Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Has anyone ever found out that they're taller than they are?

77 replies

purplespink · 17/12/2024 10:44

I have always thought I was 5'7. I had a drs appointment where they took height and weight and I'm 5'8.5! Has anyone else ever has this happen to them? I feel so tall all of a sudden 😂

OP posts:
TheoTurkey · 17/12/2024 10:47

No, but I’d love it. Also please can I find out I weigh quite a bit less?

Kaminari · 17/12/2024 10:51

I've always been 5'3, I found out I'm fucking 5'1 at the doctors the other day. I made them check twice to be sure!
I want to be tall! 😒

SilverBlueRabbit · 17/12/2024 11:02

I found out I am 2 inches smaller than I always thought. Which pissed me off because it meant my BMI changed- not for the better.

My dad is slightly rotund and he always tells his GP when they suggest that he loses weight that he is not overweight. He is under-tall.

Freeyourminds · 17/12/2024 11:54

That’s unusual to discover you’re an inch and a half taller, if your height has always been 5 ft 7 anytime you’ve been measured before, l’d personally question this.Your dr either got it wrong or were you wearing shoes.Maybe get it checked again, l think pharmacy’s or they used to have a place where you can measure your b.m.i and height yourself.Always best to take your shoes though to get a accurate measurement.

Skykidsspy · 17/12/2024 11:57

Yes! TBH I’d just kind of guessed I was 5’5 and I’m 5’7 - only found out when I got measured at the dr when I was quite old

Freeyourminds · 17/12/2024 12:01

@Kaminari Same with a friend, at a hospital appointment she was measured, told that she’s 5ft 4, she’d always been 5ft 6, told it’s age related, the reason why she’s lost height.That didn’t go down well.

FriendlyNeighbourhoodAccountant · 17/12/2024 12:02

I'd double check.

My midwife measured my height in cm and converted to feet/inches. She said 5 foot 4 but turns out using Google she'd got her answer as 5.4 feet, which isn't the same as 5 foot 4. It's closer to 5 foot 6 which is what I expected.

annonymousse · 17/12/2024 12:05

I'm 5'10". I've been measured loads of times. Definitely 5'10" but people (mainly men) constantly argue with me telling me I'm 6'. It gets very tiresome. No mate I'm not 6' and nor are you!

JohnTheRevelator · 17/12/2024 12:13

I discovered that I'm slightly shorter than I'd thought. For years I always said I was 5 ft 6 in,then 3 years ago, when I was 58,I had my weight and height measured at a hospital appointment and I was 5 ft 5 in. I know it's only an inch,but I felt a bit cheated! It's funny but my late DM kept saying she'd shrunk when she hit her 60s and I always thought she was imagining it. Now I know the truth. You DO shrink as you age.

charabang · 17/12/2024 12:13

I'm 57 and have shrank with age. Always was 5'6 but last measured at 5'5". I always wanted to be 5'3 so hoping I live long enough to shrink that far.

BeckyWithTheGoodBear · 17/12/2024 12:14

I have 4 children. I was 5'4 at the booking in appointment for my first pregnancy and 5'3 at the booking in appointment for my last pregnancy. Was measured as 5'3.5 in between.

I still say I'm 5'4 though!!

Freeyourminds · 17/12/2024 12:14

annonymousse · 17/12/2024 12:05

I'm 5'10". I've been measured loads of times. Definitely 5'10" but people (mainly men) constantly argue with me telling me I'm 6'. It gets very tiresome. No mate I'm not 6' and nor are you!

Yes 😂 why do some men feel the need to make out they’re taller than they actually are.Then argue with people, they’re 6ft when clearly they’re not.

turkeyboots · 17/12/2024 12:18

I went to Weight Watchers once and they told me I was not 5 10 as I'd been told all my life. I was 5ft 8. So I was fat and short(er). It was a very sad day.

