--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then there was the realisation that I…" description: "\"“Then there was the realisation that I didn't actually feel that much better when I was thin(ner). In fact the 'thin' version felt worse because I live..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/helen-brown-30660_body-image_then-there-was-the-realisation-that-i-di_230801.jpg" --- # Then there was the realisation that I didn't actually feel… ![“Then there was the realisation that I didn't actually feel that much better when I was thin(ner). In fact the 'thin' version felt worse because I lived with hunger clawing at my stomach all the time, and in fear that I was going to get fat again. After years of neuroticism I'd finally understood…” quote by Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/helen-brown-30660_body-image_then-there-was-the-realisation-that-i-di_230801.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/helen-brown-30660_body-image_then-there-was-the-realisation-that-i-di_230801.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/helen-brown-30660_body-image_then-there-was-the-realisation-that-i-di_230801.jpg) > ““Then there was the realisation that I didn't actually feel that much better when I was thin(ner). In fact the 'thin' version felt worse because I lived with hunger clawing at my stomach all the time, and in fear that I was going to get fat again. After years of neuroticism I'd finally understood those who loved me would continue to put up with me fat or thin, and those who didn't ignored me. As a middle-aged woman I was pretty much invisible anyway. To pass unnoticed through an image-obsessed society is surprisingly liberating.”” [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing that thinness didn't bring happiness; love persists regardless of size, and invisibility can feel freeing in a visual culture. **In simple terms:** Thinness didn't improve happiness; love stays despite size; feeling unseen can be liberating. Key Takeaway Accept yourself, seek relationships that value you beyond appearance. Themes self‑acceptance body image societal pressure visibility Mood reflective hopeful Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - media consumption - mental health - career - social events Key Concepts self‑esteem social validation identity invisibility Questions to Reflect On - How does acceptance change your self‑image? - What does invisibility mean to you? A Different Perspective Thinness may still cause anxiety; societal standards persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-image/) [Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger/) [Self esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-esteem/) [Weight loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight-loss/) ## Related quotes > [“It is naturally a sign of inner liberation when a patient can squarely recognize his difficulties and take them with a grain of humor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/it-is-naturally-a-sign-of-inner-liberation-when-a-patient-can/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [There was a warm and encouraging environment at home. My self-loathing and neuroticism are not because of my upbringing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-bob-waksberg/there-was-a-warm-and-encouraging-environment-at-home-my-self-loathing/) [Raphael Bob-Waksberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-bob-waksberg/) > [“The tenacity with which the neurotic adheres to any attitude is a sure indication that the attitude fulfills functions which seem indispensable in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/the-tenacity-with-which-the-neurotic-adheres-to-any-attitude-is-a/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [I do think moms should be given a break, all across the board. And I think that the most important thing is that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/busy-philipps/i-do-think-moms-should-be-given-a-break-all-across-the-board-and-i/) [Busy Philipps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/busy-philipps/) > [In India, we kind of concentrate only on weight loss. I want to teach people that it is very important to be strong and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bipasha-basu/in-india-we-kind-of-concentrate-only-on-weight-loss-i-want-to-teach/) [Bipasha Basu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bipasha-basu/) > [“I am, for some reason, actually happy with who I am and the muscle, the bones, and the flub that exist beneath these clothes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-am-for-some-reason-actually-happy-with-who-i-am-and-the-muscle-the/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [We've got a recipe for disaster. It's huge -- this combination of body image issues and the drug's weight loss appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hughes/we-ve-got-a-recipe-for-disaster-it-s-huge-this-combination-of-body/) [Robert Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hughes/) > [“Women get boob jobs to give themselves a certain edge. Frankly, I don't see why they nearly kill themselves trying to diet off their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-brittingham/women-get-boob-jobs-to-give-themselves-a-certain-edge-frankly-i-don-t/) Kim Brittingham > [“Your ideal weight is a collection of experiences, feelings, ambitions, and mental processes. It's a space that is fluid, ever-changing, and abstract. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-burgunder/your-ideal-weight-is-a-collection-of-experiences-feelings-ambitions/) [Brittany Burgunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-burgunder/) > [“The skinnier and more toned I got, the fatter I felt. The more in shape I got, the more out of shape I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/the-skinnier-and-more-toned-i-got-the-fatter-i-felt-the-more-in-shape/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Every weight loss program, no matter how positively it’s packaged, whispers to you that you’re not right. You’re not good enough. You’re unacceptable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-brittingham/every-weight-loss-program-no-matter-how-positively-it-s-packaged/) Kim Brittingham > [“We survey lush landscapes with variations not dissimilar to a so-called "imperfect" female body with absolute pleasure -- say, an expanse of Irish countryside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-brittingham/we-survey-lush-landscapes-with-variations-not-dissimilar-to-a-so/) Kim Brittingham > [“I enjoy a torture session on the rowing machine and I also enjoy my mom’s homemade peach cobbler. I enjoy flopping like that dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-enjoy-a-torture-session-on-the-rowing-machine-and-i-also-enjoy-my/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [I've lived the torment of the names. I've lived the torment of boyfriends breaking up with me because they were afraid I was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-graham/i-ve-lived-the-torment-of-the-names-i-ve-lived-the-torment-of/) [Ashley Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-graham/) > [I'm, like, a compulsive eater. I'm going to be so fat when I'm older, it's ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-m-like-a-compulsive-eater-i-m-going-to-be-so-fat-when-i-m-older-it/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) ## More by Helen Brown > [“In the back of the fridge I checked out some stewed apples destined to fester. I examined them closely and reckoned they had only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/in-the-back-of-the-fridge-i-checked-out-some-stewed-apples-destined/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [“The past five years had informed me about human sorrow. While no two griefs are the same, nobody understands suffering like those who've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/the-past-five-years-had-informed-me-about-human-sorrow-while-no-two/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [“Guilt isn't in cat vocabulary. They never suffer remorse for eating too much, sleeping too long or hogging the warmest cushion in the house.