Ask a Boudoir Photographer: “Should I lose weight before my boudoir photoshoot?"
Do You Need to Lose Weight Before a Boudoir Session?
Question:
“Hi Chicago Boudoir, I have a question. I’ve been thinking about doing a boudoir photoshoot for a while now, but I keep telling myself I need to lose weight first. I don’t feel confident in my body right now, and I worry that I won’t look good in the photos. Do women usually wait until they lose weight before booking a boudoir session?”
Answer from Chicago Boudoir:
One of the most common things women say when they start thinking about booking a boudoir photography session in Chicago is, “I would love to do this, but I need to lose some weight first.”
If you have ever had that thought, you are definitely not alone. Many women feel like they need to reach a certain size or version of themselves before they are “ready” for a boudoir photoshoot.
But the truth is that boudoir is not about being a certain size. It is about celebrating yourself exactly as you are right now.
Plus Size Boudoir Photography & Beauty at Every Size
At Chicago Boudoir Photography, we photograph women of all sizes, including curvy and plus size boudoir women from across Chicago and the North Shore.
Boudoir photography is not reserved for one specific body type. Beauty exists in every shape, every curve, and every stage of life.
Over the years, I have photographed women of many different body types, and every single one of them brought something unique and beautiful to their session. Confidence, personality, softness, strength, elegance. Those things are not determined by a number on a scale.
Boudoir is about highlighting what already makes you beautiful.
The Camera Is Not Here to Judge You
Many women worry about how they will look in photos because we are often our own harshest critics. We focus on the things we wish we could change and assume the camera will highlight those insecurities.
A skilled boudoir photographer does the opposite.
Through professional lighting, expert posing, camera angles, and years of boudoir photography experience, I guide you into positions that flatter your body and highlight your best features. Small adjustments in posture, hand placement, and angles can completely transform how an image looks.
Most women are surprised by how incredible they look in their final images.
You Do Not Need to Change Your Body to Deserve This Experience
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “I will do this once I lose weight.”
But many women spend years waiting for that future version of themselves. Life gets busy, time passes, and the experience keeps getting pushed further away.
You do not need to change your body to deserve this experience. You deserve to celebrate yourself exactly as you are today.
Confidence Is Not a Size
Boudoir photography is about confidence, not measurements.
Some of the most powerful and beautiful sessions I have photographed have been with women who once believed they were “too curvy” or “not the right body type” for boudoir.
By the end of their session, many of those same women are smiling, laughing, and seeing themselves in a completely new light.
Your Body Is Worth Celebrating Today
Your body has carried you through life. Whether you are a mom, recently divorced, over 40, celebrating weight loss, or simply learning to love yourself again, your story deserves to be celebrated.
You do not need to wait for a future version of yourself to experience that.
Boudoir is about embracing who you are right now and allowing yourself to see the beauty that already exists within you. When women finally take that step, many say the same thing afterward.
They wish they had done it sooner.
Schedule Your Complimentary Boudoir Consultation in Chicago
If you have been thinking about doing a boudoir photoshoot, this might be the sign you have been waiting for. Many women spend months or even years thinking about it before finally taking the first step.
The good news is that you do not have to figure everything out on your own. The first step is simply starting a conversation.
We offer a complimentary boudoir consultation where we can talk about your ideas, answer questions about posing, outfit options, body confidence concerns, and walk you through what to expect during your Chicago boudoir photography experience. There is no pressure at all. It is simply a chance to see if this experience feels right for you.
Call or text us at 312-425-2946 to schedule your complimentary consultation. We would love to help you start planning your session.
Monique’s Story: “I Thought I Was Too Fat to Do a Boudoir Photoshoot”
For years I believed boudoir was something meant for women with a certain kind of body.
You know the type you see in magazines or on Instagram. Flat stomach, tiny waist, perfect curves in all the “right” places.
That has never been my body.
I’ve always been a bigger woman. I carry weight in my stomach and hips, and for most of my life I’ve felt very aware of it. When friends would talk about boudoir photoshoots or I’d see them online, my first thought was always the same: That would never work for me.
In my mind, boudoir was something you did after you lost weight.
But the truth is, I’ve been telling myself I was “going to lose weight first” for years.
One night I was scrolling online and came across Chicago Boudoir. What caught my attention was that the women in the photos didn’t all look the same. Some were curvy, some were petite, some were tall, some were plus size.
It made me pause.
I started reading some of the recent testimonials and realized a lot of women had the exact same fear I did: that their body wasn’t “right” for boudoir.
Eventually I decided to reach out just to ask about it.
Liz’s response immediately put me at ease. She told me that a lot of women feel nervous about their bodies before their session and that posing and lighting make a huge difference in how the body photographs.
More importantly, she said something that stuck with me: boudoir isn’t about hiding your body, it’s about celebrating it.
So I decided to book the session.
Walking into the studio that day, I was definitely nervous. I kept thinking about my stomach and wondering if it would look obvious in every photo.
But Liz guided me through everything. She showed me exactly how to pose, where to place my arms, how to shift my hips, and even small details like where to turn my chin.
Within a few minutes I started to relax.
By the middle of the session, something really surprising happened. I stopped thinking about my size. I was just having fun.
When I saw the photos later, I honestly got emotional.
I didn’t see a woman who was “too big.” I saw beautiful curves, soft lighting, and a confident woman who looked powerful and feminine.
It was the first time in a long time that I looked at photos of myself and felt proud instead of critical.
Looking back, I’m so glad I didn’t wait to lose weight first.
Because if I had kept waiting for the “perfect body,” I might never have done it at all.
And it turns out my body was worthy of being celebrated exactly as it is.
Ask a Boudoir Photographer Series
This article is part of our Ask a Boudoir Photographer series. Many women have questions, concerns and hesitations before booking something as personal a boudoir photoshoot, and that’s completely normal. In this series we answer questions that real Chicago women ask us all the time about boudoir photography. If you’d like to read more in this series, you can explore other questions and answers here. And if you have a question of your own, please text us at 312-425-2946 or email it to hello@chicago-boudoir.com.