Opinions please
 

Take a look at the picture attached. Tell me what you think about the person you see - Too thin? Could lose a few? Just right? Looks sick? Gain some weight? I know I can count on honest opinions from all of you...


Reason - I get a lot of "You should STOP losing weight!" comments from people in town. I haven't lost a pound in nearly two years. I get asked if I'm sick, if I'm anorexic, if I'm eating enough. I normally blow off the comments - but just went to lunch with a good friend whose opinion I trust, and she quizzed me HARD on any current weight loss, my views of food and eating, calories I'm eating, how much I'm working out, etc. The picture attached to the message appeared in the local paper this week, so now everyone's having a fit and thinks I'm sick or something. Maybe I do and just don't see it.

So be honest...first impression?

I think you look great! You have a small face so that might be contributing to the image of being "too thin". But I thnk you look awesome!

You look great, Mindi. If you haven't lost a pound in 2 years, then the issue is with them, not you. You are thin, but you have long, lean, limbs and high cheekbones that could be making people think you are too thin.

you look fabulous! I would love to be at your weight. that is the weight that I felt most comfortable with. 5'8 andn 140 is just right. Good for you!

i think you look good as is! your arms are muscular, you look healthy. Keep healthy and try not to let other's opinions get to you.

i agree with all of the above. it looks like you have a small frame too, small hips, shoulders etc, that could be enhancing their "view" of you as too skinny...

Agreed. You look fabulous. There's also the part where a lot of people's views of "skinny" have been warped as heavier bodies become the norm. As long as you feel good, don't worry about them. :)

Thanks, y'all! It's been getting to me a LOT recently. I try to block it out normally, but today it's been particularly bad...especially coming from a good friend!!

What does your doctor say?

I tend to think people should carry a little more padding than they need to, so my first reaction (comparing your before to after) that you were quite thin - model thin (which I tend to think of as too thin).

But that's my prejudice, and I'm aware of it. I clicked the thumbnail to get a closer look, and I see that your arms look great, not emaciated or boney.

There are a lot of medical signs of "too thin" and your doctor would recognize them (for example, menstrual cycle stopping, "peach-skin fuzz" hair growth.... I think appearance isn't the best indicator of too thin (or even too fat).

So, I'd recommend a medical opinion over a poll of popular opinion.

I think you look great, personally.

fabulous! Nothing wrong with the picture:) You simply look awesome, don't let anyone tell you anything else. I bet you feel wonderful, too. You look healthy, I wish I looked like you.

I haven't been to the doctor in a while, Kaplods...probably too long! The last time I went was for an ear infection. I need to go back to get some stuff tested probably. A while back I was told I was "borderline hypoglycemic" and haven't been back since, though I'm having some weird stuff happen. I just keep putting it off...

First of all, you look great.

I don't think that your body is too thin, but, from an artistic perspective, I think you have a lot of elongating features that people unconsciously associate with being thin or, well, being sick -- not that you look sick! But we have associations that come from art and the media that help us identify "illness" and you have a couple of those features.

For example, you have a pretty delicate and thin nose, which elongates your face. Long hair also elongates your face. You have somewhat thin lips, which people unconsciously associate with illness (think of famous paintings of women or famous models, they all have thick lips). The same could be said for, well, your chest -- people have ideals about the female figure and if a girl doesn't have large breasts, she must be anorexic -- definitely not fair.

If you wanted to change your look, you could cut your hair in a way that had more body and volume, as well as layering it so that it doesn't have such a vertical line on the body (which elongates and slims). You could also experiment with different eyeglasses. I think a thicker rim would draw attention away from the lines created by your lips, hair, and nose. Skillfully applied make-up could also soften your features.

So, basically, what I'm saying is that you have a lot of vertical lines going on, which causes people to think you are "too thin." It may not be fair and I don't agree with them, but I definitely can see where they get that idea from. I hope none of what I say offends you! I think you look great!

You look GREAT! Congrats on the hard work. I think people just don't like change. They get used to a idea of "you" and when you change it is hard! Don't listen to them. You look fabulous!

You look great! And congrats!

They're all just jealous!!

I think you look healthy, fit, and normal weight! Thin, yes, but certainly not at all sickly looking.

You look good!!

Like someone else mentioned (sorry I forget), maybe its because people were used to seeing you as a heavier person before?? And now that you're normal...when they compare you to before in their minds you look sick..

But you should definitely go to the doctor, and if he/she says you look good & healthy, then you can tell that to people who have a problem with your smaller frame lol

Here's a question. Do the people who think you're too thin already know you - have they seen you go through your transformation? Or are they people who have never seen you over your current weight?