Polyethyl · 17/12/2024 12:21

I am 5'4" and a quarter inch.
I was thrilled when an Army doctor rounded me up to 5'5".

Bringbackspring · 17/12/2024 12:31

No but I found out I was an inch shorter at my last routine health check! It was a weird yet amusing thing to realise. Felt like I'd been lying on health forms all my life 😂

KnopkaPixie · 17/12/2024 12:42

No but other people (men) have found out that I'm taller than they think I am.
I look a reasonable height sitting down because all my height is in my legs. So, I used to seem like an OK prospect as long as I was on a barstool or generally seated. The flirty chat would be going well and then of course, at some point, I would have to stand up. I'm a little over 6ft.
"Oh, you're really tall aren't you? Ha, ha, erm, yeah."
And then he'd walk backwards slowly across the room, with hands clearly visible making no sudden movements away from the clear and present danger.

PocketSand · 17/12/2024 12:51

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but if you've lost height as you aged you should get your bone density measured. Loss of height results from compression fractures in the spine.

Smidge001 · 17/12/2024 12:52

FriendlyNeighbourhoodAccountant · 17/12/2024 12:02

I'd double check.

My midwife measured my height in cm and converted to feet/inches. She said 5 foot 4 but turns out using Google she'd got her answer as 5.4 feet, which isn't the same as 5 foot 4. It's closer to 5 foot 6 which is what I expected.

I'm afraid 5.4 feet is only 5 feet and 4.8 inches. So still a bit closer to 5ft 4inches than 5ft 6! I suggest you compromise on 5ft 5"Wink

Iwishiwasagiraffe · 17/12/2024 12:56

I was overjoyed when I was measured at the gym and discovered I am 5 foot 4 and a half and not just 5 foot 4.

Newgreensofa · 17/12/2024 12:57

I’m seeing a pattern here - 58 now but a few years ago was measured by a nurse with a wooden measuring stick. I always thought I was 5’6” but she said I’m “nearly” 5’5”! I asked “from which direction?” (hoping I was over 5’5”). I did question the wood of the measuring stick because it couldn’t possibly be me shrinking 😂

Bluecrumble · 17/12/2024 13:03

My dad always thought he was 6 ft 2 inches, but after having intense physio for a back / shoulder injury his posture improved and clearly for the first time he actually stood straight and measured in at 6ft 4 inches.

Fifthtimelucky · 17/12/2024 13:06

KnopkaPixie · 17/12/2024 12:42

No but other people (men) have found out that I'm taller than they think I am.
I look a reasonable height sitting down because all my height is in my legs. So, I used to seem like an OK prospect as long as I was on a barstool or generally seated. The flirty chat would be going well and then of course, at some point, I would have to stand up. I'm a little over 6ft.
"Oh, you're really tall aren't you? Ha, ha, erm, yeah."
And then he'd walk backwards slowly across the room, with hands clearly visible making no sudden movements away from the clear and present danger.

Unfortunately for me, I'm the other way round. I have very short legs.

When my husband first met me (at work) he thought I was tall because I was sitting at a desk. When I stand up it is clear that I am only 5'3"!

KnopkaPixie · 17/12/2024 13:15

Fifthtimelucky · 17/12/2024 13:06

Unfortunately for me, I'm the other way round. I have very short legs.

When my husband first met me (at work) he thought I was tall because I was sitting at a desk. When I stand up it is clear that I am only 5'3"!

Show quote history

Actually, reading up thread about the PP's dad who "grew" two inches from physio, I'm thinking that another reason why I seem shorter sitting down is because I have bad posture and slump a bit and not some long leg thing really.

NoCarbsForMe · 17/12/2024 20:39

No but I'm shorter than I thought!

XenoBitch · 17/12/2024 20:46

I always thought I was 5'8. My height was taken after a night in police cells (don't ask), and I was measured as 5'9... but I figure that was from being laid down for hours before hand.

My DP is 5'9, but some days he is the same height or even shorter than me... which confuses me!