A bit overweight and now thin

Just a bit of a vent/rant here. I've been dieting since February and have lost 35lbs gone from a size 16 to a size 7 and feel great. I was at a family get together this week and people kept commenting on my weight which made me feel great but the comments where kind of like you're getting too thin and you shouldn't lose anymore type stuff. What irks me is I have members of this same family that are teeny tiny people who think a size 7 is huge and they are never told they are too thin. Its like once people know you CAN put on weight and you're not one of those people who can eat anything never excercise and stay skinny they think you should never be thin again.

Fri. Nov 17, 7:47am

You're not alone. If I mention the word "calorie" my family freaks out. I don't have a lot of weight to lose, and am by no means overweight. I watch what I eat for health purposes. But I frequently get comments about being "skinny"... and it's just as rude as calling someone fat. I've learned to just shut up about it.

Friday, November 17, 2006, 8:15 AM

Exactly - I just firmly tell people that simply because I'm not longer overweight that does not make me skinny by default. I am *healthy*. I've lost 30 pounds and my doctor practically does backflips because my weight, cholesterol, blood suger levels, etc are all optimal for a woman of my age and height - not too high, not too low and neither is my weight! That usually shuts them up. I suppose I should just ignore them, but I am an example of a healthy female and I will not be lectured, condesended to or scolded for being right where I should be!

Friday, November 17, 2006, 9:41 AM

I deal with the same issues. I was about 20 pounds overweight and have lost all the weight. I am by no means "too skinny" I am 5'4 and weigh about 123 pounds. However several people have said "no more, you are too skinny". It's so frustrating and I wonder why people would feel they need to say this to me. I am healthier than I have ever been and feel better than ever! Just be happy for me! Also I will note that the weight loss was done in a healthy way, diet and exercise over the course of about 8 monhts! Not extreme!!!

Friday, November 17, 2006, 12:07 PM

yeah family can be the worst with that stuff. i've lost 50+ lbs over the last few years and no matter how many times i see them-all people can talk about is my weight. the compliments were really great to hear at first but now i just feel like an anomaly. my close family is cool about stuff but it's the members i don't see all the time that are a pain in the butt. one of them told me last time i saw them not to lose any more weight because my face was starting to look "drawn". hello?? i'm 5 ft 3in and 147 lbs!!!! i'm not gaunt by any means!!!

i wonder sometimes if people are uncomfortable w/ our new bodies? maybe they don't know how to be around us? so many people act like you are a different person when you loose weight. maybe this is part of that?

Friday, November 17, 2006, 1:17 PM

I really think that people don't even know what "healthy" means any more. As the population in general has gotten heavier and heavier, what seems normal to people has changed.

In the early 80's I weighed the same as I do now and I was a laughingstock for being "fat." Now people tell me I'm "too thin." Well, then I was heavier than most other women my age and now I'm thinner than most other women my age. It wasn't me that changed....

Friday, November 17, 2006, 1:31 PM

Well said 1:31. America has SUCH extremes in both directions it's hard to know what is normal anymore.
As someone healthy who is at a very healthy weight it gets old to keep hearing "you need to stop losing weight" or "are you anorexic?". I'm not even underweight, let alone super underweight.
Is fat so normal that healthy people are now considered too skinny?

Friday, November 17, 2006, 1:45 PM

I think the way a person carries themselves also makes a big difference. I'm 5"7 and 134lb - well within the "normal" range. But because I walk tall (ballet classes together with my parents commands of "don't stoop!") people think I'm lighter than I actually am.

Friday, November 17, 2006, 2:41 PM

there's all the information about how sizes have chaned with time to make americans not feel as fat as they are. I think i heard that marilyn munroe wore what was like a size 12 or 14 or something in her day, and today should would be like a 2 or 0. Amazing! why does the consumer market want us to stay so fat and unhealthy?

Friday, November 17, 2006, 3:18 PM

with measurements of 35-22-35 and a 36DD bra, i doubt that she would be a size 2 today...but i get what you're saying.

Friday, November 17, 2006, 3:26 PM

lucille ball wore a size 18 and a size 20 in many episodes of i love lucy. imagine! i am a size 20 and i don't look anything like she did!

Friday, November 17, 2006, 3:32 PM

My mom always tells me that I don't need to lose any more weight. Which is true; I'm perfectly healthy where I am - 5'1" and 118 lbs - but not too skinny. The problem is that she says this whenever she sees me going for a healthy option over an unhealthy one - it's like, duh, how do you think I got down to 118 lbs?! When I weighed 127 lbs, she told me I needed to lose weight!

I wear a size 2 or 4 pants, but I have a few leftovers of my mom's from the 60's and 70's. They're all size 9/10. So, it seems, clothes are 3-4 sizes bigger than they used to be.

