Saturday, January 14, 2012

How do you see yourself?


I recently read an article about the modeling industry saying a size 6 is now considered plus-size. I was blown away by that. I've always considered a size 18 and up more in the range of plus-size. Boy, was I way off or what! I posted about this on my Facebook page and some of my friends had pretty good responses. I even put up a picture of myself when I was a size 7/8 and quite thin. By the modeling industry standards, I guess I'd be considered obese.

It was pretty depressing to read that some people think a size 6 is plus-size. I've worked my tail off to lose 68 pounds this past year. I'm no where near a size 6 either. In fact, I can't even remember when I was a size 6. Perhaps when I was in 6th or 7th grade. I'm 5'8" tall, by the way. My goal isn't to be a super model or a size 6, but I am working on getting closer to a 9/10. I guess my chances of becoming a super model are shot to hell ... HA! Part of me -- the sick, demented part of me -- would love to get down to a size 6 just so I could take a picture of how sickly I'd look, and then send it to someone in the industry. I think if I got down to that size I'd look like I was dead.

Then yesterday I went to register on the Atkins website because they're offering 3 free snack bars if you sign up for their starter's kit. I follow Fat To Skinny, not so much Atkins, but free bars are free bars! In order to do that, I had to fill in some information, including weight and height. I was pleasantly surprised to see my BMI listed in the NORMAL range. The modeling industry might think I'm fat and plus-sized, but the Atkins site made me remember there are a few sane people left on this planet.

I've always loved this image with the cat looking in the mirror and seeing himself as a lion. It's been a favorite of mine for years. What we see in the mirror isn't always what other people see. How I see myself in the mirror is not how I see myself in photos. I had Neil take a full body shot of me yesterday, just to see where I was at, and I was mortified. I looked much heavier in the picture than what I see in the mirror. That's just doesn't seem right, but I guess if anything, it makes this cat/lion image even more true.

3 comments:

Kim Kasch said...

I have a niece who models for sports companies. They prefer healthy looking girls and guys. Not heroin addicted looking peeps. I wish the media would portray healthy instead of sickly as what we should "model" ourselves after.

And, I love the lion/cat photo.

SherryE said...

Oh my gosh! How can size six be a plus size! I've certainly never considered myself fat! How crazy is that? No wonder teenagers have trouble being happy in their own skin!

Green Girl in Wisconsin said...

WHO thinks size 6 is "plus size?" They are whacked out!