I have to say I envy those of you who are taller than me! I am just a smidge below 5'9" and I love being tall, in spite of all the challenges the height brings (Number 1: Why are guys so short? I don't know how Nic could live with Tom Cruise all those years being taller than him. Men, to me, start at 6'2").
Finding jeans that do not look I am getting ready for flood has always been difficult, until I recently found out that The Gap carries 34" inseam jeans. I know, it may not be enough for you 6' and taller chickies, but I almost cried in relief. I don't like to pay The Gap prices for jeans but what can I do? We have a store called The Tall Girl but I almost not tall enough for them and their prices are even higher that Gap's.
I have to agree that us taller ladies carry the weight better than most shorter ladies. Even when I used to weigh than what I weigh now, people never believed how much I weighed. They would always guess at least 15-20 lbs less.
I so enjoyed reading all the posts in this thread.
Or maybe they do, but they're afraid to say so because we all look like would could grind their bones into dust if angered! LOL!
I think truer words were never spoken! I work with primarily men, and there's a running joke that people do what I ask them to (I'm a department manager in a home improvement store) because they're afraid of me.
I'm 5'8", and consider myself on the tallish side of average. I totally agree with the double-edged sword comment. When I lost 65 pounds a couple years ago, I only went down four sizes, from 24 to 20.
I'm 5'9", not too tall, not too short. I've always been a little envious of my shorter friends, they all just looked so cute and little and I always felt so huge. It wasn't until I got older that I came to love being my height.
And now my kids are nice and tall - I have created MORE tall people! My 15 year old is over 6'1" now and still growing. He towers over old mom, and thinks it's the best.
No-one has noticed any of my weight loss yet, and that's fine. I gain weight all over, so it will take more weight for it to be noticeable. But I know I'm losing, so that's fine with me.
im going to have to agree on the statement of guys being too short!!!!! im 5'11 AND JEEZ. i feel like a beast next to them, AND my shorter friends. everyone tells me they wish they were tall, but shopping is a nightmare for me too. however, i found a great place for jeans, They are pretty expensive... but they fit AMAZING. i bought a pair of jeans from buckle, they actually fit, EVERYWHERE. they dont sag in the but after one wash, they dont get five inches shorter either. i love them. they were about 70.00 but ive come to realize that i cant just go to kohls and get 8.00 jeans off the clearance rack if i want them to look right.
Well, another 5'8-er here, feeling short all of a sudden (that's a new one!) but I have to chime in that I gained weight really well and can relate to the denial. When I was steadily gaining I was 24 years old, 5'8 and still had a flat stomach into the 190+ lb range. (Unfortunately I don't have it back yet now that I'm in that range, and don't expect to for awhile ~ but, point is, I guess we all have our own 'turning point,' but it can be shockingly higher the taller you are).
People don't believe the weights because they tend to think all women weigh around 100 lbs if they look healthy. I remember back when I was a fit 145 or so, and a client (jerk) was joking with my boss and I that if he were in charge of the nearby beach, no women over 150 lbs would be allowed on it. He said it in the same conversation as complimenting us on being hot/thin/whatever. After he left, boss-lady (5'10 or so) and I looked at each other and both said ... "I wouldn't be allowed on that beach!"
Good Morning to all my Tall Chickies! I AM SO HAPPY THIS THREAD IS STILL ALIVE! LOL! 1st, may I just say thank goodness capri season is knocking at the door! No more (denim) flooding in the forecast! I can still wear average pants, but if I wear a shoe with any hint of a heel, it's a wrap!
I often find that I automatically hunch over in group photos to 'accomodate' the shorter people! Do any of you do that?!? I've been doing it since I was little! Argh!
Question: Do you find that you have to eat more calories being that you are tall?
Okay, so I've been going to the gym for over 2 weeks now, and when I look in the mirror, I think I see results. I wish the scale would show me some results! Slow and steady wins the race!
Anywho, everyone keep the posts coming! Like Tomato, I really enjoy reading the posts in this thread!
yes!!!!! i also crouch or slouch or bend my knees not only in pictures, but standing next to boyfriends that are shorter, so they look as tall as me... hah
I have size 12s myself; I used to shop a lot at Zappo's, but now I do most of my shopping at Shoes.com. Just bought some totally cute pink sandals, some black patent shoes that have been getting me lots of compliments, a pair of "Walking Cradles" that are a dream to move around (and even stand in line) in, and a pair of black mule/clogs. Yes, I have a thing for shoes
Clothing-wise, my biggest problem is that I have very broad shoulders -- great when I was a swimmer and a rower, not so great for fitting into coats. Shirts/sweaters usually are ok, and sometimes even good, but it's been a while since I owned a good, cute coat...
Wow, there have been quite a few responses in here! woo hoo!
I just learned something shocking yesterday, I'm 5'11". I don't know how long I've thought I was 6'... for at least 6 yrs. Did i get shorter? I'm slightly disappointed. i'm wondering whether i'll get that inch back as i work out... maybe i'll be standing straighter or something. lol, here's to hoping! (doesn't matter the most considering i'm always at least 6'3" in heels.)
About taking pictures, I never really slouch or crouch down in pictures unless I want to be at the front and it's last minute. But even then i have to laugh when I see the pic because I'm normally blocking at least 1 or 2 ppl behind me. Their fault for being short! lol And even now I'm with my fiance who's 6'1" and I'm always wearing heels so I'm always taller in pics.
sjd, I've wondered about whether taller people should have more calories too. I saw a fitness consultant at my gym yesterday and she basically told me to throw calorie counting out the window. So I still don't have an answer! And wtg on being able to see a difference in the mirror! that's always awesome!
