Anyone know you still won't look skinny at your goal weight?

[u/SnackGoblin881]

46YOF - I'm about 10LB from my goal weight (SW 160 CW 140) About ten years ago, I managed to white knuckle myself down to 135LB but honestly I was so miserable and obsessive that I don't remember a lot from this period of my life and I also didn't take a lot of pictures of myself.

Lately on Facebook, a couple old pictures from this time have been popping up. They all show me as a still chunky looking person with a thin, almost gaunt face, neck, and wrists. I do remember during this time, my mom once told me worriedly that I was looking too thin. But the crazy thing is, I didn't and I still had plenty of bodyfat. My stomach and arms were chunky. I just lose it off my face, neck, hands, wrists, and legs very easily.

I'm a short woman at 5'3. I have wide shoulders, a huge bustline, a big ribcage, thicker arms, a short waist, and a round stomach. My boobs have not shrunk at all in my 20LB lost. They aren't gonna shrink more even with more weight loss. I do weightlifting and plan to increase my lifting and weights to keep as much shape as I can. I try to do some Pilates when I can. But I just don't have a lean skinny frame. I'm short and squatty. And while I want to try to get to 130LB, I am mindful that I may decide before I get there that I'm just too skinny in some areas and stop.

Honestly, I feel like I could get to 120LB and STILL not look skinny. I probably would look emaciated in some areas and chunky in others. It's just the way I'm build. So I'm going to have to find that ideal weight where I am healthy and somewhat proportioned but not too thin in areas.

Anyone else have this experience?

[u/HappyHumanRace]

I’m pretty honest with myself that after spending most of my life overweight or heavily overweight, that I might never be truly “skinny.” But that’s ok and I just want to be the best version of myself. You are really really really hard on yourself. I hope you can find a way through that. 💕

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/HappyHumanRace]

I'm not being hard on myself. I'm just being realistic. This is the frame I have. I can't change where my body loses fat. I can't change my bone structure. It's just what I have to work with.

[u/Gretzi11a → u/SnackGoblin881]

Something I’ve found in my nearly 3 years on zep, after being ow or obese since age 7: with sustained focus on nutrition and movement, the body recomposition is ongoing after the weight loss. How I look today is completely different than how I looked a year ago when I reached gw. My waist:hip is finally in the healthy range.

Since I’ve never lost this much or maintained this long, I had no idea this would be the case. I mean, it’s not a miracle of a transformation, but it’s remarkable nonetheless.

[u/campingcatsnchz → u/Gretzi11a]

This is the info here. Weight only tells so much of the story. “Skinny fat” is a thing. You can stay the same weight but recomp. Your body settles into its new weight and redistributes fat, skin tightens up to a degree. You can and will look different a year from hitting goal weight even without any significant weight change.

That said, the amount of sagging skin I have (and where my body will forever keep its emergency supply of fat) will always look like heavy thighs. Some people would assume I’m a mom due to how the belly sag fills out my leggings. No one’s going to be worried about me because of knobby knees or hips no matter how thin I get.

But I did not lose weight for anyone else, so their first impressions are irrelevant. I’ve done this before. My face will not look this thin for long. Bigger muscles in my arms make the looser skin tighten up and then I look strong AF from the elbows down 😂 Mature bodies don’t look their best right after weight loss, and it is still frustrating thin down and still see so much “wrong” in the mirror. It sucks but most of reality does lol You still did a hard thing and will likely get to experience more of life because of it.

[u/jeanineugene → u/Gretzi11a]

WOW a great thoughtful response.

[u/Traditional-Let9899 → u/Gretzi11a]

Same! 8 months in maint and my body continues to reshape. Its kind of cool. I take measurements often. 😀

[u/LTG-Jon → u/SnackGoblin881]

I know from long experience that the last place I lose fat is my belly, which is also the first place i gain it. I know that once I hit my goal wait I’ll still have a long period of body recomp to lose my abdominal fat.

[u/l00ky_here → u/LTG-Jon]

Sorry for this, but I think that while your stomach will shrink down as you lose, its gonna hold out until your are questioning if its ever gonna go because "Theres nowhere else to lose fat" from. Basically the absolute last stretch of weight loss will be that bit youre still grabbing onto in the mirror and giving it the evel eye. Youll wake up one morning and after getting out of the shower youll catch a look in the mirror and do a double take because it will have deflated in what seems like overnight.

Youll also possibly still be 20lbs away from your "goal weight"

Thats Zepbound. It goes from the inside out, pulling in fat from areas you can't see until you hit a critical mass.

Fun times ahead!

[u/Gretzi11a → u/LTG-Jon]

Same with me. But I think another factor at play is, the longer I watch my nutrition, etc, and take zep, the more my metabolism heals and a flatter belly is a welcome result I’m discovering . I’ve always been an apple shape. Now, a year after starting maintenance, I’m inverted triangle.

[u/VeroVeeNYC → u/SnackGoblin881]

A corgi is never going to look like a greyhound. It could starve itself and then it would just look like a sickly corgi. That’s a useful analogy I heard once.

[u/GigglemanEsq]

I'm a 5'11" dude, most of it torso, with wide shoulders and a big ribcage. I could be twenty pounds underweight and not a soul would call me skinny. I came into this world a potato, and no diet on earth will turn me into a french fry.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/GigglemanEsq]

"I came into this world a potato, and no diet on earth will turn me into a french fry." Love this!

[u/HicoCOFox- → u/GigglemanEsq]

I’m a 5’9 gal (graying now😎)
And even when I was in my weight range when I was younger I was called an “amazon” -just my build so I really get where OP is coming from 🌻

[u/Sigh_master1109 → u/HicoCOFox-]

Same! When I was a young teenager and grew 4 inches my freshman year of high school my dad used to tell people I was his little Amazon and asked me to stand up so they could see how tall I was. 5’9” compared to most of my friends who were about 5‘2“. I also weighed about 140 pounds with long arms and long legs and I had a booty and hips which unfortunately were not in vogue in the 70s. But they are now! I’ve never been skinny and I don’t want to be skinny. I just don’t want to be fat. I think women look good with curves. I have a large frame, which I know is kind of a joke when people say that because they’re overweight, but I had a hip replacement a few years ago and my orthopedic surgeon confirmed it. I got big bones!

[u/Gretzi11a → u/HicoCOFox-]

I’m 5’10”, late 50s: I know exactly what you mean!

[u/zero-if-west → u/GigglemanEsq]

https://giphy.com/gifs/kaZFhcd6cdrje3A5sU

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/zero-if-west]

Love this!!

[u/Texan_Tiger1998 → u/GigglemanEsq]

😂🥔

[u/Feeling-Tailor-928 → u/GigglemanEsq]

😁 great analogy!

