Body- conscious reader doesn’t want to wear a bathing suit

DEAR HARRIETTE: Summer is here, which means it’s bathing suit season. I’ve always strug- gled with my body image. I grew up overweight, so I got used to hiding my body in sweatshirts and sweatpants. But now with the heat, my old tricks won’t work, and I am forced to confront one of my biggest fears: my body.

When I think of putting on a swimsuit, I feel like I am putting all my insecurities on display for the world to see. I normally would just avoid all situa- tions where I would have to wear a bathing suit, but my friend recently moved into a house with a pool. She keeps inviting me and my friends over to swim. By not going, I feel left out. I just am not comfortable wearing a bathing suit. What should I do? — Swimsuit Season

DEAR SWIMSUIT SEASON: For starters, there are all kinds of swimsuits. I feel confident that you can find one that is flattering to your figure. There are tankinis with tops that can be somewhat loose-fitting, matched with all kinds of bottoms, including athletic shorts. Look online for options in your size. There are more choices today than ever. When you find a suit that fits you well, it will give you more confidence.

Next, jump in the water when you get to your friend’s. You don’t have to sit around tanning. Be the girl in the pool. You can splash around, cool off and draw less attention to your body.

When you are out of the pool, you don’t have to wear a swimsuit. Plenty of people go to pool parties and wear street clothes. T-shirts and shorts work fine when you don’t plan to take a dip.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am working on starting a podcast targeted specifically to STEM majors. The podcast began as an extra credit project for school, but all my friends and peers suggested taking the show public. I’ve prerecorded the first few episodes with my co-host, who is also a STEM major. My non-STEM friends are begging me to interview them as well. How do I tell them that they can’t be on my show unless they are in the same field of study? I don’t want them to feel left out, and I don’t want them to feel like I don’t value them. — Aerospace Engineer

DEAR AEROSPACE ENGINEER: Thank your friends for their support
of your podcast. Invite them to take a listen so that they get a sense of what you are doing. Feel free to tell them that, at least for now as you are developing your podcast, that the type of guest you are looking to interview is someone specifically interested in science, technology, engineering and math. Be sure to acknowledge that this doesn’t mean that other areas of interest aren’t good. It just means that your show’s focus is limited to these categories.

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharri- ette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.