For twelve years, I have hidden my weight from my husband, refusing to step on a scale in front of him. This man sees me naked every day. He’s been in the bathroom while I pee. He’s held my hair while I vomited (from the flu…not tequila…give me some credit here). He has touched every single inch of my body. Yet, my weight has been a shameful secret.
I don’t even watch “Mad Men,” but I Google “Christina Hendricks weight.” A lot. A lot more than anybody ever should. Because she is curvy and stunning and I feel like if only I could somehow relate to her I might feel better about myself. The internet consensus is that Christina Hendricks wears somewhere between a size 4 and a size 14, and weighs somewhere between 120-200 lbs. As a society, our notions about shape and weight are that drastically skewed.
Recently, I was having a conversation with some of the other CGG writers about women’s body type. I’ve always thought Tena was stunning. And, I met Daisy at last year’s BlogHer and thought she looked thin, fit and stylish. I confessed to comparing myself to them and feeling fat, unattractive, and inadequate. Turns out, all three of us are almost the exact same height & weight. And we were all guilty of comparing ourselves to each other and finding ourselves lacking. How is it possible that three women with very similar body types can all admire each other, but feel so damn bad about ourselves?
I think the answer is that shame lives in secrecy.
When we refuse to talk about weight, when we keep it hidden, tucked away in our closed-door bathrooms and doctors’ charts, it takes on a life of its own. Like a parasite burrowing into the flesh of its host, laying eggs and multiplying until it eats away everything that matters.
Our bodies shouldn’t be a source of shame.
Our bodies are strong. Our bodies give life. Our bodies provide nourishment and comfort and pleasure.
Our bodies are not shameful.
Our bodies are beautiful.
When I asked women around the web to send me photos with their height and honest weight for a blog pictorial, I expected to be laughed at. And I was, a little bit. But mostly, I received support. Words of encouragement. Confessions of struggling with body issues and self-loathing and envy of others, from women of all sizes. Stories of feeling “less-than” or unworthy, because of a number on the scale. And pictures. Lots of pictures.
I am shocked and overwhelmed at the number of amazing, stunning, bold women who agreed to come forward and share in hopes of moving the needle toward a more realistic perception of weight and body image. Nobody was cajoled or compensated. Everyone volunteered, willing to reveal the number on the scale for the entire world to see. Because they didn’t want their weight to be a source of secrecy or shame. And because they don’t want yours to be either.
My name is Audrey Binkowski. I am 5’4″ tall. I weigh 169 lbs. I am beautiful. So are all of these daring women. And so are you.
Audrey 5’4″ 169lbs
Caitlin 5’4″ 201lbs
Daisy 5’4″ 155lbs
Taryn 5’1″ 204lbs
Dana 5’4″ 230lbs
Julie 5’7″ 305lbs
Katie 5’4″ 137lbs
Jenny Grace 5’5″ 162lbs
Ali 5’2″ 114lbs
Tanis 5’8″ 170lbs
Brittany 5’8″ 204lbs
Mishi 5’8″ 233lbs
Adrianne 5’5″ 155lbs
Allison 5’3″ 140lbs
Yvonne 5’4″ 179lbs
Nanette 5’4″ 177lbs
Amy 5’4″ 135lbs
Angie 5’5″ 225lbs
Jen 5’9″ 154lbs
Holly 5’4″ 160lbs
Greis 5’3″ 195lbs
Tameshia 5’10″ 262lbs
Tena 5’4″ 158lbs
Meredith 5’4″ 184lbs
Heather 5’3″ 150lbs
Michelle 243lbs
Shawna 5’10″ 185lbs
Want to get real about your body? Add your photo to Curvy Girl Guide’s “Project Getting Real.”
[Some images courtesy Lotus Carroll, Mishelle Lane Photography, and Greis on Flickr]
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{ 205 comments… read them below or add one }
I think I lost five pounds just by sharing my “shameful” secret.
Amazing post Audrey.
WOW THIS IS FANTASTIC!!!
Love this!
this is amazing. so extremely inspiring. going to hunt down a picture & post it to flickr now!
I am 27 years old, 5’2″, 157 lbs.
Women are amazing creatures!!
What an amazing post, thanks Audrey!!! Thanks to everyone for sharing their real self!!
I love this. I’m going to take my photo and upload it tonight. You all inspire me!
Those are some beautiful women.
Absolutely amazing and wonderful. All of you women are gorgeous!
After everything else I’ve shared, weight shouldn’t be a big deal right? But it feels huge. These women are brave!
This made my day! To see someone the same hight and weight as me and think – wow – she’s gorgeous! Felt so good.
Thank you!
i felt the exact same way!
Me too! Why can’t I see in the mirror what other people see?
After seeing all of these women, i feel normal – THANK YOU!!
Thank you for this post. I’m 5’5″ and 154 lbs. I look like these women. They are beautiful, every one of them.
I lost a pound overnight. Just sayin’.
Great post…i have such a weight hang up..it’s sad. At 18 I was5’8 and 135 lbs. After college I was 6′ and 145 lbs. In my 30′s I was 155…at the beginning of my 40′s I was 163….now i’m 173 and trying to get back to 163…
Love this post. You all are beautiful and amazing beyond words.
LOVE.
This is absolutely amazing. Every one of those women are beautiful. It definitely put a positive outlook on weight. So thank you. As a teen, weight is definitely a “dark secret” that nobody discusses. Thanks for shedding light on a topic that shouldn’t be a “dark secret”.
I’ve struggled and been ashamed of my weight for my entire adulthood – even when I was 125 pounds. This post made me realize that it’s okay to be my size (which, btw, 5’6, 172 lbs). While I’d like to lose weight, I’ve realized I’ll never be a size two, and I keep my goal weight at 150 – a size where I look healthy and like me.
Thanks for this post!
I can relate to what you’re saying because when I was 125 (and I’m 5’4″), all I thought about was how my stomach STILL stuck out and how maybe I wasn’t thin enough. Now I’m 75 pounds heavier than that (I’m not doing the math for y’all. I’m still having trouble being honest), I still think about my weight ALL THE TIME.
