Not as skinny as I look.

I look at myself in the mirror, and I see my ribs on my chest, and I turn around and I can see my ribs on my back, but I have quite a bit of fat on my stomach and also my inner thighs. I'm 5'7" and I weigh 125 pounds. I wear a size 2 dress, but I have a 19% body fat. I look great in clothes, but feel really gross and fat when I'm naked. I've lost 60 pounds, so I struggle with loose skin in my problem areas, which doesn't help the way I look. I do cardio, trying to burn some of it off, and do weights to try and firm up those areas as much as I can. I've gone to a plastic surgeon, and he said the only way I'm going to get a flat stomach with all that extra skin is with a full tummy tuck. There's too much for it to just "tighten" on its own.

I get funny looks from people when they see me counting calories, or if I make any kind of comment about not being able to eat junk food, saying I'm  "so skinny". I shouldn't worry about it, but I do.

Does anyone understand what I'm feeling?

UPDATE 1/15/08: I had my breasts lifted with augmentation on November 1st. I am SO HAPPY and SO GLAD I did it. I didn't realize how much it affected my self-image and confidence, until I got to see life from the other side of the fence. I've got the large scars, but they will just get better with time. I absolutely love them!

Hey there-
Yes, and also no.  I'm 5'11" and 129 pounds, myself, and yet I watch what I eat and get the funny (even suspicious) looks from people who know I keep track of what I eat and care if I gain a few pounds.  People assume there's something wrong with you if you're both thin and weight-conscious.
Thing is, I'm 34 years old.  I stay thin and healthy because I care about what I eat and how much exercise I get - but it's impossible to discuss that with many people because they think you're crazy (or bragging, of all things).  I stop exercising, I start to gain weight.
And I have some tummy flab that I'd rather not have.  I know about looking in the mirror and seeing that ONE thing as ugly.
You're ahead of the game, weight-wise, and what you need (IMHO) is to get more comfortable with what you look like, and to see the whole you in the mirror.  
Exercise, eat right, and don't worry about a little flab here and there.  The happier you are with what your body can do, and the things about it you love, the less you'll notice the minor flaws.
That said - I've been thin my whole life, and so I don't relate to the extra skin issue.  If you really want to, and can afford to, I'd say have it off.  You can exercise away flab (for the most part), but the skin?  Not so much.
Seriously, though, I'd try to get happy with what you really look like before committing to any surgery.

Amheld,

I totally understand how you're feeling. I'm in a kind of similar situation, although it might not sound like it to you. I am 5'0 and weigh about 128. When I got married (16 years ago) I weighed 103 lbs. When people look at me they tell me they don't see why I want to lose weight, and I know to them I don't look like it, but I am not happy with myself. When I used to work (I'm a stay at home mom now) and used to make it known I was watching my calories, etc., I'd get the same responses you do. Here's what I've learned NOT to do. Don't tell people you're watching your calorie intake or that you're watching your diet, period. When counting calories or logging them, do it privately. If someone offers you a donut, don't say "no thanks, I can't eat junk food," just say "no thanks." You don't need to explain to anyone why you're not going to eat something.

I'd like to get a tummy tuck too. I've had 3 kids and have a stomach that looks like complete mush. I just don't have the money to do it.

Nice chatting with you. I hope everything works out for you.

Deedus

And would you really expect a plastic surgeon to say you DON"T need plastic surgery? 

Congrats on the weight loss!

Ah yes, the enigma my sister and I refer to as 'skinny fat'. We can cover it up nicely with the right clothes and size wise we seem good (5'2'' 115) but that extra 5-10 lbs is right in our belly!!

People give me a hard time about working out and watching what I eat too, but I just ignore them. I see myself naked every morning so I know what's what and they don't. Not to mention, I was probably one of the unhealthiest eaters I've ever encountered and decided since I quit smoking 8 months ago to go ahead and go the distance and work at being healthy all around!

Good for you all for already losing weight! I seem to have started on a plateau :( Glad to hear others have the same story.

I am in the same situation.

I see my ribs and know that i shouldnt go to the gym everyday but im obsessed with it. I try to eat back my calories, but i try to be very healthy and conscience about it.

people say i need to stop and i know i probably should but its hard. I want to tone up my stomache but its impossible no matter what i do. I do cardio and weights but whatever...

anyways we are similar and its frusterating

i know how you feel. i also not stretched out skin, but I have lots of fatty areas (arms, thighs). I try to be as confident as I can because I feel so proud that I lost 75 lbs. You gotta work w/ what you got and feel beautiful doing so. (hope I helped)

Hi there, I know exactly what you are talking about. I am 5'7" and 130 at the moment. My goal weight is 123. In my 20's I got up to 199 lbs probably more but that was when I felt I had lost some weight and was able to face getting on the scale. I went on a diet and exercise program of my own making and lost about 80 lbs over a years period. I gained some weight back when I hit 40 and have been counting calories mostly since then. I too get the why do you want to know how many calories are in whatever it is I am thinking of eating you are thin. I get the why are you on a diet, why do you work out every day. I just tell them so that I remain thin and fit. I too have loose skin in a couple of spots that luckily for me are only seen by my husband. It doesn't bother me too much because I know what I looked like before. Exercise helps. I would speak to a trainer before I went to a surgeon but after that if it still bothers you have the surgery.

completely! i'm 5'0 and i was 112, but now i'm 107. all of my weight is in my hips and thighs! i am really little from my waist up, and as long as i'm wearing jeans or something that sort of hides my my thighs, everyone things i have a great shape! ... i disagree, b/c i still have to see myself naked lol

i feel the exact same way about how i look in clothes and out of them. i feel great in my clothes but once i take them off to get in the shower i avert my eyes elsewhere. i just need to tone up and get this fat off. i'm 5'4 and weigh around 115-117 but i still feel flabby even after losing around 20 pounds.

