Sexpert Q & A: Feeling Self-Conscious During Sex

Dear Dr. Y,
I am so self-conscious about my body that I can’t get out of my head enough during sex to orgasm. I worry about what my partner might be thinking about - all of the imperfections and squishy parts - instead of about my pleasure. What do I do about this head game?
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
Socialization and habit dictate the positive and negative response you’re having to your own body. Undoing these notions can be a challenge, but yoga, therapy, massage and other naturopathic/holistic exercises and treatments can be excellent tools for getting comfortable in your skin and accepting yourself as a beautiful living specimen.
You can also take on this head game by standing in front of the mirror after your next shower. Take a deep breath as you look at each body part as objectively as possible. Watch for programmed responses and move past them by letting go of them. Acknowledge and accept each part of your whole without judging. Labels are so harsh, and can impede your ability to realize that, for example, a potbelly is just a belly - not good or bad, merely a belly.
If you still feel terribly self-conscious post-body and soul work, a trainer might be able to help you design an exercise program to trim down, bulk up or change your overall appearance. But make sure you do it for you – to feel better about your figure. Learning to love your self in is a vital part of a fulfilled life, not limited to the realm of sexual satisfaction. Self-love is the cornerstone to being fully capable of loving anyone else.
Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”
Tags: belly, body, deit, exercise, labels, massage, self-conscious, sex, trainer, Yvonne Kristin Fulbright
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turn the lights out.
Excellent advice. Confidence is a woman’s sexiest “part”.
I FOUND NO VALUE TO THIS ARTICLE. IT IS ALOT SIMPLER THEN GOING TO YOGA OR TO THE GYM! IF YOU ARE WITH YOUR PARTNER WETHER ITS THE FIRST TIME OR U R MARRIED AND MAYBE PUT ON A LITTLE WEIGHT…IF THEY ARE HAVING INTERCOURSE WITH U IT IS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO AND LIKE IT. BELIEVE ME THE LAST THING A GUY IS THINKING ABOUT WHEN HE IS IN THE “MOTION” :0) IS A FEW CELULITE BUBBLES OR BOOBS THAT AREN’T SUPER PERKY OR HECK EVEN A LITTLE AROUND THE WAIST LINE. ACTUALLY MEN WOULD BE MORE TURNED OFF IF U ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF SELF-CONCIOUSNESS OR DON’T WANT TO DO A CERTAIN POSITION BECAUSE U DON’T LIKE UR BACK SIDE. SO BASICALLY SHAKE WHAT UR MOMA GAVE U AND IF U CAN’T GET TO A GYM OR A YOGA CLASS HAVE A SHOT OR 2 OF UR FAVORITE LIQUOR TO LOOSEN U UP A BIT! REMEMBER DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE ;0) TOODLES
please your spouse that is all thay want,male or female and do anything you are comfortable with to please them and they will be happy..It is a give and take to make a good a good union..
I’ve found that women are much harder on their bodies than men are…men are just thrilled at the site of a naked woman; she doesn’t have to be perfect.
Until you get fit exercising, go purchase some erotic lingerie like sleepwear with exposed nipples,crotchless panties,etc. He will want to eat you up and you’ll probably soak the sheets! Do it today!
You are so right Jillian. I wish my wife would realize what you just said is so true. Our sex life would be much better if she could.
Dear Dr. Y,
I have read that sex and orgasms can improve one’s health and prolong lifespan. I am in a loveless, sexless marriage - no different than women who are single, widowed or divorced. I’m in my mid-50’s and I masterbate to orgasm almost every night. Does this have the same health benefits as having sex and orgasm with a partner? I have had this question for some time, but I didn’t know who to ask for the answer.
For me, I’ve noticed that my tast in women has changed as I’ve matured. I can honistly say that perky breast while still attractive visually are not what I am attracted to. I don’t like the lean lanky look that younger women have but instead prefer the curves and sexual expertise that only time and experiance can bring to the bed. Men, look in the mirror and see only the muscles and the good looking man before them, while women look in the mirror and see only the imperfections that are completely invisable to us. Tust me. Been married 25 years and I wouldnt change a thing or wish for a younger woman. The sex gets better with each passing year and when the kids are gone…..look out.
To get a better answer to your question, ask a real doctor. This person only wants to exploit sex as a tool and has no morals towards anyone. You should be ashammed of yourself for teaching this trash.
