What’s one inch wide, 60 inches long and only one cm thin, but has the ability to scare a grown woman?
Well, if that grown woman is me, the answer is a measuring tape.
Although I promised myself to be truthful in this blog, hold myself accountable and, good or bad, publish my results, it still hasn’t made writing my “before” statistics any easier.
So, let me soften the blow to my ego with some data. We’ve all heard about women having a negative body image, blamed on magazines, movies, and other mass media. For example, if she were a real person, the Barbie doll would stand at a height of 5′ 9″, with measurements estimated at 36 inches (chest), 18 inches (waist) and 33 inches (hips). When was the last time you met a grown woman with an 18″ waist?
To get a better picture of the American average and how we’ve changed over time, I looked to a research company that scanned the bodies of 10,000 Americans in 2004. Yup, we’re getting wider, as compared to the small sample of white Americans taken over 40 years ago.
Although reading the study gave me perspective, it still didn’t ease my fears about posting my measurements. But it’s my body, and the reality is, without baseline measurements, how can I show my gains (and losses)?
So, without further ado, here they are:
May 4, 2009
35 years old
Height: 5′ 4″
Weight: 212.5 lbs
Bust: 44 in
Waist: 43 in
Hips: 49 in
Join me as I begin this transformation, and feel free to send me comments or an e-mail! I look forward to hearing from you!
wow.
going global on this? yikes. that is commendable.
you will succeed.
you will succeed.
you will succeed.
you will succeed.
you will succeed.
you will succeed.
you might succeed.
no you, you will succeed.
you year?!
you succeed = i succeed.
therefore, we succeed.
You inspire me! In a show of solidarity, I will post how much I weighed as of 05/01/09: 230lbs. There. It’s out there. That was really hard. I don’t have my measurements handy, but I think posting my weight, making it real, will help. For a long time, I ignored mirrors and refused to weigh myself. As if closing my eyes would make it go away. But I’m ready to say it…VOLDOMORT! I mean, TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY POUNDS! Bye, bye excess weight.
I’m so proud of you Ange! You’re made of strong stuff you. And so are your friends.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Soph
Wow, Soph! I am soooooo impressed by your courage! You said “V-V-V-he-who-should-not-be-named!” Oh, and you posted your weight, too! I will definitely let you know how I’m doing with my weigh-ins, and eventually will have a tracker, too!
You rock!