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/guilt-isn-t-in-cat-vocabulary-they-never-suffer-remorse-for-eating/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [“Cleo's motto seemed to be: Life's tough and that's okay, because life is also fantastic. Love it, live it - but don't be fooled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/cleo-s-motto-seemed-to-be-life-s-tough-and-that-s-okay-because-life/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [“I was in love with Philip, but had ongoing proof that romantic love is like a swimming pool. 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You just KNOW when you are one.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/you-d-know-if-you-were-a-cat-person-it-s-like-being-a-christian-or-a/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [“Great joy doesn't obliterate grief. Both can be encompassed at the same time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/great-joy-doesn-t-obliterate-grief-both-can-be-encompassed-at-the/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [“I used to wish I had an easier life," he mused. "Some families sail through years with nothing touching them. They have no tragedies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/i-used-to-wish-i-had-an-easier-life-he-mused-some-families-sail/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [“People persuade themselves they deserve easy lives, that being human makes us somehow exempt from pain. The theory works fine until we face the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/people-persuade-themselves-they-deserve-easy-lives-that-being-human/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [“A mother cat is rightfully called a Queen. Personally, I think it would be great if pregnant women were also called Queens. If the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/a-mother-cat-is-rightfully-called-a-queen-personally-i-think-it-would/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [“Her observation skills were astringent enough to qualify as an ingredient for aftershave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/her-observation-skills-were-astringent-enough-to-qualify-as-an/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) [Explore all 14 Helen Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) ## More Body image quotes > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [“Before we can make seismic professional, economic, and sociological changes, we have to squeeze out of our Spanx and remember how it feels to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hays-coomer/before-we-can-make-seismic-professional-economic-and-sociological/) [Sarah Hays Coomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hays-coomer/) > [Negative comments in terms of body image are the hardest thing the women probably struggle with. But I think the best thing that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/negative-comments-in-terms-of-body-image-are-the-hardest-thing-the/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“The good news is that there is one kind of food you can never have too much of. The best way to fully recover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-wicker/the-good-news-is-that-there-is-one-kind-of-food-you-can-never-have/) [Kate Wicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-wicker/) > [“We may also discover that sexual abuse helps to explain the high prevalence rates of eating disorders among women and may lend some insight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-a-duncan/we-may-also-discover-that-sexual-abuse-helps-to-explain-the-high/) Karen A. Duncan > [“I am, for some reason, actually happy with who I am and the muscle, the bones, and the flub that exist beneath these clothes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-am-for-some-reason-actually-happy-with-who-i-am-and-the-muscle-the/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“The skinnier and more toned I got, the fatter I felt. The more in shape I got, the more out of shape I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/the-skinnier-and-more-toned-i-got-the-fatter-i-felt-the-more-in-shape/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [ I get a lot of flak for it... people saying \[my body\] is not normal for a girl... But I'm okay with it. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/i-get-a-lot-of-flak-for-it-people-saying-my-body-is-not-normal-for-a/) [Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/) > [Black women don't have the same body image problems as white women. They are proud of their bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyra-banks/black-women-don-t-have-the-same-body-image-problems-as-white-women/) [Tyra Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyra-banks/) > [“When you ignore your belly, you become homeless. You spend your life trying to erase your own existence. Apologizing for yourself. Feeling like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/when-you-ignore-your-belly-you-become-homeless-you-spend-your-life/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [“My dad will win, I silently countered, even as I smiled sweetly. I couldn’t wait to spike the ball right through her block, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lane/my-dad-will-win-i-silently-countered-even-as-i-smiled-sweetly-i/) [Jennifer Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lane/) > [In the United States, workouts tend to focus on body image and how you look. For me, it's really all about the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cornell/in-the-united-states-workouts-tend-to-focus-on-body-image-and-how-you/) [Chris Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cornell/) > [“She had decided that because she couldn't love her body, she would try to love what she put on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-scelsa/she-had-decided-that-because-she-couldn-t-love-her-body-she-would-try/) Kate Scelsa > [Perfectionism is really a challenge for me, and it causes me to be super-critical of myself in so many ways: about body image constantly;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-nettles/perfectionism-is-really-a-challenge-for-me-and-it-causes-me-to-be/) [Jennifer Nettles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-nettles/) [Browse all 407 Body image quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-image/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Then there was the realisation that I didn't actually feel that much better when I was thin(ner). 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