I hear ya. That goes to show how delusional we all are too- I look back at pictures of myself from years ago and would KILL to be that weight again, but at the time I thought I was obese and disgusting. It is so sad that we women do this to ourselves!
I think about my weight all the time too. And I would DIE if my hubby knew the real number. His guess is about 50 lbs. off. When we were having our last baby, I made him leave the room when they asked me all the embarrassing questions- last bowel movement, weight, etc. I don’t know why I think the spell will be broken if he knows… I just can’t stand for the number to be said aloud at all, and I don’t think I will ever be ok with him hearing it. It is CRAZY how afraid of the number I am. I won’t weight myself at other people’s houses in case the scale has a memory function. I have actually envisioned a girlfriend getting on her scale after me, and it says “You have lost 67 pounds!” or something like that, and then they would know my shameful secret of just how high my weight has gotten. Mortifying!
I have actually said to my friends that if they made you step on the scale at the DMV to get your weight instead of letting me just write it down, I would quit driving. Sad, but true. My “license weight” hasn’t been true in at least 7 years.
Sighhhh.
Articles like this are awesome, and I will definitely be linking back to it on my blog. I have no trouble telling OTHER women how gorgeous they are and how they should embrace their body, I just can’t take that advice myself.
This is important, not just because we are giving a face to something that’s typically so shameful and secretative, but truly because we are showing how different we all are.
How different the SAME weight looks across completely different people. It just goes to show….numbers? ARE BULLSHIT.
EXACTLY.
I’ve always hated math.
I had the same thought. Everyone carries their weight so differently. I am awed by everyone’s honesty and bravery.
Well done. And y’all are smoking beautiful to me.
You’re pretty HOT too!!
What an awesome post. Such beautiful women!!
i am STUNNED. i thought i was abnormal and way over anyone else’s weight for my height. i think heather is gorgeous and, what do you know, we’re almost the same height and the same weight. this post is long overdue.
MARRY ME.
it would double our wardrobe.
This is a wonderful thing to post. I work with pre-teen girls so I’m glad adult women are setting the example of loving themselves AS IS. It’s a great lesson.
Would also like to note that my sister had an activity in a college course years ago asking them to identify the image of a woman with the ideal body type. She said all the women went we the toothpick thin image we have been condtitioned to choose by media. The men chose real women – like the ones you have posted here. Time to adjust our vision.
This is my weight NOT PREGNANT – For the record – I am 155 now. And growing….
Love this post so much!!
There’s a great website that keeps a photographic heigh/weight chart with user-submitted photos: http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html
This is so beautiful. That’s all I have to say about that.
I freaked a lot about this picture. Like a lot. And you know what? WE LOOK GREAT.
Also I love that damn fur hat. I feel like a Russian spy everytime I wear it.
When I saw the hat I thought Russian spy!! I love it!
Target – 2 seasons ago. I LOVE IT.
This is a brilliant post.
Thank you for writing it and thank you to all the lovely women sharing their photos and weight!
You all are amazing.
I find weight so interesting on so many levels and one of them is how we all carry weight differently. I was always fascinated on How to Look Good Naked when Carson would have all the women lined up and the main woman on the show would have to put herself in the line up where she thought her body fell along the ranks. Most women put themselves much larger! How our minds play tricks.
I love all these women for posting their photos and saying aloud their height/weight. We must remove the shame! This is definitely one of the steps.
I love this post!!
How gorgeous are each and every one of us? So proud to be a part of this post and this group.
Hugs my curvy girl friend. Big voluptuous hugs. :)
I am 35 years old and suffer from infertility. I am 5’3 and at my highest weight I was 308 lbs. I have lost 85 lbs and am about to have my 6th IUI treatement. If that fails I will have to lose another 30 lbs before I can have IVF here in the Netherlands.
It took me a long time but I too have learned to not be ashamed of my weight. Owning it gives you the strength to change it. One day I will reach my ideal weight and hopefully have a child in my arms when I do!
Rooting for you!!! Thanks so much for sharing yourself. XOXOXO
Oh I forgot a photo: http://www.breigh.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/80beforeafter3.jpg
That is me at 308 lbs and 225 lbs
You look amazing and healthy! Good for you and good luck (sending you fertility vibes!)
Fantastic post and absolutely gorgeous ladies! Thanks for sharing this.
Wow, I can totally relate to this. I am the same way with my boyfriend. I refuse to get undressed in front of him. I don’t tell him my weight, but when I’ve lost weight, then I tell him my size. Yet then I make excuses…I went from a size 12 to an 8 and say “but I hate that I still look like I had 4 kids.” He always answers, “You did have 4 kids and you look amazing.” I can never believe it though. (Yes I believe I had 4 kids, that hurt like hell on their way out! ha!)
I love this post and the pictures of all of the smiling faces in all sizes.
Ps. I’ve always thought you looked amazing Miss Audrey! xx
Back atcha, Shannon!
I am so proud of this post.
These are SO GREAT. I looked at every single one, RIVETED by how different I would have guessed almost everyone.
What a great post! My mom and I are doing WW, and just today, she mentioned that I’d never said what my starting weight was. I talked about how I was embarassed about it, and for no good reason, as I know that neither my mom nor my husband would judge. And I don’t know why I’m reluctant to say it aloud, I just know that I am. So I’ll start by typing: I’m 5’6″, and three weeks ago, I weighed 211 lbs. I now weigh 203 lbs. And if my family is any gauge, I’ve looked beautiful the entire time. Just like all the women in the pics above!
This post made me feel brave… I posted on your flickr group and realized I don’t have ANY pictures taken of my entire body…just my face or kids standing in front of me hiding the squishy bits. I need to be a better example to my daughter and sons that beautiful comes in all sizes. Thanks for showing the way beautiful ladies!
Love this comment! :)
It was shocking to discover that there was not one single full length photo of me, either. Always shot from the waist up or with a kid of just the right height to disguise my stomach. Time to change that.
Same here! I didn’t even take many belly shots when I was preggers because I thought I was “too big”. Sad. :(
I am ALWAYS making my kids stand in fron tof me now! Such a sad thing.
We’re pretty awesome.
And awesomely pretty.
