POLL: Would you rather be small or light?

I was tiny when I was younger.  As I gained weight I looked fat almost right away.  I was bloated and swollen and unhealthy looking when I was just 50 pounds over my starting weight and it just got worse as I continued to gain.  At 3 times my starting weight I was not a happy camper and looked it.  On my way down the scale I'm finding that I fit in sizes that I would never have fit in at this weight going up the scale...and I love it.  I look thinner at this weight than I did when I weighed this much going up the scale and I'm hoping the trend continues.  So long story short, I would definitely go with looking thinner than being thinner.  I have my goal set, but honestly it's a very fluid thing because if I attain my goals at a heavier weight, I'll feel that I have been a success (although at this point I'm already a success).

Smaller... although I am under 200 pounds now, when I was over 200 pounds, I think I might have said smaller as long as my weight starts with a 1... yeah... that 1 is really important to me right now, lol...

Huggles!!
~Sarah~

At this point, I can't choose either one.  I like being tall, so I don't want to be smaller and I certainly don't want to be lighter.  Due to complications, I just had 4 surgeries over the past 5 months and lost 40 pounds that I didn't need to lose.  So, now I need to gain atleast 15 pounds which I can't seem to do.

definitely look smaller.as someone else stated, no one is going to bring a scale out in public

I hear you. But I wonder...

Would you BELIEVE you are smaller if the scale didn't confirm it?

That's what I am asking myself looking at these responses. Like for me, the challenge isn't enjoying being smaller. The challenge is (was?) accepting that I really AM by evidence of my clothing and measurements but NOT the scale.

See where the problem lies? That's where this question came from. Eventually I asked it of myself. I had to go, "look. Obviously the scale is not going to confirm what everyone else seems to see. So what's more important to you, that you be thinner or that you weigh less?"

If you put it in that context (whether you could FEEL or BELIEVE in your smallness without the scale's confirmation), the question becomes a bit harder to answer I think.

I had the opposite problem. I wore bigger sizes then others who weighed more then me. I was about 160lbs and others were in a size 8 or 10 and I was in a 12. Now it is catching up a bit but I am still in a bigger size then a lot of people at my weight. So of course I would rather be in a smaller size then a smaller weight.

Smaller for sure..... scale is just a number  how you feel and how the clothes fit is a different story.

smaller... the number means nothing to me

I'd rather be small. Like you, I always have "carried my weight well". . .I'm currently at 180 and I had a frank discussion with my WLS doc last month about this very topic.

If you look at all the charts and info, the absolute heaviest I should be is 135 (I'm 5'5"). My doc agreed that if I were ever to get down to 135 he'd have me in the hospital. . . I'd be emaciated. He said the very least he'd ever want to see me at is 150 and even then he's concerned it may be too low.

No, I'd rather be small. Scale be damned (to a certain extent).

Although many people tell me I don't look like I need to lose more weight I would like to be smaller.  I wanted a size 10 so I picked my goal weight based on that and never got there. I got down to a 12 (and 202 lbs) for a second and now wear a 14/16 depending on the cut.  I would still like to be a size 10 and would really like to be under 200.