Friday 30 September 2011

These Girls Are Connected

Please welcome Bri Clark.

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Call me vain, conceded, stuck in the Middle Ages whatever but I love my breasts. We go way back to the fourth grade where I'd daily fight with my poor mother about wearing a bra. I'm not talking about a training bra either. I woke up one morning to a B. A B-cup at 10! Shortly after Aunt Flow began her monthly visits. I hate her she can leave anytime.

But not my girls.

Why this post on losing my cleavage? Well once in my life I seriously considered breast reduction surgery. At 5'10 and curvy I'm very well endowed. At that point in my life, I was too heavy up top among other places. After my fourth child, my back really took a beating and the weight that pulled on my shoulders from my chest left indentions in my skin from the straps. My grandmother actually has scarring.

So I researched what breast reduction meant at 23 years old. After a documentary, some before and after pictures and a scheduled then canceled consultation I decided to never have that surgery performed willingly. My mother did eventually get it and was very happy. However, she was herself in her 40's at the time. I won't go into details but I figure spending the first few years hating my chest then finally find a love for it I'm not going to choose to change 'em unless it's a life and death situation. Luckily, I haven't faced that and hope I don't. Instead I endeavored to lose weight by working out and strengthening my back and core.

Now I'll discuss the unforeseen culprit. All my life I've struggled with weight. I'm not thin--a size 10 is my goal. Actually, I feel that my goal to look like a blonde Jessica Rabbit is perfectly reasonable. In fact at the moment my 3 work out buddies are considered boot camp whores 'cause we bounce to each new trial or discounted membership. Thus, we come to the problem.

For 2 years, I have risen with these friends at odarkthirty and walked for one hour 5xs a week roughly, 20 miles a week. Then we started boot camps. Sigh. After pushups, running, core training, blah, blah, blah I have lost 20lbs and 4 inches across my chest. Yep you read correctly 4 inches across my freaking chest!

I'll pause for a moment so you too can mourn those four beautiful inches forever lost.

Pause

OK back to the problem...this wouldn't be so bad if I'd lost it in my middle too. NO! I've only lost an inch (since I've been counting) in my hips and waist. Alas, what to do? Eat the Costco Halloween candy I bought early; gorge on a gallon of ice cream? Which brings me to the ultimate question--I know one of you knows what the answer is--what can I eat that will go straight to my chest?

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If you want to continue to see my battle with my body or to check out the writing and industry, related topics I rant and sass about check me out here. Or you can find me on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks to all you ladies at 4SW for the rant. I love the blog. It is so nice to not be the only sassy mouth in the world.

BIO

Bri Clark is a real example of redemption and renewal. Growing penniless in the South, Bri learned street smarts while caring for her brother in a broken home. She watched her mother work several jobs to care for their small family. Once her brother could fend for himself, Bri moved on to a series of bad choices including leaving school and living on her own. Rebelliousness was a strong understatement to describe those formative years. As a teenager, her wakeup call came from a fight with brass knuckles and a judge that gave her a choice of shaping up or spending time in jail. She took that opportunity and found a way to moved up from the streets. She ended up co-owning an extremely successful construction business. She lived the high life until the real estate crash when she lost everything. She moved west and found herself living with her husband and 4 kids in a 900 square foot apartment. She now fills her time, writing, blogging, leading a group of frugal shoppers and sharing her southern culture. Her unique background gives her writing a raw sensibility. She understands what it takes to overcome life's obstacles. She often tells friends, "I can do poor. I'm good at poor. It's prosperity that I'm not used to." Bri and her husband Chris live in Boise. Bri is known as the Belle of Boise for her true southern accent, bold demeanor and hospitable nature.

Bri boasts several positions in the publishing industry. An author, professional reviewer, blogger, and author platform consultant she enjoys all aspects of her career from the creation of story to the branding and marketing needed to make her books successful.

Her latest book is Glazier, a romantic fantasy adventure novel with espionage, genetic powers, underground bases and a ginger beauty with memory issues that take you on a ride that begins in Vermont and comes to a head in Egypt.

