Fat experiences

I went to the beach the other day and underestimated how big my belly would look in my bikini from last year. I was embarrassed at the beach and felt like I was being judged. I have gained about 30 pounds this year accidentally and am getting used to all of this

Very sorry to hear you felt this way now going forward to her always going to have that in your mind. There’s nothing I can say no matter how complementary that will change it, but I certainly hope that you find the confidence to keep wearing the bikini and your current weight or should you decide to lose weight

I've definitely felt this, both in the past and this year... When I was in my low 200lb range I had a lot of newer red stretch marks on my belly, plus I was 18, and was out with other recent high school grads who were sticks, and this year as I went out after gaining a ton of weight this past year...

young me used lots of cocktails/alcohol as the way to feel more confident, current me packs to keep my mind busy: a good book, speaker for music, large beach blanket, swim goggles, and cash for ice cream/other snacks. Plus checking out other folks bellies you do adjust overtime, its more just trying to stay in the moment and not hyper focus on how you are being perceived that really helps in the end

I'd be judging by thinking "Ohmygosh what a cute belly!"
Overall, when I tell people I think bellies are adorable and one of the cutest features one can have, I get as many people from nodding to enthusiastically approving, as their opposites.
It's one of those can't please them all situations, but there are actually around as many people that appreciate bellies as those that fail to. And that's a bit of the key problem... the judgey ones have failed to appreciate a feature - or do so, but are closeted. It's literally a failing on their part, and a flaw in them.
Flaunt what you've got. We appreciators are out here / there.

I checked your photos and that belly looks really nice. If more people like you would go to the beach then I would gladly go to the beach more often too. I usually look at and rank all the bellies I see by how bigger they look than the rest, for me it is fun. The most important thing is to just let it hang, then other people get instantly more comfortable too. It is like a chain reaction. I see sometimes fat people use T shirts, don't do that, show that you are comfortable.

On a side note, I also really like the postpartum bellies, even if the lady is thin, they look so relieved but show proud stretchmarks of the capacity they were able to hold, it's like an achievement mark.