. I recommend Under Armour HeatGear, which runs up to 3x.

Know the signs of heat exhaustion, and don't let to progress to heat stroke.

Sunscreen! If you braid or hair or tie it up (which I would recommend), have BF apply sunscreen to your upper back and neck for you. It's a part of the body which isn't normally sun-exposed. Also, don't forget to reapply it every so often.

As noted above, electrolytes and water are important. So is food. Don't eat heavy but don't skip meals.

If staying in a hotel, take showers at the end of the day, not the beginning, and run them a little cooler than you're used to.

Lastly, you will see the same amount of stage in the middle of the crowd as you will in the back, but the back will be cooler. If you can't get to the front, ease yourself to the edges.

thatbeautifulchick

Ty all for your cments and advice! I'm super excited, been walking a few hills daily to get ready, maybe an hour for walking but it's something.

I am very nervous about not being able to keep up with my bf or our group. They are all very small and fit people. The one benefit I have is that I don't drink or partake in anything lol. So my body will be healthier for the endurance needed there. I'm basically the group mom, but this is my first time we have gotten away from the kiddos to enjoy a few days alone, I don't want to look like the group mom 😂

girlwithcurls2

You've gotten great tips from this crowd. My only additional one would be that once you get there, drop your anxieties and worries and have fun. You will have done what you can to get ready and be healthy, so enjoy yourself. And remember that we all look at ourselves in a much harsher light than the others around us do. I know that I am 20 pounds heavier than I was 5 years ago, but I'm still able to do the activities I want, and in spite of those extra pounds, my adult female bodied children aren't going to hear me complain or say mean things about myself. Instead, rejoice in the fact that you get to go do this awesome experience with your friends!