To wonder what it feels like to be thin?

[sunshine5997]

I'm 24, married and quite frankly I am fat.
I hide away in black clothes and coats. It's my fault I'm fat (size 16).
I see some lovely photos of people in their early 20s stick thin in lovely short skirts or crop tops.... and all I think is, what does it feel like to be thin and confident to wear those lovely clothes? So what does it feel like not to have saggy over hangs or horrendous chafing in summer???

(Ps i have had some wine!!)

That’s so sad you ask as it bothers you and I don’t think you even sound fat! Size 16 can be fine? Although I know it is personal and it matters how you feel.
I am a size 10 legs and 12 top and to be honest I don’t give it any thought but I do have quite low self esteem and not much interest in fashion either !

it surely depends..if you were always thin you wouldn't know otherwise.
you may notice and observe things but it's not the full picture.

I think this is really unhelpful and not going to motivate you if that is what you were hoping for to start a diet or exercise and I think you can think like a thin person NOW and look after yourself NOW.
Some thin people still think they are unattractive and have poor body image.
You are young and can lose the weight. its never too late. Just do it for yourself if you want it that much.

That came out wrong , I didn’t mean you have no interest in fashion as you do and you notice what people wear which I rarely do. I bet I’d think you look nice and I tend to think people in black are sophisticated! Could you also try some totally different clothes and ask for help to try a new style? Just to see how you feel in them? I have a friend who sometimes helps me and it really makes a difference to my confidence

I'm a size 6, weigh 7st 10 I'm really thin and it feels well.... how does it feel... I hate the way I look and people can be really cruel...but it does feel nice that I can run, walk, dance etc without too much problem. Not sure if that's helpful or not..

I’ve never been fat, always slim. Now almost 40, i’m able to look in the mirror and think ‘yay, I look good’ about the general appearance and yes, that includes being happy with my weight.

BUT mostly throughout life I have always just worried about other things such as individual parts of the body, and many aspects of my personality! Also, being slim doesn’t equal toned, tanned and glowing... I mostly feel flabby, lumpy and too white!

I guess being slim feels easier, nicer and I appreciate I can wear clothes that hang / fit nicely and be active without too much issue but I really don’t think it makes the rest of life much better. Some of the slimmest and most beautiful people I know are very unhappy and insecure.

@Thereisasystem that's a very good comment. I just feel like an elephant with everything I do; and I was so curious of what it is like to be smaller than my size in day to day life.

I'm very slim, size 8 all my life and if I'm honest I've never bloody appreciated it. I'm not particularly body confident and focus on the bad bits, like most people do!
I'm slowly getting better with age but I'm not far off 50, so it's about time!

@LadyFuschia I pray I look like you when I'm 40!! I guess it's just personal opinion/ choice but I'm so sick of being the way I am.. I have already lost 5 stone but still feel disgusting 🙃

It feels really comfortable. I can always tell when I’ve got too fat (it’s a small difference, a weight gain of 2kg can do it) because there’s a weird sensation of numbness between my muscle and my skin. I also get tired really quickly and it feels unpleasant to move. I yo-yo a lot (same 5 kilos just comes on and off for no ostensible reason) so have become quite aware of my body in that respect.

I used to be slim. I didn't appreciate it at the time.

I have never ever been thin. Even as a child. I thought the same the other day and every day looking at some young women dancing in just every day shorts ir leggings. Their legs seems so light and easily movable. Ease, lightness and confidence I will never ever experience.

It feels cold. I'm trying to gain weight as I dislike being this skinny (size 6). I bruised up my spine on kids rides at the weekend (whilst being cold), I rarely wear shorts or dresses and have to take a cardigan in all weathers.
Skinny is not all it's cracked up to be.

I wonder this. I'm a 20/22 and can't imagine how it would feel to wear a little floaty summer dress and look fab.

I can’t comment on the social aspect because I always yo-yo within the same size and no one seems to notice but I have seen some people treat overweight people terribly which makes me wonder whether I’ve enjoyed some kind of advantage my entire adult life that I haven’t noticed if appreciated.

When I lost weight it felt good physically, more comfortable and more energy. Could wear nicer clothes and find things to fit easily. Don't think it magically makes everything better in your life though, slim people still have lots of problems.

Ron yes often cold!

@sunshine5997 I think my point is that at your age I just focussed on all my bad bits. With age, there is a certain amount of stopping caring what others think, and i’ve got scars from surgery, stretch marks from babies and am not toned as I don’t exercise much BUT I just think, life’s too short to hide and care.

I don’t know how to give that to a younger person as I think we all have to grow into that way of thinking if we can, with a lot of self-acceptance and effort to keep going with whatever goals we have.

My best advice is to try and make small life changes that contribute to getting you where you want to be, weight or otherwise, and learn to cherish and respect you self. Focus on what you do have, not what you don’t.

I lost about 6 stone 2-3 years ago and kept off about 5. Feeling thin is awesome. You can walk into any clothes shop and find something that fits. Wouldn't go back now ever.

I have been a size 18 and a size 8 and now a size 12/14

I know that when at my smallest I felt a lot better in general.

When I sat down there was no rolls or tummy sticking out and when I laid down on my side no flabby tummy spreading out on the mattress

I looked in the mirror and even what would be considered bad angles didn’t give me double chins.

When it was hot I didn’t get too sweaty and I had no chafing.

It was like that up until some 10 but anything more than that and to me being size 12 hardly felt any different to being size 18

I was slim for a period in my late 20s. I was down to a size 10 at 5' 9". I felt absolutely bloody miserable. I only ate lettuce, smoked 20 a day and went to the gym for hours every day. Was such hard work.

make small life changes that contribute to getting you where you want to be

This is crap. If like me you had like yourself get to that weight, small changes aren't going to make much difference. You need a complete lifestyle overhaul. But when you achieve it the confidence boost and satisfaction is incredible

I have yo-yo'd in weight all my adult life. Size 12 until about 18, then up to a size 16 then I lost a lot of weight and was thin in my early 20s (small size 8) now I'm about a 12/14.
I wasn't healthy at my smaller size (and I'm not particularly healthy now tbh)
I felt really good and confident when I was slimmer but still wanted to lose more and if I gained a few pounds I would get really upset, it became quite overwhelming and I'd often feel quite ill and weak surviving on so little. Now, unless I got back down to an 8, I don't think I'll ever be happy with my body but I don't want to put myself through that again. Also, at that size I ate very little, drank too much coffee and cola and drank a lot at weekends (not that I'm saying everyone of that size does)
Be kind to yourself op.

My West Indian friends are large and look fabulous! No black clothes for them - brightly coloured kaftans all the way
Ditch the boring black and embrace colour,OP.

When I am slim everything is much easier. Just moving around, standing up from sitting down, wearing any type of clothes without thinking or feeling uncomfortable. I am permanently starving though.

You've lost 5 stone! That's an amazing achievement. Be proud of yourself.

Honestly, if you want to keep going then you'll find out what it's like to be slimmer for yourself soon enough. You can obviously do it.

If it's people on social media that you're comparing yourself to then remember not to compare your worst with their best. You're looking at yourself with a very critical negative eye, from all angles and comparing what you think you see with an edited, carefully posed, filtered and chosen photo, that is probably number 45 out of 60 taken.

Also the valuable part of you is inside. What you look like is the least interesting bit.

Basically, keep losing weight if you want to because you've proven you can but try to focus on all the positive things about yourself too. Inside and out.