Hi, I saw your picture and I wanted to tell you that you have nothing to be ashamed about. You are very beautiful. My wife has struggled with weight, she used to weigh almost 200lbs on a 5’1″ frame after having our second set of twins. I never harrassed her or told her she was ugly or fat or anything like that, because I love her and I honestly did not think those things. However, after joining weight watchers she now weighs about 130lbs and is absolutely gorgeous. I often wonder how I am so lucky to have such a beautiful woman! Now if only I could lose that extra 50lbs that >I< am carrying around…
Great post.
Yay for supportive hubbies!!!
I had meant to send in a pic for this and then forgot about it by the time I got home. So today I wrote a post about it on my own blog and shared my weight and picture.
http://sometimesmeaningfulramblings.com/wordpress/2011/03/23/the-one-where-im-honest-about-my-weight/
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
Ladies, you are beautiful! :)
fantastic & fabulous post. love love love!!!
all of you are beautiful AND super sexy
xoxo
Wow.
Wow, wow, WOW.
This is incredible. I don’t weight myself, although before anyone leaps at me, please let me note that getting to this point hasn’t been easy. It started as a method to help me recover from disordered eating. The obsession with that stupid number was so all-consuming that I had to removed myself from it completely to regain some perspective.
It’s been 6 years and I still couldn’t tell you what I weigh. It can be frustrating at times but ultimately it is one of the most liberating things I’ve ever done for myself. What we weigh SHOULDN’T be a source of shame because the number doesn’t matter. This project just proves the point even further.
Thank you so much to every single woman who has sent in their picture and details. You are AMAZING.
This is amazing. It really lets me see how my perception is skewed. Not only of my own body, but of what I think certain weights will look like on certain heights. I was honestly SHOCKED by how amazing people looked at certain weights that, if I hadn’t seen the picture, I would automatically assume would be much larger. (I’m not sure if that makes sense–I wasn’t shocked that you guys looked amazing–which you do!!–I was shocked that my abstract perception of height-weight ratio is so completely off.)
Extremely eye opening, so THANK YOU!!
Deep breath . . .
Added my photo. It was a beauty shot I did (inspired by the Calendar that Tanis participated in actually).
This post is just so damn amazing!!!! You are all so gorgeous!
I was actually just writing a post about how crummy I’ve felt about my weight lately and this post fell into my lap like a miracle. Thank you so much for this. All of these women are beautiful, and I’m working really hard to see myself that way too. You just made it a little bit easier for me.
This post makes me cry for the wrong reasons. The number on the scale is not the burden in my life as much as just my reflection in the mirror. Sometimes I feel like I look fat, sure, but most of the time I just feel…ugly. Like I don’t shop well and I can’t put on makeup. I look at these women in these photographs, and just feel jealous because they all look beautiful and me – no matter what my weight is – I still feel ugly. Fit? Sure. Healthy? Definitely. Fast? Well, I’m getting fast-er. Strong? Without a doubt.
But pretty? Sexy? gorgeous? All of the words to describe the women above? Nope.
Obviously I need more than just the “Curvy Girls Guide” – I need “Horrible Self-Image Guide”.
*sigh*
Believe me, I could be the president of the “Horrible Self-Image Guide”. I struggle with self esteem and self image daily. I think a lot of us do. You too are beautiful and that’s what this post is all about!!
Zoot—YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. Just ask your husband or one of your 3 gorgeous kids (who are an obvious reflection of you). I bet they will tell you the same.
When I met you at my first BlogHer in San Jose, I remember being kind of blown away by how PRETTY you are. I had seen your pictures and I knew you were just the cutest thing in the world, but in person, SO SO SO PRETTY.
I just wanted you to know that.
You’re so not alone. <3
For the most part, I float along thinking I look better than I do. When I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, it's like someone punched me right in the gut and all the air rushes out of me as that voice starts with all the nasty words about how awful I look. I *know* I'm "so much more" than a number on a scale, the size of my pants, or how big my ass is, but sometimes I don't WANT to just be the "nice" girl, y'know?
All of you ladies are gorgeous. If you start finding your own beauty, you’ll see what the rest of us see- strong, confident, beautiful women.
Can I hold your hand, sister-in-HSIG? I feel that way on a daily basis, even though my husband tells me that I’m ‘beautifimous’ (his word) and he’s still amazed that I chose him even five years later. I’m slowly working on my fitness and the makeup tips. I think you’re beautiful, and unless I’m mistaken, I’m not the only one who thinks so.
I could so be a part of the horrible self image club too. I hate to even admit this, but when people tell me my older son looks just like me, I think either a. they are insulting him, or b. they are just kidding because there is no way I was ever that gorgeous. And if he does look like me, I feel guilty that I passed on my looks to him.
How sick and twisted is that?
Today is one of those days where I needed this post. I needed to read about how other women face the same issues that I do. I’ll be moving in with my boyfriend in three days and am mortified that he’ll see every flaw in my body that I try so hard to hide. He always tells me that loves me the way I am but it is just very hard to believe it.I felt empowered to have been able to post a picture and share my weight. Thanks for this.
This is to Zoot – I’m Shawna – the last photo in the series. I felt JUST like you for the longest time. In fact, I sometimes relapse into that difficult area. But please know, you can overcome it.
When I first started “running,” I was terrified that everyone would laugh at me. I didn’t want to enter any races because I didn’t want to finish last and have people think I was pathetic. But I entered them anyway, and suddenly I realized that I wasn’t pathetic. I was working hard and making it happen. Now, 7 marathons later, and MANY more half-marathons, 5k’s, 10k’s and other races down, I’m completely unstoppable.
And you know what the best feeling was… passing a guy in one of my most recent marathons about a half mile from the finish line and he was talking to someone on his cell phone. He said, “I think I just got passed by a fat girl, I hope she’s just doing the half.” I sped up, smoked his butt, and when he FINALLY crossed the finish line, I confronted him. I told him that this fat girl had just beat him.. but that if he had even so much as smiled, I would have supported him to finished strong.
It felt SO good. We curvy girls are strong. Find something to let you inner strength show – even if you’re the only one who sees it!!
