Establishing the truth about how I look - weird but bear with me

[LovefromPickles]

I used to be super skinny but that is no longer the case since I hit 40. However I can’t work out whether I’m still slim or not?!

I realise that sounds odd! But I have one mirror in my house (just a normal IKEA mirror) that makes me look slim and good, so if that’s the “truth” then I’m happy. But sometimes other mirrors make me look a lot bigger.

Likewise photos, sometimes I look slim other times I look quite chubby.

Dress sizes don’t help as I gave everything from size 6-14 in my wardrobe! It’s bonkers.

I’m 5”7, hips measure 40 inches at the widest part, waist 29 inches at smallest part, bust 38 inches.

I exercise regularly and am fairly toned. I am not unfit, eg I can run 7/8 miles on hilly off-road terrain without any issue, obviously realise health is the main thing.

I’m similar measures and definitely wouldn’t call myself slim. Medium build a probably a good description for me. Does it matter?

I suspect a healthy weight rather than slim? It’s hard to tell without seeing an image or knowing your weight as well. I’d have assumed a dress size 16 due to hips. Unless you wear looser skirts normally.

I have the same thing, some mirrors I look slim others heavy.

OP I am similar measurements to you - I'm 5ft6, have a 28 inch waist, 39 inch hips.

I usually wear a size 8 on top, size 10 on bottom. I would consider myself athletic slim, if that makes sense.

Like you, sometimes I feel slim and toned, and other times I feel bloated and frumpy. I think it depends on mood and diet to be honest! When I do more exercise I feel great, regardless of whether I look any different.

I'm exactly the same! I don't know if I have body dismorphia sometimes! I am clearly small in stature and petite- some clothes I have in 6,8 and 10, usually need s or xs in oversized things. But I'm sure my hips are 39 inches too. I have a little belly. I think I'm 9 stone ish. It's so weird not being sure if I'm slim or chubby?!

I’d have assumed a dress size 16 due to hips. Unless you wear looser skirts normally

Most of my trousers are a size 10, some are a 12

When I do more exercise I feel great, regardless of whether I look any different

Yes totally agree

Yes sorry I got that wrong, a 40 hip is generally a 12.

The do I look slim or chubby question has an awful lot to do with the style of clothes you wear. A bit of something slim fitting on the top half and without too much excess fabric over the hips =skinny. A pair of Mum jeans and a sweatshirt = fat blob. When you move around in real life it’s probably obvious you aren’t overweight but the camera captures the one dimensional you. (I’m trying to remember this myself when I see yet another awful photo of me).

My weight is just under 11 stone giving me a bmi of 24, (which is at the higher end of the healthy weight range)

Yes so then you’re a healthy weight as an accurate description. Why does it matter, is there a previous ed?

I agree with you on mirrors, my wardrobe and bedroom ones I look slim ish. But some shop windows or other mirrors I look chubby too. I never know which is right.

I think your bone and muscle structure would make a difference. At the height and measurements you describe I think it would be possible to look very fit or slightly podgy or anything in between.
If you have small bones and not much muscle then a 29" waist at your height could have a good bit of fat on it.
If you are bigger boned and also carry obvious muscle then you could look very athletic with a low proportion of fat. And therefore 'slimmer' even though your actual measurements are just as slim as the person with smaller bones.
Most people are probably somewhere in between!
I also agree with pp that how you dress is important.

I know how to dress makes a difference but feel unsure about that too. I like wearing leggings as (I think) I have shapely legs, although I do like my bum covered.

But then the other day I was walking behind a woman in leggings who I suspect was about my size and let’s just say it wasn’t a flattering look at all. Which got me questioning whether leggings are in fact as flattering on me as I thought?!

I’m questioning everything

This is spot on, mom jeans are the work of the devil, I’m slim but feel and look huge in mom jeans, they’ve been sent to the charity shop.

How kind of you to judge the poor woman minding her own business just getting on with her day..,

You're a healthy weight so aren't chubby at all. Dress for your shape and highlight your legs or arms or wherever else you feel good shoot yourself.

I'm s solid 14, am a few stone overweight however I know how to dress to flatter my shape and highlight the positives.

How kind of you to judge the poor woman minding her own business just getting on with her day

Is it really that unkind just to observe that I don’t consider an item of clothing flattering on someone? I didn’t comment on the fact!

Get some body composition scales. They give a good idea tbh. If you are mainly muscle it will show up in your readings. If your fat percentage is too high you can work on getting it down. I did this through exercise and diet, that is tracking all my exercise and ensuring I ate to enough deficit whereby I lost weight and fat percentage. You can track your muscle mass too. After following this process I don't really have photos whereby I look fat. Still can get unflattering photos for other reasons though!

At that height and with those measurements you are most definitely slim looking. Can't see how you couldn't be as you're a tall almost hour glass shape with a defined waist.

Leggings aren’t flattering on most people

I’d just go with what the slimming mirror tells you! If that mirror makes you feel great then listen to it. You can’t control how other people perceive you so who cares. Walk out the door feeling great.

My hips are also about this size but I’m 5’10” and long legged. I think of myself as medium / athletic build. I’m a size 12.

Well, it depends on your frame. For example, at your sort of measurements I was about 40% fat! Too much. Now my measurements are 35 25 35 at 5 ft 7 and I am size 8 and 23/24% fat. But when I have been here and compared fat percentages and measurements some people often have a lot more bone mass and muscle mass for the same height/measurements . There can be a huge variation. So can you pinch fat, do you see rolls? It's why I say body composition scales can help. It's why the old BMI charts mention frame. I am small frames. Small wrist measurement. Small shoulder breadth etc etc.

I'm pretty much same measurements, but couple of inches taller and with coathanger shoulders. I know exactly what you mean.
People tell me I'm slim, but it's usually people who are bigger than me.
Sometimes I look slim and my waist looks tiny; sometimes I look massive. I look slimmer with clothes on, although legs look great due to running.

I'm 5 ft 8.5 in and have the same waist/ hip size as you and have a 35 bust. With my 29 inch waist, I fit squarely in a UK 12.

I'm 9 st 10 atm. I am not slim as my broader framed ribs and mid section holds all my fat and I have leaner arms and legs. I literally look like a rectangular with a slight shape of hips

I feel I look a bit bulky around my middle sometimes especially if I have just had a large meal.

where do you carry most body fat?
what looks flattering on you?
What is the objective of your analysis of yourself? 😁😁

I have invested in some body composition scales as suggested and apparently my body fat is 18, which is low so reassuring.

for those asking why I care, firstly health and secondly yes I will admit there’s an element of vanity - I want to be slim / athletic and don’t apologise for that!

How you look in videos is how you really look. We all bring a certain face and posture to the mirror, and some are going at doing the same in photos. But nobody can maintain that endlessly, so if you look at videos of yourself just moving around unaware of the camera, that is what you look like most of the time.