I've been spending a lot of time surfing the internet looking at before/after pictures, or talking to people in my life about weight. And now I'm sooooo confused. There are a lot of people out there that are around the same weight as me (235) and they look much bigger than I believe I look. I've also seen/know people that are around my weight that look heavy, but fit and seem to have a lot less fat. (All these people are within an inch or two of my height).


Soooo... what's going on? I don't believe that anyone is lying, but the difference is so drastic. If none of these people had told me their weight, I would guess it was anywhere from 200 to 300, instead of 230-245ish.

I know everyone carries weight differently, but that differently?

So here's my question, for those of you who are around my height or know people around my height, is my build fairly normal for a 235 pound woman who's 5'4"?? I'm biased, and I think I may be viewing myself as smaller than I actually am.

My best friend started her weight loss journey at 230 lbs, she is also 5'4" (shorties!), and pear shaped like you. You both have simular body shapes. Mine is way way way different. I wore the same size clothes at 285 lbs as she did at 230-210 lbs. I love this, I get all her old clothes, she has/had a wonderful taste in fashion . Pear shapes normally don't look as big as they are because of the way your built (which I'm jealous of). I'm bigger up top and smaller on the bottom, with you guys it's the other way around. Grrrrr!
But comparing you to my friend, I think your build is pretty normal.

P.S. Your stomach is looking awesome!. I wish I had a flat-ish stomach....*sigh* Mine is all rolly and stuff.

Hi there - You look amazing!

I'm not that good of a judge of telling how much a person weighs by how they look. However, you have a very shapely figure, which you had even in your before pic at 288. Your waist definitely goes in, and you have a definite hourglass shape. This probably allows you to look thinner than, say, a woman who weighs as much as you but who is more of an apple. When a person carries a lot of their weight in their tummy, it may make them look larger.

Congrats on your success! Looks like you are making great progress - losing 50 lbs. since August is amazing! Keep up the excellent work!

You look amazing!!! I can only wish I looked that good! I have a long way to go. Congrats on the weight you've lost already!

Compare our bodies around 280 lbs, look at the difference between this picture and your first picture, we are both around the same weight. I'm 5 inches taller than you. It's so odd the way we all gain our weight differently. I envy your stomach! Yes I realise my face is all squinchy in this picture haha.

Thank you all. I didn't intend to fish for compliments, haha, but I've been feeling really self conscious- like I'm a lot bigger than I keep thinking. Your posts have made me feel better. I needed some assurances that this is how I'm supposed to look at this weight. Thanks.

And I think you're right, maybe the differences between the women I mentioned is their shape.

Oh, and Luvja- my lower tummy is still plenty flabby, but I usually wear tight enough pants in my pics that you can't tell, haha.

Haha I know all those tricks, but I actually have like an upper belly roll. Where as it doesn't look like you do, or if you do it's tiny compared to mine! haha. It's horrid!
I think the way people gain weight has a lot to do with their height. IMHO.

probably partially, although I'm sure there are really tall people who are pears (I know at least one) and vice versa. I think you're right, tho.

The good thing about being an apple, however, is that you guys will always have the best legs (especially after you reach goal). I've never been able to wear a cute little skirt, even at my smallest- chunky legs.

Yeah but you pears have the flat stomachs! Where as I doubt I'll ever have one, even if I weighed 140 lbs, I'd still probably have mini rolls! haha. We all want something we can't have eh!

Yeah, that's my thought. I'm 5'4" and at 230 or so, I definitely carried more weight in my stomach and had a "straighter" waist than you do. But I had narrower hips and thighs than you do.

I feel like I looked bigger at that weight because of my waist/tummy issue. That definitely made me look FAT in a way that I wouldn't have if I had a more curvy figure.

.

kelly315, I have a similar body shape to you, except I'm much smaller in the breasts. I'm 5'3" and 220lbs with a B/C cup. I have a pear shape and I look smaller than I weigh. Yet I'm still big... So weird. Here's a body pic taken 2 days ago. The shirt is really fluffy, so it doesn't do me justice. But I always wear clothes too big for me.

Haha, I so agree. I wish I had smaller thighs.

http://flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

There's a really cool website/chart with pics of people at different weights. It really shows what you are talking about. I can't find it, but this flickr site is similar, though not nearly as good as the other.

Anyone know what site I'm talking about?

Thanks for the pic wormwooddoll- it's good to see someone at my weight-ish who doesn't look "fat". I was starting to wonder about the other pics I've seen of girls around our weight that look good were real or not.

And we all have something that we hate about ourselves- I'm sure that a lot of apple shaped women don't look "fat" either (for example, luvja- you carry your weight very well).


Walking2lose- yeah, that site is great. I picked my goal weight from a picture from one of those similar sites.