Thanks, Shawna. That really is awesome of you to respond to me about your story. I have made progress in realizing how fit/strong I am now (I’m a boot-camper and a runner) and how proud I am of my physical improvements. I just can’t get past the aesthetics of it all, I guess.
Thanks again. Your words meant a lot.
OMgosh I remember you from so long ago when I used to write a blog about motherhood. So happy to see your face here. :)
I love that you passed a guy in the marathon and he was so whatever he was that it bothered him to be passed by you. Good for you for saying something to him.
I am a very large woman – still can’t post my numbers – and get tired of the stares and comments. A few years back, I had to fly a small commuter plane out of Detroit. The jerk next to me was so incensed that a fat chick was sitting next to him, that he wanted one of us to move. Seriously. But I got the last laugh. When we arrived at the airport, I got the last rental car and he was left standing at the counter being a jerk to the clerk. I looked at him and said “You know what, asshole, sometimes it’s just not all about you.” Not a great way to act like a lady, but at least I didn’t smack him!
I wouldn’t want a fat person sitting next to me encroaching on my space either. Think about it from the guy’s perspective. He paid just as much as you did for a seat, and then he got stuck next to someone who jutted into his space. How is that fair? I think you should have moved, paid for two seats, or driven instead of inconveniencing an innocent person.
Melinda – I’m going to presume you are a troll. I don’t normally dignify crap like your comments with a response, but here it is. Had the airline told me to buy a 2nd ticket, or had I needed a 2nd ticket, I would have gladly purchased it. I fit between the arms on the with none of my body “jutting” into anyone’s space.
I hope, I pray, that you are a nicer person than you came across in this post. And God willing, I’ll never encounter you on a plane.
Shawna – GOOD FOR YOU!!! I still feel self-conscious when I run a race and if I’d heard someone say that about me, I don’t know that I would have had the courage to stand up for myself. I am very pleased that you did!!! And hopefully that exchange made him think.
great post and excited I found this blog. I’ll post my picture as well because I love the idea of the freedom. You can check out my own weightloss story as weel at skinny411.blogspot.com
You all look great! And I’m also surprised that so many of you are fearful of telling your weight and clothing size to the men in your life, who probably love you for you. From my experience, it is frequently your own women friends who are more judgmental than your men. It was nice to see women being so supportive of each other.
Neil—My husband knows my weight (has for years) AND he weighs less than I do. As much as I would prefer it the other way around, that isn’t how we are built. That is just reality and I’m okay with it. I don’t feel like I need to hide it from him because he couldn’t share in my triumphs when I lose a few pounds here and there due to hard work and taking care of myself.
This is such an inspiring post. Thanks to you all for sharing. I’m 5′ 7″ and 170 pounds. I’ve wanted to lose 20 and now 30 pounds for 5 years. I need to keep wanting that (and actually trying to do it), but I also needed this post to remind myself that I’m still a worthy person, more than that even, at my current weight.
Thank you for this!! :)
Love this. You are all fabulous and beatiful, seriously.
I posted to Flickr! I’m 5’0 and last time I checked, 160 lbs.
Great post! I had intended to send in a picture, but couldn’t find one of just me at my current weight (hiding from cameras has its downside) and then deemed every self-portrait I attempted unacceptable. You women are so brave and so beautiful! Once again, I’m leaving a Curvy Girl Guide post feeling inspired.
I <3 this!
I almost feel like fraud posting here right now. My current weight is 245 on a 5’2″ frame. Most days, I am happy with myself, my looks… I joke that I was an ugly duckling who grew up to be a fat swan….
Once upon a time, I was obsessed with my weight. I weighed 115lbs and hated myself. I became bulimic and battled an “addiction” to laxatives for several years- until I had my first daughter. I ballooned up to 200lbs while pregnant. Most of it came off- but I haven’t been close to my ideal weight in almost a decade- and I didn’t care. I loved myself more with the weight on- because my daughter loved me!! She’s even told me she worries that I will get “skinny” because I won’t be as comfy to snuggle with.
Which is why I feel like a fraud. I love myself, with all my curves and bumps and rolls… but I still want to be smaller- for me, for better clothes, for my health, to improve my fertility… I’m one week away from getting gastric banding to achieve my goal of losing weight and I’m terrified. I’m afraid of losing weight and hating myself again. I feel like I should be happy to just be the size I am. I have two wonderful daughters and a wonderful husband who loves me no matter what. I wonder if there is something wrong with me for wanting more… or less, as the case may be.
Has anyone else felt this way?
YES! Totally normal. Yes of an eating disorder will do that to you. Good luck with your surgery!
Oh hun, I totally get it!!!
I had Gastric Bypass surgery almost exactly 8 months ago. I had gotten to the point that I was a happy person, but so miserable in my own body. 2 weeks prior to surgery I weighed in at my highest weight EVER, 306 pounds. I was always afraid to consider surgery because of the notion that it was the “EASY” way out. In January of 2010 I knew I needed help and I looked into my surgery options. I was referred to a doctor I made my appt. and my journey began! I haven’t looked back since.
I feel the best now than I have in a very long time. My confidence and self-esteem, though not perfect, are so much better. I’m a happier person, that’s the most important. This is the first thing that I’ve done for myself that I’m 100% positive was the best thing for me and only me!!!
There is NOTHING wrong with wanting more for yourself! Yes, your family loves you regardless of your weight, but you need to be happy.
Don’t be nervous about your surgery, I have no doubt that you will do great and that once everything is said and done you’ll be just as happy (happier) than you are now.
Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or for support. I know my surgery was different than yours, but we’re in the same boat.
Just remember, you’re doing this for you and your health and happiness!!
Good luck!!
You all are absolutely beautiful.
This post made my day. Kudos to all of you for sharing and you are right, you are all beautiful. Thanks for helping me keep things in perspective!
I’m 5’6 and weight almost 160… A lot of girls say I’m skinny, but my stomach always bloats up after every time I eat: like I’m two months Prego!! I hate it… And I love food so much- half the time my jeans don’t fit: I wear Elastic Band pants…. I hate my stomach… I wish I could find a good bra that would lift my boobs up- they r sooo saggy from breast feeding for a year….
Yes.This!
