I just discovered something new about myself. I am just as self-conscious about my height as I am about my weight. When I go out with my girlfriends (they are predominately 5'2'') I feel like the bionic woman; not just because I weigh more, but because I tower over all of them.
I spent 4 years of my life (age 9-13) in Japan. I was already 5'6'' in 6th grade. I towered over the MEN there, I am sure you can imagine how I appeared around the other children. I am sure this experience has added to my complex.
I have noticed there are women even taller than I am on these forums...and some of you are probably thinking "this girl is only 5'7'', WTH is she worried about?". But I think somehow I developed this yearning to be a tiny petite person... and no matter how thin I get, I will always tower over most of the other women in my life. I will never feel small.
I have this issue, and I am only 5'4"! LOL! For me, I think it's because I'm the tallest woman in my family. My mom is only 4'10". I'm taller than all the aunts and cousins. I'm even taller than my grandpa and one uncle! And I was my full height by the fourth grade, so I have felt like an amazon my entire life and just never got over it. Having weight on me to boot just doesn't help.
I also feel the same way a lot of the time. I'm between 5'8 and 5'9. I hate being the tallest girl for some reason. Which is kind of strange, because I thought women wanted to be tall and beautiful like models. Many of them are around 6ft!
But it's also drilled into us that women are supposed to be petite and smaller than men, so when we're the tallest girl around, it does make us feel awkward.
I have kind of accepted my height. My best friend is 5'11, and she's totally comfortable with her height. She's dating a guy who is 5'8, lol. It does help to be around people of similar heights. However, I've also gotten lots of compliments on my beautiful long legs and such (thank you, boyfriend), and I'm starting to accept the one part of me that is model-ish, haha.
Now that you've discovered that your "yearning to be small" is never going to work out, you can use that insight to help yourself! When you feel dissatisfied with your body for no good reason, you can always say, "Oh, that's that 'tall' thing again," and then move on! Good for you for realizing this.
Hey, I feel that way too and always have. As I am getting older though, I am beginning to enjoy my height a little more. I have always adored petite women and wished I could be tiny like them. Alas, it is not to be so I might as well try to like what I got!
I'm only 5' and I'm the tallest of the women on my mom's side of the family (who are all in the 4'9"-4'11" range), but otherwise I'm shorter than pretty much everyone I know in real life. My husband is 5'11" and I feel like a (fat) shrimp next to him LOL
I used to be really self-concious about my height. In high school, my nickname amongst my friends was "munchkin" or "shorty". It's a pain finding pants that don't need to be hemmed, and an even bigger pain finding them in plus sizes.
As I've gotten older, though, I've learned to not only accept my height, but to love it. I have small feet so I can save money on shoes by buying them in the kids' sizes! Even though I'm so overweight, I still feel small with my husband. My feet don't hang off the end of my bed LOL I can wear capri-length yoga pants like regular length pants! I don't bang my head on open cupboard doors.
You need to try and embrace all the good things about your height. You don't have to get a step stool in order to reach the top shelf in your cupboards (I need a step stool to reach the back of the bottom shelves!). Most regular length pants probably fit you off the rack. Most taller women carry their weight well... you may be overweight at 150lbs, but someone as short as me looks downright obese at the same weight! You can wear the longer style shirts that are popular without it looking like you're wearing a too-short dress LOL You can easily see over the steering wheel in your car! You can find someone you're looking for in a crowd, and probably don't get lost in a crowd, either!
I'm sure all the short people like me are sitting here dumbfounded, unable to comprehend this. You WANT to never be able to find pants and skirts that are short enough? You WANT to not be able to reach things on shelves, or see yourself in most apartment bathroom mirrors without standing on your tiptoes? You WANT to have to eat fewer calories a day to maintain when you reach your goal, or to have to search for hours to find a one-piece bathing suit that's short enough?
If you added up all those times it takes an extra 30 seconds to get out the step stool every time I need something from the top shelf in my kitchen... I can't imagine how many hours I'd save being taller!!
Of course I'm mostly joking... as much as I'd LOVE just an extra 3 or 4 inches, I can understand how it would suck to feel bigger than everyone else around you.
I'm only 5' and I'm the tallest of the women on my mom's side of the family (who are all in the 4'9"-4'11" range), but otherwise I'm shorter than pretty much everyone I know in real life. My husband is 5'11" and I feel like a (fat) shrimp next to him LOL
I used to be really self-concious about my height. In high school, my nickname amongst my friends was "munchkin" or "shorty". It's a pain finding pants that don't need to be hemmed, and an even bigger pain finding them in plus sizes.
As I've gotten older, though, I've learned to not only accept my height, but to love it. I have small feet so I can save money on shoes by buying them in the kids' sizes! Even though I'm so overweight, I still feel small with my husband. My feet don't hang off the end of my bed LOL I can wear capri-length yoga pants like regular length pants! I don't bang my head on open cupboard doors.
