"You're tall. You don't want to get too skinny."
happyheart15
Posts: 383 Member
Have any other tall women been told that since you're tall, you shouldn't try for a lower weight? I'm 5'9, and I've been told that I "shouldn't lose too much weight" or should "stop at a size 12" and that I "shouldn't get too skinny" since I'm so tall. But I don't see what's wrong with wanting to be around 150 or size 6. I don't think that's "too skinny" at all. Just because I'm tall, I have to stay slightly chubby? It's not like I'm trying to be 110 pounds or a size 0. But I think a size 6 is pretty reasonable. I want to be healthy, fit, strong, and slim, and be in the single digits in clothing sizes for the first time in my adult life. Well honestly, I wasn't even in the single digits in middle school. I see no reason to stop at a higher size.
Can any other tall women relate?
Can any other tall women relate?
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Replies
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I'm 5'9" and hover around 155lbs and slowly have been trying to get down to the 140s. I've been accused and questioned of eating disorders despite being a healthy BMI. When people do this, I shrug and change the subject. There's no point in engaging with them because I know that I eat around 2,000 calories daily and don't need unwarranted input on something that's none of their business.
Because society as a whole is generally overweight, most people don't even know what a healthy weight looks like. So I pay no heed to their comments because I'm doing what I am doing for me and no one else.21 -
I've had a friend in the past who said the same things to me; I'm almost 5'8". I'm sure when my friend said it it wasn't intending to be discouraging; however, it's frustrating when you are trying to make positive changes for yourself and your body that others seem to attempt to slow you before you've really begun!
Do what's right for you and your body! Exercise, eat healthy, and don't worry about naysayers - once they see that you're happy and that you're not dropping to unhealthy weights, they will see they were wrong2 -
I think people lose track of what healthy actually looks like because so many people are overweight to some degree. So far this has worked in my favor because I'm 6' and everyone thinks I'm a liar when I state my body weight.18
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I'm 5'10" and 130lbs, 150lbs certainly did not look "too thin" on me (though the low 120's were getting there) when I was there. I honestly think a lot of these "tall women must be much heavier comparatively than their shorter counterparts" arguments spring from how normalized overweight and obesity is now.7
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erienneb66 wrote: »I think people lose track of what healthy actually looks like because so many people are overweight to some degree....everyone thinks I'm a liar when I state my body weight.
Exactly! I've had similar experiences and its mind blowing to see that people are really unaware of this epidemic we have going on.
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Yes, yes, yes. I'm 5'8" but still when I hit 150 (in the past...) people started telling me to stop3
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Maybe because the slimmer you are, the taller you seem? I'm 5'11'' and when I was obese I seemed shorter, once I lost the weight I looked so much taller people were asking me if I'd grown, I'm like dude I'm 40, no growth spurt happening here People can be weird commenting about height/weight but as long as you are a healthy bmi, it's your choice what to have as your goal14
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I think your goals are perfectly reasonable. I haven't had too many people comment negatively on my goals or weight (my dad is the only one), but I don't share them with many.4
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Those comments usually come from people who are same height and with your weight loss you are closing in on them. It has nothing to do with you, just about their insecurities.11
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JessicaMcB wrote: »I honestly think a lot of these "tall women must be much heavier comparatively than their shorter counterparts" arguments spring from how normalized overweight and obesity is now.
Agreed. People at healthy weights look so much thinner by comparison to the average person in the US, so the assumption is they're too thin because they're below average weight. Overweight is our new norm.
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Color me the confused guy.
I guess 5'9" is considered tall in female circles.
Growing up, I knew some tall girls... 6'4"... and higher.10 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Color me the confused guy.
I guess 5'9" is considered tall in female circles.
Growing up, I knew some tall girls... 6'4"... and higher.
5'4" is average women's height.14 -
Thank you everyone!3
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Haters... Don't listen to them4
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stanmann571 wrote: »Color me the confused guy.
I guess 5'9" is considered tall in female circles.
Growing up, I knew some tall girls... 6'4"... and higher.
Where in the world did you live?
There were a couple women I knew in high school taller than me, but at 5'10" I was one of the taller ones.
I am still around a size 10-12 at 150 lbs. currently a 12-14 at 158.5 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Color me the confused guy.
I guess 5'9" is considered tall in female circles.
Growing up, I knew some tall girls... 6'4"... and higher.
Where in the world did you live?
There were a couple women I knew in high school taller than me, but at 5'10" I was one of the taller ones.
I am still around a size 10-12 at 150 lbs.
One of my nicknames in school was f'n Amazon. And I didn't even hit 6 foot. So yes, 5'8" and above for females is generally seen as tall.
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Even we short folk get told not to lose too much or you'll look skinny. For some reason, people seem to think that when you start losing weight you'll be so thrilled you'll go hog-wild and end up underweight.
