"Mary M/Ohio" wrote in message
...

"Chris" wrote in message
oups.com...
I've also recently read Passing for Thin. I agree that it's very good,
and very thought-provoking. I also don't have the same sort of
addiction issues, but the issues of changing self-image are very real
to me and are very well handled in the book.

After reading what Mary wrote, I'm going to go over to amazon and order
"The Solution". I really fascinated by the self-image aspect of all
this right now.

Me too! I am having a hard time, even gravitating toward larger clothes
that I think would fit me well, or too-small clothes that look like they
would fit when they're on the hanger, but then it turns out I can't even
squeeze them over my torso. Having a very hard time with what I actually
look like and what fits me. Clothing manufacturers don't help with their
arbitrary sizes, either! Sometimes I swim in a Large -- sometimes I can't
even get a Large onto my pinky!

I still have the same problem, though there is quite a disparity between
manufacturers so a large in one brand won't always be the same as a large in
another brand. I had a friend explain to me that due to the manufacturing
process, most jeans of even the same brand can have quite the variation
within the same size.


I still have a lot of difficult thinking of myself as a fairly small
person, which I really am right now. When I'm shopping for clothing, I
find it very strange to go to the smallest end of the rack. Oddly,
though, size 6 clothes don't look small to me -- they just sort of look
like "my size" -- no different than a size 22 used to look to me when I
looked at it.

I am having these same feelings of disparity.

Me too.

Of course, now if I look at a 22 it seems really big,

Sometimes a 22 looks like it will fit me fine. :-)

but somehow inside my head I don't really feel much different. I
suppose this is changing a bit over time and will continue to; we shall
see :-).

It is certainly an interesting experience, isn't it -- I feel like I'm
dealing with issues that normal people deal with when they're about 14.
:-) Thanks for your thoughts, Chris -- I am always interested in what you
have to say, and you are a great example for me.

That's a really interesting way of putting it. It describes a lot of what I
went through and am still doing to a lesser extent. I had to get a few
friends to help me figure out some clothing issues.

Jenn