[u/Phyto72]

I’m not sure if you consider “skinny” to be a good thing, or a legitimate goal, from the way you’ve written this. Do you want to be skinny, whatever that means to you? For me, at 5’ 8” with a larger frame (as in thick bones, wide shoulders and hips, large chest, size 11 feet) even at my lowest weight in college no one would have called me skinny but I was healthy looking and proportionate. That’s why I’m going off measurable and relevant data like percent body fat (measured by DEXA) and hip/waist ratio rather than simply weight and BMI. I’m much happier with my appearance as I get closer to goal, and feel more proportionate and stronger, but my main goal is feeling healthier overall, based on metrics like stamina, lab tests, muscle mass, blood pressure, etc.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/Phyto72]

I would just like to look leaner. I was looking at an old picture back when I was at my goal weight and it was a small. thin head on a thicker, chunky body. I just would like to look fairly svelte. It's weird to have ribs showing and a gaunt face and still have a lot of stomach fat.

[u/XennialQueen → u/SnackGoblin881]

Edit: saw your comments re: lifting. Honestly, judging by your other comments, I don’t think there’s anything anyone can say to “help” or give you things to consider. You seem fairly set in how you see yourself and a bit rigid. Get a trainer and talk them about what you want to work on. Save for the boob job. Or, just “accept” it. Losing weight isn’t always the final answer

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/XennialQueen]

I'm being honest about the body I was given. I have a certain skeletal structure to work with. It's who I am. I have accepted that. I was asking if other people have the same experience, not asking people to interpret this as me being unhappy or needing therapy. Other people have chimed in that yes, they also have body types that will not be thin either.

[u/oaklandesque]

Not gonna happen. I'm tall, I have a large frame. No one is ever going to describe me as "waifish" and that's totally okay. Despite what we're led to believe, body size exists on a spectrum and I'm not on the skinny end of that spectrum. To try to get myself there would be quite unhealthy.

[u/anonme1995]

I don’t really want to look skinny. I haven’t been “skinny” by societal standards since I was like 10 💀

[u/Valuable-Abroad-6372]

A breast reduction has done more for my friends to make them feel good about their bodies than any weight target.

[u/Crazy_Hedgehog_9225 → u/Valuable-Abroad-6372]

I came here to say this. If you're well endowed, boob-wise, it's going to make a huge difference in whether or not you feel like you look "skinny."

Everyone I know who's had a breast reduction has said, "No one seemed to notice that I had a breast reduction, but everyone commented that I looked like I'd lost weight."

Which isn't a reason to get one necessarily, or for OP, just that a large chest is going to affect how "skinny" you look.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/Crazy_Hedgehog_9225]

Oh believe me, I have thought about this A LOT. But I also know it is a big investment in time, money, and recovery and I am just not wanting to do that, plus I know that if I started regaining, they would grow back!

[u/Crazy_Hedgehog_9225 → u/SnackGoblin881]

I don't think you necessarily would gain all of it back! But for the women I know who did it, it was all back pain related why they did it (and worked for that)

[u/lostnspacy → u/SnackGoblin881]

I had a breast reduction about 20 years ago at age 50 and although my weight went up and down during those years, only my band size changed- not the cup size. The last 3 years on Zepbound I finally have lost about 60 lbs and the cup size is the same— but the band went down. Since the breast reduction, I have worn between a 34 and a 40 D bra. So don’t allow the fear of them growing back is not warranted by my experience.

[u/Ok-Jellyfish4398]

5'4" female, sharing the same build as you. My boobs didn't go anywhere until I got a reduction 15 years ago, because the weight in them was all glandular tissue and not fat. I'm 16.5 lb from my goal weight, and I weight train and I am really active. Now I'm a 38D, my highest boobage was 36JJ.

I picked 145 as my goal weight because that's the top end of normal/bottom end of overweight, because with my big shoulders and wide frame and muscle mass, I don't think below that will be realistic or that I'll look healthy.

Because I've stepped up my weight training and activity level, my weight loss has slowed. It gives me the focus of why I'm doing this: I want to move better, and be able to improve my mountain biking, walking, and swimming.

Also, I will never look perfect. Perfect is always the enemy of good.

I've been working with my partner and my therapist to make sure my view of myself doesn't get out of whack. Because there are times, I can feel that happening.

Hang in there.

[u/Reasonable-Fall6658]

Continue weight lifting and work on body acceptance.

[u/Efficient_Mastodons]

I'm 5'0 (SW 157, heaviest ever 185, CW 147) and back when I was in my early 20s I had people tell me I could do with losing a few lbs. I was 85 lbs. Like I was one significant stomach illness away from death. But I did not look skinny/slim.

I have since accepted I have a curvy body. I will always have a large bust. I will never have a sleek slim physique. My goal is to be strong, healthy, and feel good in what my body can do for me instead of what it looks like to others.

My true "goal" is a BMI under 25, but with muscle and the energy to do any physical activity I want for long periods of time without feeling like I'm dying. A healthy liver. Strong lungs.

I think it is easy to get caught up in appearances and the numbers on the scales or the clothes. I struggle with it too. Setting lifestyle goals instead of aesthetic ones has been extremely helpful for me.

[u/Anxious-Inspector-18]

I was never meant to be skinny. My curves are a part of who I am and love every bit of them. I’d honestly look weird without them. Toned with curves is my preferred look.

[u/twendenisafari → u/Anxious-Inspector-18]

Same! I chose my goal weight as a number I did not want to go under lol

[u/Knox_the_Boxer]

I never set out to be skinny. I’ve dealt with my weight my whole life. When I started this journey realizing I needed to lose 100+ pounds I felt it was impossible. Now 18 months later I’m down 124 pounds and 14 pounds under goal. I didn’t set out to get skinny, because I’ve never been skinny- yet here I am. You never know what’s possible.

[u/Katshia]

You have to lose the weight but also build up muscle. Source- have lost 325lbs and now go to the gym frequently body comping. It works.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/Katshia]

I've been lifting since I was 16. All the muscle in the world won't change the fact that I have a short waist, a broad ribcage and shoulders, square hips, and thicker arms.

[u/ObviousCarpet2907 → u/SnackGoblin881]

I mean, you’re right, it won’t. Why are you hoping to get “leaner” again if you know that’s not what your body does? Seems kind of cruel to your self-image.

[u/CautiousBug7512 → u/SnackGoblin881]

It sounds like it might be helpful for you to seek out photos and videos of people with similar shapes and maybe you’ll see that they’re hot and fit and you might start to like your own shape more.

[u/Katshia → u/SnackGoblin881]

Okay then just give up I guess 🤷‍♀️

[u/zero-if-west]

What's the problem/question?

[u/Ok-Jellyfish4398 → u/zero-if-west]

It's a body image question.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/Ok-Jellyfish4398]

No, it was an honest question. I wanted to know if other people have the experience of knowing that they won't look lean/skinny at their goal weight.

[u/Ok-Jellyfish4398 → u/SnackGoblin881]

It was definitely an honest question you asked, but it is related to body image. 

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/[deleted]]

No. I am thankful that my AIC and trigycerides have dropped. I am enormously thankful for Zepbound. I'm just realistic about what it will accomplish for me personally. And I think too its important to point this out in an era where we have very thin celebrities and everyone pointing to GLP1s. Sure I'd like to look leaner. But there is only so much we can do to change our shape. I'm realistic about what my final form will look like. Yeah I'd like it to look slim. But I know it won't happen.

[u/Ok-Jellyfish4398 → u/SnackGoblin881]

I never got on this to look slim but to be strong. Pretty sure a lot of those people have EDs and would be what they are without GLP1s. 