While I know that happens occasionally, given the stats on weight loss, I'm thinking that isn't the highest probability outcome.
I wouldn't read too much into it.7 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Color me the confused guy.
I guess 5'9" is considered tall in female circles.
Growing up, I knew some tall girls... 6'4"... and higher.
Where do you live because I want to go to there. I'm a 6' woman and got ridiculed constantly for my height. My husband is 5 inches shorter than me and you'd think I'd have slapped someone's kid people get so upset when they see us together.16 -
I'm 5'8" and at 170/size 12 my mother would tell me I was "getting too big"
At 155/size 10 she wanted to know if I had a problem because I was getting too skinny.
Some people are just never happy22 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Color me the confused guy.
I guess 5'9" is considered tall in female circles.
Growing up, I knew some tall girls... 6'4"... and higher.
Where did you grow up?
At 5'8" I was the tallest girl all throughout school. I was so happy in high school when the boys finally started catching up5 -
I'm 5ft 8, large as Apple shape.
I need lose about 6st and ideal weight is 9st to 11st for my height.. depend on how I look good or too much thin either when I lose 6st or so ... wait n see1 -
I'm 5'8" and I've heard it all. I got down to like 135 and that was way too skinny for me.
We just carry our weight better being tall and I guess look skinnier than we really are? I dunno but it's annoying because I should be allowed to be whatever weight I want within reason if i'm healthy5 -
I'm 6' ,168 pounds, and a size 6. I don't look "too thin" I could probably lose another 15 pounds and still look heathy. Don't worry about what people say unless your doctor gets concerned about it.3
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I am 5'9.5" and 156 at this time. I am down 19 pounds so far from last year. I am hoping to reach my goal of 140 by this Oct. I've heard the "Oh you're thin enough." plenty of times. I wish the haters would just close it.3
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Yep. That's why I only talk to the handful of supportive people in my life about my weight loss. I'm 5'11" and aiming for 145-150, which I know from experience will put me at a size 6.
I hit my adult height at 15 and from then to my mid-20s, I was between 125-130. I didn't work for or force that weight. It was my body's happy place. I was looking at a photo of myself when I was around 19-20. At the time, my measurements were 36-26-35 and I looked perfectly healthy.
What's funny is that no one believes my current weight because I don't gain weight in my arms and legs and I think that's where the "don't get too thin" comments come from. I'm currently 191 and I gained weight from my bust to my hips (48-35-42). My arms and thighs are still the same measurements as when I was thin. People don't see it because the right clothing has a multitude of sins, but I know exactly where that extra 40 pounds is.
Sorry to go on a tangent, but I've been where you are and it's annoying. I just learned to tune out the noise. I know my body and how I want it to be, so peoples' opinions ultimately don't matter to me.5 -
People are used to looking at fat and don't know what a healthy weight looks like.13
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vespiquenn wrote: »So yes, 5'8" and above for females is generally seen as tall.
Pshaw. I'm only 5'7" and have gotten "You're tall." (and have been rolling my eyes at the comment) ever since I sprung up to that height in the 7th grade. The US national average is 5'2" to 5'5" for women, depending on what population you are looking at. If a woman is even marginally taller than that, she seems to be considered tall by some people. Regardless if it's really true or not.
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grinning_chick wrote: »vespiquenn wrote: »So yes, 5'8" and above for females is generally seen as tall.
Pshaw. I'm only 5'7" and have gotten "You're tall." (and have been rolling my eyes at the comment) ever since I sprung up to that height in the 7th grade. The US national average is 5'2" to 5'5" for women, depending on what population you are looking at. If a woman is even marginally taller than that, she seems to be considered tall by some people. Regardless if it's really true or not.
Uh.. That's the very definition of tall. :huh:7 -
grinning_chick wrote: »vespiquenn wrote: »So yes, 5'8" and above for females is generally seen as tall.
Pshaw. I'm only 5'7" and have gotten "You're tall." (and have been rolling my eyes at the comment) ever since I sprung up to that height in the 7th grade. The US national average is 5'2" to 5'5" for women, depending on what population you are looking at. If a woman is even marginally taller than that, she seems to be considered tall by some people. Regardless if it's really true or not.
I'm not going to lie, when I think of "taller girl," I think back to my days of binge watching America's Next Top Model. The cut off to enter was typically 5'8" with a few 5'7" girls slipping by.. not that I tried to enter or anything.
Somehow my perception of height has forever been altered by my intrigue with fashion models back in the day. But obviously it boils down to perception.2 -
People can look different at the same weight and height. I'm 5'10 and when I was 125 lbs and a size 2 I looked too thin. I look best at 160-170 and wear a size eight at that size. I'm a 12 when I weigh 195/200. It just depends on how you carry your weight. I have small hips so I can wear smaller pants sizes. No one believed me when I would say I weighed 170, they thought it was way less but that is a healthy weight for me. I would just aim for how you most feel comfortable.3
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