15 comments:

Faith Bicknell said...

I've always been told and have always heard that the very first place a woman loses weight on her body is through the boobs.

trinity said...

Yep that is what I've been told, but so far I don't see where the 12 pounds I lost even from the boobs. I refused to buy bigger bras, but when the straps started breaking I hit wal-mart. Yes Wally world has EE which really, really sucks these are not pretty bras either. :( Why can't they make sexy, lacy bras for us big woman, we don't padding for pete sakes keep that just give us some lace and different colors!
And I have to agree the back thing, oh my god there are days I could scream.

Trinity.

Cassie Exline said...

Good morning, Bri! Great post and I have no food suggestions to enlarge the girls. What a workout regiment! Your friends are awesome and what troupers you all are. Plus your book sounds great.

Kate Richards said...

I wouldn't give up the DD girls for anything but yeah...isn't that always the first place we lose weight? Sigh.

Unknown said...

I was a DDD but now I am DD. I get my bras at Ross and they never have white and they are always sexy. But the cool thing is they are less than 10 bucks and are designer bras. The other place I go is TJ Maxx. Thanks for commenting yall.

Yes my friends are awesome except today they bailed on me today.

Sherry Gloag said...

Interesting blog, Bri. I won't say i haven't thought about the dilema women with larger boobs have, but neither have i truly appreciated their problems iether. I'm glad you learned to live with yours. And yes I too, can vouch that the boobs are the firs place you lose weight!

Anonymous said...

Bri, we have the same height and build (and # of children? 5). All I can say is wait til you hit MY age. HAHAHAHAHA

Stephy Smith said...

Hey Bri! Wonderful post. I'm still trying to get past the B at ten! LOL.

Joselyn Vaughn said...

I never seem to lose weight in my chest. I wish I could lose a little. I have a weird band to cup size and can't find bras that fit most of the time. Last time I bought some I ended altering them so they would fit.

Jolie said...

I've never read such an honest post from a woman about her body. I think it's wonderful. As for me, I'm an F cup. Ever try to find something in that size that doesn't look like a grandmother should be wearing it? Sadly mostly all I find is DD and it cuts off my breathing. I've had six kids and got bigger with each one...everywhere. I'd happily lose a few cup sizes, as long as I lose everywhere else too! I think a sexy C wouldn't be so bad. Great post!

Taryn Raye said...

I have waffled with my love/hate relationship with my girls as well. I bloomed into a C cup around 12 or so, just woke up one morning and they HAD finally arrived. I have been as large as a DDD but currently a Double with the capital D.

I can think of NO food that boosts them, though you could always try that old adolescent "I must I must I must increase my bust" mantra and exercise I read about in a Y/A novel I read (bleepity) years ago.

They are always the first thing to drop the weight though when I do lose and baggy bra cups seem just as sad when they no longer have as much to carry. :(

At least you didn't end up like that poor woman in the news who had a "breast enhancing" surgery and ended up with a uniboob. I think I'd be ready to kill that doctor because there's no excuse for a botched surgery of that kind.

Unknown said...

I hadn't heard of the uniboob. OMB. That's just ridiculous. Yes I am comfortable with my body. Thanks for all the great comments. I figure I spent all of high school feeling back being an adult I am going to delight in myself and my body.

Marci Baun said...

I am small. I've always been small. It's the way it is. The most frustrating part for me is that I have a very wide back and a small chest. I can't find bras that will fit my back with a small enough cup-size.

Yup, we lose it in our boobs. It sucks. Men will lose it in their guts. So unfair!

Marci

Janice Seagraves said...

I'm double DD and the straps have permanently changed my shoulder into that of a quarter backs.

I have no idea what food would bring your beasts back up to size, however my daughter is on the birth control pill and just went up a bra size in-spite of loosing weight.

Janice~

Nicki (D.N.) said...

My boobers suck. They're somewhere between an A and a B, and when I was 16 I had an AA. That's right, AA.

I'm the chairman of the itty-bitty titty committee. xD Anyone care to disagree?