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.

Exactly my point!!! My hips are just ridiculously wide.

I daresay most people think I look bigger. But I've never been more than 8st7, except when I was pregnant.

@lazysloth google the 16:8 diet (or 5:2 diet) - it's not really a diet, more like a lifestyle.

I'm 5ft8 and size 10, sometimes size 8. About about 6yrs ago when I was about 35, I noticed I was becoming a 10-12. I couldn't stand it and I went back to how I used to eat in my 20s - intermittent fasting (IF).

I mostly do 16:8 (very low calories 16hrs a day [from 9pm - 1pm obvs asleep most of it] eating during only 8 hours). I start eating around 1pm and can eat whatever till 9pm. On 16:8, no matter what I eat, I can't gain weight. I don't go to the gym either, just basic body use with work and childcare, shopping, etc. I would have to start eating heavily from waking in order to gain weight now. IF is very good for the health in other ways too.

So, yes, I understand what you mean, I would not feel right at 12 from any store.

I've tried various forms of IF and they didn't work in terms of weight loss and I didn't feel well on them either.

I couldn't do IF either - I faint if I don't eat when I'm hungry. Don't eat anything between 6pm and 6am which I don't suppose counts.

"38 bust, 27 waist and 37 hip. Ridiculously top heavy."

Not ridiculously top heavy. I know it is in clothes, but that's because the clothes are assuming everyone is badly Pear shaped. I call 38-27-37 a classic hour glass. So is OP, so am I (I am spooky almost exact same numbers as OP, except I'm much older). I see people who are way way way more top heavy than me/us.

So I'm trying to drop 4kg which means I had a couple days limited to 800 kcal, just to see what it was like, could I kick things along. One of those days was ok but other one was really tough. I just kept drooling. I can ignore hunger pains, but constant drooling, grumpiness, & sometimes struggling to concentrate: not fun. I'd curl up & cry or live on diet soda if I was sticking to 500-600 kcal/day (twice a week???... cries for mummy).

Not meaning to pick you out Paris but is your bust really 32 or is that bra size? For dress size its overbust measurement that counts.

I shouldn't really involve myself in these threads, I also have an eating disordered past and so me feeling 'slim' at a size12 then getting caught up in threads like this makes me stressed that I'm not slim after all.

I guess though its fair enough to complain that you aren't happy at that size, as long as people are a healthy weight then really they can be as skinny or plump as they like I suppose. I try to focus on being healthy and fit rather than skinny as that for me is an unhealthy pursuit.

And OP perhaps getting more toned would help, just read that you hate the gym, maybe some other exercise?

yeah, 32 I think, that's the size of tops I wear. I'm not 'skinny' by the way, never will be, just small.

I'm 5'4. This time last year I was a size 14, over 11 stone. I started low carbing in May and my weight's now around 8 stone 7, and has been for a while. I started C25K in November, thinking I'd hate it and not last the distance but found I love running, run three times a week and have toned up massively.

Try it!

People start to gain weight when they are older because their muscle starts to deteriorate.

Easy solution, go to the gym, do some resistance training, increase your muscle mass and prevent osteoporosis at the same time. Win win!

People are so obsessed with numbers on their clothing. I am slim and wear anything from size 10 to 14. It really depends on your build.
If the OP feels uncomfortable, she needs to start watching her food intake and exercising daily

Can the people who think they are 'fat' at a size 12 give their measurements?

I can, because I measure often. When I was a 12 I had a 29" waist and 38" hips. I don't bother with bust as I'm quite pear-shaped so it's waist and hips that interest me.
Now I'm an 8-10 (8 top, 10 bottom, never been an 8 on the bottom) I measure 26" waist and 36" hips.

Size 12 differs from shop to shop. What are your measurements?

And why the helll aren't women's clothes based on inches?

That's funny. I'm something like 38-29-39, and I KNOW I'm trim*.

(*random other people often say as much, too).

I think there would be less obesity if people weren't so obsessed with being a small size but were happy to be a healthy weight. If I were obese I would be thinking what on earth is the point of trying to get down to a size 12 when that is still fat in so many people's eyes?

Daily, I am similar apart from a smaller bust, think about 30E- 29-38 That puts me at a 12. Like Lazysloth I used to be a size 8/10, was 10/12 before my kids but lost weight after the kids. My body changed when I was 39, I had lost weight this time 4 years ago due to grief, then was putting it back on and got sucked into diets, ie where you locarb for 3 weeks, fall off the wagon and put all the weight back on in a day. I also lost weight successfully last October went from 9st7 to 8st11 and was feeling better but fell off the wagon over the winter and have put it back on. I am trying to up my activity levels, its all so bloody hard. Hate that I'm not skinny anymore but really wonder if I can sort it out, I'm 43 by the way. I have tried all sorts of stuff but really struggle with hunger. Reasonably fit day to day, at least 10,000 a day but know that if I toned up I might get in smaller clothes. Like other posters, I still get told I am slim eventhough I have obviously put on weight from a few years ago.

If I were obese I would be thinking what on earth is the point of trying to get down to a size 12 when that is still fat in so many people's eyes?

I think the opposite, it's more dangerous to trivialise and describe size 12-14 as average or slim enough. A size 12 is (generally) not obese but it's not a slim size, unless maybe you are 6ft tall, and even then.

Don't forget today's 12 is yesterday 14-16! It's not healthy and there's nothing wrong in admitting that it's quite big.

We’ll have to agree to disagree.

Btw my measurements are 35 ( that’s my bust at its fullest point not my bra size which is 32F) 27 36. That’s at 9st 6, 5ft 1.5 tall. Fat old bag that I am.

I think the opposite, it's more dangerous to trivialise and describe size 12-14 as average or slim enough

You often see threads here stating that 'Oh but size 16 is not so heavy, you're practically slim!' 'Only size 18, of course it's not overweight'.

Considering that an average woman in the UK is 5'4'' , it really is not slim any more. And I'm saying this as someone who has constantly struggled with weight.

Don't forget today's 12 is yesterday 14-16! It's not healthy and there's nothing wrong in admitting that it's quite big.

Size 12 is perfectly healthy if you are within a healthy weight for your height.

The average woman is 11 stone - 1 stone heavier than in the 80s. Vanity sizing and the fact we're used to seeing more overweight people means it is harder to notice. When I see documentaries from the 80s it is quite noticeable how slim people look, when they just looked normal at the time.

The difference I found in getting older was that losing weight becomes much harder. I'd always put it on easily but lost it just as easily by cutting back on a few things and doing a bit more exercise: now I have to make much more effort to shift weight

I'm 5'6" and used to be a "size 9", like the OP. That drifted up to a 12/13 as I headed towards 40 - I'm currently a generous size 10 and look and feel better. For me, I am at my optimum size when I can see my hip bones lying down but I have a curved stomach

This chart of average sizes is from the slimming section of a book called Better Home Making, first published in 1955. According to this I’m a bit below the average weight for my height in 1955.

Yeah I'm below average for 1955 also