Whether you're a serial hookup dating expert or a first date in a while: almost everyone experiences the first date jitters. Most importantly, no matter how well you know the other person, you can still experience the same tension. You might have been best friends with them for 10 years, or just happened to be paired up with them on a BBW dating app, and you might still look in the mirror after the worst and say, "oh god, I hope everything goes well."
Choose a safe public place for your first date.
No matter how you know or think you know another person based on your screening process, it's always important to choose a place to meet that is public, so choose a restaurant, coffee shop, or putt-putt course to be relatively familiar with and meet them instead of having them pick you up.
It's also a good idea to choose a place you know very well so you don't have to struggle with meeting new people and new foods. Also, a weekly walk to one of your favorite places can help calm you down.
Hug a circle of friends (at least on a first date).
Half the anxiety is self-generated pressure to find "romance" and the other half is the pressure not to face rejection, so think of curvy dating as if you're going out with a friend, not your super-hot co-worker. When we're with friends, we don't stress ourselves, we don't feel anxiety and fear. So tell yourself, I'm just going out with a friend. This helps you focus on being yourself, living in the moment, having fun, and not beating yourself up if things don't go well.
Plan before and after the date.
A first date is usually a meet and greet. You're not there to delve into each other's life stories (even if you already know theirs). You're here to evaluate whether there's a connection, and if you want to know if it's going to go any further, plan accordingly. Do something before a curvy date and plan after.
If you're super nervous, your "before" activity might be cleaning out your place or going to the gym.
In the latter case, make it fun, but also flexible. If you like the way things are going and want to extend the date, you want to cancel your plans, but if things aren't going well, you'll be glad you have an exit plan in place.
Limit your alcohol intake to one drink.
Most of us find that drinking makes things easier, so if you want to have a drink before a date, have a glass of wine or beer to make sure you don't go on the BBW date drunk. It also helps to stick to just one drink on a chubby date. You don't want to be obnoxious or do or say things you'll regret later.
Don't get too hung up on results.
We've all had great, average, and terrible first dates. If you follow all the Suggestions above, the worst that can happen is that you won't have a second date with them. You know what? It's no big deal. If you're worried about how the date is going, that it's not going to go, then you're too involved. Don't spend too much time thinking about it. Anyway, just relax and try to have fun. Even if the plus size date ends badly, at least you have a great story to tell your friends.