I definitely had a moment of panic. I knew when I was squeezing in, it was going to be a struggle. What I didn't factor in was that, once inside, I wouldn't be able to maneuver at all, and even with the door open as wide as possible, I couldn't quite turn to get my legs out. I had to try different angles, and I had a couple of bruises the next day.

I've been stuck in my old Camry after a major weight gain, a Hyundai (Uber), and a bathroom stall. I also once had to change hotel rooms because I was too fat to fit in the shower.

I could eat fresh bread, cheese, pepperoni, and hummus until I burst. Bonus points if the bakery and "fancy" cheese section are next to each other.

I've never had a belly that could be tucked in, concealed, or sucked in, so I've just let it be free and even accentuate it sometimes. At my size, what are you gonna do?

I weigh every morning before eating or drinking, and sadly it's not for a fun reason. I'm a heart patient, and any fluctuation (Not a pound or two, but if I suddenly went from 573 to 583 the next day) can indicate a serious problem.

That said, I got this fat by stuffing and eating thousands of calories everyday. I found that daily weigh-ins could be deceiving when I was gaining because sometimes, I just had a belly full of several pounds of food. I got the truest look at my gain week to week, Wednesday mornings, on an empty tummy. This worked for me, because a weekend stuffing could easily jack my weight up 10 to 15 lb by Monday, but I typically didn't go too wild on Mondays and Tuesdays.

My advice is, pick one day during the week when you've usually been at the baseline for your current eating habits for a couple of days.

Body confidence is hard in a society that picks apart celebrities for the slightest weight fluctuation, speculates that the very hint of roundness in the belly is pregnancy, and ties attractiveness to thinness. Therefore, even though I'm straight, I still respect and admire the beauty of other women who haven't let society tell them they shouldn't love themselves because they don't have a toned body and a flat tummy.

Yesterday, my fiance and I went to our usual lunch spot. We sit at a table because I'm too big for a bar stool, but we still sit in the bar area. A young woman, maybe 23-25 was at the bar, and I had a direct direct line of sight to her. She would have fit every conventional beauty ideal: long, shiny dark blonde hair, great complexion, slightly golden tan, and she was enjoying herself, laughing and talking to the staff. She was also maybe 30 pounds overweight, which didn't keep her from wearing a sleeveless cropped athletic top and short skirt. She ate her food with gusto.. a buffalo chicken sandwich with tons of fries... And chugged three beers. She literally left nothing on her plate, and her belly was bulging as she ate and drank. I tried not to stare, but at one point, I did see her stand and adjust her skirt, which made her starter gut bulge out even more. She didn't seem the least bit self-conscious, and at one point, she got up to hug someone she knew, and laughed and chatted for a bit. I thought she was absolutely beautiful, not from a sexual perspective, but because she seemed so at home in her body. Later, I asked my fiance if he noticed her. He fully had his back to her, so I believe him when he said he didn't, LOL I commented to him that I hope she never lets anyone try to whittle her down to a size 2, unless it's what she personally wants for herself.

I guess if I had one hope for teenage girls and young women (and really people of all genders), it's the complete belief a size two can be beautiful and a size 26 (or bigger) can be beautiful. It always makes me sad when I hear someone talking about what they will do one day when they reach a certain body goal, that they don't feel like they have the right to do now. My mother has never been overweight, but if she ever felt like she was a few pounds heavier than her usual, she would refuse to take family photos with us. That's terribly sad to me. Wear the dress, put on the bikini, eat the food, take the vacation, jump in the group photo. Body goals (gaining, losing, maintaining) are just fine, but in the meantime, we only live once.

If I could maintain basic mobility and health, I'd gain another 150 pounds (currently 573). I only stopped because of a medical crisis and surgery. I've been a hardcore belly stuffer for years, and not a day passes that I don't wish I could eat my way into oblivion.

Thanks!! I keep thinking of additional minor details but I think I've covered the big ones. Fortunately I don't use oxygen, so that's not a need.

Are there any super-sized folks out there who have traveled by air, or people who have been a companion to someone very obese? I used to travel much more often when I was in the 300s, but my honeymoon in a few months will be the first time I've flown at my current size, which is over 570 lb.

My fiance and I are planning carefully, including purchasing two seats for me. I have my own seat belt extender, and we requested special assistance. We even bought a bariatric wheelchair he can push me in, since navigating transportation with my scooter isn't a given. Is there anything we might be overlooking?