Those darn weight charts...

After 13 months of dieting, I am now 5'3 and 141 lbs. I've lost somewhere around 80 lbs (I really don't know my top weight, as I stopped weighing).

According to the stupid weight charts, at 5'3 and with my small frame I should weigh 111-124. 124 would make me about a size 6. Now my good sense tells me this is way too low. If I lost 17 lbs I think I'd look ematiated. If I lost 30 lbs I think I'd look like a 10 year old boy.

I'm 37 years old. My average teenage weight was about 130. I am not muscular (my workouts have really waned). I don't want to lose my breasts altogether (I've already gone from DD to C). I don't want to be skinny. I want to be sexy and healthy.

I would like to lose a little bit more weight. My original goal was 135. Heck, to be honest, I'd love to weigh 120 lbs and my weight may eventually go there. I have not changed the way I eat even though I'm happy with the way I look now. I'm not exactly trying to lose weight, I'm just being sensible and finding it's still dropping lower.

What the heck is up with these stupid weight charts here in the US? Isn't size 10 good enough for a woman my age/height? With all I know about diet, weight and fitness, I should have these answers...but yet I still feel confused over these charts. Where do they come from? Who creates them? The diet industry? Doctors? How seriously should we take them? I'm surprised that at this stage of the game I don't have these answers.

Elissa

I, too, am 5'3", and at 17 I have not been 111 lbs. since I was in 5th grade. To be that thin again would make me look like a waif. I don't have a small frame for someone that is 5'3". I have curves and I like them! I'm currently 127 and would like to get to 120....i think that'd be perfect. I have no idea where these weight charts come from or who decides that the average weight for someone 5'3" should be 111-124. Not everyone's built the same!! my mother, who is the same height and even has the same build, probably weighs 145-150 and she looks great for 49. Who knows, it's all a big mystery

BTW Elissa, congrats on all that weight loss!

Thanks Whit. Same to you!

Elissa

I think it all depends on what weight you feel most comfortable at. As we get older I don't think we look as good really thin either. Have you ever noticed those stringy old ladies who just look drawn and wrinkled? I would rather be a bit chubby then look like I have a disease. And when did a size 10 become "plus size?" I was astounded to see that the other day.

OMG Elissa..that is such a good question....WHO COMES UP WITH THOSE CHARTS??

I've said this before, but my daughter is 5'9", age 15 large boned, perfect size 12, weight about 165lbs. She is beautiful strong and healthy.

Why is it, when we shop for her at the "COOL" stores "Wet Seal" "Forever 21" and " A. Fitch" ....We can't seem to find a sizes 11 or 13???....Oh there are plenty of size 0-2....what is up with that??

I can only imagine what the charts SAY she... or I for that matter, SHOULD weigh.

How do we fight this??

Ignore the charts!


Anyhow, your daughter is 12 and 5'9?? Good god,she's soo lucky!! I'm 5'0 and 16 years old. How unfair!!!

See how ridiculous all that is???? Your daughter is considered plus sized by the fashion industry which is a hideous label to hang on a kid. I am not sure when this new cutoff began but it is really making me angry. For someone who is 5'9" to wear a size 0 or 2 she would have to be very ill--mentally, physically and probably both. What is wrong with being healthy and feminine? Your daughter is almost exactly my size. I am very healthy and I don't think I am plus sized at all but I was actually mailed a plus size catalog the other day. And you know what? Their smallest size was a 10. I don't think a 10 is all that big. It is just normal.

I don't know how to fight it since I have always had a bad body image. I think my generation of baby boomers started this whole skinny thing and it has just gotten worse for our kids until it is a terrible sickness that has infected our society. Jamie Lee Curtis is doing her part by posing in More Magazine in her underwear looking like a normal, slightly pudgy middle aged woman and she admits to weighing over 150 pounds. Since she was famous for her fantastic body and even admits to cosmetic surgery that is really something. And she looks fantastic and she also looks her age. On the next page in the same magazine she has them take her picture all dolled up and she looked fabulous. So all those "perfect" people our kids are trying to immulate don't even exist but they don't know that and the pressure to look really good is extreme for kids now.

The only way to stop this insanity is to refuse to be swayed by it and I think it may be too late for a lot of girls. It isn't as bad for boys I've noticed. I have a pudgy 12 year old son and he doesn't really care all that much. When people tease him he just laughs them off (I worried that he was crying inside but I talk to him a lot and he really isn't concerned and he also isn't much overweight). And my husband was about 40 pounds overweight and didn't care at all until his doctor told him he had to lose it. He still got attention from women (we aren't as picky as the men it seems) and it just didn't bother him at all. I wish I had an answer but I think it will have to come from all of us as a whole, not just a few mavericks. I guess the press (especially women's magazines which all feature a new diet every single month) is to blame and I guess the way to change things is to get them to change the way they write about what is beautiful. I'm not sure how to begin but I support Jamie Lee Curtis 100%.

You make some great points Demo. We talk about this topic a lot at the salon...It's one of my pet peves. I love Jamie Lee Curtis. I saw her that day on Oprah, she was great.

Actually my daughter has a much better self image than I ever had. I've been programming her for years.

One thing I think is really important is "self talk". Negative self talk is so distructive. It starts early...she would say something like "I'm so stupid"
I didn't allow it. We talked about it when she was young and I taught her to catch herself and say something positive insted. I think to this day it has worked well...Her language to herself, is as respectful as her language to me, or someone else that she loves and respects. I CAN"T STRESS ENOUGH how important and positive this practice is.

At the salon we don't even let our Clients say negative things about themselves. We sure like to beat upon our selves sometimes.

Allie; I always wanted to be short and tiny....It just goes to show ya...actually she's 15 and 5'9".

I was 5'8" in 8th grade my nick name was Amazon Woman....My girl friends called me that....so I alway's wished I was shorter.

Now, at age 46, I'm glad I'm that tall.

I'm glad now that I'm tall too (I can eat lots more) but I still think it might be fun to be a tiny girl for a day. I never was..... At least my husband is tall. He is 6'4" and big so he makes me feel small. I can wear my highest heels with him and never be too tall. That is nice.