Celebrity Sizes

I don't know if it's entirely healthy to compare yourself to celebrities, size wise. But I know that I do it, and so do lots of other people, especially those of us who are trying to lose weight. There's a natural curiosity about those who are held up as "ideal" examples of beauty and body shape.

It's usually pretty difficult to know what clothing sizes celebrities wear (and dang nigh impossible to know how much they weigh). You can't necessarily trust what you read in the magazines and gossip websites. But one place to find out what size some celebrities are (or were at the time they wore a certain garment, at least) is www.clothesoffourbacks.org. It’s an auction site where clothes once wore by celebs are auctioned off for worthy causes.

I'm sure there's still variation in what the sizes mean, as I talked about in the last post, but it's still pretty interesting to "contrast and compare." For example, the one-shouldered red gown that Katherine Heigl wore to the Academy Awards ceremony in 2008 is listed on the auction site as a size "Custom 4," which sounds about right to me.

On the other hand, I was surprised to see that the emerald green gown Keira Knightley wore in the great film "Atonement" was a size 2. I would have guessed smaller, maybe a 0 or even a 00. She just seems a lot skinnier than a 2 to me and seems more than one size smaller than Katherine Heigl.

By the way, Keira's "Atonement" dress went for a whopping $46,000(!) while Katherine's Oscar dress garnered a high bid of $5,000, all for a good cause.

Feeling Thin, Looking Fat

Perception is a tricky thing. Some days I feel disgustingly fat. But there are a few moments when I feel nearly thin. I'll reach around to rub my lower back when I'm tired, and I will notice how much firmer and smaller it feels than it used to, with muscle and bone and only a thin(ish) layer of padding. Someone will make a comment like the one a couple of days ago when I came back from a workout at the company gym on my lunch break and overheard one co-worker telling another that I "didn't need to workout." I take those moments with a grain of salt, but they do make me feel good.

And then there's yesterday.

I went hiking for my 49th birthday. I was feeling pretty fit and pretty good about the physical activity I was getting. Then I came home and looked at the photos we had taken. OH MY.

They can best be described with one word: FAT. (Although huge, enormous, and elephantine also spring to mind.)

I guess a reality check like that is needed from time to time to keep me on track with my weightloss efforts, but (ouch!) it was quite a blow to the old ego. I deleted the most horrible of the photographs immediately. (Well, after a few minutes of staring at them in shock and some hand-wringing that is.) The others will serve as a reminder that 5'6" and 128ish is not good enough.

Apparel Angst

OK, I admit it: One reason I want to be thin is to wear more interesting clothes. And look good while doing so. (That last part is pretty important. It's entirely possible to be thin but, er, a tad TOO interesting, like Bai Ling here):



Let me just go ahead and come all the way out: I am a closet (no pun intended) fashion addict. I read gofugyourself.com daily. I watch Project Runway while on the treadmill. I pour over the photo sets from Fashion Week, especially the Couture shows. I haunt the local thrift stores to find creative clothing combos without spending much cash. This is all a HUGE change from when *I* was huge and hated, hated, hated, HATED shopping.

But today I had a seriously angst-y moment at the Goodwill Super Store. There was this dress, you see, this cute, clingy, interestingly orange dress. Just the kind I like. In a size "small." Make that in a size "too small."

It almost, but not quite, fit. Ten pounds from now, I will be able to wear it. But right now, it shows every morsel of food that has passed my lips and been added onto my belly in the last three weeks of less-than-stellar adherence to my fitness plan.

The dress could look great with the right necklace, the right shoes, and the RIGHT FREAKIN' BODY. None of which I have right now. But all of which I could have, may have, (dare I say, will have?) in the future.

I didn't buy the dress. But I'm going to keep an eye on it; if the Goodwill store has a half-price sale, it's mine. In the meantime, I'm using it for thinspiration.

What 124 lbs looks like

OK, I'm going to be brave here and post a photo showing my current look (124 lbs, 5'6" tall). I think the arms & legs are OK, size-wise (although a little toning will definitely help!), but the belly is still WAAAAY too thick. That's what I'm hoping to get rid of by accomplishing my weight loss and fitness goals.

(I am very nervous about posting this, so no flames or mean comments, please.)

Weigh-in

I weighed myself today at the gym (where I worked out for all of 20 minutes -- gotta do better on that). The good news is that I have not gained any weight back and, in fact, have lost another 1/4 pound down to an even 124.

In celebration, I am posting a picture of my arm. Please contain your excitement. LOL





I am small-boned which means my arms are fairly delicate-looking. On the down side, it also means that any fat shows up immediately. Judging from just that arm, you would think I am already thin enough. Unfortunately, my belly tells a different story.

Skinny-Fat vs. Skinny-Fit

It's one thing to be skinny and a whole 'nother thing to be fit. Unfortunately for lazy-bones like me, dieting alone will not create a fit, toned, good-looking body. Sometimes it creates a body with super thin arms and legs but a flabby butt and thick belly.

Check out these photos to see what I mean. The first is of singer Amy Winehouse, sadly a woman who has more problems than just body shape. But body shape is a problem for her, too. You can tell that she doesn't eat much, but she's sure not fit or toned. She's what I've seen referred to as "skinny-fat."




The second photo is Cameron Diaz. She also probably doesn't eat a whole lot either(more than Amy, though), but you can tell she works out, is active, and has muscle tone. She is "skinny-fit."



Exercise does a body good. I am doing well on dieting but not so much on exercise. This is going to have to change. Right now, I wouldn't dare post a picure of myself in a bikini on here.