Plus Size Versus Small & Petite

[Suzy Parker]

If you could have a choice of how you looked what would be your preference?

Do you like the long and skinny look or the BB look of a plus size gal?

For myself as I am already a Plus Size BBCD I will stick with that. I really love squeezing into my girdle and pantyhose and getting that skirt wiggled up past the hips. I am dieting right now though in an attempt to get back into my clothes from 4 years ago, still plus size but I really miss some of the nice dresses and suits I have in storage as they are just far to small. You see, when I go into denial due to guilt and quit dressing, I eat. I have gone through this type of thing many times and as a result I eventually need all new clothes for the bigger me. No more denial for me though, that is never gonna be a part of my life again. Why should I feel ashamed and guilty for who I am? This is a part of me and I love every bit of it.

[DebbieL]

I was fairly skinny and actually quite naturally feminine most of my life. In high school I was 5'11" and weighed 145 with clothes. In college, I had to sing for recitals and performance events, and they wanted me to get up to 165 so that I'd look more like my Bass voice (I'd given myself nodes singing tenor and couldn't sing above middle-C for almost a year).

When I got married, my first wife knew about my dressing, and pretended to accept it. After about 7 years, she decided she couldn't accept it and when I quit smoking and she still refused to have any kind of sex with me, especially with Debbie, I started gaining weight. In less than a year I blew up from 165 to 275. It was like I was trying to kill myself. I finally told my AA/NA sponsor about my desire to be female, and he challenged me to come out. He said "So when are you going to come to a meeting in a skirt and heels". It was late August and I told him "Halloween". He decided that was good enough. But the more I tried to prepare, the more Leslie tried to thwart it. In fact, she had been having an affair, with a hairy guy she met in a psycho ward, and had pretty much just shut me out completely. That first year, I was at peak weight, 275, and I had to make my own Maid's uniform from black bridal satin. It actually fit quite well, was very sexy, and with black stockings and heels, it looked pretty good. The blond wig was over-the-top, clearly a halloween wig. It ultimately cost me my job at that company, who did not have a diversity tolerance program.

After that first appearance, I was encouraged by my sponsor to go to other events, meetings, and social events. He told me I had to give her a name, and I chose Debbie. I actually wanted to live again. When I saw my doctor, she put me on a low cholesterol diet, and I found that I was losing about 2 pounds a week. In a year I was back down to 165, and even got down to 150 a few times, but kept getting sick.

When I tried to quit doing Debbie for a leadership program, I started gaining weight, and in 6 months I jumped from 160 to 210. I started consulting, and meals on the road, combined with no support for Debbie, boosted me up even further. By 2001, when the towers fell, I was over 325 lbs. I tried Atkins and got down to 275, but couldn't lose any more. At that weight, I didn't even WANT to go out as Debbie. I tried once, got some pictures of myself, and hated what I saw, and ended up not doing ANY more public appearances.

When I had a stroke in 2007 I decided I needed to lose more weight, and tried several different ways to lose it, but since I wasn't doing Debbie, quickly shot back up to 315 in 2010. When I completed another leadership program, I decided that I was going to taken on a project of "14 in 14", to be size 14 in 14 months, starting in August of 2010. I've gone from 315 to 245 so far, and can wear many items in size 16 or 17.

The great thing about being size 16 or smaller is that you have a much wider variety of styles and fashion options available. I don't have to give up the shape-wear because I've lost weight, but I don't need it to look nice in casual outfits. As I've lost weight, I've been more interested in dressing, in going out, and that has be doing more about my weight.

Shapewear can be a great way to train your waist. I used to wear corsets or waist cinchers to train my waist. When exercising I'd wear one of those rubber sweat-bands around my waist. It was a great way to train my waist. Even more important though is simple exercises, such as holding good posture for as long as possible, then repeating it as often as possible, sometimes I'll just sit up and pull my waist in for 20-30 minutes at a time for up to 5 hours. It really trims the waist down a great deal. Sitting in a chair and holding out one leg, or both can trim and tone my legs, and heels can firm and lift my butt.

I've been having great success with Weight Watchers Points Plus system, and when I actually follow the directions I get pretty consistent weight loss. I'd have some interesting before and after pictures :-). So far, I've lost 80 lbs on Weight Watchers.

[Suzy Parker]

You go girl, good for you. I am down 30 pounds myself by just cutting the junk food. Going to start exercising and getting serious now that I have a size 16 goal as well, that is what most of my nice clothes in storage are. Keep going and good luck.

[Nicole Erin]

Shape, not size, is what creates a feminine or masculine looking body.
However, a thin body may be closer in males and females. Think of skinny women who have no boobs or butt.
Now think of a fat woman who has a huge butt that a fat dude wouldn't.

