Looking less than what you weigh?

nataliecg926
nataliecg926 Posts: 82 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone else feel like they look less than what they weigh? I know people say weight is just a number and doesn't have to mean "all that" but I weighed myself recently and I am 274 lbs at 5'5 and I don't feel like I weigh THAT much. I thought I was 250 lbs and someone said that I looked like I weighed less and turns out I actually weigh MORE. I tell people my goal is to lose 125 pounds and they look at me like I'm crazy..anybody else experience this?
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Replies

  • nataliecg926
    nataliecg926 Posts: 82 Member
    I took this photo this month and I'm 274 pounds at 5'5 if anyone is wonderingz3bjwd5y917c.jpg
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
    Yes, but I attribute it largely to my height and my proportions. I'm 5'9" and people are floored when I say that I'm over 200 pounds. I carry my weight pretty evenly, so i'm not obviously larger in one spot than another.

    I do agree with posters above that our perception of what is overweight is pretty distorted by the people around us, and the fact that so many people are overweight.
  • nataliecg926
    nataliecg926 Posts: 82 Member
    I probably do look my weight, just have a skewed idea of what weight actually looks like because everyone always underestimates I think
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    People have no idea what different weights look like. I'd never try to guess someone's weight unless they were pretty close to my height and build (and even then I wouldn't say anything). So I guess I'd never ask someone if they thought I looked a particular weight or expect them to be able to answer in a meaningful way.

    Curious, OP, what difference it makes. Are you worried about goal weight? If so I'd say it's premature.
  • Bekah7482
    Bekah7482 Posts: 246 Member
    Everyone carries their weight differently. I know people who are close to my height and weigh 100+ lbs less than me and I wear a smaller size then them.
  • nataliecg926
    nataliecg926 Posts: 82 Member
    I guess I'm just daunted by how far my journey is when previously I didn't think I had this far to go, although I mostly just want to get under 200 and go from there
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    lulalacroix wrote: »
    My family always says that I don't look fat, when in fact I am obese. I just always think they're trying to be nice.

    Same here. I'm 4'11 and 148. I'm obese because of my height and small frame. I should be somewhere around 94-115 lbs is what they say on here. Everyone tells me I don't look that overweight.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    A lot of people are shocked if I tell them my actual weight. Most of it is a combination of how I carry my weight (I always seem to stay proportional at any weight and gain/lose all over, not in one spot) and being able to wear clothes that make me look slimmer because of those proportions.
  • Bekah7482
    Bekah7482 Posts: 246 Member
    nataliecg926 wrote: »
    I guess I'm just daunted by how far my journey is when previously I didn't think I had this far to go, although I mostly just want to get under 200 and go from there

    Dont make goals based solely on the number on the scale. Stick with your goal of 200 and re-evaluate when you get there. I am more focused on getting to a certain size then I am a certain weight. The scale is not good at gauging how big you are. Remember Dwayne Johnson is obese based on the scale.
  • DietPrada
    DietPrada Posts: 1,171 Member
    I'm 5'10" and was 123kg at my heaviest. That's fat. But I was also active, horse-riding and whatnot, and I have a big solid frame and I didn't look that fat, even looking back at pictures. Funny thing though, I'm 86kg now and I don't see any difference in the mirror.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I thought I had 40-50lbs to lose. I lost that and adjusted it down another 20-30. I might yet adjust it down again. I do think I'm a little smaller than others my weight but I was an athlete (gymnast for 9 years, then dance college for over 2 years) so probably have more lean mass than someone without my background. But truly I won't know until I get to the aesthetic I'm after what weight I "should" be!
  • nataliecg926
    nataliecg926 Posts: 82 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Bekah7482 wrote: »
    nataliecg926 wrote: »
    I guess I'm just daunted by how far my journey is when previously I didn't think I had this far to go, although I mostly just want to get under 200 and go from there

    Dont make goals based solely on the number on the scale. Stick with your goal of 200 and re-evaluate when you get there. I am more focused on getting to a certain size then I am a certain weight. The scale is not good at gauging how big you are. Remember Dwayne Johnson is obese based on the scale.

    I don't think OP has quite as much muscle as dwayne Johnson...


    lol I never said I was muscular
  • Bekah7482
    Bekah7482 Posts: 246 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Bekah7482 wrote: »
    nataliecg926 wrote: »
    I guess I'm just daunted by how far my journey is when previously I didn't think I had this far to go, although I mostly just want to get under 200 and go from there

    Dont make goals based solely on the number on the scale. Stick with your goal of 200 and re-evaluate when you get there. I am more focused on getting to a certain size then I am a certain weight. The scale is not good at gauging how big you are. Remember Dwayne Johnson is obese based on the scale.

    I don't think OP has quite as much muscle as dwayne Johnson...

    True, but the point still stands that the scale can be a liar. Going solely based on the scale and BMI chart doesnt not necessarily indicate your health. Being a little heavier because of muscle mass and weight distribution isnt a bad thing. Point is, dont focus on only the number.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    I have been told I look a lot smaller than what I weigh but it would definitely depend on height and overall body composition too.

    There ARE people who can weigh more and look smaller due to low bodyfat and a large amount of muscle. It would also depend on what type of clothing you are wearing at the moment. If you are wearing a flattering outfit that diverts attention from certain areas, you can definitely look smaller than what you weigh.
  • firead
    firead Posts: 56 Member
    From the pic you posted, I would have guessed you weighed less, because I feel like I looked a lot heavier at the same weight, with 5 inches more height. But this might be because my perception is skewed as well.
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,669 Member
    nataliecg926 wrote: »
    I guess I'm just daunted by how far my journey is when previously I didn't think I had this far to go, although I mostly just want to get under 200 and go from there

    This is very common. I've felt the same way. As I lose, my perception of what's possible changes. Initially I just wanted to hit 200. Then I thought 185 would be ok. Now I'm thinking maybe 170. It doesn't seem so impossible anymore.

    I find it's most helpful to set goals in this format: "I will [do something specific] until I reach [a measurable target], and then we'll see what comes next." Set a goal for now that you feel is achievable, and when you reach it, re-assess.
  • GreenMage180
    GreenMage180 Posts: 7 Member
    Clothing size can really matter also. If you have clothes that fit that are different day after day.. use that as a guide as well.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    nataliecg926 wrote: »
    I guess I'm just daunted by how far my journey is when previously I didn't think I had this far to go, although I mostly just want to get under 200 and go from there

    A couple of things in this regard...

    For one, don't make the scale your singular focus. Losing weight and getting to a healthy weight/BF% is great, but there is so much more to your health and general well being. Put your focus on your health...improving your nutrition...upping your fitness, etc. It's a process and a big part of it is learning. It is very helpful to establish goals that are outside of simply losing weight and the number on the scale.

    As scale goals go, the big picture can be daunting...so make it a smaller picture. Also, something I always told myself was, "the time is going to pass either way...what do I want to do with that time?" I took my scale goals in chunks...200 was my first...190 was my second...180 was my third and that's when I went to maintenance.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    The prevalence of obesity has warped many of our views on what is a healthy weight vs overweight vs obese. Most people are also terrible at judging size. We tell people to weigh their peanut butter. A person is a lot bigger than 2T of peanut butter. The variation between what we think people weigh and what they actually weigh is bound to be off by quite a lot, numbers-wise.

    Yep this.
  • SierraFatToSkinny
    SierraFatToSkinny Posts: 463 Member
    I wear my weight well.

    z2igrsg60cjy.jpeg

    280's vs. 260's.
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