OH! I have a shocker that you ladies would probably understand... I got my body fat tested at my fitness assessment yesterday using the caliper method and found out that I am only 107 lbs lean muscle mass (anything under 100 is dangerous) and 76 lbs of fat! So where a healthy woman would be 11%-19% body fat, with exception being pregnant ladies at 20%-25%, I am a whopping 41.5%. Now according to the calculations, I should be aiming for 19% body fat which would have me weighing in at 144 lbs! i never thought I would ever be able to even survive in the 140s. So you can imagine my surprise. Even more surprised because I eat healthy and exercise 3 times a week. Who knew that I would be so low in muscle. Apparently one glaring problem is that I'm not eating ENOUGH and that I have to add in 2 whey protein shakes a day.
Preppingbride, I've never had that test done before. I probably would burst into tears because I know that I'm probably over 50% body fat! Good luck with those whey protein shakes. I tried an EAS protein bar and it was not what I expected. Maybe you could blend it with fresh fruit and a non-fat yogurt...
So, today is day 17 of consistently working out 5 days/week. I totally was not feeling an exercise session today. But I hopped my butt on the elliptical for an hour. And when I lifted the towel (because I don't like watching how much time I have left), I was surprised to see that I had done 5 miles! This is huge for me! Since I've been working out, I've been huffing and puffing and sweating bullets through these hour long battles with the elliptical. And usually when my hour is up, I've only done like 4.67 or 4.89 miles. Gotta love the Ipod for shuffling up a good workout mix for me today! Now if the scale (aka the ) would just cooperate... I think I'm going to put it back in the closet until I reach a month!
Hi Ladies! I say I'm 5'8". All my friends say I'm 5'9". Maybe I just feel shorter because I grew up with 4 brothers and a dad that ranged from 6'2" to 6'6", my husband is 6' 5" and my son is 6'7" (Mom 5'6", sister 5'7"--My daughter growing up always hoped she'd be 6'1" and she turned out to be 5'4"! Somehow she got the recessive gene!) I agree that the taller you are, the easier it is to carry your weight, but it's also deceptive. If you stay off the scales for a while, it can shock you if you've been gaining!
Preppingbride, I've had the caliper test done before, back when I was in college, and it calculated my "perfect" weight as 124.8. I've never forgotten it because until 10 years ago, I yo-yo-dieted like crazy always trying to achieve or maintain it! Now I just want to get to 145, which I know is a nice healthy weight on me. 145 is where my body kept wanting to settle and I wouldn't let it! Oh, how I wish I had! Hindsight is 20-20!
So I'm down another little bit for this morning. 178.2. It's a good thing I made the major mental decision to give up unhealthy ways and foods and refocus my energy on being healthy and fit... because with Easter this weekend I'm certainly going to need all the willpower i can get!! I have said no 3 times to a reese chocolate bunny that keeps on trying to hop on my desk. Instead i lived vicariously through the tastebuds of a coworker. Apparently it was reallllllly good. Strangly enough I'm perfectly happy knowing that it was good without having it for myself. Have a wonderful day everyone!!!
sjd, wtg on the 3 weeks of exercise!!! i know my fiance always raves about his ipod being the best at shuffling some great music on roadtrips and whatnot. What's unfair is i'm the one that got it for him and yet there's no girly music on there for me. lol Anyway, you're doing great! keep it up!
Jaqui, you've got one tall family! but that's so sucky about how your daughter got short end of the stick. lol, the poor girl. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a bunch of basketball and football players for kids considering there's a good chance they'll probably be at least a few inches taller than me. And about the caliper test, it's plenty scary just because you know it's not going to be telling you anything good... but it's also fairly liberating because it gets the truth out in the open and enables you to deal with it! I'm excited for my next one in 8 weeks to show that my hard work is paying off. As long as it's a positive change for the better, think I'll frame any results for those times that i don't see any difference in the mirror.
I often find that I automatically hunch over in group photos to 'accomodate' the shorter people! Do any of you do that?!? I've been doing it since I was little! Argh!
Question: Do you find that you have to eat more calories being that you are tall?
Hi sjdphc,
Answer #1: NOT ANY MORE! I used to, when I was much younger but not any more! Now I stand ramrod straight and proud of my height. Actually I had to laugh, we took a team picture on Thanksgiving day last fall (when management has us play silly games instead of catching up on stuff that really needs to be done) and I had to laugh when I realized how much longer my legs were than the legs of my [shorter] colleague and she even stood on a slope!
Answer #2: YES. I do not count calories. Honestly, I think that I would die of starvation on 1200 calories. I can't be bothered. I refuse to diet and count calories. Instead, I eat balanced healthy diet, with lots of veggies, fruit, lean protein and complex carbs.
Preppingbride:
I never had the caliper test done, but I get weighed on a scale that is hooked up to a computer and it spits up my lean body mass etc. According to that scale, I am somewhere on 22. 4% of body fat. I would LOVE to bring it down to 19%, but I would live happily with 20%. Right now, I am not losing any weight as my cardio is on hold (plantar fasciitis) but I will hit the treadmill one day again.
I've always been a little envious of my shorter friends, they all just looked so cute and little and I always felt so huge. It wasn't until I got older that I came to love being my height. 
Now according to the calculations, I should be aiming for 19% body fat which would have me weighing in at 144 lbs! i never thought I would ever be able to even survive in the 140s. So you can imagine my surprise. Even more surprised because I eat healthy and exercise 3 times a week. Who knew that I would be so low in muscle. Apparently one glaring problem is that I'm not eating ENOUGH and that I have to add in 2 whey protein shakes a day.
Maybe you could blend it with fresh fruit and a non-fat yogurt...
) would just cooperate... I think I'm going to put it back in the closet until I reach a month! 
