General Impressions of me (includes Photos)

[IamPeppaPig]

I've always hated my body. I feel like a giant whale. Always have. I feel like I can't trust the views of friends and family to give me honest opinions because weight always seems so taboo to be honest about. I don't want false compliments but genuine honesty. Do I look seriously fat? What's your opinion of me in these images?

I ordered some new boots, as seen in the images in the comments. I always struggle to get boots from normal high street & supermarket places as I have huge calves. I finally found a standard pair that fit from the high street. I was thrilled that I could get them over my calves but I don't think they look right. I carry the majority of my weight on my thighs and calves. I hate my legs so much. I'm 5ft 4 too.

I am trying to lose weight but it's not exactly a fast process.

Thoughts?

@EarlGreyJenny Well this is why we have guides like BMI - because looking at someone is so subjective! To me, she looks overweight and possibly obese.

@IamPeppaPig I don't know if it would fit with your lifestyle but the 5:2 diet works for lots of people - 2 very small meals for a day, for two days a week. Michael Moseley has his book Fast Diet on it which gives all the science behind preventing diabetes (which he had even at just 1.5 st overweight) and some good recipes.

If you do a lot of exercise, the weight has to be coming from your diet, so that's where you need to make changes.

Sorry for assuming you'd been told medically- it was when you said 'at my last weigh in' which made it sound like a formal assessment.

@DesignerDesigner I'm not disputing the fact she's overweight, her BMI is obviously too high. I'm saying despite her BMI, she has positives about her shape. She has a good shape. It is possible to be overweight and attractive. Also, BMI not always reliable. Body fat measures are much more meaningful.

I would second the 5:2 diet. And apart from weight loss, fasting has been shown to have lots of health benefits

Ooh, what job do you do that’s like a paid workout? It sounds fun! And you swim a lot, which is you carry your weight so well. If I were you I’d get on ASOS and order as many items/shapes suggested on the thread as possible on your budget, take photos, then return most of them (unless you’ve fallen in love with something) and try it again until you’ve tried all the suggestions and decided what you like. Then you can look for similar items to fit your budget when you know what shapes you like. ASOS do free returns.

she looks overweight and possibly obese
OMG she does not!

I've not RTFT, so someone may have mentioned it before.

But if you're doing lots of exercise and your legs are still v chunky, maybe it's lipoedema? Google it. It is far more common than we think. 😊

Unrelated, but is your back wall Farrow and Ball Vardo?

You have a lovely waist, decent boobs and juicy bum. Thick thighs are sexy.
(Anyone skinny reading yours are sexy, too!).
You have a really feminine shape abd its the clothes and some confidence in yourself that you need.

Don't look fat at all, very average size in my eyes. I have a very similar figure and wouldn't consider myself fat!

Does your Dr say to lose weight? My friend is slightly overweight and her friends say she looks good and doesn't need to lose anything. Her Dr disagrees. I would take the opinion of a medical professional rather than strangers on the Internet.

@ZaraW My Doctor has never mentioned it. It's never come up any time I've seen my Doctor. I'm going to lose some more weight for me and my health because I want to. Not because I've been told by anyone.

Ok, if you are technically overweight, then good for you trying to lose it to be healthy.

But as to the photos, you look good.

You are well proportioned, you don't look like one area is huge at all, overall you look 'normal' not skinny but not overweight either.
I don't think those boot sdo you any favours, but the first pictures of you in leggings, you have a good figure.

We have been getting fatter in the UK for a long time that a lot of people see being overweight as normal.

I think you look strong, great shoulder line and lovely waist. The stripe top highlights that. The baggy top is not nice and I don't think the boots do much for you...mid calf or ankle would be nicer.

From the photos, you look like you have quite a standard ‘mum’ shaped body. Not helped by wearing very mumsy clothes.
It’s great that you are losing weight. I think investing in some flattering clothes will help spur you on to lose more.
Have you tried really wide leg trousers worn with a fitted top? It could be a good solution to balance you out and show off your hourglass figure. I often find the best solutions are counter-intuitive. So instead of wearing leggings because you don’t want to add any extra inches to your legs, try wearing wide flowing trousers that will skim over them.
Sorry but you are too short to wear knee high boots. Luckily there are loads of gorgeous mid calf boots as well as ankles.

@happylittletree

Unrelated, but is your back wall Farrow and Ball Vardo?

I was wondering this too! It's a gorgeous colour

@gindinner @happylittletree it's a wickes own paint. (:

Not fat, and definitely not like a whale ha ha, you look shapely and good in all the angles of your photo's.

@ZaraW

We have been getting fatter in the UK for a long time that a lot of people see being overweight as normal.

This.

@MaryLennoxsScowl

What are your ankles like? I don’t like wrap dresses personally - too formal. As a fellow hourglass, I recommend a skimming but fitted top with mom or barrel or wide-leg jeans/culottes/midi skirts to disguise your thighs and move focus to your waist. You need high-rise baggier bottom half with tighter tops. Slightly overweight Apple-shaped women in drapey tops and leggings look smaller than they are; hourglass women look bigger than they are in the same outfit.

This. I’m a similar shape and I am so grateful that skinny jeans have gone out! Looser jeans and tighter tops are much better on hourglasses.

I can’t see your figure much as both outfits hide it ! But from what I ca see looks lovely
You need to seriously burn that grey baggy tee though
That doesn’t not do anyone justice

@ZaraW

We have been getting fatter in the UK for a long time that a lot of people see being overweight as normal.

Also agree with this.

OP, many women will be envious of your figure because so many are much more overweight than you. Many men would also find your figure very attractive. You look pretty good really!

But in terms of the healthy ideal, you do look overweight for sure.

You have asked for honest, general opinions so that I will give .

You don't look fat to me. You look fab, but you do look like you need some confidence when it comes to clothes. A baggy t-shirt and leggings is okay every now and again but you would look better in better, fitted clothes.

I like the boots.

I am 100% percent behind the OP if she wants to lose weight- for health.

But I am genuinely shocked - or maybe not- that so many posters do not recognise what obese looks like.

The idea of 'obese' is not the photos you see online or an 'fat' TV programmes where chefs show people who to lose weight. Those people are often 20stone or more.

Many people are obese and are 'only' a couple of stone overweight.

Sadly we have lost sight of what obese looks like as so many people are.

If you look back at photos of women in the 1940-1960s you will see the difference - particularly struck me when watching the VE day photos and films on TV recently when no one looked overweight.

This is not a dig at the OP at all, and TBH it was only when I saw her 2nd lot of photos that I thought she did look pretty overweight- the first shot sideways on look okay.

How old are you?