Friday, November 17, 2006, 4:23 PM

So true. I recently went out to buy new pants because I've lost weight and am now back to a healthy weight. I am 46 years old, 5'5" and weigh 140 lbs. I am now fitting into size 6 and 8 pants. I have NEVER been a size 6 or 8. Even in high school and college when I weighed in the 120's, I was a size 10. And 140 lbs is the top of the healthy range for my height and age. Can't imagine what I'd be wearing if I was just average.

Friday, November 17, 2006, 6:50 PM

Okay - I admit that I love being able to fit into a smaller number size pants. And I admit that I like buying stuff from Gap because the numbers there are just a little bit smaller for the same measurements somewhere else. But, really, isn't it a bit silly to get caught up in the numbers and "sizes" of clothing that should or shouldn't fit us. It's a little tag on the INSIDE that doesn't even show when we're wearing whatever it is. Size 2 or Size 12 - who cares? Do I like what I see when I look in the mirror? Yes? Yippee! No? Let's get to work until I do!

Friday, November 17, 2006, 8:55 PM

For the person who brought up Marylin's measurements:
Here's the size chart for victoria's secret:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/html/custsrvc/sizecharts/?cm_sp=srch-_-cs-_-size

She would be a size 0 or less!!!

Monday, November 20, 2006, 10:23 PM

Vanity sizing is out of control in this country. I went to Europe a few years ago and I could BARELY squeeze into a size 10. When I got back, and no lighter than I was there, I fit into a size 8 pair of pants, loosely. It's crazy!
And I agree about the family thing. If I get sickly full at a family function (and that's what they want, isn't it??) and complain about feeling full, I get all these LOOKS as if, OH PLEASE, how could you be full? Hello people! Just because I don't look full all the time (i.e: FAT, like I was 35 lbs. ago), doesn't mean I can't feel full. There's a weird psychology in us that says that fat people must never be hungry, and fit people must never be full.
As far as family, though, I think it's just wistfulness at wanting to have you in your previous, fat girl/guy role before. They feel comfortable with that. It's like, WELL, if she's not the fat one anymore, who will it be? Me?? Oh NO!!
lol

Tuesday, November 21, 2006, 8:14 AM

OP again

As far as sizing, I so agree. It's gotten to the point since I don't shop at the same stores all the time I like to mix it up I have no idea what size I am.

I know the biggest pant size I fit is an 11 and the smallest can be a 6.
So if I'm in the juniors area I grab a 7, 9 & 11. I try the 9 first and if it's too big or too small I try the next one on. If I'm in the misses I grab the even 6, 8, 10s. Generally the midsize works but it's just easiest to grab all 3.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006, 10:39 AM

AGREED; A bit overweight and now thin

I agree with you completely.. I lost a ton of weight and am VERY cut and thin/ripped (guy) and people were like -dood stop losing weight you are too thin, but the scale showed me at 148 and 12%.. fat is not our friend around our body organs and the %bodyfat is the way to go.. yet people are like.. so ill informed about it and they think we are "sick" or somethign if we now become normal and are at a weight that is healthy!!!

Monday, December 24, 2007, 2:24 AM

Yeah I agree with some of the posters. Some people have told me I'm "skinny" while others have told me I'm fat. Two extremes. My highest was a little over 140 and I'm barely 5'2 and my BF is near the higher side of what is healthy. I've lost about 9 pounds so far, but much of it I'm sure is water weight since I don't feel or see a huge difference thus far. My goal is to reach 115-120 and gain muscle (athletic appearance). I'm scared that when I do reach this goal, people will make comments or even people will get jealous.

Monday, December 24, 2007, 2:33 AM

In the same boat

Recently I've lost about 16 pounds, am 5'2" and now weigh 127 but my goal is somewhere between 115 and 120 which is not excessive for someone of my height. However, yesterday, one of my friends who hadn't seen me in two weeks said "oh my God, you're going to blow away!" but the point is that I still have some to lose. She also said, "and it was sooo quick" Well that's not true, I started early November so it's been about two months. And, the trick that REALLY worked for me is eating several times a day so I am by no means depriving myself or getting too few calories. I am also working out about an hour 6 times a week. The two combined have worked tremendously. SHE may think it was too quick only because she didn't "see" the losses at 5lbs and 7lbs, physically etc. 16 pounds in 2 mos is an average of two lbs a week which is the norm. So, for me, I'm going to keep at it and whoever thinks I'm too skinny,,,, doesn't see me naked!

Monday, December 24, 2007, 10:31 AM

2:33 here

Wow, I don't want to seem like I'm sounding like your friend, but that's pretty fast weight loss! Especially since you weren't very overweight. About how many calories are you consuming each day? I'm at the point where I really need to start keeping track of calories. Haha seriously...I want to tell those ppl who tell me I'm skinny to see me naked! Congrats tho!