My “baby” is 14 and I still have a tummy that I can’t get rid of. I joke that it’s a food baby but I hate it. I want to see in the mirror what my husband see’s when he looks at me. I’m 5’6” and 152 pounds. A healthy weight (so says my doctor) yet I’m still not comfortable with my reflection. I’m working on it though :)
I finally started putting my “real” weight on my drivers’ license by convincing myself that if I was ever in a car accident, I would want them to be able to give me the right amounts of medication according to my true weight, as opposed to a mere drop of morphine… kind of a dark reason, but I’ve felt very liberated ever since! 5’5″, 270#
How strange life can be, i just went for dreaded yearly physical and was so not looking forward to the”let’s get your weight now”. As we woman know the whole exam sucks, but when it is over it is over. Unlike the numbers, they come wee wee wee all the way home with you,no pun intended,lol. Coming from a once stick thin woman, to a now just my size woman this can be quite traumatic. Anywho back to the point, i went on facebook and who is there but, Tanis, with a link to a site dealing with this very issue. Thank you beautiful ladies, you uplift and inspire me to love the package, which is my body.p.s. and thank you officer for just a warning,
God, Christina Hendricks really is a knock-out, isn’t she? I’m totally distracted by her every time we watch Mad Men.
I love this post, Audrey, thank you for writing it.
Thank you. Thank you for being real. All of you.
thank you audrey for this.
thank you ladies for sharing your pictures and information.
thank you CGG.
Last night, I had occasion to watch Biggest Loser with a friend of mine. We’re the same height, but I weigh probably 100 pounds more than she does. As she complained about her “underboob” (and her boyfriend commented on how they should go to a fitness camp together — he’s a charmer), I thought about a.) how good the women on that show looked even though many of them were still struggling to lose weight (you’re 170 pounds and beautiful! Why are you still fighting?!), and b.) how comfortable I am with my weight despite all that.
I’ve actual taken to (gently) mocking said friend when she complains about her weight. Because you can be curvy and beautiful and not look down on yourself all the time. Which I think is so the point of this post, too.
Magnificent, Amazing Post! Made me cry as I read it because it hits straight to the very core of my being — always trying to hide my weight, always trying to find the next diet pill or remedy to make me the “skinny” I will like or even love, never letting my doctor or nurse reveal my weight when I get on the scale and worst of all, I’m a bad example to my precious little 3 1/2 year old daughter of how obsessed I am with how I look and feel all in the negative, never in the positive.
Thank you for this precious post and for lifting me and placing me on the road of true love of self!
Everyone is fat. I’m 5’3 and 110lbs and still could lose 10 pounds. Stop the ideal that people that are over weight are healthy. They look disgusting.
I’m sad for you.
Someone wandered in from “Lala-land,” obviously? (He he. I feed trolls…)
Oh this makes me sad.
I pity you.
While you’re losing that 10 pounds make sure it’s not brain cells. I don’t think you could stand to lose anymore. A bridge is missing its troll!
You must have a very sad life. That sucks for you.
I am fat, that is true, but my doctor will beg to differ with you… I am actually very, very healthy… as for looking disgusting, well… I lucked out, because my husband likes fat chicks… or maybe he just likes me!
LOL! I love this reply!!
wow. too bad for you. you sad, sad person
Ali isn’t fat. She looks great! Most of the others shouldn’t be so proud to parade their unattractive bodies, though. Gross flab is not to be admired and lauded.
Melinda, you’re kind of a turd.
What I like about this post is that it is nice to see people who are confident and happy with who they are and how they look. I, like many, can attest to what a mental and physical struggle it can be to be happy with one’s appearance. That being said, and perhaps I need to delve deeper into this blog to find articles addressing this issue, I wish that this article had more of an emphasis on HEALTH and the role that weight can play in health. Our country has an undeniable obesity problem and very often (and please don’t lynch me for saying this) 200 lbs on someone who is 5’3” is unhealthy (NOTE: I am speaking generally; I am NOT speaking to anyone who commented or who posted pictures above). It is great to like yourself and the way you look. It is wonderful not to give in to the images that are posted in magazines and found in moves and TV shows. However, I don’t think that positive feelings such as those should be a free pass to overlook the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.
I understand what you are saying, but I don’t believe that was the intention of this post. I think that with this particular article, we were trying to embrace positive body image, and were not trying to speak to any underlying health issues that any of us may or may not have.
I agree with you; and as I mentioned perhaps I should look for that issue in other places on the blog. I do think they are closely related issues though.
Ava,
Actually we do address health often on this site. Dr. Curvy does guests posts and podcasts, we talk about working out and diets, and we have also had writers post about certain medical issues that they face.
I can say that many of us have lost weight, want to lose weight, gain weight, get pregnant a thousand times, and on and on.
This post, as Jenny said, was just about women FINALLY being honest about their weight.
I have to tell you, I was one of the last writers to submit my photo/weight. I am not happy about my weight. But I have also been a freaking baby machine for the past 3 years. I do think that I am pretty, and as a size 14, I also know that I am average.
That’s what this post was about. Being okay with who you are in your own skin.
I hope you keep reading. There really is something for everyone here.
Lala – women like you are what make me hate some women. you can be over weight and be healthy – my doctor even says so. if all your levels are good, if you have no health issues, then you are healthy.
Shove it.
I’m SO with you! I always joke that I’m a “Fat Girl Running” and it’s true, but I am happy with my body and I love all the curvature. :)
when i started to run last summer (that ended in a fractured leg), i used to have a constant voice-over of Forrest Gump, “faaaat gurrrrl ruuunninnng….”
we’re horrible… but still awesome.
It’s empowering. I used to think I couldn’t do sports at all. I didn’t do sports, growing up. I was a scrawny kid, always picked last for the gym class crap we had to do. My weight came from carrying babies and over-eating. I thought pregnancy was a license to eat. LOL.
I submitted my photo today. I still have to lose about 20-30 pounds, but honestly, if I never do, I’m very happy with my body just the way it is.
I sat next to a girl on the plane coming home last week and she confessed to wanting to lose about 20 pounds. I agreed I’m doing the same. She asked how that was possible? I said, “I weight 161. At LEAST 15 would be lovely.”
