I don’t think I’m paranoid that people quietly think them. I may not always know when, but I know the sight of my stomach triggers people’s insecurities.
One time I saw a woman with a stomach as big as an exercise ball in a crop top, and I’ve aspired to rock out as shamelessly as she did in her fully exposed stomach ever since.
This matters to me: I don’t think she was pregnant. And I feel that means she didn’t need a pregnancy as “excuse” to know she’s entitled to proudly showing off her belly.
Btw, I think we’ve got to depict bellies as a sexy part of the body more. Even on abs, imo, a little pudge can look nice.
When I started visiting gay bathhouses, the best piece of advice I got from a regular there to not feel intimidated or insecure was to focus on what I liked about myself and have confidence in that. And it really helped. I now feel completely confident walking around nude in front of societal-standard-“hotter” guys because I know for damn sure that a lot of them are jealous about a few aspects of my body even if I could stand to lose a little weight.