Hard to tell but really, even if you got down to some model weight, your body would just crave the very junk you have deprived it of for so long so messing with the whole weight loss thing is really a futile thing.

[Suzy Parker]

Not really, I figure with the weight I intend to lose I may just add a decade or so to my lifespan. I am not just doing it for one reason, I am doing it for my health, my family, my sanity, my life, my wife, but mostly because I want and need to. You are right though, as a big gal though only rear shape I have is thanks to my Veronica 2 padded girdle. I recall as a size 14 I had a decent shape without the padding.

[danielle40I]

Used to carry 185-200lbs and was an18W or 20W. Now I'm down to 165 and, with my Veronica 2, 12's are perfect on the bottom. depending on the cut and fabric/with or without buttons, 1X or 2X on top. My bust precludes that I wear seperates

[Diane Elizabeth]

I would really want to be in between a pettie/ skinny size and where I am now. That is 5-10 and 180#. I can't change my hgt but am trying to change my weight. I would like to lose 25 # or so. Haven't had much luck at it. Too many wrong foods.

[Karren H]

I'm happy being 5' 9" at 175lbs. Maybe another 10 pounds and a couple inches shorter.

[Inna]

I am sooooo happy for achieving so far the shapes I sooooooo wanted and needed. As a former bodybuilder and 217lbs of pure muscle I had a long journey ahead. I started to slow down my eating habits and cut down on portions, I mean cut down. I used to gulp subway foot long sandwiches and remained hungry for more, when I started my diet I turned to kid meals to satisfy hunger, at first they didn't at all but gradually became the sole source, then I cut down further and abandoned fast food even the most healthy one and begun to eat only LIVE foods, carrying their own intact enzymes.
Calories got reduced to about 700-800 per day and weight started to come off slooooowwwwwllllyyyy. About 1 lbs per month.

it took 3 years of this and I had started hormone therapy with full on T blocker, Estro and Progesterone. Then the muscular bulk started to come of further, so much so that in the first week I lost 10 lbs :) Strengths has left as well, changing a flat tire would be a challenge :( I really feel like a helpless girl, which is sooooooooo gooooooood of a feeling :) Oh yeah, I fit into Gap size 6 Jeans :heehee: although I opt for size 8 because it fits slightly loose, when I started I used to wear size 14

Here is I few nights ago at 165lbs, those little elevations are mine.
http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?156846-out-to-Greorges-Alibi&highlight=

[Michelle 2]

At the momment I am 5'7 and scaled myself a few minutes ago at 140 lbs. I am working on getting down to a size 10 dress size which would be perfect for me.

Michelle

[Mikaela]

I've lost about 90lbs total from a max of about 260ish. I'm low to mid 170s now and 6'1" - last summer when I got on here, I was already down to about 200lbs and was wearing 18/20/1x and maybe a 16 on the bottom.

Now I'm wearing 16s/XL on top with the occasional 14 or Large. I guess there's only so much that can be done with ribs and shoulders.
My bottoms are 10s or 12s and I've even had on Junior sizes for bottoms.

Losing significant more weight isn't in the cards and likely wouldn't do much more for me given my height and frame, but that's ok. I can always do things like tone my thighs/butt/tummy and feel better when I rock off something showing a bit more skin.

[JavaJunkie]

When I was in the closet I was all the way up to 210 but now i'm back down to a nice 155. For 5'9' that's ok skinny but I would like to move down a few sizes from an 11. A nice thing though.....all those years of biking and running gave me omg sexy legs and a butt GG's are jealous of! The hardest part wasn't shedding the fat but the muscle. Now though I just do yoga to stay in shape but as soon as I can get my lazy butt out of this chair I really really need to start running again :D That should be good enough for another 5-10 lbs. Oh speaking of running btw, you really need to run for an hour or more at a time to burn off any fat really. At about 50 minutes your body has burned off all the carbs your body has stored up and starts burning fat exclusively for energy. (I used to run Marathons so I kinda sorta know what I'm talking about)

[Angel64]

I am 5'6" and 132 pounds. It does help finding clothes that fit easier.

[wino_tg_girl]

If I could guarantee all of my desserts would go straight to my ass I'd start hormones tomorrow. I love the look of a Rubenesque woman and would choose to be one if I had a magic genie or something. I wouldn't mind being a bit shorter too (I'm 5-10.5).

[Michaela42]

I have always liked the form of a curvy woman, personally. The only things I would change about myself is to be a few inches shorter (currently 5' 11"), and to go down from my current 24 to say a solid 20. Make my feet a size 11 regular and I would be one very happy girl!

[Cheryl T]

Make me average....5'7" about 130#...

