To feel unhappy with being a uk size 12?

[lazysloth]

First of all this is not intended to be 'fat shaming' in any way. I know lots of ladies who look fabulous (and most importantly feel it) in larger sizes.
In my late teens and early-mid twenties I was always a slight size ten (not small enough to feel comfortable in an 8 but more like a size 9). I feel comfortable, happy, confident and healthy at this size.
I am now late 20s and seemingly out of nowhere I am a size 12, bordering on a 14. I tried on some size 12 jeans today in River Island and whilst they fit they really did not look any good!
I am not eating any more or doing any less excercise. Do you have to try harder at this stuff once you hit late twenties/ early 30's? I am really not happy with my body and feel like I need to cover up .
Everyone else says I look fine and this is a normal and healthy size.I am wondering if I shouldn't be so worried about it and it's all in my head? But I'm feeling like I need to go on some sort of diet. I've never been able to diet properly ever and I really hate the gym.

I totally get where you're coming from, OP.
I have always been super slim - 5'5 and 8.5 stone, sometimes less. People would comment all the time, to the point I was embarrassed by how slim I was. I have always been a bit pear shaped but had a toned, flat stomach.
In the last couple of years and particularly the last part of last year, my weight crept up and up to over 10 stone. My thighs and stomach have ballooned and I have to buy size 12 jeans...I don't recognise myself anymore. Most of it is down to the - I'm 48 and my hormones are haywire - but I am also in remission from Crohn's, so well for the first time in years.

I've challenged myself to walk 1000 miles this year (I do a minimum of 3 miles a day) and have already lost half a stone or so and look a bit more toned.

I agree, I'm 41 and my metabolism is the same as it always was. I haven't hit menopause yet though. I think all this 'it's harder in your 30s' is nonsense.

But then I also think the MN obsession with vanity sizing is . It depends where you shop, I have clothes in all sizes from 8 to 14. I was a 12 in topshop at 20, I still am if I can find anything to match my old bag face

I'm definitely peri-menopausal though, night sweats, erratic periods, thinning hair, the whole, beautiful lot.

I can hardly wait hairy

If you have a BMI of 22 you are certainly not overweight. I think that clothing sizes, particularly in shops such as River Island, Topshop and H&M have actually got smaller. So you could have been an 8-10 previously, be the exact same size and now 12-14.

or just enjoy life and accept you change

former size 4 now a 14 - 48, 5ft 2 so yeah 'dumpy'

I run, I weight train, I do aerobics - I am fitter than many size 6 2o somethings - I am utter sick of worrying about food

so I don't :)

How quickly has the weight gone on? If you gain weight quickly without an obvious reason, it is worth going to the gp to request a blood test.

You may need to do more and eat less but worth ruling out anything untoward.

The biggest thing that I have come to realise is that people really are not aware of others to the extent that most people think they do.

In my opinion, as long as you are happy and feel healthy with your weight, that's perfect!

This is me at the moment! I always used to be 8-10, now two children and I've been a 12 for quite a while but now heading towards a 14 which I'm not comfortable with! I refuse to buy size 14 jeans when I was hoping to get back into a 10, so am trying lots of Slimming World recipes at the moment. I think it's important to feel comfortable, whatever size that is (as long as it's healthy of course!)

I must be an exception! I’m the same size I was at 17 and 20 years on, can fit into the clothes I wore as a student (the odd things I have left). I seem to stay the same size whatever...

YANBU to feel unhappy being a size 12. I have always usually been a size 8-10 too. After I had my DS a year ago I was a size 12 - although I am shorter than you so you probably carry it offer better - and although everyone said I looked fine I just didn't feel comfortable. Fast forward a year and I'm now a size 6-8 and feel so much more comfortable with my body. Being slimmer just suits me a lot better.

I definitely recommend low carbing. Check out the Boot Camp recipe threads. You don't actually have to do Boot Camp itself, but lots of the low carb recipes are delicious and feel indulgent (due to all the fat )

I'm 5'9 and a 12. I look blobby and look much better when a 8-10 but after turning 30 it requires a constant calorie counting which I can't be arsed with.