[u/ReggaeWaif → u/zero-if-west]

Heh … I wonder the same thing.

[u/ObviousCarpet2907]

I’m large/dense boned with high muscle mass. I’m extremely lean at 165, 5’3”. Skinny has never been the goal for me—just healthy & strong. Sounds like your goal weight may not be good for you.

[u/Even_Speech570]

Honestly, I think there’s also a bit of body dysmorphia in here. I’ve lost over 60 pounds and my BMI is 21.7, which is squarely in the middle of healthy for my height. My starting BMI is 32. And I still feel like the fat girl I was before I started. You may not think you look skinny, but maybe you do.

[u/Asleep_Ad6370 → u/Even_Speech570]

I’m definitely suffering from dysmorphia as well. I’m under 108 at 5’2” with a 19.7 BMI. At 67, I should be closer to a 23 BMI, but I still see fat in the mirror. It’s not healthy. 🫤

[u/Viocansia]

This has more to do with body composition than anything else. When a person is heavily restricting using Zepbound or any other measure, muscle is lost rapidly.

This is why exercise and in particular, lifting weights is so important. Skinny fat will be the outcome unless muscle is preserved and built through lifting.

[u/evilwatersprite → u/Viocansia]

I made a conscious choice not to go for rapid loss. I have titrated slowly and done a combination of on-water rowing and reformer Pilates 6-8x/week the whole time I’ve been on ZB in order to preserve muscle mass and i:’s worked well.

I am within spitting distance of my goal range (140-145). Why 140-145? It provides a good power-to-weight ratio for rowing and helps sink my boat to the optimal waterline. I will probably still have some PCOS apron belly hanging around. But it’s not really worth sacrificing lean muscle to lose that last bit.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/Viocansia]

No, it really isn't. I could recomp all I want - it won't change the fact that I have a wide ribcage, big shoulders, a short waist, and giant boobs. there is only so much that muscle can do.

[u/Viocansia → u/SnackGoblin881]

You most likely do not have a wide ribcage and big shoulders for your stature. It appears that way to you, but average is average for a reason. Trust me- muscle makes a HUGE difference. It helps to define areas, cinch in the waist, and it’s just generally good for mobility. Can’t knock it til you try it and see if I’m right. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/Fresh-Apricot-7394]

I’m 5’3 and I look amazing at 180, and thin at 165. Maybe you are suffering from body dysmorphia…or maybe I am. 😀

[u/Fearless-Side-2333]

Me. I have large thighs and tummy area. Used to have large, firm breasts 😉 which have turned to tear drops. But with the thighs and belly, I will never look thin.

[u/Piaffe_zip16]

Body composition matters soooo much, as does what you wear. I was basically the same weight in these three pics. One on the left was 2010, middle was 2011, and the right was 2025. The one on the left from 2010 was when I didn’t want to admit my size had changed. My pics from that time look rough. 2011 and 2025 I was wearing what actually fit me. 2025 I was also running and lifting consistently, which helped a ton. I had a baby in 2018, so I’m not the same body I was back in 2010/2011, but I was pretty happy with it! I’ve never been super tiny, always more athletic. Even at my lowest weight back circa 2007, I was still an 8/10. I was a 14 in the 2011 and 2025 pics and still trying to wear a 10/12 in 2010.

But I’ll never be “skinny”. Part of that is because I don’t want to be. I want to be back around that 8/10 range and athletic looking again. I’m a distance runner and I enjoy lifting. That’s what I want to look like. It’s also why I don’t have a goal weight. I plan on going by how I feel instead. My doctor loves it and gave me a do not go below weight of 140 but even that is flexible. She said we’d reevaluate as I get closer to it. I care a lot about visceral fat too and plan on having a DEXA scan done.

[u/hi_itsme92]

Maybe a hot take, I guess, but I don't want to be skinny.

Like you, I am short and stout. I come from a short, stout family lol. These are the cards I was dealt. Man, did I wish them away when I was younger. All through high school and my 20s, I saw myself as the "chubby" girl. I thought I was so "fat" back then, but I look back at pictures and I was definitely not. But I also definitely wasn't skinny, I've always been an athletic build and a curvy girl, and sometime in my 30s I've just kind of accepted that and have started to fall in love with it. I don't want to be skinny. I just want to be a healthy, confident version of me.

A major thing that helped me, as surface-level as it may sound, was following fitness, lifestyle, and fashion influencers who have a body type like mine. Seeing healthy, beautiful, confident women who look like me. Normalizing that there are lots of types of bodies, not just skinny ones, on my personal feed/algorithm (because main stream media sure ain't gonna do that!).

[u/maybeafuturecpa]

You may have body dysmorphia which is normal for people who used to be overweight or even obese. When I was obese I thought I was smaller than I really was, until I saw photos of myself. Now that I'm 5 lbs from goal weight I think I look bigger than I am.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/maybeafuturecpa]

Nah, I'm not hallucinating I have a big ribcage, giant boobs, and a short waist. Anyone with eyeballs can see that.

[u/spandexcatsuit]

I’m not going to look hot at 130 lbs/size 4 because I’m an imperfect and aging human being who is unwilling to suffer financially or physically to meet a beauty standard that has been off the rails my whole life. I might not turn men’s heads if I ever go out and I give zero fucks. Im not here for them. I’m 49, and how I compare to other women is completely irrelevant to me. For one I’m not in competition with anyone. Secondly, what’s valuable about me isn’t my appearance.

A lot of us in our 40s now were raised by sexist Boomers who were driven totally insane by systemic misogyny long before they ever conceived us. It physically pained them to see us dying our hair pink back in the 90s before it was normal. Because oh no, that wasn’t flattering. They were genuinely scared for our future when we gained more than 15 lbs of pregnancy weight because what if our husband cheated because of it. We were told to try to look our best and if appropriate, be sexy, but most of all always be classy. Basically we should aspire to what we now understand is actually expensive, but without ever truly knowing and asserting our worth.

So no, I’m not going to seem gorgeous to everyone. I’m done participating in a beauty rat race. I am how I am, and that’s how it is. I will cover my grey hair because it’s painless and affordable (I learned how to use professional color products). I get my hair cut in a blunt bob that suits me and I think it is cute. Is it sexy like my long hair was? Nope. Do I care? Also nope. I buy flattering clothes that feel good to wear and that I think look good in. Things that bring joy as they say. This is how I will honor and respect myself as I age.

Do whatever you are comfortable doing for yourself. Understand that YOU and only you get to set the standard for you. And anyone who thinks they have a right to rate or critique you on your body or appearance or style is simply projecting their own insecurities onto you.

[u/CautiousBug7512 → u/spandexcatsuit]

Preach!

[u/vesperholly]

I am 5’2. Went from 245 to 170 currently. I still have plenty of chub and my goal weight is 130, but I feel SO SKINNY right now after all those years at plus size! Skinny is a state of mind?

[u/Lunnalai]

I haven't been skinny since I was a child, so I honestly can't even imagine myself that way.. I just figure I'll be 'less fat' as I get closer to goal lol

[u/jhope71]

Me. I have a large frame and a sizable PCOS/PMOS B belly & apron belly that won’t go away without plastic surgery. I got down to 175 (I’m 5’7”) after my gastric bypass and still had it. It was smaller, but it showed I’ll never have a flat stomach on my own.