I've had the same problem, but realized that the comments are coming only people who knew me when I was heavier before. I've never gotten a 'too thin' comment from the people in my life who have only seen me at the weight I'm at now. Where as people who have watched me loose the weight will tell me I'm too thin and need to stop.

I never thought of it like that, Garstar...in my situation, and with my job, most people around here have at least seen me around (it's a small town)...so I guess the comments are coming from people who have seen me through the whole process.

I actually do think you look a little too thin. You don't look malnourished or weak or starving by any means, but you look too thin. To ME. We're about the same height and I cannot imagine weighing 140 pounds...my dream goal is 15 pounds higher. But we're all so different, ya know? I'm used to big women and have always been a big woman, so a lot of people look too thin to me, lol. And also, I think you have a smaller frame than me, which does make a difference.

You've done an awesome job and I have a lot of respect for you (you're one of my favorite vets on here!), so please don't take offense, I don't mean you look bad at all. You are a beautiful, healthy woman and should be proud. I could see how it would get a little frustrating to have such dramatic and negative responses to your loss...but as long as you are comfortable, you're good!

You look wonderful! As long as you are honest with yourself and you really are healthy, then you are fine. I don't understand why they are throwing a fit now, when you haven't lost a pound in 2 years??

I think the posed picture looks great, but I do remember being startled when your avatar picture updated last (looks like you're wearing the same outfit as the posed picture). I remember clicking on it to see if it would give me a full size picture so I could check if it was just that picture that made you look almost scary-skinny.

No offense taken, ThicknPretty...thanks for the honesty!!

I think you look totally normal. If I saw you walking down the street, I would think you were one of those naturally skinny people.

Had anyone ever commented about you looking sickly before you lost weight? I have the same coloring as you do, and I think people's comments about you looking "sick" might have to do with you being pale with the dark, dark hair. I have had people my whole life, many of them complete strangers, tell me that I look sickly and I need to get a tan, especially when I am not wearing any makeup. I don't know if you are into makeup at all, but MAC's Sheertone Blush in Peaches has KIND OF changed my life--LOL. It really helps to soften the contrast between my hair and skin and brings warmth to my face when I have defined my eyes, brows and lips.

I agree with the poster who said that people's ideas of what is "too skinny" have changed because bigger bodies have become the norm; people may see a thin (in their minds, significantly below an overweight average=anorexic) person who is pale and equate that with illness. I also agree with a lot of other posters who say that a lot of those comments are probably about jealousy, especially if you are smaller than the person making the comment!

You look like someone who is naturally petite and has never weighed what you actually used to. You look very fit, and like you live a healthy lifestyle.

And I don't think maintaining at 140 is particularly light at your height! It seems more of a healthy natural weight.

Most people don't believe me when I say I weigh 140...they think it's more like 120. But I agree that a lot of it may have to do with a "larger" perception of "normal" these days....

I truly think you look just fine. Really truly. :)

You look beautiful. Slim but not overly skinny. You shouldn't try to lose more, but you haven't gone too far.

I think you look GREAT--healthy, fit and yeah, you are thin--but in a good way--not a sickly way.

YES! Stella you are my new best friend.

I think you look great! To giver perspective, I'm 6" and weigh about 200. People are surprised when I tell them I want to lose weight because us taller chicks carry the weight differently than petite chicks.

I think you look just right in the picture. I will say that your avatar, the facing forward picture, makes you look A LOT skinnier than the picture that you attached. I remember you saying that people had made comments like that before and I could understand it from looking at the avatar photo. But you look amazing and you have worked hard for it. I would agree w/ the others who say they are just used to seeing you bigger and it's hard for them to adjust now. Don't change a thing, girl...you look great and your weight is perfect!!!

you look fine, I agree with girlinwaterglobe, changing your lines will make you appear healthier. This could be make-over maddness time!!!! Sounds like a blast to me.

You look healthy. I think people have just forgotten what healthy looks like...

You look healthy and happy to me. I'd be very happy to look like you.

Agreed, gatorgirl6! I think people in Western societies are so used to seeing overweight and obese people they've forgotten what a healthy weight looks like!

My usual reaction to that whole "you've lost too much weight!" thing is to assume the person speaking is jealous and doesn't want you to look hotter than them. Or if they're not in a position to be "jealous", then they just don't want you to change because you occupy a certain position in their mind and they don't want to adjust the way they see you.