19 was -- well, 21 inch waist and the rack had just come in. But I think I looked better at many points since I turned 30 (including now), and have no interest, in the most wishful of universes, of looking like any of my teen selves again.

eta:

Phew, that's optimistic.

My body looked better at 33 than at 19, and better now than I did at 33.

I think I probably felt my best at 28. I'm not sure who'd be able to say if that's when I looked my best.

I choose to think my prime is in front of me.

Phew, that's optimistic.

Well, it's my Princess Diana theory. She was, what, 19 when she married Charles? And she by no means peaked then. [NB: I don't just mean her body, but also her face, her "looks" in general.] At 19, she was still very baby-faced.

Some women, I think, grow into their looks, and Diana was one of them. And I suspect I am, too. Not just b/c I dislike the idea of everything from here on out being downhill, because -- ick, but mostly because I've always looked young as hell, and was really baby-faced at 19.

I think I'm just now growing into my looks, frankly.

I'm going to go with not believing in prime. My aim is to be happy and healthy with who and where I am, be it 12, 19, 25, 30, 42 or 113 (hey, I had a greatgrandmother who made it there.) Which, granted, I am not always. Like now. Juuust gotten used to one shape and found new nice stuff that fits and it changed. And I'm not happy with it. But I'll either find a way to be happy or do something about it.

Comfortable is important. Most important.

I think I looked better COMPARED TO EFFORT at 19 than later. I could stay up all night for days on end, eat nothing but chocolate and crackers, wash my face with a bar of soap, and still look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I didn't look better, period. I ahve days I look better now at 48, for gosh sakes.

My body looked better at 33 than at 19, and better now than I did at 33.

Yeah, but you're cuckoo for Krav-o-puffs. When I was working outside for 10 hours a day I could get in shape, and my younger metabolism could maintain it. Now I'm at a computer or commuting in traffic 10 hours a day, and my metabolism is a lot slower. It's obviously possible, but basic life circumstances of adult hood conspire against it.

I plan to hit my prime at 37. Perhaps again at 41.

basic life circumstances of adult hood conspire against it.

Pfah. I was doing the martial arts at 19 too. Body buffer and better now. I honestly think something clicked at around 30. I'm not going to lie -- I was an athletic but slim 19 year old. Even leanly muscular.

Body's better now -- more muscular, more sculpted, bigger breasts.

And 47?

Body's better now -- more muscular, more sculpted, bigger breasts.

If this sentence were a picture, there would be a thousand right clicks right now.