 

I know exactly how you feel im olny 14 and i lost 90 pounds im 5'9 and 139 pounds im supose to weigh about 139- 140 the rest of my body is prefectly fine  but i have alot of extra skin on my stomach area i want to loose more weight but no matter what i do im not looseing ..........I don't even know if loosing weight will help or not

does anyone have any ideas on how i can tighten up my stomach or loose weight ?

cardio, crunches, free weights

I'm glad no "BMI-obsessed" person came in here suggesting we're all underweight :)

I'm with you ladies - 5'4'', 103.5 lbs. Tiny top, heavy bottom. I don't look bad in clothes, and people keep telling me I'm skinny. I usually reply "you never saw me naked". :) They also say I don't need to exercise or "be on a diet" (even though I'm not technically "on a diet". I guess my refusal of timbits and eating apples instead makes them think so). 

There's a picture in the album for those who don't believe one can have fat while being <105 lbs.

 

I know exactly what you mean amheld. I'm in exactly the same position you are. I'm about 5'4" and currently weight 118lbs but i've lost a lot of weight along the way. I'd say overall i've lost about 60lbs and I look really good now with clothes on. But with clothes off i can see all the extra skin, especially around my belly button and lower stomach and also at the tops of my theighs. People tell me all the time how small i am and i am happy with how much weight i've lost but i'm not happy with my overall body. I am self conscious about these loose skin areas and I show my boyfriend but he always tells me its not bad. I would really like to get these areas fixed proffessionally but the money is most likely an issue. Also, the stretch marks drive me crazy haha.

ugh I TOTLLY know what you mean. I'm 125, 5'4 and I run. a LOT. I also watch what I eat very very closely. I take very good care of my body partially because I'm vain and shallow and like looking hot, but also because you only get one body. ever. and if you don't take care of it, it's not like a car where you can just go get a new one.

people see me measuring out my food (because american serving sizes are very deceptive), logging everything I eat and passing on junk food/crap except as infrequent treats. my boyfriend gets really annoyed, because he has the metabolism of a hummingbird and probably drinks (in the form of soda) the same amount of calories I eat every day. darn male metabolisms...

the point is, I've worked hard to take off the extra weight. but when I did, i wasn't on a diet. I was on a lifestyle change. Yeah, I could have an extra piece of candy at the office or whatever and it won't kill me, but the hardest part of weightloss is keeping that old weight off. sure, I could have a can of coke instead of a glass of water, but a can of coke a day without changing anything else is ~1400 calories or 3ish pounds of weight gain per month. I'll skip it.

healthy isn't about skinny or fat -- you can be extrememly unhealthy at a low weight -- example would be my boyfriend, who only orders out, drinks full-sugar soda daily and says "man, that sounds boring" whenever I say I have to hit the gym before it closes or go for a run before it gets dark. although I have warmed him up to tennis because he gets to watch me run around in a skirt... haha. you can also be at a higher weight and be extremely healthy. My dad is in his late 60s and towards the higher end of the BMI range. however, he's in better shape than I am, is a triathlete, runs marathons and can kick my ass in rowing. he eats an extremely healthy vegan diet, his cholesterol/blood pressure/VO2max/heart rate are comparable to mine (i'm in my 20s). he and my boyfriend are the same height, but the boyfriend weighs a good 20-30 pounds less. which one is healthier? not the skinny one.

Yes! I weigh 115lbs and I'm 5'4. This wouldn't be such a big problem for me because I think it's a good weight for my height, but it seems to collect in places, especially my thighs, which are disproportionate to the rest of my body. My family and other people think I'm crazy for wanting to watch what I eat and go running as much as I can, but honestly I feel really bottom-heavy. I know you can't spot-reduce or target individual areas of the body, but I feel like if I eat well and work out a bit I'll be able to lose a bit of weight from my thighs (since that's where it gathers). I look alright in clothes, but when I wear jeans or tight fitting pants my huge thighs are quite noticeable. Still, people tell me I look fine and shouldn't worry, but I definitely don't feel my weight or look it.

im 5'7.5 and 118lbs......so unfair you fit into a size 2 dress and you weigh 125lbs =P i wear a size 3/4. I have wide hips tho >.<

Still. im jealous hehe.

Running really helps burning fat and toning the body. I run atleast 6-7 miles a week =] 

I still have those days where i feel fat..especially in my hip area.

Edit: Oh and im not trying to lose weight..im here to gain a little more weight so i make sure to eat 2300 calories and strength train to build muscle...just incase anyone starts with the "you have an eating disorder" thing. lol ^^

double posty.

you should talk to a trainer at the gym to give you  a program to work with and make sure your types of food ratios are right to get the results you want. Congrats on the loss! Its going to take at least a year of maintaining that weight to allow your skin to fully tighten up.

Its nice to see so many people in my situation. It really takes someone who's "been there" to understand what's going through my head when I look in the mirror.

I'm in the same boat - 5'7" and 127lbs. Weird that I wear a size 7 lol but anyway, all my weight is in my tummy/hip area and it drives me crazy! From the waist up I think I look alright, but once my shirt ends I think I look terrible. I run on the elliptical and do strength training and nothing seems to help, it's infuriating!