She laughed. We weighed the exact same. I think we came to a bond knowing a secret of each others. It’s so silly, the scale. Just a number. Health and Fitness! Now THAT is something to celebrate.
Amazing post. One of my Twitter friends (Nanette) is pictured up there and she looks simply amazing. I do the same thing all the time. I think of how great someone looks only to find out we’re about the same weight. Why is it so freaking hard to love our body?
Because all the media message are that there is some sort of ideal weight that is much less than we weight. But I had a doctor tell me that osteoporosis is less of a threat if you are heavier, because weight bearing exercises fight it. Guess what, weighing a bit more means you are doing weight bearing exercises every time you move. We are all beautiful.
heck yeah! i’m working out with every step i take!
not that that’s 100% good, but it’s something, right?
That is really awesome. I also have never shared my weight with my husband. I keep telling him I’ll tell him what it is when I reach my goal…. which will be quite a ways away.
So inspiring.
This is an awesome post. As a man, I see it like this: if you are hot, you’re hot. It really doesn’t matter ifyou’re big, small or somewhere in between. I see a post full of hotties that should be proud of how they look, not ashamed of weight. By the way, that Dana chick in the post is particularly cute, do you think you could introduce me? God bless all you beauties!
See… I told you he likes me :)
What a powerful post and it’s so true. I try to work out 4-6 days a week in an effort to become a “hot mama” and one who would be willing to disclose her weight. I’ve got a long way to go and so admire you and all the women who shared pics. You all ROCK!
I just cried a big ugly cry…then I wrote a post with my own damn weight. If you guys aren’t ashamed of it, what the hell is MY problem??
http://wp.me/plk90-lZ
You guys ROCK!
big huge hug to you!! xoxoxo
Just wanted to say your post was great – you are stunning.
I confess I was open to sharing my name and weight/height when Audrey sent the word out – but when she asked for a picture…I contemplated retracting my offer. I do my very best to get head shots only, with my chin jutted out so I look better….but this site is edited by, written by and read by so many amazing women that I knew it would be – all good (except for some comments – which I fully anticipated!).
I could have posted a head shot only and shaved 25 pounds of my weight…but who am I lying to if I do that? I don’t want to complain about what I hate about myself. I want to celebrate what I love about myself. I have 3 young nieces and while I can’t control what they hear elsewhere I can be positive around them – and not complain about my muffin top or batwing arms.
Ava – I do agree with you…being overweight can be unhealthy. And so far, touch wood, my BP is great, my bloodwork is good – but I know that may not last. And I’m not always happy with myself but I’m tired of lying about my weight, and what size pants I wear or where I have to shop. Sharing my weight on Sunday with Audrey was so freakin’ liberating.
And you know what…saying that number out loud – not having my doctor tell me – saying it (or tweeting it!) made it real. (And I started walking on my lunch hour the next day so maybe if you do this post again next year that number will be lower! But even if it’s not – I’ll share)
Thank you Audrey, thank you CGG, and thank you lovely ladies!
Thank you for stepping up and sharing!
Thank YOU for agreeing to be a part of this!
This is fantastic.
Jumped into the flickr pool. Thanks, beauties, for putting yourselves out there. Curvy Girls, forever.
Thank you beautiful women for taking this stand!
I posted my picture, in a bathing suit no less! I love how I look and sizes, pounds, tags mean nothing to me :)
I love this piece. I did the exact same thing. I had went from a size 5 to a 20 in 10 years of marriage. Obviously, my husband has eyes and ,as you said, he has touched every square inch of my body but to step on a scale and give it a name…I didn’t have the balls.Until last year, and I told him. It was the biggest weight ( pardon the pun) to ever be lifted off my shoulders. I’m still working on where I want to be but at least I don’t feel like he and I have that secret between us.I feel it actually made me feel closer to him, knowing that he knew this “deep dark secret “that I harbored:)
You all confronted the bully and it ran away crying. This post literally took all of the power out of that number staring back at most of us from the scale. Congratulations and thank you.
I forgot. I am 5’7″ and 200 lbs. Most of it soda-weight.
Love, love, love this post!!!
.. and all of the ladies in the photos are all gorgeous, beautiful women!
As I scroll through the pictures of these beautiful and confident women, I’m reminded of a comment I made while watching Kirstie Alley on Dancing with the Stars the other night. I told my husband, the difference between her and other curvy girls who’ve been on that show and me is that they all seem to be very confident in their bodies. I would spend the whole time worried about whether or not I was sucking my gut in enough or if one of my many double chins were showing to be able to dance!
I can’t say my weight doesn’t bother me…it does and mostly because I don’t think it’s healthy. But, I am becoming a little more confident. Reading posts like this helps!
Great job, Audrey! And by the way, Mike read this first and told me to guess how much you weigh. He told me your height. I pegged you at 115…and I’ve met you in person! I was far too taken with what a fun person you are to even notice if you had curves!
Love <3!!!
All amazing and beautiful ladies.
You guys are gorgeous!! I’m so impressed.
I’m Bronwyn, I’m 5’10 3/4″ and I weigh 179 lbs — only because in the last year I lost 30 due to illness.
We are a bunch of hot women. Every last one.
All very beautiful!! I’m 5’3 and weigh 175…..Audrey, My bro inlaws name is Johnny Binkowski from Gerrardstown, W.V….any relation? Don’t ever hear of that name much!!
I’ve been told that “Binkowski” is like the “Smith” of Poland.
Hi I’m Han I turn 25 next month – I’m 5ft 2ish (depending on whether it’s morning or evening lol) and I weight (with the help of google) 75kg which is about 163 pounds from what I understand :) (Photo to be added later)
This makes me cry. Really, happy tears. Thank you so much for doing this. It helps me take another step forward towards losing the shame I carry with me every day.
Amazing post. Truly inspiring to see all these beautiful women lifting the veil and putting it out there.
I have gladly joined these amazing women!
What an inspiring post. Though not a frequent commenter on any website, I just had to say thanks. Plus, I want the liberating feeling all y’all are talking about. I am 25, 5’5.5″ and I weigh 180. I have been eating right & exercising off & on for 3 years & I still weigh 180. Guess my body found the weight it is comfortable being!
yeah! I’m adding my pic to the pool. Liberating.