[joandher]

I am 5-6 ,and 124 lbs, 36 --28 --34 with a bit of hip and butt padding, size 6.5 shoes, and no matter what i eat cant seem to put weight on ??

Hugs J-JAY

[suchacutie]

Well, I'm not too far away from a very happy compromise between my two genders. I'm already a size 8 on the bottom for low-rise jeans, and if I could lose 10 pounds I could use a waist cincher or corset to make it down to a 28 inch waist to be a perfect size 8 on the bottom. On top I'm a size 18 or 20, but put that all together and I'm 44 28 38, which is not all that bad...a bit big on top but I could cut that down a bit by going from B to A breasforms (but why would I?). Also, this gives me the big shoulders my wife likes in male mode, so it's the best of both worlds. I'm just never going to be a bikini model, but at 61 I don't expect that's in the cards anyway!!! :)

tina

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Suzy, There's nothing sexier than a shapely woman with more curves fourty miles of bad road.

Orchid

[Janet Bern]

Look at the bright side.
If you BBCD you have cleavage. How cool.
If you are short (below 5'10") you are not noticed
You dont have to wear padding.
BBW are all over the USA make it easier to blend
I am 6'3
Hard to be smaller
Have to wear padding
Clothes are hard to find
Have no cleavage.
Rats

[Suzy Parker]

Orchid, I feel and look like forty miles of bad road! I took some photos last night of several outfits including one just like my avatar picture so I could post them but instead burnt the camera! That's it, time to get serious and lose some weight. I did feel wonderful but was saddened by my outward appearance as seen through that nasty little camera. POC ruined an otherwise wonderful evening. I feel a purge in process, watch out ladies, my closet is gonna explode! I want to be a size 16 without the "W".

Sigh

[Stitch]

Hope you ladies don't mind me chiming in as well.

All sizes are beautiful. I also don't think there isn't a particular body time which helps you all to pass more. It really varies from person to person. I've seen gals here who carry weight fantastically and it really gives them that look, and I've seen gals where the opposite is also true.

I noticed you say small and petite in the title and then switch to thin in the post. Petite doesn't mean thin. Petite mean's short and tiny. So you can still be petite and not be stick thin. I know this because I am petite, as in I have short legs, tiny feet, and tiny features but also have mega curves. I'm 5'1, with size 3 feet, size 8 top and size 10-12 bottom depending on the shop. All UK sizes.

Every size has its appeal and downfalls, and everyone wishes they were a little bit different. I wish I had longer legs and my calves weren't so wide. Also my hips confuse the hell out of clothing companies. You'd think they didn't understand women's bodies at all! My hips make me have to buy larger trousers, yet I always end up having spare fabric at the waist. Just because I carry my weight (and fat) on my hips doesn't mean I have it on my stomach. I also always have to cut a couple of inches off the bottom of my trousers. :( Rant over.

[AmandaBlack]

"skinny" or thin means a more femme look for me. However, my preference in woman is curves! My wife is built much like the model in your avatar and I love her curves. She was a a petite 5' 120 when we first met but has put on a few pounds...like I said, I don't mind :)

[RADER]

I'm happy being 5' 9" at 175lbs. Maybe another 10 pounds and a couple inches shorter.

The corset can fix the waist size, however the hight requires a Saws-All. LOL
Rader

[Suzy Parker]

Or heaven forbid just wear flats and not heels.

[Eryn]

I like my weight (165) but not my height (5'14"). I'm like a 1-1/4 scale version of the "Heroin Chic" models of the '90s.

However, I have a more important consideration. After watching my father fighting (unsuccessfully) the weight battle for 40 years and the toll the extra pounds put on his joints and overall mobility I've resolved not to follow that path.

[danielle40I]

Hope you ladies don't mind me chiming in as well.

All sizes are beautiful. I also don't think there isn't a particular body time which helps you all to pass more. It really varies from person to person. I've seen gals here who carry weight fantastically and it really gives them that look, and I've seen gals where the opposite is also true.

I noticed you say small and petite in the title and then switch to thin in the post. Petite doesn't mean thin. Petite mean's short and tiny. So you can still be petite and not be stick thin. I know this because I am petite, as in I have short legs, tiny feet, and tiny features but also have mega curves. I'm 5'1, with size 3 feet, size 8 top and size 10-12 bottom depending on the shop. All UK sizes.

Every size has its appeal and downfalls, and everyone wishes they were a little bit different. I wish I had longer legs and my calves weren't so wide. Also my hips confuse the hell out of clothing companies. You'd think they didn't understand women's bodies at all! My hips make me have to buy larger trousers, yet I always end up having spare fabric at the waist. Just because I carry my weight (and fat) on my hips doesn't mean I have it on my stomach. I also always have to cut a couple of inches off the bottom of my trousers. :( Rant over.

