Don't "Look Your Weight"?

webuiltthisnicky

Has anyone else been told this?

I weigh myself at my mum's house at the moment because I don't have a set of scales at home yet. When I weighed my starting weight last week, I told her what it was (12st 6lbs). She didn't believe me at all and said something must be wrong with the scale. I was like, "Righto, mum", thinking she was just trying to make me feel better, and recorded 12st 6 as my weight. There's nothing wrong with her scale.

Then I was hanging around with my friend (whos' also trying to lose weight) on Saturday and I was telling her what my weight was at the moment and how much I wanted to lose, and she replied, "Um, no. My mum is around twelve and a half stone as well and she's like a size sixteen. AND she's taller than you (I'd be in about a twelve UK size).

Does anyone else have this? I know that weight is correct, I'm sure of it. And I know it's not muscle because I'm not toned. I'm not big boned because I have little kid wrists and tiny hands and narrow shoulders, so I doubt the weight is bones. This is also kind of annoying because when I choose diet options or decline something because I'm watching my calorie intake I always get the inevitable, "Oh don't be silly, you don't need to diet!". Um, I do. I'm overweight.

It's a stupid question, but can you have the same amount of fat as someone your weight but bigger-looking but it's just... more compacted or something? What's going on?

Sued0nim

I don't look my weight, never have

Weight is a mixture of water (around 50%), LBM and fat - as a woman our fat proportions are higher than men's and we may aspire to a greater BF % (personally I'm currently 25.5% and quite happy here)

muscle is less dense than fat - so the more musculature you have, the heavier you'll weigh and the lighter you'll look
I grabbed a great shot off the internet (if you check my pictures) on how the look of the body does not equate to the weight on the scale

It depends on where you carry weight too - I am fortunate enough to be tall (5'8) and hourglass ... so my 168lbs (12 stones) is evenly distributed and a lot of it is muscle anyway

acmanna

I think some people carry extra pounds better than others..meaning it isn't as noticeable on them and you might be that person. You know what goals that you'd like to achieve so don't let anyone talk you out of them. Just realize that what they are saying is that they think you are beautiful..take it as a compliment and keep on keepin on

amehh91

I am the same, my starting weight was approx 210lbs (5'6) and my mum and others didn't believe me. Now I have lost 40lbs everyone thinks I look like a UK 10 (I'm just getting into UK 14s), that I definitely don't look 170lbs and they are shocked when I say I still have another 30lbs to lose. I don't know if everyone is lying, used to seeing me fat so I look significantly slimmer or whether they genuinely believe I am a healthy weight now but I know I am at least 16lbs from healthy bmi so I am certainly not finished.

I just smile, say thank you and that I guess I'm lucky to hide my flab well

Sued0nim

also tbh at 5'8 and 168lb, my BMI is still in the overweight category but I'm wearing UK 10-12 clothes (US 6-8)

at 210lbs (borderline obese) I was in a large UK 16 (US 12) but people would still tell me I didn't need to lose (because that's what you're supposed to do)

My issue is body dysmorphia - I look in the mirror and think 'you look alright' .. fine at this weight, not so fine at 210lbs

47Jacqueline

Wow! No one has ever said this to me.

webuiltthisnicky

acmanna wrote: »

I think some people carry extra pounds better than others..meaning it isn't as noticeable on them and you might be that person. You know what goals that you'd like to achieve so don't let anyone talk you out of them. Just realize that what they are saying is that they think you are beautiful..take it as a compliment and keep on keepin on

Haha, I usually do take it as a compliment. It's nice to know that even if the number on the scale is a bit much for my height, at least it isn't obvious to other people, but it does tempt me to relax the diet sometimes. However, I DO know I'm overweight, so I won't let that stop me from trying to get to a healthy weight for my own good.

rabbitjb wrote: »

I don't look my weight, never have

I grabbed a great shot off the internet (if you check my pictures) on how the look of the body does not equate to the weight on the scale

Hey that's really interesting. I'm not working out yet because gyms are expensive so I'm waiting for lighter nights to go to our local park. The park has free gym equipment! I guess when I start working out it might be better to use a tape measure than a scale.

