Big Bones?
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Mosiak
Posts: 41 Member
I'm 177cm male (5'10 ish)
I'm 143kg (315lbs), and according BMI calculators I should be 75kg (165lbs). That seems very thin and light.
My mom always told me when I was growing up that it's impossible for me to be slim, I was always a chunky kid, and really blew up in my teens and there after. She always told me that because I have big bones, being slim like,, say Ryan Gosling or something like that would be impossible for me.
Is there any truth in that? If I get down to 75kg or even 80kg, will I still look a bit chunky? and fatter compared to some other guy around my height and target weight?
This is probably a dumb question but for years this has been my worry, that I'll never look healthy and fit, I'll always just look chunky and chubbyish or too thick with non muscle mass but fat because of some giant skeleton.
I'm 143kg (315lbs), and according BMI calculators I should be 75kg (165lbs). That seems very thin and light.
My mom always told me when I was growing up that it's impossible for me to be slim, I was always a chunky kid, and really blew up in my teens and there after. She always told me that because I have big bones, being slim like,, say Ryan Gosling or something like that would be impossible for me.
Is there any truth in that? If I get down to 75kg or even 80kg, will I still look a bit chunky? and fatter compared to some other guy around my height and target weight?
This is probably a dumb question but for years this has been my worry, that I'll never look healthy and fit, I'll always just look chunky and chubbyish or too thick with non muscle mass but fat because of some giant skeleton.
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Replies
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I am "big boned". Those of us with a slightly larger bone structure look better with muscle, but it's not impossible to get thin no matter what your bone structure is. Even slim guys like Ryan Gosling have muscle and it's actually part of what makes them look slim in the way they do.
Forget BMI and focus on body fat. Lifting weights can help you look great when you lose the fat, plus it will help you lose fat. Don't worry about if you'll look like a specific person, you'll look like you except better. There is hope that you will not end up chunky or chubby or thick.0 -
Nope, you are not cursed to be fat because you have "big bones".
You may be broader/taller due to your skeleton structure, but you most certainly can lose weight and be slim.
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I am "big boned". Those of us with a slightly larger bone structure look better with muscle, but it's not impossible to get thin no matter what your bone structure is. Even slim guys like Ryan Gosling have muscle and it's actually part of what makes them look slim in the way they do.
Forget BMI and focus on body fat. Lifting weights can help you look great when you lose the fat, plus it will help you lose fat. Don't worry about if you'll look like a specific person, you'll look like you except better. There is hope that you will not end up chunky or chubby or thick.
All of this. For some people at your height, 75 kg could be just right. For others, it could make them look sickly because they have a larger frame. Eat in a calorie deficit, lift heavy, and you'll find your new body.0 -
I am "big boned". Those of us with a slightly larger bone structure look better with muscle, but it's not impossible to get thin no matter what your bone structure is. Even slim guys like Ryan Gosling have muscle and it's actually part of what makes them look slim in the way they do.
Forget BMI and focus on body fat. Lifting weights can help you look great when you lose the fat, plus it will help you lose fat. Don't worry about if you'll look like a specific person, you'll look like you except better. There is hope that you will not end up chunky or chubby or thick.
Thank you, this is really helpful. I do plan on increasing my muscle mass, and gain stamina. I have such back problems because of belly weight so I am hoping that ones I drop maybe 30kg or maybe 20 that I'll be able to move my body around with more comfort. I do still move around as much as I can of course, anything is better than nothing.
I will do like you advice, I wont worry too much about BMI, I'll just work on reducing this fat and gain more muscle to strengthen my joints and my back. Thank you so much for the reply.
Nope, you are not cursed to be fat because you have "big bones".
You may be broader/taller due to your skeleton structure, but you most certainly can lose weight and be slim.
That photo! wow, even the skeleton on the right seems broader than the skeleton on the left. That was helpful to see, and to see that I, as you say, am not cursed to be fat. Thank you!.
All of this. For some people at your height, 75 kg could be just right. For others, it could make them look sickly because they have a larger frame. Eat in a calorie deficit, lift heavy, and you'll find your new body.
Yea, I don't think BMI is accurate enough for every individual, they dont seem to take into account muscle weight, so a really muscular guy being heavy due to large muscles will sometimes be clocked as over weight.
I put 75kg as my weight goal but I feel its too low for me personally, but I am gonna keep it at 75 just because and when I get close to it, maybe then I will see better if its too light for me. Thank you so much for your input
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I suggest starting some strength training as soon as you can. Even if all you can do or all you have access to is body weight. It will go a long way to helping you keep your muscle through weight loss.0
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I suggest starting some strength training as soon as you can. Even if all you can do or all you have access to is body weight. It will go a long way to helping you keep your muscle through weight loss.