Honored to be a part of this lovely group of gals!
Audrey,
Bless you for such a frank, gutsy article. As I read your story through tears, I realized just how much I have been punishing myself for being overweight. We have our own scarlet letter to wear and I never realized until now how much shame has crippled me.
I might not be your height and weight, but I have been doing the same kind of comparisons with other women for years now. Thank you to everyone for the photos, they were inspiring. It really was amazing to see how many beautiful women there were out there, and just how inconsequential weight numbers are when defining us as people.
We have to stop focusing only on numbers, because when we do, we become faceless, invisible statistics devoid of any personality or soul. The photos were a testament to each woman’s uniqueness, which in the makes numbers irrelevant.
Thank you, Thank you!
This is a wonderful movement and I’m super proud of everyone…but I have to admit I’m completely bewildered at how you get past it. I think about posting a picture of myself and telling everyone my weight and I’m still mortified. I’m jealous of your confidence and all of you are absolutely beautiful.
Adria,
I started by having anxiety attacks about this post for three days. And then I blurted my weight out to my husband, right after he told me he didn’t care and didn’t want to know.
Once the cork was out of the bottle, I just walked around telling random people. Now the mailman knows my weight. I’m out of control.
Here’s what I noticed about these stunning women:
They have a 1000 watt smile
Some have beautiful children
They are clearly doing amazing things
Nothing is holding them back
Just.Like.Some.’Skinny’.Women.
I love this. Thank you.
As everyone else said- this is amazing. I’m a little teary-eyed because it struck such a cord in me- I’ve always felt large and out of place. I would NEVER reveal my weight- not to my husband, my sisters, NO ONE. I kind of hated that my doctor even knew my weight.
But as I was looking through the pictures, I was struck by the amount of strength I saw in each woman- not their size- but how strong and capable you all looked. I love that I’m no different than any of you! Age 31- height 5’7″- weight 162.
I am 19 years old 5’9 and I weigh about 157 and I love my body!
This makes me proud of all these women! Way to be you!! You are all beautiful
I love this post. I just want to be happy with who I am and feel good about myself. I want to be healthy but still eat the foods I like without beating myself up about it. But mostly I just want to feel beautiful. Thank you for a lovely post.
Wow. :) You guys are amazing. This was just the post I needed after a rough week of struggling with my own body image. Rock on!
i’m 34, 5’10″ and 150 lbs. i’m a (currently injured) runner who has had 4 kids, including twins and i curremtly look like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mommymae/5559032171/
we are beautiful!
not only can i NOT spell, but i failed to say who i am, really.
I love you guys. I might just have to get a pic and jump in on this. :)
I LOVE THIS POST!
As a bigger girl, I have NEVER liked that ‘number’. I hid it whenever I could. I was ashamed of my weight and the squishy bits and pieces, even made a joke about me and Santa having the same ‘Jello Belly’. The highest I ever hit was 300lbs.
2 years and some change ago, I got sick. I couldn’t eat, and I lost a tremendous amount of weight. I went from around 230lbs, to 148lbs in a few months. My husband was deployed, the docs didn’t know what was wrong with me, on and on and on… yada yada yada.
Still don’t know what is wrong with me, but even at the 148lbs, I STILL felt horrible. My bones ached, my hair fell out and the stress was overwhelming.
I’m still sick, and I still have a sucky image of myself, but I’m comfy right where I am. (Contradiction MUCH?!!! HAHA!) I have no clue what my weight is right now, and I couldn’t care. I found out something awesome on this sickness journey that my body has forced me to undertake… Start living life to it’s fullest and quit worrying about a stupid number, cuz your life can be changed in the blink of an eye.
Love to all!
Chrissy
PS, I can’t find a place to upload a photo?
Could someone help me? :)
Here you go:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1608201@N25/
I LOVED this post!!!
What a great idea!
Completely inspiring!
I’ve been torn of posting my stuff for the last four days…but I did it. My pic is up on Flickr. The number still makes me want to barf, and if it wasn’t for the puking, I’ve considered bulimia (before anyone lynches me, I haven’t done it). But I’ve sucked it up and posted.
Audrey, thanks.
Ms Dreamer. 5′ 4″. 247 pounds.
Thank you. Thank you for sharing… and for giving everyone else the opportunity to get up and put it all out there.
I’m sharing!
Except that didn’t work…
http://www.amadisonmom.com/2011/03/weight-for-me.html
This is amazing, empowering, motivating, uplifting. I love it.
This is amazing. I am 5’9″ tall and weigh 176lbs.
Most of my teen and adult life I weighed between 125-140 lbs.
Then life circumstances (job loss, depression, move to a city I hated, extended unemployment) happened and I gained 60 lbs.
At my heaviest I weighed 205lbs.
As of this morning I weigh 176lbs and I think I look good. I am curvy no matter what my weight is, it is my shape.
What kills me is that not a week goes by where someone doesn’t mention how fat I am (compared when when I weighed 125-140, which is how most people were used to.) My self esteem is in the garbage and I am trying to get it back, whether I lose 30-40 more lbs or not.
All I can see in that entire post is beautiful, gorgeous women!! You all look so healthy and happy. You can’t tell me you aren’t a “healthy weight” or an “average weight” when the media plays such sick tricks on us to begin with. Nobody is perfect and I think every woman should watch this, it’s about how the media objectifies women and manipulates their weight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTlmho_RovY&feature=player_embedded
Thank you for this. I wear a size 18 and when other women recommend stores to me I say, “well, [fill in name of store here] thinks I’m too fat to make pants for me.” The woman (NEVER FAILS) says, “Noo…that’s can’t be true!” And I say, “I usually wear size 18.” She looks baffled that I’m not obese and grotesque. I’m glad I’m putting it out there that people who wear “plus sizes” aren’t giant fatties, yet I still blush. Never fails.
This is a great website – I’m glad I found it! I love this article! I run a body-acceptance blog (www.beutifulmagazine.com) and it’s always great to see people sending the same positive messages! Keep up the good work!
