I'm a size 16 and I think I'm pretty hot

[MermaidApocalypse]

Just to even out the fat shaming on another thread. I'm a size 14-16. I can still fit in jeans I wore in sixth form college, I've always been this way. I have stayed a similar size through physical jobs, sedentary jobs, two pregnancies, breastfeeding, having a personal trainer, driving and sitting at a desk all day. I think that for some of us this is our healthy size.
Despite this I have to acknowledge the science, excess calories minus insufficient exercise does cause weight gain. Saying that my GP isn't worried as I've not gained weight in a short space of time, I've stayed the same for 16 years. I did once get down to a 12 but I had to try so hard, 18 hour fasts, exercise four days a week. I know women who stay at a 12 doing sweet F.A!

The things that I hate hearing are that people who are a size 14 to 18 are unhealthy. My previous job was being the manager of a health food shop. I lifted boxes of dried pulses, nuts, oats all day every day. Twice a week the delivery van used to park two streets down and we would have to carry 40+ boxes back to the shop and up the stairs to the storeroom. Do you know how many skinny people couldn't do that, even once? I can lift 25kg without much effort, if the tits didn't get in the way, I'd make a good weightlifter!

Do you know what's worse for the NHS than the odd size 14 being generally positive about their lives and appearance? People being unhappy, suicidal, self harming, abusing, even people spending long amounts of time on social media (oh the irony.)

Do you mean them feeling that way because of their weight? Or just a general statement? If you have been eating the food you have posted for a while but not losing weight, that's a bit concerning.

Those are pretty extreme examples you've given. I don't know anyone who lives like that personally, of course no one thinks that's healthy just because hey are slim. If those people aren't showing visible signs of an unhealthy lifestyle yet they will soon . Weight isn't the only thing that can make someone look unhealthy!

@Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel genuinely what's the alternative? We all hate ourselves, restrictions as to how many Jaffa cakes we can buy, have to queue up in a separate line? As usual, you're talking shit. You don't know why you're slim anymore than I know why I'm not.

I’ve reassessed my image of what a healthy cat should look like and I look back on photos of her when she was bigger and feel horrified that I thought she was ok. She was never massive, but she was clearly on the chunkier side.

I look back of photos of myself and can't believe I was the size I was. At the time I knew I was a bit overweight but I was really big, I think because my clothes size wasn't huge and no one ever said anything to me, I didnt realise at the time. I think a lot of people don't.

Well you’re talking extremes there. I don’t know anyone size 22 who is that fit. The one person I know of that size has been overweight since a child and has lots of health conditions. I also don’t know anyone skinny on drugs.

Not saying they don’t exist but out of all my friends and family and 100 colleagues, there is no one like that. Most people are normal/average size and normal/average fitness.

@chubbyhotchoc that size 16 looks different on different heights . Not saying better or worse , just different .

I don't think they are extremes. I think this is real life where people don't fit into 'slim healthy person' 'fat, unhealthy person.' Go look at the cycle path in your town and tell me if you don't see anyone past a size 12 cycling. I'll wait.

I actually don't agree with the tall thing. There's no way a size 16 would look thin even at 6ft. I'm 5ft 10 and do not look thin even in size 14 clothes. Fat is not exactly the word I would use either. More stocky. You can carry more being tall and still look slim but 16 is pushing it considerably. I looked extremely thin, lollipop head thin at 11st 7 which would be very overweight for some shorter women.

I'm not stocky (no muscle mass, I think I'd fall over if someone pushed me). Only 58 kg which is... 9st 2lb. That is sobering actually, it's what I weighed as a teen. I'd be happy to put weight on now provided it's muscle mass and not flab! I do look thin, though, even in clothes.

I dunno. People are different!

@ClientQ

There is lots of evidence about hashimotos and diet. You may have a genetic propensity for it, but many people are able to control it purely through diet.

Hypothyroidism is a hormonal problem, and as with so many of the health issues associated with obesity, it is caused by bad diet. Most people don’t even associate what they eat with their hormone health...again it’s a scandalous level of misinformation that people receive.

It can be due to not enough Iodine and/or Selenium, which is common in this country as soils are deficient. I ate very well for many years but still developed it (mind you I did have some awful stress levels in an abusive marriage for 5 years, that certainly didn't help). However if you go to your GP they almost certainly won't suggest supplementing with either of those elements, because they don't know. I asked my GP should I take Iodine and she said she really didn't know and asked the other GPs at her surgery, and none had an opinion on it. So I've had to investigate for myself, not only re Iodine but a lot of other nutrients. It's a huge problem, not just fast foods but also agricultural practices that deplete soils.

@hamstersarse Yes, autoimmune diseases tend to run in families. My mother had Graves' (hyperthyroidism). I definitely inherited something, but for those genes to be expressed there need to be environmental triggers too - could be viral, dietary, environmental, stress etc. I find most people I know now with Hashi's have other deficiencies such as B12, ferritin, folate and Vitamin D, to name but four!

