Research tells us there are 300 million people in the U.S., give or take a few. I also have been reading that 103 million or so of them are overweight women - that's a lot of women!
Thirty years ago I weighed over 300 pounds and I clearly remember seeing those around me as thin and skinny. I stuck out like a sore thumb because of my size. Now it is common to see many overweight people around.
I work with overweight people everyday, and it is clear to me that being a few pounds overweight does not mean you are unfit or unhealthy. In fact just the opposite. Just because one is thin, skinny, or wears a single digit size clothes does not guarantee good health.
Good health and fitness comes from a lifestyle of good nutrition and exercise 3-5 times a week.
We have been taught to think that larger women, who do not fit the 'Hollywood' mold, are hopeless in their quest to look and feel better simply because we are not emaciated. I am a clear example of this. I began my journey at a size 24, and today I am a healthy, fit and fabulous size 12. If that means plus size, then so be it. I am happier today, and I look and feel better than ever.
You can feel and look better too and still be curvy and shapely. What matters is a healthy lifestyle, not sitting home on the couch wishing you were a size 2 - you will probably never get there.
But, you can feel good about you by taking your life into your own hands, and not buying into what this society thinks you should be. Take one step at a time and work it!
I know I will probably be flamed for this comment, but here it goes.
I wear a size 4. That doesn't mean that I am naturally lucky and skinny. I work out and watch what I eat every day. Everyone in my family is overweight and I have had to fight this genetic disposition my whole life. I don't starve, nor am I perfect. This weight is just where I can stay without feeling deprived or tired all the time.
Please don't assume I am judging you by your weight, I am not. I think God made us in all shapes and sizes. It has also been proven that "overweight" people are actually longer-lived than very thin people.
But also don't judge me by my weight. I get tired of the posts that imply that by being my size I am starving myself or I am "emaciated". I also feel that I am still shapely and womanly.
Please try to appreciate yourself for who you are, and your body for what it can do. Being happy with yourself no matter what size includes us who are thin also.
And for those who will say I am some twenty-something who doesn't know about life; I am a mother of four and I gained and lost 60 pounds with each child.
ReplyI really don't think this was a personal attack on thin people. At least I didn't see it that way and I'm a size 2. I think Debra is just pointing out that while morbid obesity may be unhealthy, simply being larger and curvier than what society considers 'ideal' is not unhealthy. Women come in all shapes and sizes and we should each strive to have our own 'ideal'.
Congrats to you on the post pregnancy weight loss! 4 kids! You must be a very busy lady!! ;)
ReplyThe way I see it is that in a lot of respects body type/size is like hair color or shoe size. Not everyone was ment to be the same size or small. Just like you mentioned that you were fighing the genetics of your family.
If you took 2 women who were both 24 years old and 5'3" and you placed them on the same diet and exercise plan for a year and after that year one woman was a size 6 and the other a size 14 then chances are the size 14 woman is naturally that way.
If she "super dieted" to make it to a size 6, just because she did it on exercise and eating three meals a day instead of what we would term an "eating disorder" that doesn't mean she isn't going against her body's natural chemistry.
I'd love to see a certain shoe size come into vogue so that I can witness women having their feet chopped down. Because that's what it comes down to.
ReplyPlease define "good nutrition".
ReplyI definitely know skinny people that are not healthy & their body fat is high. Being thin & wearing a small size does not mean healthy for sure. Plus people that are a little overweight can certainly be healthier than others too.
Like above, I wear a size 4 or 6 depending BUT I weigh around 117 due to muscle weight.. so, although I may look thin to some, when the arms are bare, they can see that I am not starving myself & I don't!
If you feel good about yourself & are healthy in general, the size should not matter. I agree with Shauna above... simply being larger and curvier than what society considers 'ideal' is not unhealthy. Women come in all shapes and sizes and we should each strive to have our own 'ideal'.
ReplyWhen I fit into size 4-6 I tend to weigh in the high 130s-low 140s. We are all built differently.
ReplyYour specific size doesn't matter, but I think a lot of people use that belief, that your size matters less than your habits, to simply perpetuate the idea body size doesn't matter, period. But it's wonderful to hear that you've found a way to become healthy and happy with your body and where you are now. I think it's a state that many people never manage to reach.
ReplyI used to be overweight and although I wasn't exactly "unhealthy", I wasn't in my ideal condition for my frame size. Once I lost weight and got in shape, I got down to my ideal size and now I'm in the best shape I've ever been in. I'm currently a size 0-2, but I'm very muscular and, like Jody, I weigh more than people think I do. I do have to work a little to maintain my size, but yeah, you can be skinny-fat and be a size 0. Or you can be a size 8 or 10 and be in fantastic shape...it all depends.
ReplyThank you for posting this! I am just beginning my better health journey, and I know I will never be the "correct" weight for my height. I am short (5'3"), but with broad shoulders and hips and a very large bust. I may end up at a weight that is higher than society's "ideal", but if it is healthy for me, that shouldn't matter.
ReplyI understand the point you are making. Everyone is built different. I myself am a size 3 to 4 at 137 lbs and standing 5'2. No one can guess my weight if I ask. I used to compare myself to others my height but realized that my frame and muscle mass puts me in a little higher weight. After having my first child a year ago (last weighin before birth was 205 with a 9 1/2 lb baby) I thought Id never fit into my old clothes. I realized though I need to be happy without starving myself to fit a certain mindset I had. I changed my diet and started working out. (Change of diet as in fruits, whole grains, good fats, protien and veggies, I was on the www.1stpersonaldiet.com) I have managed to fit back into my old clothes along with gaining the self confidence that I look good even though the numbers aren't what I want. There will never be a size zero for me nor 120 lb weight or under. Keep up the confidence, working out and eating right. You in the end will feel better and look better than even some that are of a small built and size. Good Luck!
ReplyDress sizes are now meaningless due to "vanity sizing", a trick which involves putting a smaller size label on larger clothing. The British Standards Institute has drafted a brilliant solution. The new labels, described under BS-EN13402, have a pictogram with actual measurements in centimeters. Work began on the standard in 1996, and was ready for publication in 2003. The pictogram and the use of metric units were decided on from the beginning to ensure maximum intelligibility worldwide. The pictogram was decided on to deal with the multitude of languages, as well as for use in areas with a low literacy rate. Metric was chosen as it is the system used by 95% of the world's population.
ReplyI like that idea. Another thing you can do is look at the sizing chart of an online or catalogue retailer.
Ya I have been everywhere from a size 10 to nearly a 20 in my adult years. And I have worked in retail during most of it.
When you have to start shopping in plus size stores and departments, then I think thats when a lot of people wake up because they actually have to start shopping at different places.
Now that I am down to a 14-16 I enjoy being on the fence because the line between fat and thin is kind of blured. It's not so much an issue. I shop at Victoria's Secret and I shop at Lane Bryant.
And I try to remember that there are women hurting on both sides of the "fence". That's something that I would like to see come to an end.
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