Friday, 18 June 2010
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Chub Rub: Friend or Foe?
Last summer, I was introduced to “chub rub.”
I was at the beach with my family. My sister, my cousin, and I took a dip in the ocean and then I suggested that we take a walk. Apparently, this was a ludicrous idea – taking a walk after going in the ocean?! ABSURD. But why?
“Chub rub,” they said in unison.
Apparently, when your thighs are wet and rub together, they can chafe and cause an uncomfortable rash (sorry for the vulgar image, but it is necessary to fully convey this topic).
Now I must note (not only because they may stumble upon this article, but also because it’s only fair) that neither my sister nor my cousin are “chubby.” They just happen to fall victim to the “the rub,” as I’ve come to call it.
Luckily, my sister had a handy bottle of baby powder in her beach bag. Baby powder is a dependable preventative against chub rub (it is also a remedy for greasy hair…but I’ll have to save “the wonders of baby power” for another post). Note: My extensive research led me to other remedies for chub rub, including deodorant, specially made "anti-chafing" lotions, and a lightweight, breathable panty for inner thigh coverage made by "Thigh Society."
As we walked down the beach, my sister and cousin smelling like a baby’s bottom (in a good, clean way), I couldn’t help but feel a sense pride and appreciation for my “chub rub-less-ness.” (It is important to note that at this time, I was not in the healthiest state of mind and a case of “chub rub” would probably throw me into a fit of obsessive anxiety).
And now I bring you to the present – yesterday afternoon. I was stranded at my house (my mom and my sister had the cars), so I decided to take a walk through my neighborhood (which is actually a conglomeration of interconnected and intertwining neighborhoods and cul-de-sacs – I’ve gotten lost quite a few times). It was pretty hot out, but I’m someone who usually does pretty well in the heat – the cold is another story. But to my surprise, I began sweating…and not just “glistening.” I was feeling drips of sweat cascade under my shirt, my palms were clammy, and I was constantly wiping my upper lip with the back of my hand. My legs were even sprinkled with beads of sweat. Now I know that everyone sweats, but this was a bit excessive for a casual walk.
Okay, here comes the climax of the story (I’m not writing this just to complain about the sweat dripping down my body, although that is quite an interesting topic in itself). I began to notice a strange sensation between my legs. (NO, I am not talking about my womanly nether regions, so guys, please keep reading!)
Could this be…no, it couldn’t…could it? Could I be falling victim to CHUB RUB?!?
I experimented with different types of walking to test if I was truly a chub rubber. I tried waddling like a penguin – this prevented the rubbing, but also brought on some weird looks from those around me. I tried dramatically swaying my hips, as if I were trying (much too hard) to walk with a sexy feminine grace – this exacerbated the rubbing.
So then I tried walking normally. My thighs did touch a bit, and there was a slight rubbing... but not enough to chafe or bring about a nasty rash. Could this be the beginning of the journey to chub rub? Or was this just a less extreme version of this irksome chafing?
I was filled with mixed emotions. You see, I am supposed to be gaining weight... so maybe this was a good thing. Maybe this was a sign that I was entering womanhood (finally). But then again, not all women fall victim to the rub, so could this be a sign of horrible things to come? I have always been a bit sensitive about my thighs, despite my mother’s assurance that they are long and lean and muscular and beautiful (but then again, she is my mom…she’s bound by motherhood to say that). But the fact that they could be connected to something with the name “chub” in it made me feel a little uneasy.
Lastly, I want to make a shout out to Jeffry Shoolbraid, an impressive football player and accomplished landscaper, who recently suffered a pretty serious bout of chub rub. His solution? Lotion and waddling. But I did hear he screamed like a baby when the lotion refused to stop stinging. Godspeed, Jeff -- our thoughts and good wishes go out to you and your suffering!
Do you experience “chub rub?” Is it such a bad thing, or is it a natural indication of a womanly figure?
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About the Author
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- From: lisastef
- Name: lisa
- About Me: if presented with a bowl of fortune cookies, i will open them until i get the fortune that i feel is most appropriate to my life. if presented with a computer, i will blog the hell out of it. i love writing & consider. i'm usually pretty funny, but if not, i'm at least fun to make fun of. if presented with a yoga mat, i will transform into a modern-day, female buddha. just kidding, but i am an avid "yogi" and spend about as much time on a yoga mat as i do on regular flooring. things i will never understand: bridges, the economy, & people who don't say thank you when you hold the door for them. things i hate: both the grenade horn & the "you're hot" whistle. [i prefer the silence of physical mediocrity.] things i love: genuinely nice people, wine, dark chocolate, extra crunchy peanut butter, designing nike shox, strangers who smile, & really cool little kids who aren't obnoxious. things i know: people are weird. [i realize i'm included in this.]
