Iv always weighed alot more than I look people use it as an excuse but I actually am big boned lol, I have wide hips and shoulder and a big rib cage so if I go under a size 12 I look weird cus my frame is big, I am 5'9 too, people are always shocked when I say how much I weigh lol,
You are right though I think it's easier to try to get to a small size etc before you have kids and house to sort out etc when you don't get as much time to put into it, my aim isnt really weight though I want to get my stomach flatter again and tone my arms up so I can finish my tattoos off, I don't want to get them up top of my arms when they are flabby cus I think it will make me look butch lol x