How does someone submit a question? I can’t figure it out.
My question for Dr Fulbright is this:
I want to get laser hair removal, in particular for hair on my legs, butt and groin area for my wife. My concern is what benefit this body hair provides me. I am a soldier and am routinely required to run, march, and do other physical activity, often in extreme heat and I am concerned that the hair prevents chaffing or provides some other important benefit. Thanks.
Excellent post, ma’am. So much of what women feel today about their bodies is tied to the media—and it is an inacurrate, delusive image. A somewhat-overweight-yet-confident woman is much more of a turn-on to a man than a stuck-up woman who can’t pass by a mirror without checking her make-up or hair. A woman who knows her body, knows what to do with it and is unashamed of being forward with her man about what she wants will herself end up much more satisfied in the end. My wife has needed to lose 30-40lbs since our 3rd child, but still knows how to get me going when she puts her mind to it. My goal is to see her satisfied–and in the end, I end up satisfied in return.
Wait a second here. The problem here is not simply that “society expects a girl to look like Barbie.” The problem is that when a woman has a “partner” instead of a “husband,” the ordinary progress of a relationship is inverted. Instead of commitment from a husband being followed by the full exposure of sex, the full exposure of sex is seen as a way to “earn” commitment.
In other words, what should be a wonderful celebration of love becomes, to a degree, an algebra test. The woman needs to lose her “partner” and wait for a “husband” who knows that his vows ought to mean something, even when wrinkles form and breasts sag.
Please people this “comfortable” with yourself and / or your partner is a crock. Women are usually uncomfortable in the nude period but the extra pounds compound this 100 times over. Men find this funny so they comment on how “fat” you are and cannot understand why you don’t run jump in the bed at any given moment. Being with one partner for a long time makes no difference at all either - I have been in this relationship for 11 years and the one prior to this was 13 years. I never grew “comfortable” in the nude ever and never lost modesty (worsened as I grew older). I must agree with the first commenter - turn the lights off and hope for the best. First insult, get up and leave. They will learn to keep the mouth shut or do without….which is what women want anyway.
I am a female who enjoys intercourse with other females…in other words I’m a lesbian. I can’t speak for men of course, but I do have to say that personally I find women with curves much more attractive than those who are lean and lanky. In my opinion women are suppose to be sensual and soft and this is what I find attractive. I agree with the comment that pretty much stated that “if you’re having intercourse it’s because the other person wants to be there.” I know in my relationship there are times when my lover is self-conscious about her body, and I just do all I can to reassure her that she is attractive. I fully believe that women need reassurance when it comes to how they look and feel and something as simple as telling them just how beautiful they look while you are making love can allow them to release their inhibitions and enjoy love making on a deeper level. Turning out the lights seems like the easiest solution but not always the right choice, leaving the lights on allows you and your lover to experience each other in different ways that you aren’t able to do in the dark, you are able to use all of your senses and this can lead to heightened experiences. Women are gorgeous, no matter what their body shape or size, curves are part of what makes up a womans body and personally I think the more curves the better.
My husband tells me all the time that I am great in bed. I correct him and tell him WE are great in bed. I have never smelled or tasted anyone, touched anyone, been with anyone who turns me on more than he does. We started out twenty plus years ago, then went our separate ways and got married six years ago. Obviously we don’t look like we used to. He has me convinced that he can’t tell the difference, and I feel the same way. At 52 what would I want with a kid? No thanks!
You have to make love all the time - literally and figuratively. Tell each other what you are thinking and feeling, help and support each other, and most of all, be intimately connected. To us that means sharing faith, values, our home, and putting each other first. Everybody loves a compliment so if you are thinking it, then SAY it!
I have a drawer with sexy bras and underwear in it and he will ask me to put on this or that. I don’t always feel like I look the way I wish I did in this stuff, but I also know one day I did and he likes me in it now as much as he did in 1986. What a deal that is - for both of us! We laugh and enjoy ourselves. He thanks me - THANKS ME - for doing these little things that mix it up, and I tell him that I see no reason why I wouldn’t! I love him, it makes him excited and happy and I see it as insurance that he’s not going anywhere else. Ladies, get over yourselves!
I THINK JUST BE HAPPY WITH WHO YOU ARE AND IT WILL ALL FALL IN PLACE