How do you "see" how thin you are?

intrepidelephant
intrepidelephant Posts: 100 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've gone from a size 27/28 (4/6) in jeans to a size 25/26 (0/2). I live in Toronto. I went to the mall yesterday and I still feel like I'm bigger than everyone else. Toronto women are thin in general. I see these skinny, small built (tiny shoulders/wrists/stringy arms) Chinese girls and am unhappy about my muscular Madonna arms -- which I get from my job -- and my wide shoulders. I know that I'm smaller than the vast majority of women, but I can't see it.

Replies

  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    The best thing you can do is to stop comparing yourself to other people.
  • lanajanewoolf
    lanajanewoolf Posts: 9 Member
    Perhaps it might help to google pictures of women who are your size / body shape. Or search for pictures of women who have "muscular madonna arms". It might help "normalise" your shape / size for you to view people / women who have a similar shape / size to you.
  • ChrissyC1985
    ChrissyC1985 Posts: 406 Member
    I know how you feel, I am small to medium sized frame but only 5"3'. here in the UK i wear sizes 6 and 8 which are generally the smallest the majority of shops stock.

    I see a lot of women with really tiny frames and think that they are far smaller than me, There are a great amount of women who are significantly larger than me as well,

    I find a lot of the long sleeved tops and shirts are not made to be comfortable on women with more muscular arms-if there are any i would love to know! I end up having to wear long sleeve tops/jumpers several sizes too big so i can have my upper arms comfortable in them.

    As for seeing how thin/small i am, I occasionally hold up an item of clothing and wonder how i can fit in that, then get amazed when i do.

    Honestly. you're doing great and for me, I would rather have the muscular arms and legs, if it means i can't fit in skinny jeans, i don't care- I rather be able to lift/push heavy weights than wear clothes i am not comfortable in.
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    Muscular Madonna arms?
    You got no fat on your arms? It's just muscle?

    Genetics baby.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    The best thing you can do is to stop comparing yourself to other people.

    QFT
  • caitconquersweight
    caitconquersweight Posts: 316 Member
    If you find out, please tell me. I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger than you (I'm a size US 16, down from 22), but there are times where I can't see the forest for the trees. I know that I am literally smaller than I used to be. I know how many inches I've lost, I know how much weight I've lost, I know that my body is smaller than it was. But I don't think my mind has caught up with my body.

    Have you visited mybodygallery.com? That might help you see your true size. You can search for people who have your height, weight, and body type.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I can't "see" what size I am at all. I'm currently a size 4 petite, but most of the time (when I actually think about it) I still think of myself as size 16.

    I agree with learning not to compare yourself though. Even at the same weight as those lightly-boned Asian women in Toronto, you'd have a whole different body shape, and look a whole lot stronger, less willowy and, quite frankly, beautifully Amazonian.
  • BeingHealthyMe
    BeingHealthyMe Posts: 3
    Looking at someone of my age and shape helps:)
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Spend a few days in Oklahoma. lol
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
    Why is it that you need to see how thin you are anyway?
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    I <3 madonna arms.
  • GibbsGirl13072
    GibbsGirl13072 Posts: 156 Member
    The best thing you can do is to stop comparing yourself to other people.

    ^^^ This. So much this.
  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
    Spend a few days in Oklahoma. lol

    You was wrong for that.

    Well you weren't, but you were.

    Lol
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Spend a few days in Oklahoma. lol

    You was wrong for that.

    Well you weren't, but you were.

    Lol

    Sorry!! haha

    Obviously you're not a part of that though, girl.
  • rosehips60
    rosehips60 Posts: 1,030 Member
    I know it's hard, I have the same problem. Sometimes it is easier to see in a photo, you could try that
  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
    Spend a few days in Oklahoma. lol

    You was wrong for that.

    Well you weren't, but you were.

    Lol

    Sorry!! haha

    Obviously you're not a part of that though, girl.

    hehe :) Not just OKL, but most of the entire south period. And most of the United States lol
  • vklass
    vklass Posts: 12 Member
    In a word, Dysmorphia, many people have this I do quite a bit I can't see my body how it is. So I choose to focus more on simply healthy and this helps more than any amount of weight loss, which by your numbers you don't need to do.

    Skinner does not necessarily mean more beautiful, some people like a little more some people a little less, but everyone finds healthy beautiful.

    If you focus on trying to increase speed or endurance or flexibility then you have goals other than your size and these goals are limitless so you will always have something to achieve. Eventually you train your brain to look at your body differently.
  • Oscarinmiami
    Oscarinmiami Posts: 326 Member
    I <3 madonna arms.
    your arms are awesome!
  • dedflwrs
    dedflwrs Posts: 251 Member
    I think most of us have a distorted idea of how we look. When I look at myself directly (that is, I lower my head and look at my body) I think I look kind of big. In the mirror I see myself as maybe average and then I see myself in pictures with other people and I look tiny (which everyone says I am) and anybody else I might be with looks like they normally look to me so I've concluded that's how I probably look. When feeling insecure I look at a group picture. I know it sounds silly but I feel like it gives me a very idea of reality.
  • Redheadllena
    Redheadllena Posts: 353 Member
    Try this out, it helps you get a "reality check" about how you really look vs. how you think you look. Someone else posted it on the forums a while back.

    Size Wise: Know Your Bodyshape
    www.marisota.co.uk/shop/freeformat/page.action?pageId=7758
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    Someone posted this the other day. Although I don't think you should be consumed with comparing yourself, I found it helpful. My body has changed a lot from weight loss and having kids so sometimes I think I see myself differently than I really am:

    http://www.mybodygallery.com/
  • dedflwrs
    dedflwrs Posts: 251 Member
    Someone posted this the other day. Although I don't think you should be consumed with comparing yourself, I found it helpful. My body has changed a lot from weight loss and having kids so sometimes I think I see myself differently than I really am:

    http://www.mybodygallery.com/

    That looked interesting but when I searched it gave me a "no results returned". I guess I'm unusual :laugh:
  • eamillie
    eamillie Posts: 14 Member
    Omg. I went on vacation in Toronto and me and the BF stood out so badly. Though in the states we're average, if not a little below average.

    Kinnnnda sucked and was an eye opener!

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