Monday, December 24, 2007, 10:53 AM

What bothers me is when someone says, "You have lost weight, did you want to?" There is not a hint of real concern in their voice. The implication is that I must have some deadly disease. I feel forced to reply that I am not dying. I am 5'7" 139 lbs. I lost 22 pounds in 8 months.

Monday, December 24, 2007, 11:10 AM

I love this thread because it tells me I'm not the only one dealing with this! I recently lost 50 lbs and am now 150 at 5'7". I look really good, but I'd like to lose another 10-15 to be solidly in the middle of a healthy weight range. But I have some people telling me I'm 'wasting away'. Mind you, they're all overweight!

Monday, December 24, 2007, 11:37 AM

2:33 here

Yeah I notice that most of those who tell me I'm "skinny" are the ones that are on the heavy side.

Monday, December 24, 2007, 11:44 AM

No miracle here

When people ask how I've lost weight (12 pounds) I say - eating less and exercising more. Nearly all have say in a disappointed tone 'oh' - everyone seems to be looking for a miracle answer --

Monday, December 24, 2007, 1:17 PM

2:33 and 10:53- I started out with the Extreme Fat Smash and noted I was only getting about 950 to 1100 cals a day. So, I stopped following the book, increased my calorie intake MOST days. However, some were still around 1,000 and some were over 1300. I use the theory the book gave me of eating EVERY 3 to 4 hours, I swear that is the key. Your sugar doesn't keep dropping when you eat like this. A sample day:
Breakfast: Light yogurt, coffee w/skim, apple or banana
3 hours later : Fiber one bar, apple or orange
3 hours later- sandwich (two slices double fiber bread, mustard or light miracle whip, 3 slices low sodium turkey breast or ham, romaine lettuce and tomato (just to get my veggies in for the day)
3 hours later ; 3 multi grain pretzels, small fruit smoothie
3 hours later (dinner and last meal) boca veggie burger, or chicken breast (3 to 4 oz) 2 sides of 1/2 cup veg, 1 cup brown rice or 1 med sweet potato

so as you can see I really DO eat and I eat good things, I never never feel hungry and the calories range between 1100 and 1300 per day. You can incorporate so many other things into this as well like 1 cup of special k in the morning or similar cereal, oatmeal, egg white and veggie omelets (oh so good, so filling and SOOOO few calorie, fat, etc)!
I'm telling you, I've been "dieting" for years and this method of eating several times a day REALLY does work! I couldn't work out last week due to an injury and still lost over a pound. Good luck!

Monday, December 24, 2007, 2:08 PM

Thanks so much for replying! Yeah it looks like you are eating healthy and eating "whole" foods. Yeah I've made myself veggie omelets several times in the past and boy they fill you up..and they're only a couple hundred calories to boot. Good luck on losing the last pounds! Thanks again.

Monday, December 24, 2007, 2:23 PM

Wow well I was not expecting a reaction like that. What I meant is that for someone who is short and at the very high end of what is considered to be a healthy (which is how I am), it's more difficult to take off the weight that for someone who has a lot more weight to lose. Thus, I felt losing 16 pounds in 2 months was pretty fast. I don't believe I made an ignorant statement. At least for me, and I'm sure others as well, I could not stick to for the rest of my life a 1200 calories a day, especially with my age and activity level. I am offended that you would claim that I am ignorant and a "pain". I read a lot about fitness and nutrition online and through magazine subscriptions and they same the same thing-- it's best to lose it slowly so it'll be sustained. Why else do you think many people regain the weight?

Tuesday, December 25, 2007, 8:14 PM

I agree that poster 5:10 was being a bit, um, vitriolic in her response. That said, when I first dramatically changed my diet and exercise program (even eating much more than 1200 calories a day), I dropped 10 pounds in one month easily with no adverse effects. Now, that was several years ago, and I definitely hit a plateau afterwards that slowed that down dramatically. Now, if I lose 2 pounds in a month, I am grateful. (I'm down to 167 from 210 and still heading south thanks to PT.)

While 5:10's nutritionist may be speaking specifically to what the body can *handle* that doesn't begin to address the psychology behind yo-yo dieting. Yes, you CAN lose a dramatic amount in a month and be healthy. But you can also gain that weight back just as quickly AND SURGE BEYOND because you are not focused on the long-term goal but rather on the quick fix via cabbage soup diets, 800 calorie per day plans, etc etc.

To the topic at hand, wow, I look forward to looking back on my weight loss and having to fend off the "you're too thin" comments. LOL That said, I do like my fuller face and, who knows, maybe I'll just keep it on the high-end of normal, just to have that.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Friday, December 28, 2007, 6:38 AM

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