I found the coolest site, ladies! You enter a height and weight and are shown a gallery of photos of real women with these stats. This may be a useful tool in helping determine your desired goal weight.

http://www.mybodygal...com/search.html

Very cool! Thanks for sharing. Keeps it real since when we look in the mirror we don't always see what we really see.

I agree. This is so perpetuated by television too. For example, I LOVE SVU, but it always bothers me on crime shows when they're listing a female victim's stats and they say something like, "mid-twenties, 5'5", 115 pounds..." and the woman is of an average build. That would make her around 140, people.

Keep in mind if you have been really heavy that your bones and internal stuff weigh a little more. So, your goal weight might need to be a couple of pounds higher to account for that - don't drive yourself crazy with somebody else's numbers.

It has taken me awhile to make peace with weighing in the "150s" but everyone around me tells me I am just right even though I am only 5'5".

Keep in mind if you have been really heavy that your bones and internal stuff weigh a little more. So, your goal weight might need to be a couple of pounds higher to account for that - don't drive yourself crazy with somebody else's numbers.

It has taken me awhile to make peace with weighing in the "150s" but everyone around me tells me I am just right even though I am only 5'5".

Please say more about this, CJ. Why would bones weigh more? Does the marrow gain density or something? I find this fascinating!

What an awesome, awesome site! Thank you sooo much for the link to this - I struggle with dysmorphia terribly and cannot wrap my mind around what I look like - it is so nice to see the different sizes and shapes and see where I am

It used to be believed that women who carried more weight had a higher BMD (bone mineral density) but a couple of recent studies actually have disproven that theory. With that said, I am also 5 foot 5, and I would be ecstatic at 150 lbs. And I have seen pics of CJ and she looks just right.

Here's another site I have used a lot to stare at:

http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html

Here's another site I have used a lot to stare at:

http://www.cockeyed.com/photos/bodies/heightweight.html

What a cool site! thanks for sharing!

I love thos! I like looking at the women my size soi know I don't look completely funky.

Here's another site I have used a lot to stare at:

http://www.cockeyed....ghtweight.html

Thank you for the link, gamergirl! Very cool site.

I love thos! I like looking at the women my size soi know I don't look completely funky.

You and me both! Yes I look fat but I may not be as disgustingly fat as I think I am. It's always nice to see those instead of stick thin, airbrushed models anyway.

I look at my before pics and I look in the mirror now, and I don't see a difference.

Thank you so much for posting this!! I found this site (or something similar) about 3 or 4 years ago and was never able to find it again!!! So happy you posted this I've finally found it again

this website still doesn't show my body, none of the women in my search have pronounced lower stomach pooches. but, it does give me something to work toward, when I put in my goal weight and saw how cute it looks!

I look at my before pics and I look in the mirror now, and I don't see a difference.

Classic case of your brain refusing to get with the program and see reality...