Sued0nim

if you wished you could easily start this programme of bodyweight exercises at home now

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

KarenJanine

I'm tall and carry more weight than people think too. This is especially since I started lifting as I pretty much still weigh the same but my BF has decreased, so people assume I've lost weight.

DawnieB1977

I've always looked smaller than my weight. Years ago my BMI was around 23, so perfectly healthy, but I had people telling me I looked gaunt. Before my third pregnancy my BMI was 24.9 and I was a uk 10/12. A pound more and i'd probably have been overweight!

webuiltthisnicky

rabbitjb wrote: »

if you wished you could easily start this programme of bodyweight exercises at home now

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

Perfect, thank you!

hanajbanana

My family recently guesstimated my weight at around a stone and a half more than I actually am (I didn't correct them, just smiled and said "yeah, I think I'm around that"), and my trainer was visibly shocked at how heavy I was when I stepped on the gym scale at our first session... I used to swim for my town when I was younger, so I think that's helped my natural musculature (I'm definitely broad shouldered from growing up in the pool!) It's very nice when people tell me I look great and don't need to lose weight (I'm currently a UK 10 at the top end of the healthy BMI range for my height) but I still have areas I'd like to work on, and I'm loving working out too much to stop, so I'm still on my journey for a little while longer at least...

I'd take it as a compliment but the most important thing is how you feel and where you want to be... If people think you already look good where you are, they're going to think you look great when you reach your goal! Taking it slowly, being realistic and sensible with food and exercise and you'll be there in no time. Sounds like your coming from a good starting point :-)

cincysweetheart

My family doesn't think I look my weight either. Same with most of my friends on here. I personally think we have become so accustomed to a society that is overweight that we have just stopped seeing it. Take it as a compliment and be grateful.

Gustavamom

I had this too when I was a teenager I was 180lbs at 5'5" but wore a size 11, looked great was in incredible shape (because I did weight training as well as walked everywhere) even my Dr. weighed me on multiple scales because he has assumed I was about 20-30lbs less than I was.

blobby10

Apparently I look like ive lost at least a stone when I have lost nothing at all. However I started out at a UK 16 and am now a UK 12-14 so something must have shifted! I'm definitely stronger and more muscular/toned. At 5ft 9" I know I can carry the weight and as I've got older any excess settles around my middle which is easier to disguise! Would love the scales to shift downwards, just a little though!!

jessiemjporter

I have this to.. i am 177lbs, (12st 9lbs) im 5'5 and a size 12.
my goal is to lose 40lbs. but i have already lost 30lbs and dropped 3 dress sizes, i dont know how i would look after 40lbs lost.

Liftng4Lis

Everyone carries it differently. I actually weigh more, but am thinner than 4 months ago. YAY!

workout_ninja

another thing Ive also found is people have no idea what healthy really looks like. This country has slowly been getting bigger so that has become the "norm". I was at a party a couple of months ago and there was a very slim girl there wearing a very figure hugging dress. She was small (naturally so i say) maybe a size 6-8 and everyone said she was "too thin" and anorexic looking. Just shows thin is not what people are used to seeing

LivingtheLeanDream

Everyone does carry weight differently, I know I don't look my weight now, at 134lbs thats not light for someone of 5ft 2" but because I workout a lot/very active I am wearing smaller sizes (UK size 8/10) than I did at 120lbs.
If you're tall then you would look ok at 12st, you know yourself if you do need to lose a few pounds. Have you calculated your BMI, it just gives an indication of where you should be.

margojr4

I've also been told "wow! You don't weight 150??" I'm 5'8" w/20% body fat and according to my tailor, I'm a true size 6

You can search my photos and see a before and after of my weight/size. It was taken a few years ago - I actually weigh more now! haha

kristen6350

I'm 160, most people think I look about 145. I'm tall and evenly proportioned.