I understand your rant all too well Luv. 32" waist and 46" hips...hips fir but loose waist in a 12 (us). Now what!

[wildsylph]

well...I used to be called sticks when I ran so gaining weight is a hurdle I could never do. So now I have gain some weight but i think its the trunk because everything else is the same (6'2")(160 pounds)

[Cari]

My theory is that men and women carry extra weight differently and in different places.
It seems that it is much easier to add curves than subtract a beer gut
So I'm working on losing mine its a win win for me I'm healthier and look better in either wardrobe

[Suzy Parker]

You look very nice Cari, great smile and I love the hair, it frames your face very nicely.

[Barbara Dugan]

I am happy with my body frame 5'9'' 155 lbs , I got it from my mother's side, where most women aren't very curvy

[Claire96c]

Hope you ladies don't mind me chiming in as well.

All sizes are beautiful. I also don't think there isn't a particular body time which helps you all to pass more. It really varies from person to person. I've seen gals here who carry weight fantastically and it really gives them that look, and I've seen gals where the opposite is also true.

I noticed you say small and petite in the title and then switch to thin in the post. Petite doesn't mean thin. Petite mean's short and tiny. So you can still be petite and not be stick thin. I know this because I am petite, as in I have short legs, tiny feet, and tiny features but also have mega curves. I'm 5'1, with size 3 feet, size 8 top and size 10-12 bottom depending on the shop. All UK sizes.

Every size has its appeal and downfalls, and everyone wishes they were a little bit different. I wish I had longer legs and my calves weren't so wide. Also my hips confuse the hell out of clothing companies. You'd think they didn't understand women's bodies at all! My hips make me have to buy larger trousers, yet I always end up having spare fabric at the waist. Just because I carry my weight (and fat) on my hips doesn't mean I have it on my stomach. I also always have to cut a couple of inches off the bottom of my trousers. :( Rant over.

Dear Stitch

Just answered this but it seemed to have been lost.

I would love to be as petite as you. I'm five feet six inches, small build, UK size 12 depending on the clothes. I am fortunate but would love to be smaller. I know a CD who is a mere five feet and weighs about 8 stone (112 pounds) and she can wear off the pegs clothes easily.

Love,

Claire

xx

[kimdl93]

I really haven't figured out what works best for me in terms of appearance. Its more about health for me than anything else. My goal is to get down to the same weight I was in my late 20's. I'll still be a 16-18 or 2x on top, but maybe down to a 12 on the bottom. Figuring how to disguise that apple shape is a challenge.

[gender_blender]

I enjoy being short (5'4") and lean (135 lbs). Being small helps one pass easier I've found.

[Jennifer B]

My height, 5'6" I'm happy with, I'd prefer to be thinner though. I used to be really skinny and a size 8 (it would have been wonderful to have known about breast forms in those days), I really filled out when I hit 30 and now I'm an 18. Trying to get down to a still curvy 14. If I can do that I will be much happier. Can't do anything about the size 9 feet though.

[TGMarla]

I'm 5'9", and currently at 164. My first goal was 160, but I only caught a few glimpses of it. It's way too hot to work out right now (dang swamp coolers can only do so much), but I'll be jumping back on it in a month or so. Meanwhile, I'm real diet concious right now, and I'm not too prone to eating junk, which helps me maintain what weight I've lost already.

I'm a size 10/12 modern, and a 16 vintage (sometimes 14). That's a large for women's sizes, but thankfully, not an extra-large. So while I'm seen as a tall, larger woman when I venture out, I'm not so exaggerated that I attract too much attention.....except that I wear vintage clothing.

[kellycan27]

5'6" 125 pounds, down from 163 at me heaviest.

[Maddie22]

I can tell you all right now, I like my height weight proportions, with the exception that I'd love a flat stomach. However being 6'5''-6'6'' at 195-200lbs and a size 14 shoe, I'm not at all petite. I guess I'm not a bbw either though. I wish I was shorter though, around the 5'10''-5'11'' size would be great!

[cyndi2be]

I am always wishing I was thinner - I wear size 14 in juniors. When I wear size 12 I feel too skinny.

[CatAttack]

I actually want to gain a few more pounds, but gaining weight is near impossible for me. This might sound awesome, but it's really frustrating not being to gain weight.

[Loni]

i would love to be 8 inches shorter and 80 pounds lighter. but ain't going to happen in this life time so i am trying to lose 30-40 pounds (not sterling) ;-)
need to for health reason, but also for getting into a couple skirts,
it takes time to put the pounds on. so it takes time to remove them. lots of hard work and just eating right. can still eat some of the trash stuff. but very little of it.
got to keep the body and taste buds happy or it will be binge time and poof back up to 220 pounds.