Do I see myself SKINNIER than I really am???!?!

I am 5'3 and weight 135 pounds. While I want to lose a few pounds (like 7), I don't actually look bad to myself. But then in magazines when I see people who are my weight, or sometimes even less, they look overweight to me. What is going on here??!?!

Mon. Jun 11, 7:56pm

a lot can depend on the bone structure

Monday, June 11, 2007, 8:04 PM

what is the height/weight of you out there, and what size do you wear? i bet there are tons of variations!

Monday, June 11, 2007, 8:12 PM

LOL I call that "reverse anorexia", where I see myself as being thinner than I really am. The litmus test is to have someone take candid pictures of you and see if they look like you _think_ you look like. If not, it's a perception issue that you can work on. That said, there are many ways to look at a certain height and weight. Muscle takes up less space, pound for pound, than fat, so you can be very physically dense and look more slender than someone of the same height and weight who is more "fluffy".

Monday, June 11, 2007, 8:25 PM

I was 5'1" and 127 lbs when I started on here, so pretty similar to you. I thought, at most, I could lose 5lbs; I thought I'd be too skinny if I lost more. I'm now down to 113 lbs, and I know I look great, but I want to get to 110 lbs now.

I'm pretty curvy, and my stomach was always pretty flat. I had/have big boobs and hips and a well-defined waist. I put on all that weight over many years, and never noticed it (I weighed more than I do now when I was in high school!) I didn't look fat to myself or anyone else, really, but I knew I could afford to lose just a few.

My advice - take measurements now, and pictures - yourself in a bikini is best, but anything where you really see your shape. Then lose the 7lbs you want to lose, and do it again. That'll give you a perspective on whether you want to lose more then or not. And the pic now will show you where any problem areas may be. If you think your pic looks fabulous, then you're not too heavy! And you're very lucky - not many people can see a pic of themselves that really shows their shape, and be truly happy with it!!

jilli10582

Monday, June 11, 2007, 8:36 PM

I don't know what it is, but for me when I see someone who is my height and weight (5'2'' 130 lbs) they look FABULOUS, and I wish to god I looked like them, but I look chubbier. It's not in my head either!! I've asked others for an honest opinion, and they do say I look bigger. WHAT GIVES?!

Monday, June 11, 2007, 9:06 PM

I have always believed that there exists some 5'2 vortex wherein some people look skinny at a given weight and others look less skinny at the same weight. go figure. CGS

Monday, June 11, 2007, 9:26 PM

It really is a fat/muscle thing.

While in the process of gaining weight, I was the weight I am now - and a size larger (size 14 v. 12). I was getting sporadic exercise while fattening up, but now I've had a 5-6x a week habit for a year and a half. So just as I was beginning to think that exercise might be better for weight maintenance than weight loss, I start to see the rewards :)

Monday, June 11, 2007, 10:57 PM

I've always looked lighter than my true weight due to the way my body builds muscle. The more muscle you carry, the denser (and heavier) you are-- you may look leaner, but weigh more...

I now go more by the fit of my clothing than just by the scale alone...

Tuesday, June 12, 2007, 12:32 PM

The camera adds 10

The right lighting and camera angle can make anyone look fabulous. And the reverse is true, too, and generally the camera does add weight (which makes me wonder how flippin' skinny Kelly Ripa really IS - EEK.) Remember all the attention Renee Zellweger got for 'packing on the pounds' for Bridget Jones - and she did look chubby on screen and in pics, but I think she only got up to 135! I'm sure she's petite, so that makes a difference - and she probably did have to pack on 30+ pounds to get there. ha

I think I look okay at 5'3" @ 122 (I've got the mommy pooch -arrrgh), but if I see myself in pictures - UGH!!! Now, I admit that these 5-7 pounds I'd like to lose are primarily vanity pounds - I have no health issues related to my weight- but EVERYTHING fits and feels better when I'm around 115-117.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007, 5:40 PM

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