You need to try and embrace all the good things about your height. You don't have to get a step stool in order to reach the top shelf in your cupboards (I need a step stool to reach the back of the bottom shelves!). Most regular length pants probably fit you off the rack. Most taller women carry their weight well... you may be overweight at 150lbs, but someone as short as me looks downright obese at the same weight! You can wear the longer style shirts that are popular without it looking like you're wearing a too-short dress LOL You can easily see over the steering wheel in your car! You can find someone you're looking for in a crowd, and probably don't get lost in a crowd, either!
unfortunately, I have the opposite problem that you do. The regular jeans are too short. haha I have a 33.5 inch inseam (short torso), regular jeans usually come in 32. So, If they dont have "long" or "tall", I am SOL.
For me it's less about height and more about frame size. Some women just have tiny frames--they fit size 0s naturally and look good rather than skeletal. I'll probably never be below a size 6 bc that's just the size of my frame. (I'm around 20%bf, 5'4.75", 131lbs, 27.5" waist/36.5" hips and average a size 8. I'm a 30 or even 31 in some designer jeans...I could never lose enough weight to get down even to a 26.) I always wanted a smaller frame but now I hope that my larger frame means that I can carry more muscle as well, and be really strong
Last edited by forestroad; 01-26-2010 at 10:44 AM.
I'm taller than all the women in my family. I am always amazed when I see tall women and a bit jealous. I usually think 'wow she is awesome'. Look at people like Tyra Banks (5'10"), Geena Davis (6'0") and Uma Thurman (5'11").
I was quite self-conscious about my height when I was 16, but it most mostly because the guy I had a MAJOR crush on was the same height as me (if not a bit shorter) and on top of that, his posture was terrible. He was on his way to develop a real hunchback.
Now, I am SO HAPPY I am tall, I can't even tell you. I would happily add another inch to my height if I could, and I enjoy wearing high heels. Everything looks better on tall girls - I hear that comment so often when I shop for clothing. Sales associates tell me that, other fellow shoppers tell me that, sometimes quite enviously. I only wish the clothes manufacturers made the darn stuff a bit longer.
I don't consider anybody who is 5'7" tall - probably in the same fashion as 6'1" gals don't consider anybody of my height tall. :-)
Anyway, enjoy your height and wear your head high. And wear high heels!
I have been tall my entire life. I was always that one girl in the back row of class pictures among all the boys. My best friend growing up had a hormone related disease that kept her under 5 feet and my best friend now is just over 5 feet. However, my husband is 6'2 (our kids will have NO chance at being short- his dad is 6'9 and Uncle is 6'11 )
In middle school and a little of high school I longed to be tiny and petite. Around age 17 or 18 I decided I liked being tall. There were a lot of advantages I hadn't really considered before. I even came to this conclusion while I was dating a guy who swore he was 5'8 but we all knew he was 5'7 tops. It is all in the way you choose to perceive things.
Now, as a middle school teacher I love the fact that I am tall. On the first day of school I know it is going to be a good year if I am taller than most of my students. I think I have an easier time with classroom management because of my height.
You can't change it so my advice is to enjoy it. Work actively on enjoying it. If you choose to look at only the good it can only get better. We are stuck where we live for 5 more months (moving in June ). For the last year both my husband and I have been almost depressed about being here. Then one day in November we woke up and said we have to be here so we will make the best of it. It has been so much better! We try to find the good things about where we live and try to focus very little on the bad. Eventually, who knows, maybe we will actually miss this place when we move...maybe.
Hope this wasn't to rambling and made some sense .
I hear you on the idea that you developed a complex when you were younger...
I got all my height (and my boobs) in middle school and I absolutely towered over people in those days. I was adult sized and a lot of my friends were still skinny short little toothpick kids...
But, now, I love being tall, wear heels whenever I can, and am jealous of my sisters-in-law who are 5'9 and 5'10. And my hubby is shorter than me, which doesn't bother me a bit.
I agree with Jay-Ell-- let your insight work to your advantage. Realize that when you feel big it's your mind playing tricks on you. At 5'7" and 155 I'm sure you look terrific and beautiful!
Height
When I go out with my girlfriends (they are predominately 5'2'') I feel like the bionic woman; not just because I weigh more, but because I tower over all of them. 
Of course I'm mostly joking... as much as I'd LOVE just an extra 3 or 4 inches, I can understand how it would suck to feel bigger than everyone else around you. 
unfortunately, I have the opposite problem that you do. The regular jeans are too short. haha I have a 33.5 inch inseam (short torso), regular jeans usually come in 32. So, If they dont have "long" or "tall", I am SOL.
)
). For the last year both my husband and I have been almost depressed about being here. Then one day in November we woke up and said we have to be here so we will make the best of it. It has been so much better! We try to find the good things about where we live and try to focus very little on the bad. Eventually, who knows, maybe we will actually miss this place when we move...maybe. 