My younger Dsis has hashimoto's she is a vegan, cooks from scratch not microwave meals, she counts over calorie, she eats far less than me and is always 2 stone over weight. It is shit for her. ❤

@Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel genuinely what's the alternative? We all hate ourselves, restrictions as to how many Jaffa cakes we can buy, have to queue up in a separate line? As usual, you're talking shit. You don't know why you're slim anymore than I know why I'm not

Taking shit? That's rich coming from you

I know exactly why I'm slim. I don't hate myself and I certainly don't suffer or go without.

You're sneering at " skinny" women when truthfully you wish you were slimmer and there's nothing wrong with wishing you are slimmer but being petty to those who are is unbecoming and unpleasant.

No I definitely don’t see overweight fit people running or cycling tbh.
I live in an area on the coast where there are cycle paths and bike hire and you can barely move for joggers, cyclists and walkers at the moment.

@hamstersarse I get that, I'm saying it's not caused by a bad diet, you don't just get hashimotos by eating too much chocolate type thing
It's caused by genetics, and probably an outside trigger. I suspect I had a virus that started it as I also was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder where I kill off my white blood cells, so it's not a huge jump to then destroy my thyroid!
Interestingly I have no deficiencies in B12, folate, vitamin D, any other

I live right on a busy bike path junction, my livingroom window looks on to it and people cycle by all day. We also spend lots of time on it and no - size 22 people on bikes are not something I see. I've been paying close attention lately as an in the market for a new bike so eyeing up everyone's as they pass and there are currently more bikes around than ever before. I'd have noticed.

@Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel when did I sneer? I've already said that my slim bf has had way more abuse through the years for being naturally slim than I have for being a bit fat. I said in my OP that my experience in the shop was that some skinny people didn't have the physical ability to lift and carry heavy loads. That's just basic biology isn't it?
How about instead of me wishing I was slim and being filled with envy at your obvious physical perfection, you actually want to imagine that your thinness and my fatness are down to pure greed/ laziness and we all are equally able to be a size ten. That makes you feel good that you somehow made the right choice whilst I made the wrong one.

My dad is indigenous Mexican, you go to Mexico and see the indigenous people there who have lived off the land and ate the same diet for hundreds of years. They're not slim people! Our body's are the product of thousands of years of evolution and adapting to our environment. We didn't adapt to fit this culture of sedentary lifestyles and fast food. Whilst I'm willing to take responsibility for my part in it, there are millions of factors as to why people put on weight on others don't. Read a book!

@Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel also if you don't go without or suffer, aren't you sort of proving my point that you aren't actively contributing towards your own slimness?

If someone is tall and a size 16 they can be slim or even very slim.

They’d have to be very very tall.

There’s a lot of difference between overweight and obese, you don’t start being a burden on the NHS the moment you tip over into overweight. All of the studies people point to in these arguments look at obesity, not being overweight. Overweight serves as the warning indicator - the amber bar on the valve before you hit the red section and you’re in trouble.

People use overweight and obese interchangeable but they aren’t interchangeable.

The clothes thing is a red herring as is comparing us to the 40s - the point in time where malnutrition was so rife we needed minimum height requirements for the army as people weren’t growing properly.

@ClientQ Interestingly I have no deficiencies in B12, folate, vitamin D, any other

According to who? (not saying that in a nasty tone, btw, just asking). Have you got recent measurements of those? Remember it's not enough to be just 'in range' with those, you need to be optimal. Also B12 is a bit of a bugger, if it shows really high you are likely (functionally) deficient. Not everything shows up in a blood test, either. I've done an OAT (organic acid test) to show what my body isn't using, and it clearly shows B2, B12 and a few other deficiencies. I'm afraid the more you dig re hypothyroidism, the more you come up with and it's not a straight forward illness at all.

@Emerald .. same as me .

No it's not basic biology at all I don't know why you think that? lots of over weight people might find it hard too - but anyone without physical disabilities would be able to manage after a few times it's just a case of your body being used to it.

@CrunchyCarrot I'm under haematology for my blood disorder, they have done over 70 tubes of blood just for diagnosis and they test everything under the sun every 12 weeks I usually have about 5-8 tubes taken
He's v v good and if I think anything is wrong he just adds stuff on. My B12 was out of range (too high) due to multivitamin so he asked me to stop taking it so they could check actual levels and it came down to a pretty average level, vitamin D on the higher end (I'm a redhead so unlikely to have vitamin D issues)
High risk for my condition converting to AM leukaemia hence the constant bloods

@MermaidApocalypse It is down to your mindset with food.
For example DP is morbidly obese whereas I am slim. I generally eat my favourite part of our meal first he will save his fav till last guarantees he eats everything on that plate.
I serve 2 fist portions per item on my plate in 3 sections, he fills his base plate then adds extra portions on top so he has 2 or 3 layers of food. It has been irritating me during lockdow. I borrowed my sisters scales he was shocked, he knew he was fat thought 3st over at 17st but he weighed in at 19.5 now he is 6ft2 but he'd no idea.
Been full genuinely hurts me and makes me sluggish I'm always on the go so prefer lighter meals.