Today, we hear from Chardonnay and Chalant!

Chardonnay is a 30 year old married woman currently living in Mystic, CT and hails from Atlanta, GA.

Do I think men who are overweight are attractive?  I personally think it’s how you carry yourself and dress for your body type.   I’ve seen some big girls/guys STAY fly/fresh and that IS attractive to me.  I’ve also seen big girls/guys look bigger and frumpier because they don’t dress right for their body type.  I mean you can’t help what genes you got–some people are just naturally big and that’s okay.  There is somebody out there that loves and is attracted to that–like me.  There are also people who are attracted to slim folks and some people that are attracted to personality types or skin complexions and others that are attracted to pretty faces or long hair–everyone has different tastes.  That’s why we don’t all look the same. I just think bigger people get the short end because the media has focused on thin being BEST when it’s just different.

Yes (I would date an overweight man), but initially the fictitious man I thought I wanted was what society has raised us as women to want–prince charming–tall dark and handsome.  None of Disney’s princes were chubby–and all the princesses had 17 inch waists!  Is that real? No, but the same way romantic comedies aren’t real and women expect relationships to be like them (I digress).  I had no control over what attracted me–my significant other is big and has always been “not skinny”, but he still charmed me, and I fell for him.  He is confident and handsome and I love the extra meat on his bones ;). *This is after I dated a few prince charming body types and found them to be boring and at times self absorbed.  

I would encourage him/her to be his/her best self, not to necessarily lose weight.  If your vitals are good, health is good, you are eating right and exercising as you should–as anyone should–and indulge occasionally then cool.  But yes I would encourage exercise if the doctor said so (i.e. lose weight).  But I’ve also encouraged my size 2 best friend to exercise because she doesn’t.  Heart health is what’s important.  If you are “large and in charge” despite your healthy eating and exercising then cool, but if you are big or even obese because you hit up McDonald’s daily and watch reality tv for hours on end then don’t get an attitude–because you aren’t being your best self.  And that’s an injustice to nobody but you baby.

I think an important question to add is, “Are you or have you ever been overweight?”  That gives you perspective for how folks answer these questions.  I was a little more insensitive to this 10 years ago because I have never gone through those feelings–but now that I’m married to a man that has–he has really opened my eyes to how one thinks and feels and is ridiculed and constantly judged from cohorts to parents to coaches to workplace discrimination….

Chalant is a 33 year old single man originally from Brooklyn that currently splits his time between Laurel, MD and Newport News, VA.

Sorry, but I don’t find them (overweight women) attractive. I may think that she looks beautiful, appealing, or lovely, but I never have the thought to myself “I think that she is sexy” or “I want to have sex with her.”  I know that this next comment won’t make things much better, but I feel the same way about White Women of all sizes. I can look at white women and think to myself, “I think she is killing that dress and those shoes” but won’t think to myself, “I can date her.”

I don’t think that I would (date a plus-size woman). I am at the stage in my life, where I want a wife, a mate, something more than a chill girlfriend. I realize that I am limiting my list of single good Black women, but again that why it is called a preference.  Also, I always think about the future. Am I going to find her attractive in a couple of months? What are some potential health problems? If we had sex, will it get lost? I know those questions seem wrong on all aspects, but those are just some of the things that go in my mind.

However, I don’t know if this is the underlying problem. I believe that the majority of the single, available, dating population within the DMV is very “PRETENTIOUS”. People want to date someone that is better looking than their “ex” or has a better occupation/making comparable money to what they are making. When single people are having conversations with their friends concerning “a person of interest”, some of the 1^st questions that tend to arise are “What does she do?”, “Where does she work?”, “How does she look?”

When those responses aren’t satisfying to their “so-called” friends, interests tends to die down, because the word “settling” gets thrown into the conversation. I’m not a saint. I fit that mold a lot.

Thanks to Chardonnay and Chalant!  Next time, we hear from Ms. Toni and Bishop Williams.  Until next time, I’m just a Southern girl…in the city!