Anybody else feel big even when they're not over weight?

We're about the same weight and height. Yes, I know I'm at a normal weight, but it's going to take some time for my perception of myself to play catch up to reality. A friend of mine has similar stats and I think she is slim so...

I feel like a huge beast when I am alone with myself, in the bath etc. I can feel there is more flesh on my bones than their needs to be, flesh that makes lumps around the tops of skinny jeans and gathers under the back of my bra.

However...

I feel like a tiny fragile woodland creature when I am around groups of woman my own age, most of whom seem as bulky as oxen with massive feet and hands and butts like cartoon giants. I seem to be a lot smaller than average, but average seems to not be a good measure.

It is a tricky mental game. I try to have one mental image in mind and stick to that as my surroundings are not a good guide and if you ask anyone, they will have too much of their own baggage to tell you the truth (I have had just as many people tell me I need to lose another 5kg as I have had tell me I need to gain 5kg back).

I feel the same, my structure is wide so i look chubbier even with a bit of weight on
Im 5'4 n i weigh 54kg
Yet i feel like i need to drop 4 more kg cuz i still look FAT ;(

I really liked this post for getting a conversation started. Thanks ajc1309.
I have never really been able to tell what I look like. I feel enormous on days when I'm definitely not and I don't notice sometimes when I have put on weight and am bursting out of my clothes. How wildly different I feel seems to be disconnected from reality.
I don't understand this and would like to get a handle on it.
My weight has fluctuated over the years but recently I quit smoking and gained 7 pounds so I'm here, not just to get rid of the 7 lbs (4 gone in two weeks...:-)) but also to keep healthy eating my way into the middle of the healthy weight range for my height. And I think this means paying attention to things such as how I feel I look.
Thanks again for this topic. It's really got me thinking today.

So glad you started this post!

I've been feeling this too, at just 3lbs off goal which is supposed to be the ideal weight for my height and frame.

But! most of the time I look in the mirror and see my former body. Everyone is going on about how skinny I am now, occasionally I see that it but mostly I don't.

Guess it just takes time for the brain to catch up and need to learn to accept your imperfections regardless of size. I think when I start seeing results from my strength training that may help a lot.

When you're bigger you think how amazing it will be when your slim with a perfect shape and how confident you will be but when you get there actually it's just the same old you just in a smaller body and then realise that now you have a smaller body it actually needs to be a smaller and toned body!

Body composition is one thing I've really noticed too. When I was 130lbs, I had NO muscle, so I looked soft and squishy. I started working out and lifting and so when I was at 140lbs there was a lot more muscle so I looked better but was staring at that number thinking "140 is too much oh no". That really messed with my head, like I thought I looked better and ok but then the number was too high. Sigh. I've been active and lifting the entire time no matter what my weight (even the dreaded 175) so that's why now I'm aiming for 140, not 130. This is 13 years of (borderline disordered) working on my diet and exercise routine.