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Comments (67)
Oh yes! I do when I go swimming!
I'm a bit curvy around my bum and that so yeah not much I can do, but I refuse to go walking after a swim!
happens to me a lot
i have the worst fear of chub rub...and the worst way of getting rid of the chance i may get it too. xD
Body Glide. I wouldn't run nor hike without it.
I *always* get the chub rub. It's so annoying. I've taken to wearing pants almost all the time to avoid it.
@eighty__eightkeys@xanga - I had to check it out after you mentioned Body Glide- it has awesome reviews at rei.com. I'm going to order some, thank you for mentioning it! I love skirts, but hate the rash. :)
Definite foe. I get it and I hate it- it's the most uncomfortable thing!
yeah, i didn't think many people were "friends" of chub rub, but you never know.
Hopefully, I never will get chub rub. The closest thing I get to chub rub is when my skin is really dry in the winter and my clothes rub and irritated it. It happens all over my legs though.
oh god, i HATE it, i seriously have to wear shorts under skirts to avoid it! I will have to look into some of these remedies!
i've never heard of this happening except to really fat people. i've even been kinda chubby and never had a real problem with this..
news to me.
I haven't had chub rub in a few years, but yeah, it sucks! Compression shorts FTW.
I wouldn't want chub rub
Wow, I work out quite a bit but I can't say that I've ever experienced this. My thighs definitely rub against each other when I walk.. but not to the point where it's become painful, I guess.
When I was heavier (borderline obese), I once got chub rub so bad that my thighs actually bled! That was absolutely horrible and I had to start wearing shorts under skirts after that.
Now I am down to a healthy weight, my thighs just lightly brush each other when I walk, rather than slapping against each other like before. I stopped wearing shorts once my BMI dropped below about 27, because I no longer got a rash from the rubbing.
However, one of my biggest weight loss goals is to be able to walk without my thighs touching each other (and without waddling lol). I'm not sure how much more weight I will have to lose to achieve this (current BMI ~23), but I don't think it's too far off. And I can't wait :)
@Anna - wow, the bleeding chub rub sounds horrible!! good luck with your goal though...but just so you know, i'm considered underweight (working on gaining) and my thighs touch...so touching thighs are def not an indicator of being overweight...at least i don't think so.
@Anna - That happened to me, but it was because I had gotten my period during a half marathon and didn't realize it until the chafing started to kill. Afterwards, I looked and was bleeding from 2 places. Sucked.
I'm telling you, Body Glide is the ultimate solution. I am a runner and a normal, healthy weight, yet the way my flub is distributed causes my inner thighs to rub. It's not just an obese or overweight thing.
@lisastef - I'm going to try and stay in the normal weight category so if I get down to a BMI of 19-20 and they are still touching when I walk, I'll just have to accept it. But I am hopeful that I might be able to get them not to touch, as they only touch just a little bit now (I have huge thighs but I think my legs are spaced a bit far apart if that makes sense). Nowadays, my thighs definitely don't hurt anymore, even after a very long walk, so I'm grateful for that at the very least.
It's ironic that for you it's a positive sign that you are reaching a healthier weight, whereas for me it was always something that told me I desperately needed to lose weight (but I did get chafing pretty much every day, not just when my thighs were wet). Congrats on your gain btw :)
I only had the bleedy chub rub once, and to be fair it was a hot day, I'd been wearing skirts for several days in a row and getting normal chafing chub rub each time and I was doing at least an hour and a half of walking each day - so I don't think it would happen to many people (if I was sensible I would have just put a pair of trousers on instead!). Luckily it happened on the way back from work rather than going to work, so at least I could take a shower and wash the blood of my clothes without anyone knowing.
I've worn skirts and dresses pretty almost exclusively for about 5 years now, and I'm glad not to have the chafing anymore. The shorts option was a bit annoying as they added extra bulk and made my legs to hot (which isn't what you need on a boiling hot day). My sister told me about anti-chafing gel a little while ago, but I thought that it would be better to get down to a normal weight and address the root of the problem, rather than having to rub gel on my thighs everyday to treat the symptoms.
i get it just make me think i am fat :S
OMG IT HAS A NAME?!?!
wow... only in Fatass America.
Sorry, but my thighs don't touch and I don't chafe. hehehewwww...
I don't even wear a skirt or dress without shorts underneath. My thighs rub, always. They're my least favorite part of my body, even worse than my stomach. Most people have a little bit of a paunch, but thunder thighs? Harder to hide (I don't wear shorts or swimsuits) and just worse than belly fat.
I'm only 120 pounds and I get it, it's definitely not something reserved for the overweight. It sucks really bad =[
It hurts like hell!. I get it when i wear a skirt. my upper thighs rub together and OW! last for days. :(