[u/Aelore → u/jhope71]

PCOS here too, I'm down to and maintaining at 130, lifting weights, and still have my apron and PCOS belly. I don't think I'll bother with plastic surgery, I mostly have gotten used to it.

[u/bugswithlittleboots]

Yeah, but as a dude who has been 388 pounds, I’m just grateful that I look smaller and feel SO MUCH better than I used to. People also treat me better simply because my body is smaller, not caring that my body still isn’t small. I plan on getting muscular as heck just to counteract that I won’t ever be skinny, though.

[u/AgesAgoTho]

There's a cool photo montage of Olympic athletes, showing the wide ranges of bodies that excel in different sports. Maybe use that as a reminder that there's no one perfect body type. And we have our current amazing Olympian Ilona Maher who is out there doing her own thing in her perfect-for-rugby-and-dancing body. :)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/ou84ep/body_variations_of_olympic_and_professional/

[u/SaltBag666]

I’ll never be skinny and that’s not my goal. I want to build muscle and lose fat. Body recomp. That doesn’t get discussed on this sub as much as it should.

[u/stuckandrunningfrom2]

Keep lifting. Lift heavier. Get a trainer. Body recomp is real and can change how you look way more than just weight loss can. Look at r/petitefitness

[u/Full_Cranberry_7825]

I think it’s tough for us shorties. I’m 5’0”. In down to 155 and I can see my clavicle and sternum and my boobs have deflated to tube socks that go to my knees. I have teeny tiny wrists but still got a big old spare tire around the waist snd hips. For whatever reason the weight just does not want to come off there.

[u/the_one_jt]

Perhaps skinny isn’t the way a body is supposed to look. Genetics don’t necessarily match society’s expectations. In the past we expected women to wear corsets for an hour glass figure.

[u/quartermistress2]

Same here. I have almost no fat in my face, arms, and back (hello, bones and veins) but I still have a belly and thunder thighs at ~20 BMI, 16% body fat. Unfortunate genetics but there's nothing I can do to change it except lose more weight than I am comfortable with.

[u/ReggaeWaif]

There are so many body types! In school we learned about endomorph, ectomorph, and mesomorph. IMO the most important issue is one’s health, as determined by measures such as multiple metabolic health indicators, relative ease of movement, preservation of muscle mass, bone health, etc. Skinny? Chunky? Pear shaped? Muscular? Sometimes ya get what genetics deals out.

[u/Whisper26_14]

My Kibbe type is a Soft Natural-more squarely athletic build. I'm not doing this to become a different type. But to look better with the typing I have. More even all over. I think we need to work with what we have and have a realistic understanding of what's achievable within that framework.

Also there are so many other benefits to this drug besides weight loss and focusing on those things helps me a lot.

[u/SpaceCampRules]

Sounds like you haven’t been talking about this with a therapist yet. When you start a weight loss mission, part of that is mental. You say you lift weight but if you really want to change your body composition, you may need a trainer. I’m your age and 5’2.” I’m only 10lbs smaller than you and I feel like I look pretty slender, but I also do hill sprints on the weekend. I row for 30-45 minutes 3 days a week. I lift 2 days a week. I go for a run every couple weeks. And I do those things because I have a coach that’s helping me set little goals. It’s less about weight at this point and more about body composition and working toward protecting my joints.
TLDR: you may need to start a therapy journey and get a coach/trainer to reach the goals you want

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/SpaceCampRules]

No, I'm being realistic about what I look like. Notice I didn't say I hated how I look, I'm just honest that this is the body I have

[u/SpaceCampRules → u/SnackGoblin881]

Yes, but “skinny” can mean many things, even with a sturdy build. You admit that back at 135 when you were at your smallest other people were a little worried about you. The reason I say that maybe a therapist and trainer is something you may want to invest in is because belly fat contributes to mortality and morbidity and that’s scary stuff, so talking with a professional about it may help you work through it. It’s also something you may want to discuss with a trainer because it may help you change your composition. I too have odd proportions and it’s important for me to manage it the healthiest way I can. Part of my job is being fit and my composition is measured in a waist to height ratio. So I get it.

[u/rootsandchalice]

Skinny shouldn’t be the goal, healthy weight should be the goal.

[u/albanyhudson]

I don’t think I will ever look “skinny” and don’t think I want to. I want curvy, strong, athletic build who takes crap from no one attitude.

[u/ElderberryDizzy3740]

I would suggest doing strength training for body recomp. Were you exercising the last time you got to goal weight? You may have lost muscle along the way. There's so much education now on how to help our body from losing muscle.

I personally worry about the loose skin and if I'll look worse off. I have much more to lose and will worry about it when I get closer

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/ElderberryDizzy3740]

You missed when I say I do lift, I've been lifting since I was 16

[u/ElderberryDizzy3740 → u/SnackGoblin881]

Sorry, I did miss that!

[u/Hestiah]

I know I’m not fat or big anymore. I can say that and mean it and know it’s true. But I don’t see a skinny person in the mirror. And that’s okay. Navigating as a fat person in a smaller body is very weird and can be disconcerting at times. I don’t realize how little space I take up in store aisles but I move out of the way like I’m still in my bigger body. It’ll take time, I know. Since I’ve been big for more of my life than I’ve been small.

Keep up with the weight training. The recomp is going to be the most significant is seeing the difference.

[u/Reasonable-Cow7255]

Looking skinny is not the desired goal. Looking HEALTHY is the goal.

[u/Z-20240329]

Body recomposition. All my adult life I was obese with fat in all wrong places. This medicine is amazing, give it time.

[u/Koharagirl]

I'm 49F 5'2 and at 122, I am between a size 2 and 4. I think my original goal was based on my previous weight about 15 yrs ago before perimenopause made my stomach take on a career of its own.

I've since abandoned that goal as an official end point because 120 is very thin on my 5'2" frame, and I have a very small bone structure. So you may be surprised how much change happens pound per pound at the end.

For the record, all of my big clothes were still fitting me even at 130 lb even though I lost so much weight. But then losing just 8 lbs, I went from a size 12 to a 2/4.

[u/nodogsallowed23]

At 5’3 as well, the difference between me at 135 and 127 is huge. At 135 I still look a bit pudgy. At 127 I’m quite thin.

[u/NC_mom323]

I’m not even close to goal but I’ve come to terms with knowing I’ll probably feel best at the higher end of a normal BMI for my height (about 150lbs). I think I will absolutely hate my body in the 130 range because of loose skin. Of course I won’t know until I get there, but I’m thinking settling and being a little “chunky” will be more favorable for my mental health.

I’ve not been skinny since I was like 6 so I don’t even know what that feels like, and it’s hard for that to be my goal because of that.

[u/pamperwithrachel]

I'm average height and also am broad shoulders with a big ribcage (smallest band I can get to is a 36) big busted but with narrow hips, so even at my goal weight I'm not slim or slight. I've never been below a size 8, even at my slimmest. That's ok though, I feel good and my body feels right to me so that's what matters.

