Why do I look bigger than I am?

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nlaterandy
nlaterandy Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anybody else have this problem? I'm a 5'7'' and 128 lb female. Perfectly healthy and should look rather thin according to my BMI. But when I look at photos of myself, I look HUGE! Maybe not huge, but definitely on the chunky and thick side. I don't think this is a psychological issue, because I get the sense that people generally perceive me bigger than I am too. For example, when I went to buy jeans the other day, the sales associate brought me pairs that were 3 sizes up from my usual size, lol. Someone once guessed my weight as 150. My scale is not broken, as I've weighed myself on multiple scales, doctor's offices included. Is this just the way I'm built?

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  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    I'm guessing people are just bad at guessing. You're my height and 20 lb lighter. I'm pretty happy with my body. Weight is just a number.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    edited May 2017
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    It's hard for us to judge without pictures. But I'd guess it IS a psychological issue. You are NOT huge. It's possibly you have broader shoulders and hips than other's your height and weight (I do as well), but still not "huge".
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    Do you exercise? The way I look is pretty different based on how in shape I am-even at the same weight. If you're soft, you may perceive yourself as chubby at that weight. I think we often confuse lack of muscle mass with being "fat".
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    I'm gonna guess people perceive you that way because you think of yourself that way. The brain plays an amazing game, for better or for worse.

    Also, people suck at guessing sizes and weights. Just standing up straight makes me drop ten pounds.
  • threesixten
    threesixten Posts: 134 Member
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    Also keep in mind photos can be very misleading. Lense type, angle, lighting.. there are so many factors. You may have a medium to large body frame, but that also doesn't mean you're HUGE. As far as bringing you larger pairs of jeans – that's very subjective, could have just been a misperception on associate's part, or maybe you were wearing clothes that made you appear larger than normal. Or maybe she brought larger size because she knew the brand ran small. So many factors to consider, but also try to look past. :D

    Anyway, these thoughts coming from someone who has those same stats and have felt the very same way. In my case, it was (is) purely psychological.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    Posture is important. And flattering clothes go a long way.

    But yeah: love yourself. Confidence looks great. Realizing it IS psychological can be pretty freeing, as you can change your thoughts and perceptions if you work on it.
  • PrincessMel72
    PrincessMel72 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    A photo would really help!
  • nlaterandy
    nlaterandy Posts: 2 Member
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    Maxematics wrote: »
    The alternate to it being psychological is that you may have a rather high bodyfat percentage. I remember this woman that posted here who was 108 pounds but was trying to lose weight. She was eating low calorie for so long without doing a smidgen of resistance training that the end result was a screwed up body composition. If I didn't know her weight I would have put her at 130+ pounds. Maybe you should work on building muscle.

    Thanks, this is helpful. I do work out, but I'm bad at staying consistent with resistance training. I do like to run, and I average around 25 miles per week. I could possibly just be under-muscled. :smile:
    RelCanonical wrote: »
    I'm gonna guess people perceive you that way because you think of yourself that way. The brain plays an amazing game, for better or for worse.

    Also, people suck at guessing sizes and weights. Just standing up straight makes me drop ten pounds.

    True, thanks. I could be giving off that vibe.
    jemhh wrote: »
    Could be high bf, could be your bone structure, could be the way you dress, could all be in your mind. It is impossible for us to say without a picture. But I'll say that I think I look fine in the mirror and about 20 pounds heavier in pictures. I delete almost every photo because of it.

    This is the story of my life. I think I look pretty good in the mirror, then I see a picture of myself, delete it immediately, and get depressed.
  • ericatoday
    ericatoday Posts: 454 Member
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    I'm 5'7" 130lbs and I feel the same way. I think some of it is psychological because I get told I look thin from people even strangers all the time. But when I look at myself I see someone bigger but I know I'm not. And also could be the way you're built. My sister is like 5'5-5'6 and 115lbs and so I'm only 15lbs heavier but she's so tiny I swear I look 30lbs heavier than her. Idk. But your size is great as far as I'm concerned. I only want to go down to 125.
  • tomwasilj3w
    tomwasilj3w Posts: 186 Member
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    Maxematics wrote: »
    The alternate to it being psychological is that you may have a rather high bodyfat percentage. I remember this woman that posted here who was 108 pounds but was trying to lose weight. She was eating low calorie for so long without doing a smidgen of resistance training that the end result was a screwed up body composition. If I didn't know her weight I would have put her at 130+ pounds. Maybe you should work on building muscle.

    I think she's right in saying that alot of it could come from high body fat. Muscle weighs more than fat so someone could be your exact same weight but if they have very little body fat then you could appear bigger just because you have more fat (therefore appearing rounder/larger) and less muscle
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
    edited May 2017
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    I'm the same. The reason for me is that I have WAY more fat than lean muscle than years ago when I weighed the same. I don't fit in my clothes from 4 years ago when I was the same weight. (I'm 36, I'm not growing anymore). I just need to recomp BIG TIME.
    The case might be the same for you.
    I have higher fat% than before because I got fat and then lost weight but haven't exercised, quite the opposite, I've been lying mostly so there you go.
  • Muana1005
    Muana1005 Posts: 172 Member
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    High body fat could do it. But so could water retention, and where that fat lies. Women with big breasts and/or big hips/bums always look bigger visually than women with big tums.

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