Thank you. I have no words.
hello! i totally love this post. i’m the same way with my boyfriend of over two years – sees me naked all the time, yet i’ll never tell him my weight. this site (http://www.mybodygallery.com/) is something that reminds me of what you said about meeting the other bloggers and comparing yourself to them, only to find out you were very similar in weight. it’s a helpful tool to build courage and perspective. anyway, keep on keepin on!
I am so inspired by your post. I’m 6’1″ and 165 lbs. I may not be shaped the same as you fabulous chicks, (though I have always wished) but I have similar issues. I am incredibly insecure about my height and weight. I’m shaped like a ruler. I think curvy women are so gorgeous and sexy! I go to the store and see women with junk in their trunk, beautiful bossoms, some cushion for the pushin’ and am so very jealous. You women look how women should, bountiful and beautiful.
I totally agree with being happy with how we are and how we are, but I do think there gets to a point where our health is being effected by the negativities of being overweight. I’m’ almost 47, have high bread pressure, and I need at least one hip replacement. I weight, at this mornings Weights Watchers’s meeting 166 I “need” to weigh 137 to reach my life time goal. Will I? I’m not sure, but I can guarantee that my hip will feel better and hopefully my blood pressure with go down!
But yes, one should always be happy with whatever weight we are … As my sister says, it’s all in the accessories == and I prefer makeup as well! :-)
Love,
Kathie
This was a beautiful post. I wish I’d found it the day you wrote it because that was my birthday day! :)
I looked at every one of those pictures and saw the beautiful women in them–not what they weigh. I wish I could look at myself the same way as I look at others.
I want to say thank you for this post it is great to hear from other women who are happy with how they look!! I am 5′ (no inches) and I weigh 138 on my best day. I have been at 200 lbs before for most of my early 20s and about everywhere in between. For the past ten years I seem to be staying at about the size I am now. I am going to be 40 next week and I feel good about myself. My husband thinks I am the most beautiful woman in the world he tells me all of the time!! I do exerscise at least 3-4 time per week and I have a very healthy diet consisting of mostly veggies, fruit, fish and some dairy so if I am meant to be smaller than I am it will happen if not the that is ok too. I think the BMI and Ideal weight charts are so wrong according to those I should loose about 40 lbs I am a size 8 so I dont know that I would look very good as a skeleton!!!
Thanks again for sharing your stories with me!!
WOW. What else is there to say. Did any of us look at these beautiful women and think…she’s so fat, she ought to lose more weight.
No, I think all (at least most) of us looked at them and saw their beauty. The same women who look in the mirror and don’t see their own beauty.
and yet, I’m sitting here thinking that if I posted my picture and weight no one would see my beauty cause they’ll just see my fat. How sad for me! To think that way. And for our generation of women, who all do.
Well, I am posting a little bit late, but, I couldn´t help it. After all these skinny vs. fat, real women this, real women that, who is jealous of whom….. I came across all of these pictures of beatiful women of different shape and sizes and then.. gasp.. they all were supportive and nice to each other. Thank you so much, guys, this felt honestly so theraputic :))))))))))))))
I’m also posting a bit late. It’s strange how I find this post on one of my ‘I feel fat days’… thank you ladies for showing the world what *real* women look like. I have a friend who does not suffer from ‘thigh-rub’ and is a tiny size 6 and still insists that she is fat. Sometimes I just want to punch her in her throat and tell her to go find a pair of jeans that an Amazon like me can fit into comfortably. It’s practically impossible. And yes, I call myself an Amazon, but it’s not in a bad way, promise! :) I am 5’11”-ish and about 225lbs and I tell myself on a daily basis when I look in the mirror… Women in history were curvy and men LOVED it!
Loved this post and read every single comment. Here are a couple recent pictures of me. http://www.owlhaven.net/2011/04/22/new-running-gear-fun/ I am 5-6 and 156–have lost 19 pounds since last fall when I started running.
Mary
When I was 15 I had an eating disorder. And after I came out of it I ate too much striving to never have one again. But that just brought me to a new level of unhealthy. So I stopped focusing on the numbers on the scale and decided that being healthy was my most important thing. So I focused on healthy living. My motto is “healthy is the new thin”. I am 22, 5’7″ and I fluctuate between 135-145lbs.
I am now 5’5″ tall and weigh 132 lbs, I am very happy with my weight because 4 years ago I woke up at 207lbs and could barely see the numbers through my tears. I have walked then jogged then ran to my new size and wish this website had been around then, without my husband I couldn’t have done it.
So thanks to all the beautiful women who put themselves out there, and to those who don’t like it @#$%$ you!!
Thanks to all those beautiful women.
I’ve recently started working out and cutting calories. I’m succeeding (for the most part). It isn’t fast and it isn’t easy, but it is worth it.
I have realized, however, that I have NO CLUE what I look like. It is some weird mental blindness. I look at other women and say to myself, “Do I look like that?” My husband is happy with me at any weight (dear man), and can’t help me see myself as I am. So, I began a search for images of women who are my height and weight.
I have been so blessed to find this site. I now have a better feel for not only how I look, but for how I will look as I continue to lose weight. I can also see how deceived I was when I was young and thought I was fat. What I wouldn’t give to be that small again! I will certainly promote this site. Anything we can do to help women young and young at heart to have a better self image is worth the effort!
Thanks so much!!! -Angela
Hey Audrey!
My name is Cher and I am the Social Media Marketing Consultant for Swimsuitsforall.com . We are a size 8-26 swimwear site and I manage their Facebook and Twitter pages. I just wanted you to know that we sponsored your blog post on our FB site today! It’s a fantastic article! You girls are our heroes!
All the best!
Cher.
What a great piece — again! — Audrey. You did have me close to tears. R. has no idea what my weight is, but he certainly is aware of my struggles. With all I’ve accomplished in the past couple of years, I still think of myself as a ‘fat cow’. (My therapist would be sooooo upset if he heard me say that again!) I’m hoping one day to be comfortable in my skin again, but I don’t know when that will happen.
Amy,
Aside from being beautiful on the outside (you are), you are also a person whose kindness and warmth radiates from the inside and makes others (me) happy to have you as a friend.
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