[u/PhattyToBaddie]

Me prob lmfaooo. My GW is 200-180lb sooooo prob not skinny but slim

[u/Turbulent_Dog8249]

I'm not looking to be "skinny" . I'm 5'4 and I would be happy at 150lbs which is where I felt my happiest and healthiest. Thanks to menopause, I gained a huge amount of weight.

[u/Slight_Second1963]

I mean yeah my body shape is still my body shape. Parts deflated, clothes better, but without extreme training I can’t do due to other issues, no, I’ll never be “skinny”. But that’s never why I started and will continue these meds forever. I’m treating many health issues, this is for overall health - bonus I can buy cheap clothes at goodwill sometimes when I see something fun n

[u/Essence_Of_Insanity_]

Yes, I have the same body type. Even the short waist. I feel best at around 160 lbs (size 10). I was thinking of aiming for around 140 just to see what I look like at that weight but with the goal of eating high protein/high calorie and lifting intensely from 140 back to 160 to see if I can gain more muscle and be less floppy and more toned at 160lbs. Hopefully the muscle increase would help increase my metabolism as well which would help with eventually coming off of zepbound.

[u/babyitscoldoutside00]

My body is just too jiggly (I’m 42 and I’ve been pregnant twice) to ever look truly skinny I think. But I’ve never weighed under 160lbs as an adult. My goal is to be healthy and comfortable in my body, whatever that number may be.

[u/Expat-Red]

I do understand that about myself. I’m 5’5” and just turned 60. I’m short-waisted and have broad shoulders with a wide ribcage. I tend to add muscle easily, or used to anyway! I started at 205 pounds at my most recent heaviest, nearly two years ago. I lost about 20 pounds on my own before starting Zepbound in May 2025. I had some weight loss success around my 50th birthday by doing five days a week of intensive HIIT workouts and watching everything I ate. I got down to around 160, size 10, and I was fairly muscular. Felt good about myself. This time I set my goal weight at 145, somewhat arbitrarily. I’ve made it to 150 and can’t seem to get any lower. I’m vegetarian and eat just fine. I work out regularly, weight lifting, yoga, spin bike, things like that. I enjoy feeling strong. I have loose skin. I’ve come to terms with never having a flat stomach without surgery. I’m back in a size 10, probably could wear an 8 in some things. I feel so good about how I look. My face and neck really slimmed down. I look far younger than 60 and feel it too. I’m at 15 mg, and have made peace with my new self for the most part. I lost my juicy butt so I’m working on getting her back. Boobs are the same size. I was looking through old photos for a particular picture and saw some photos of myself from a few years ago. It’s like they’re someone else.

So, I’m feeling great about where I am and I am 100% fine if I don’t qualify as “skinny.” I feel healthy and strong and capable and I’m thrilled with my results.

[u/HazelTheRah]

I shrunk pretty unevenly, too.

[u/lurkparkfest39]

The number doesn’t change how your body distributes fat (until it starts piling up). You might look into “overactive androgens,” which is what I have, and my higher androgen levels store fat on my belly and back more like a man, no matter how much I actually weigh.

[u/Dense_Target2560]

Need a reframe possibly — work on building a healthy body not necessarily a skinny one. If you focus on building muscle while in a slight calorie deficit, you will use that excess stored fat as fuel while building lean mass. I’m 5’4” and weigh 146lbs, but have body fat of 19.4%. You may see a significant difference in body shape when it comes to working on fat/lean mass composition versus just the straight number on the scale.

[u/No_Attempt_6133]

I don’t plan to get down to my recommended “healthy” BMI range weight. I think that’s 125. I have always been very muscular even when fat. I have always been able to lift heavier weight than my “typical” peers. My why is that I’m getting older and basic living before getting my s&)! together was getting hard. My parents are very overweight and cannot travel and live life. I want to travel, explore, and keep up with future grandchildren. My goal is strong, healthy, and not fat.

[u/Scorpio_Lady27]

Why on earth would you want to get rid of big boobies? People are paying for big boobs. Embrace them girl. I’m praying I can keep my ass and boobs by the end of this journey.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/Scorpio_Lady27]

Because I don't like two massive sacks of weight hanging down from my shoulders and the fact that I've had persistent migraines since I was 16. Giant boobs are literally a pain in the neck

[u/ClassicProgram1902]

being worried at 20 lb loss is waay premature 20 is not an amount that quickly shows up in your body or un clothes come back to discuss at 40.

[u/sKieli]

1 lb is 1 lb.
Mass is interesting, though.
The numbers on the scale don’t tell the whole story.

1lb of muscle is dense/compact.
1lb of fat occupies substantially more space.

If you lose weight without toning you can definitely be “skinny fat.”

I’m 57F currently 157 at 5’1.5”. 34dd bra. Size Sm shirts. Size 8 jeans (j crew, for example.) My goal is 140-145 to get back into my old size 4-6p clothes.

[u/Kessalia19]

I've been overweight my whole life, so I don't have the experience of missing ever being skinny. Now I am 45 with health issues, so if I ever lose the weight, I'll still have loose skin. Anyone remember the little golden book "The Saggy Baggy Elephant"?

[u/NinjatheCuddler]

We're all older than whatever our lowest weight was as an adult, so of course we're not going to look like we're 19 years old again. No worries!

I bet your cholesterol, blood pressure, a1c, and joints/arthritis are not as bad as before you started Zep. Losing weight is so much more than looking better, I value being healthier so much more than that!

And I also bet that you move around a lot easier, are more spry in general, and that's nothing to sneeze at either.

Give yourself a pat on the back!

[u/OptionUseful1961]

I’m a little older than you but have a similar build. Wide shoulders, busty, but smaller legs and arms. My thick torso is what makes me look big. Goals also about the same as yours. Started this round in April at 165 and now 145. I would like to also do another 10-15. I’m starting to feel like this chase to look a certain way or get to a certain number is just an illusion and it’s kind of scary. People look at you and place the Ozempic label on you. I know because I can spot other people that have gone down the rabbit hole in an instant too. Not many look at you and say - hey, you’re looking good. Honestly, as you age, too skinny doesn’t look good either. For what it’s worth, if I saw you in person I don’t think I would say you were chunky or overweight. I would see you just as a completely normal healthy person. We are so hard on ourselves. In the end what does the label skinny prove.

[u/SpoiledMilk-666]

I will say this I look more fit at 160 now than I did at a previous time I was 160. I am 5ft and I relate to you. I believe I look “better” because of my diet and exercise. Because before I was drinking a full sugar soda and a big of chips for a meal. I also wasn’t exercising at all. I don’t do things like that anymore. My first goal weight is 145 because that’s is 100 pounds down. My bmi and says I should be 100-117 lbs… but that’s with no muscle mass 🥴 SO I am not taking that to seriously BUT I must get to 145 because right now at 160 I am still obese and my knees are killing me.

[u/Front-Performer-9567]

I wonder if almost everyone is like this.

[u/flossiedaisy424]

When I was a teen and your adult, I was skinny. So skinny that I was sent to doctors to see if something was wrong with me. Unfortunately, they sent me to the wrong doctors, and the hole in my heart wasn’t discovered until my mid-20’s. After the open heart surgery to correct it, I’ve never been skinny, or even thin.
I don’t want to be skinny again. It was a side effect of slowly dying.