I have had this at a few points in my life where my metabolism has just seem to have taken a dip and the weight creeps on. My strategy, which has kept me to my 'comfortable and happy and healthy' size is to find the the calories in my everyday diet that I can give up forever. eg. first time I started with cutting a slice of toast at breakfast and then a few years later I did the same switching to a smaller (perhaps 2/3) portion of carbs at dinner. For some people it's easier to cut treats like crisps, cakes or chocolate, but for me it's easier to cut some of the 'boring' stuff If I cut the treats, I crave them more, it feels really tough and I just slip back to bad habits. If it's not sustainable then it's just a fad diet. It might not be super healthy to keep up the snacks, but I do eat loads of veg etc so my diet overall is pretty healthy. Good luck and I do believe if you want to you can find a not too painful way to get back to your happy weight.

I’m older too and it’s become more and more difficult over the years to stay trim. Almost impossible in fact, without really depriving myself. A few years ago I did the 5-2, but I didn’t think that it was something I could do indefinitely. I did it to lose weight for a specific reason, but gave it up eventually.

I’m only 5’3 and was a size 12 and wanted to be trimmer. I started exercise classes and then low carbing and now I’ve toned up and the difference is noticeable. I do Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, dance, Booty Barre and a cardio HIIT class.

It was less about losing weight, although I have, and more about clothes fitting better and feeling fitter. The difference is that I enjoy the classes and there’s a social element to it as well.

I also think that shop sizing is all over the place. One store’s size 10 is another’s 12 or even 14. I bought two packs of basic pants last week, to wear under workout leggings. Both packs are size 10, but one pack is at least an inch bigger each side than the other.

OP I am in exactly the same position as you! I'm 31 and the weight has crept up on me (I'm 5'8" and 12/14) after being an 8/10 my whole life - even after having twins. It's not fat, but I just don't feel like me. I'm somewhere between accepting that this is my shape now and desperately wanting to lose the weight.

I've just bought a Fitbit so I can monitor realistically how many calories I'm burning. My problem is that I'm only doing around 4K steps a day due to my job, so I need to make sure I'm hitting 10k and hopefully that'll have an impact. Might be worth a try for you too!

I don't want to sound preachy, I'll just tell you what happened to me and what I did/do.

When my DH died I comfort ate for a while and went up three dress sizes. My GP warned me, if I continued to add weight I would struggle to get it off then keep it off. He recommended a lifestyle change not a diet. I am older and do gentle exercise such as walking or swimming but have changed my diet all together. Today I've had:

Breakfast: Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with Greek yogurt and flaxseed.

Lunch: A multiseed wrap with lettuce, cucumber, red and yellow peppers and red onion. I often add tuna but didn't today.

Dinner: Steak, sweet stem broccoli, cauli, sprouts, green beans and savoy cabbage.

Snacks: Today I had grapes but nuts are good too. I also had a couple of caramel rice cakes (soothes my sweet cravings).

This helped me get the weight off and (so far) keep it off. The idea is pack yourself as much as possible with veg as it's low calorie and as much as possible cut out processed food.

Like I say, please don't take this as me being preachy or smug it's just what helped me to lose then maintain my weight and I've posted it in the hope it helps you too.

I recently read a book on micro solutions . Basically how a small change in behaviour and routine can have a much bigger overall impact. It is based on the premise that most people make resolutions lik'e ' I must eat healthily' or ' I must exercise more' but these are too vague and overwhelming to lead to long term success.
It suggested in the losing weight section that you could make a rule that you will only eat from a plate, or sitting down. It seems a small thing but it does Infact cut out on the hoof snacking and meals in one fell swoop and will have an impact on what you eat and when you eat. It will make you mindful of food and when you are eating. That will make you lose weight.
Maybe try something along those lines op?

Forget your size. What matters is that you are unhappy with your current shape because you used to be a lot smaller. It’s hard getting older and adjusting to a slowing metabolism, etc. Getting even more active may help you feel better. Is there something you can change in your routine? Maybe walk a few extra blocks each day on your way to and from work? You may find you drop a dress size or half size fking this and also feel better with the extra movement. I hope you can learn to love your body as you get older as I think self-acceptance is really important. But I also understand how it feels to have body worries so hopefully you’ll find a happy medium.

Great advice ProperLavs

I noticed my shape changes as I got older, especially after having kids. When I hit 35 I really noticed it was harder to keep weight off. Exercise really makes a difference to how you look. I do a lot of yoga and Pilates, and while I've not lost weight, I've dropped a dress size.

I think its quite normal to put a little weight on as you get older - so a size 10 in your 20's becomes a size 12 in your 30's - and there's nothing wrong with a size 12 - it's a nice size. The problem is that if you don't either up your exercise or watch your diet - or both - this will become size 14 in your 40's and a size 16 in your 50's.

That's what's happened to me anyway - and it's harder to lose it when you get older .