Pic from meggy.ology.com |
I've never been fat, but a year ago I was a size 12 on a large frame. I'm now a size 8 in most high street shops, and pretty slim (purely by excercising more and eating more healthily - there's no secret, sorry!) I'm glad to have been maintaining my current weight for a while, and certainly wouldn't want to lose a pound more. When I reached my mid-teens, I guess I stopped growing upwards, but carried on eating the same way, so inevitably grew outwards, and the chub gradually snuck up on me. I wasn't happy being a "bigger" girl, and thought that if I couldn't lose weight and be in my ideal shape as a young lady in the prime of metabolism, what hope was there for me in later life? I wanted to be slimmer, as that's the look I like, so what's wrong with taking control of your life and doing something about it? One thing I hate is when people are all talk and no action: so many of my friends are constantly whining about how they "want to lose a stone" or "need to slim down", but never got off their backsides and take action! Aggravating, no?
I've never had a boyfriend (but at the same time, never been particularly bothered about having one - go girlpower!), and I don't know if I thought that by slimming down and losing the extra inches of chub I'd suddenly be inundated with attention from boys, but I can tell you, that certainly has not happened. Maybe it really is true that guys don't care about girls being skinny.
So maybe it was subconsciously for the sake of other women. We tell ourselves that we have to be slim to be beautiful, and can't escape this idea. I'm very ambitious and am doing everything possible to give myself the best chance of getting my dream job after I graduate, and we all know that image plays a part towards getting ahead in life (whether we like it or not).
I also just wanted to have a healthy revamp. Afterall, what's the point in getting into bad eating habits at my age? I'm now much more educated about health and nutrition, and not only has my figure benefitted, but my brain and immune system and the like are certainly in better shape too.
But after all this, do I actually like my figure? Well, no is the answer. But I don't think many women ever do. Skinny girls (comme moi) want to be curvy (Kim Kardashian anyone?), and curvy girls want to be skinny. The trouble is that I have a boyish frame - that's to say pretty much straight up and down, with , like, no waist. I've always been this way, the difference is that I now have a slightly flatter tum, but at the price of my formerly curvy bum, and my previously small boobs now really are mosquito bites. Also, I now have knobbly knees and a rather protruding spine (which I actually managed to graze recently while doing floorwork in a dance class. I mean, c'mon! Who grazes their backbone!?)
However, I do prefer my figure now to the way it was a year ago. I love my slim legs, more defined face (I used to look like I had gobstoppers in my cheeks the whole time! No joke!), and feminine collar bones. I like having delicate wrists, and - as awful as this may be - it feels good when you notice looks from other women. Well, for the most part. I myself can't help but stare at stick-thin people, but not in an envious way, that's for sure.
So to sum up - I am happier now with my figure, but still not happy. We never will be until we reach perfection (which will never happen) because that's what society drills into us. It's a shame, but is there anything we can do about it? I love food, and would NEVER recommend doing anything drastic to lose weight, but at the same time, if you're really unhappy with the way you look, stop complaining, and do something about it! If you'd like to hear all my super simple and healthy weightloss, diet and fitness tricks, I'd be more than happy to share, so please just drop me a comment.
Skinny doesn't equal happy. Fact. Well, I'm pretty sure of it, but what do you think about this controversial subject? I'd love to hear your views on your bodies, diets, weightloss and anything else related. Drop me a comment...