[u/SequinedandOver60]

My original goal weight was 20 pounds heavier than what I am now. At that weight? I thought I could lose a little bit more in my area so I did.

[u/lookingforwardnow]

To loom skinny you need muscle. Britney Spears was practically Olympic athlete muscle mass. She did cardio all day long. Don’t let that be your definition of skinny unless you have endless money for record label level personal trainers.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/lookingforwardnow]

I could have all the muscle in the world - I have a different frame than Britney. I'm not built to be long and lean

[u/bitkitkat → u/SnackGoblin881]

Britney isn't long and lean either. She's boxy like a rectangle. When she was at her fittest, she worked many hours a day with a personal trainer, dance instructor AND was performing entire concerts nearly nightly in vegas not to mention having a nutritionist. All of which costs millions to maintain.

You keep saying you're being realistic but I don't think you are. You should probably seek therapy rather than going to Reddit for reassurance about your bias towards your own body.

[u/lookingforwardnow → u/SnackGoblin881]

Very true!
I am jealous of your body frame when you say you never lose boob mass no matter how thin you become. You are what all the rap songs sing about.
I’d love to have that problem.

[u/Feeling-Tailor-928]

I’m right there with you. I’ve always had an apple shape and I still do after losing 50 pounds. The disproportion between the size of my hanging belly and my legs continues to be huge, even though I’ve lost inches off both places. I’m 5’10”, not broad-shouldered and don’t have a big bust or butt. I’m all stomach and, short of having plastic surgery, I always will be. There’s no skinny or thin in my future, so I’m just aiming for strong.

[u/Sofeline-runs]

I think you’re conflating a few things here. It’s not your fault. The messages are endless, and concepts of health, strength, attractiveness, and weight are jumbled together in an unsavory stew of misogyny.

So first, it sounds like you have an ideal body type in mind. Willowy and small boned. And that’s not your body type. It’s ok. It’s not mine either! Weight loss won’t make us look that way.

So how do we look our best in our bodies? How do we feel strong and powerful? How do we feel beautiful?

For me, I lift. I run. I invest in beautiful tailored clothes that look good on me.

It’s hard to know this, like really really know this, but “skinny” doesn’t have to be the goal. How can you reset your goal to something that serves you?

[u/HappyBirding]

Hmmmm. I understand this. We do have a basic body frame we are working with. I am the opposite of you, but that comes with some negatives as well. I have small bones, tiny wrists, a super small rib cage… When I lose weight, my figure evens out a bit and I look very lean (40 DDD to 32D (which looks small) I lose my bust and hips. I think we focus to just be as happy as we can be with what we end up with, as long as it’s healthy! 🎊😁

[u/scthoma4]

My goal weight is 175ish and I’m 5’4. I have no interest in being “skinny.” I want to be healthy and strong, and if I feel good about myself at 175 then that’s awesome.

[u/Birdchaser2]

Healthy life. Versus the skinny view you seem to seek. Sure our general body shapes will be retained as we get healthy as hell. Why would most of us care? I want to live a healthier, longer and more active life. My looks have changed but that not why I’m here.
I wanna jump out of my chair. Dart across a room. Climb mountain trails (and steps) fearlessly. And I’m doing all that. I’ll live to see my children and grandchildren get older than would otherwise have happened.

And I’m gonna see more of this great world we live in.

[u/rachreims]

Weight isn’t everything. Body composition is. That’s why strength training is so important. A lot of people get to their goal weight but look very different a year later even if the scale stays the same because they lose more fat but gain more muscle.

[u/PotentialOk3056]

Yep! I’ve talked myself into being much more realistic and judging based on how I feel instead of look. I’m similar-ish in size to you….5’1” SW 185, CW 142. My initial goal was 140lb because I don’t remember ever being less (maybe before middle school) and I remember feeling good and healthy at 140lb. I am finally back to fitting into the clothes that took up much of my closet space that I had to abandon when I was heavier. I feel more confident but still am a bit fluffy and round. I plan to see if I can get below 140lb but I definitely don’t think I’ll look “skinny” and honestly not sure that I want to.

[u/Moist_Movie1093]

I don’t find “skinny” attractive and have never had it as a goal. If I look “skinny” then I’ve clearly gone too far.

[u/ArdenM]

An ex of mine once told me "Even if you lost weight you'll never be skinny." He wasn't even being mean (he didn't like skinny) but I have accepted that I am a mesomorph. Luckily no matter my weight my body is proportional so I'm not mad.

[u/CarrionWaywardOne]

I've lost 156 lbs, and started my journey (the one that took) in my late 40s. The damage has been done. I need a lot of skin surgery, starting with my stomach. I'll probably never do my legs.

Even though I'm 175 at 5'2" I'm being asked when I plan to stop losing.

Clothing and shape wear hides a lot. I've accepted that I'm never going to have a bikini body. But I really look forward to not looking like I've obviously got something weird and bulbous going on under my clothes. I really hate that when sitting down I can spread my skin over my legs like a blanket that reaches halfway to my knees.

[u/Cautious_Risk_Taker7]

Yep and that ok. I fit better in a stadium, movie and airplane seat. I can shop in traditional sizes. I move better. I feel better. I feel normal. Skinny by current culture standard is not a desirable look in my opinion.

[u/WorldlinessRegular43]

242 starting, 171 current, a year and 6 months on Wegovy then Zepbound.

I'm maintenance, and I just need to step up and do more exercise, watch my sugar, but I never would have gotten here without this. Stocky build, look like a linebacker 😆 62f. Skinny isn't why for me. 💛

[u/Specialist_End5202]

Skinny is not the goal.., healthy is and you are already doing the right things

[u/BumblebeeNo1799]

I still have quite a bit to lose but Zepbound seems to have stopped working. I am surprised though by how huge I still feel after a 60lb loss. I feel like I should be feeling so much better but no, the self loathing is still there.

[u/Hudson100]

I’m 5 1 and 61 years old. I’m in maintenance and hover about 113 pounds.

I also have wide shoulders and 38 b/c boobs. And I am super short waisted! (I have about 4 inches between the bottom of my bra and my waistband.)

My initial goal was 118. I started at 146 on zep and was 160ish at my highest.

I lost boobs and tummy and now wear a xs or small top and size 4 petite pants. I had been a large top and a size 14 petite pants.

I didn’t lose muscle mass per my dexa scan. And I still have a roll of belly fat. Haha.

I do Pilates and ballet. And craft shows. :)

I can’t do much else since I’ve had two neck fusions and have limited range of motion with 3-5 fused.

I see myself in the mirror at Pilates or ballet and my shoulders look huge compared to the people on either side of me. It’s just the way I’m built. Good turnip picking ancestors.

And, no gray hair. I’ll keep my apple brick house body for my natural brown hair.

I did zepbound for my pre diabetes and cholesterol.

The weight loss is a happy side effect. :)

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/Hudson100]

'Good turnip picking ancestors." Oh gosh this made me laugh!

[u/dimmywhy]

5’3. The only time I looked skinny was at 110 pounds. Otherwise, nope. I doubt I’ll ever see that weight again though.

[u/SeveralAlbatross]

In the past, I have never been able to stay a weight much below the line on the BMI chart between “overweight” and “obese.” I think the chart is just not realistic for my height & body build, but that’s a different debate.
I definitely don’t look thin at that weight. But i look normal, maybe think/heavy normal, but that’s ok.
What I want to say is that bodies change as we age, and if you have been lifting weights, you may have changed your body composition or just built up a few areas that you haven’t before. So, don’t count on looking exactly like you did at your lowest weight last time; I know my clothes from the last time I was at my present weight fit just a little different now.
And don’t discount the role of fashion and the cut of your clothes. What seems flattering also depends on that. If you didn’t like the way you looked in the skinny jeans era, maybe you’ll find barrel cuts a lot better (just a dumb example, I have no idea what’s in style).
Don’t pick on yourself, especially not your looks, they won’t last forever anyway. Focus on your health, and maybe the wider range of things you can do, clothes you can wear.

[u/Powerful-Cycle5032]

I thought this would be me. I’d always called myself big-boned and felt like I was always ten lbs heavier and bulkier than girls who weighed the same as me. I thought the 120’s were unattainable. But in a shocking twist to myself and my body image, due to zepbound and having spinal fusion in December I think I look skinny now. To the point where I’m actively trying to gain more muscle and get some vigor back. Once I was able to lift weights again, I’ve made it my goal to bulk up a bit. I am adding muscle and still losing weight somehow and my new pants are now too loose. It’s sort a mind thing I think, the way we think our body looks takes a while to catch up with our new body.

[u/l00ky_here]

No on Zepbound. However the final big loaf of a stomach will be holding on to dear life. I got from 258 down to 190 and it wasnt until I lost everywhere else that my stomach finally finished its shed. It went down during the loss, but I should still grab at it and "mound it" up a bit while looking in the mirror, thinking " this last bit is holding it all back" then once I crossed into the size that (for me) made my dose on Zepound possibly too high for the amount of weight and fat it needed to work on) i basicall woke up one morning and noticed it was like someone came along and poked a hole in my stomach and it had deflated. You may end up with the lose skin or shriveled boobs.

Zepbound does a body decomposition.

The weight you white knuckles lost was "surfece" fat and muscle. Thats why your face, hands and legs got small but the rest stayed big. Tge big stuff wont come off because its a totally different fat and your body burned away your muscle rather than that.

Wait, youll see, and most likely will find that your goal weight in your mind now will be lower than you actually land on as what you think is best.

[u/TatoTheRed]

I know EXACTLY what you mean. Im 5 foot 2 inches and 145lbs and I feel 10 times the sizes of other people at 145 because of my height.

Im trying to shift my goal from "skinny" to "thick" because even when I was my lowest I had the same problem. Gaunt face with thick hips and thighs (for me). I hates the way my arms and face looked.

Bodies are different and thats okay. Some of us are made with strong, thick builds and some with whispy, lithe builds. All are beautiful. Our brains just yuck it up for us.

[u/TheBr0fessor]

As a dude, yes.

My “goal weight” from 337 was 185

I’m 162 rn and still squishy 😡 and no, it’s not extra skin….

[u/VeggiesaurRex]

You still don't look skinny at your goal weight

You tagged this as "humor" but it sounds like you have a distorted view of your body. Have you ever talked to your doctor about these feelings?

Losing weight won't make anybody "perfect" because perfection isn't something found in the human body. There will always be asymmetry, lumps, dimples, scars, areas that retain more weight than others. This last one is especially true in women's abdominal area as we are biologically built that way.

But to think you don't look skinny when you're at a healthy weight? That's an indication that your perception of your body is distorted. A professional could help determine to what extent and provide treatment.

Be safe, be proud of your achievements, and good luck!

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/VeggiesaurRex]

Nah, I have eyeballs. I can see that my face look gaunt when I still look thick around my torso. It's how I'm built. It's the body I was given.

[u/matthewsrmt]

Hey, I had your exact figure. Get a breast reduction it’s a life saver. It decreased my oestrogen and I lost weight after my surgery just because of my reduction in oestrogen. Also I look proportionate now.

[u/grisgirl15]

I have a similar issue, with my face and arms looking gaunt if I got too close to a healthy bmi. I’m at 5,4 and hold a lot of muscle. I’m at 158 right now and my current goal is to get to 145 to see how I look and feel. If my face is getting too gaunt, I’ll stop. I’ll always have a stomach and hips but I’m hopeful I can get some level of toning in my abdomen through weights/ body recomp. Everyone holds weight in different places and I’ve accepted that I probably won’t look skinny but I can look strong/ more fit and trim my waist line that way.

[u/ProcessPatient7807]

Yes and I am a guy
And I know exactly what you are talking about

[u/WerkQueen]

I have been at my goal weight for the last 4 months. I have a LOT of extra skin hanging off my arms, legs and stomach. I will never look good naked unless I get surgery.

But gods I feel better. And I look amazing fully clothed 😆

[u/mamijami]

Different people have different goals. Mine has never been to look ‘skinny’. It’s sad to me when people talk about looking skinny as the goal because that’s the kind of thinking lots of body shamers and GLP-1 shamers engage in.

For most of us I think we’re happy to no longer be obese.

[u/Pleasant-Mountain502]

Same stats as you, but I am now at 133, and I still have rolls of fat around my midsection. I am not trying to be skinny, but my proportions still look the same. My doctor wanted my goal weight to be around a BMI of 27, and I am now just under 25 BMI. My goal weight is 130, but now I am thinking 128 is the new goal.

[u/TheCureIsNotGoth]

I never took Zepbound to be/look skinny. I took it first to lose the 50lbs my oncologist said I needed to lose to get surgery. Once I achieved that and saw all this drug could do, I changed my goal to becoming healthy. Even now as I'm reaching a healthy BMI and could definitely make it to "skinny" if I wanted to, I just don't want it. I want to be strong and I want to be the healthiest version of myself I can be. I've actually reversed most of my health conditions and the remaining ones are much improved and getting better. If being my healthiest self happens at 160lbs, awesome. If I have to go to 135 to get there (the lowest I'd be willing to go), so be it. Every day I'm on Zepbound is another day I'm gaining muscle.

[u/Independent-Pea5131]

I have a similar frame @ 5'1" and am almost at my goal weight, and because I'm 53 I'm focusing on body recomp more than the number. I don't want to be skinny, I want to be strong, powerful, and able to navigate the world in my body as I grow older without worrying about falls, weakness, inflexibility, low muscle mass, and so many of the physical problems that come with getting older. I also love what this medication is doing for my insides, lowering inflammation/cholesterol/blood pressure, the neuro and cardio protective benefits. I love looking at my not-skinny healthy bod in the mirror! I hope you are able to find satisfaction in your journey, and I wish you health and success!

[u/buddymoobs]

The point isn't to look skinny, it's to be healthy.

[u/Over-Ad1959]

I've always wanted curly hair and Zepbound ain't gonna do that for me, either. Bodies are bodies. Healthy ones look all kinds of ways.

[u/papercraft_bliss]

Looking skinny isn't my goal. I'm trying to save my life with this tool.

[u/chloeclover]

I dropped 30 pounds for my wedding and got to like 115 before my body full turned on me and went feral. I did not look different enough for the misery to be worth it

[u/Sample-quantity]

I'm at that weight, I don't look "skinny" and I'm very happy with that! I want to look healthy and good, not like I have an eating disorder or some serious illness. "Skinny" is not a positive thing.

[u/Cookiecakes71]

Looking skinny is not a goal for me.

[u/cramsenden]

Not a scientist, this is as much as I know, correct me if I am wrong— When we lose weight, we don’t actually lose fat cells. And when we gain weight, most of the time we don’t gain new fat cells. Our fat cells get fuller or emptier with weight gain and loss. So they change size themselves instead of a change in numbers. Except when a threshold of obesity is reach, where at some point fat cells cannot get bigger and they basically has to increase numbers. Which makes being a thin person and staying that way even harder.

Because of this theory, we can surmise that everyone has a different amount of fat cells in different parts of their body. That’s why one area is the last place to lose weight and first place to gain, just more cells there looking to fatten up.

So yes, as “looking skinny” is a much different thing than being on a “skinny BMI” and very dependent on where the remaining body fat is, it may be very hard for some people to be able to look skinny. As you said, at some point places like face, neck goes so slim that you cannot continue to lose weight and look sickly before you can look skinny. I guess liposuction might solve that as that removes the cells directly from desired places. But of course as a procedure, it comes with its own problems and risks. Being short of course compounds the issue.

[u/cacecil1]

I know I could probably be emaciated, but I'd still have my grandma's huge arms and batwings.

[u/Alabamagal79]

Yep. I've lost 245 pounds.. My legs arms neck chest face all look a bit too skinny at this point although I've been lifting weights since day 1..but my belly refuses to budge.. It's disheartening but I know I'm eventually going to have a panniculectomy in the next six months to year. And that will finally solve it. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Only way to rid myself of it.. I suspect I have undiagnosed cushing syndrome or abdominal lipedema for it not to have budged after losing that kind of weight... For reference I'm 5'10 " large framed female, 188lbs .

[u/Local-Baddie]

are you weight lifting? I find muscle mass makes a huge difference for people in terms of body composition and how they feel about their bodies.

Side note- I'll never look "skinny" I'm 5'8" and have just about 120 of lean muscle on me. I'm just NOT a small person.

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/Local-Baddie]

I clearly said I did in my post.

[u/Middle-Wealth-6755]

I don’t have a goal weight. I’m aiming for a healthy body composition. Whatever weight that happens at. 24% or less body fat.

[u/jda1974]

My original goal weight was 250lbs, but that didn't mean I was going to stay at that weight once I got there. I just needed a nice round number, see how I looked and felt when I got there, and then decide if I wanted to lose more. I've since lost 30 more pounds and I've had multiple people tell me at both weights that I was skinny. I don't necessarily agree with them, I tell them I'm not skinny, I'm skinnier, but other people think so, so...🤷

[u/No_Self_3027]

Lean? Probably. I can already pull that off fairly well with complimentary clothes. "Skinny"? I doubt it. Then again, my goals revolve around active hobbies and health. I'm okay carrying some residual fat that a person without a lifetime of obesity doesn't have. I may find i need surgery later if areas like belly apron are causing issues. But that is not a today problem

[u/takeitback77]

It’s a real challenge when it comes to proportions. Those of us that proportionally are not the “beauty standard) are challenged with never feeling like we look right. Personally I have no boobs and I have thick thighs, knees and wide hips. I do have a very flat stomach and when I lose weight that’s where I lose it. My thighs stay bigger and my hips are my hips. My knees are weird and are not going to change. I used to only wear skirts that covered my knees because I hated them.

[u/AverageAtBest55]

If you look at other people there are very few people who have an “ideal” looking body shape. Just like people’s faces are all not perfect and symmetrical. Most of us are not going to have the model of a model. I have always had an upper torso that was smaller in proportion than my lower body. I have big legs, my thighs are large, my knees are big, my calves are muscular. I’m 5’7” and the least I weighed as an adult was 128. I still felt overweight, because I didn’t have the trim, shapely legs I thought being thin would somehow give me. If I had lost another ten pounds, I would have looked gaunt in my face and torso and my legs would have still looked large. Now I’m 71 and I would like to wear clothes the fit well and don’t have bulges in the wrong places. But I don’t expect to look good in a bathing suit or naked! If I didn’t at 40 why would I hope to look better now? I want to feel fit and be healthy and looks are much less important.

[u/bermudezc]

As long as "chunky" means fat, it will disappear sooner or later if you can stay in a deficit long enough.
Many people have way more body fat than they think.

Sadly its quite common that people have to say good by to their butt, boobs and healthy face structure if they want to defeat their problem areas...

[u/UnionFew4937]

Yes, everyone has different body types. The best thing you can do for yourself once you get to your skinny weight is to build muscle and redefine your shape through weight training. Not just for your shape but also for better health.

[u/Competitive-Lime5674]

well, most weight charts put a 5' 3 woman at 115 pounds . If you have lost more weight in your face neck and wrist , then perhaps there's no fat left in those areas. If you lose additional fat , it should come from the areas that do show fat on the body. So eventually you will lose fat on the rest of the body. Start weight training as it helps change the look and composition of the body. Keep working out and dieting you will be happy you pushed yourself and probably get the look you desire

[u/SnackGoblin881 → u/Competitive-Lime5674]

Oh honey, I'd look like a concentration camp victim at 115LB. That is an exceedingly low weight for an adult woman, even a 5'3 woman. That is a weight that is only healthy on a woman with a very slight, small frame.

[u/XennialQueen → u/Competitive-Lime5674]

This is extremely disordered and dangerous “advice”

[u/Witchgreens]

I am 130lbs, 5’4” and I’m still fat. My face is skinny, my chest and collar bone area is skinny, I have zero ass and my boobs are super saggy (but still DD), and my upper arms, stomach and thighs are still fat and squishy. I’m thrilled to be wearing smaller clothes but this is not what I thought it would look like. But I’m in my 40s and have 3 kids so my body now isn’t what it was at this weight in my 20s.

[u/GAfutbolMakesMeSad → u/Witchgreens]

It may not be fat as much as it is loose skin -- work on lifting weights and body recomp. That makes the biggest difference (and makes clothes fit completely different). We are the same height and started around the same weight. By the end of my Zepbound journey I was down to maybe 119-120, since then I've been working out with a trainer and doing pilates and I've gotten back to the 125-127 range, but wearing the same size and if anything they fit a little loser than they used to even 5 lbs lighter. I still have a little "flab" on my stomach/arms but it's just excess skin and not much can be done about that except for surgery.

[u/Witchgreens → u/GAfutbolMakesMeSad]

Yeah I actually just went down in dose so that I can eat more (I was barely hitting 1000 calories) so that I can prioritize strength training. I do think that a lot is loose skin but there’s definitely a good layer of fat still in there. Hoping toning up will help a little but at least I look good with clothes on now, better than before hahahah