What sort of exercises for strength would you suggest? I don't have access to a gym, I also cannot afford any equipment, so anything I can do at home or outside near my home? that is appropriate for my current mobility?
I can do a lot of things, I can move around quite a bit, but carrying my belly while walking is really the only problems I have when it comes to mobility, I still go out and walk, I just cant walk very fast or very far without being in a lot of pain.
Also thank you so much for taking the time to guide me a little bit, I don't really have anyone in my life to help me, guide me or give me advice. I really appreciate it.
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The only thing that happens for us big-boned folks is that our bones show at higher weights than other people, imho. So you'd look too skinny, possibly, at weights where others wouldn't.
Well, that and we really won't fit in the smallest size outfits, as you might imagine. But your body won't look fat even if you wear a larger size, really.
I'm 'thicker', quite literally, than many girls my height, but it's usually very clear that it's not fat. Maybe not in winter clothes, but certainly at the beach
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This is probably a dumb question but for years this has been my worry, that I'll never look healthy and fit, I'll always just look chunky and chubbyish or too thick with non muscle mass but fat because of some giant skeleton.
I think we only look chubby if we are chubby. KWIM? I have a broad barrel chest for a woman, and slightly larger than average bones. If anything (like some else said) it makes it so that our frame /bones can be seen at a higher weight so we actually look thinner.
I'm 5'8" and I have many friends around that height. They are surprised that I weigh 155 because it seems like a heavy weight for how I now look. I'm not skinny, but my collar bones are prominent, my elbows are getting to be a wider part of my arms, and my ribs are becoming quite clear. If I was smaller framed/boned there is no way that I would be able to carry this much weight and look slim.
Bigger bones is definitely a plus in my book.0 -
cafeaulait7 wrote: »The only thing that happens for us big-boned folks is that our bones show at higher weights than other people, imho. So you'd look too skinny, possibly, at weights where others wouldn't.
Well, that and we really won't fit in the smallest size outfits, as you might imagine. But your body won't look fat even if you wear a larger size, really.
I'm 'thicker', quite literally, than many girls my height, but it's usually very clear that it's not fat. Maybe not in winter clothes, but certainly at the beach
You look good, if you are what this so called "big boned" is then I guess I really got nothing to worry about!0 -
I suggest starting some strength training as soon as you can. Even if all you can do or all you have access to is body weight. It will go a long way to helping you keep your muscle through weight loss.
What sort of exercises for strength would you suggest? I don't have access to a gym, I also cannot afford any equipment, so anything I can do at home or outside near my home? that is appropriate for my current mobility?
I can do a lot of things, I can move around quite a bit, but carrying my belly while walking is really the only problems I have when it comes to mobility, I still go out and walk, I just cant walk very fast or very far without being in a lot of pain.
Also thank you so much for taking the time to guide me a little bit, I don't really have anyone in my life to help me, guide me or give me advice. I really appreciate it.
Look into You Are Your Own Gym.0 -
I'm 177cm male (5'10 ish)
I'm 143kg (315lbs), and according BMI calculators I should be 75kg (165lbs). That seems very thin and light.
My mom always told me when I was growing up that it's impossible for me to be slim, I was always a chunky kid, and really blew up in my teens and there after. She always told me that because I have big bones, being slim like,, say Ryan Gosling or something like that would be impossible for me.
Is there any truth in that? If I get down to 75kg or even 80kg, will I still look a bit chunky? and fatter compared to some other guy around my height and target weight?
This is probably a dumb question but for years this has been my worry, that I'll never look healthy and fit, I'll always just look chunky and chubbyish or too thick with non muscle mass but fat because of some giant skeleton.
I was 149kg and I'm 170 cm. A goal weight range of 58 - 72kg seemed so tiny to me back when I started, I was always bigger and taller than other kids right from when I was little. My mother also told me I was "big boned" and that I just needed to lose "puppy fat" (ugh).
So here's my experience - I'm currently around 78kg. At this weight, I haven't lost my basic body shape (pear, so my bottom half is chunkier than my top). The bones in my upper body stick out - clavicle, shoulder blades, I can see all my ribs and the outline of bones in my sternum. I was frisked at the airport last year and the security guard thought I had a concealed gun. It was my ribs (that made me LOL if I'm honest).
I have a lot of loose skin, and as I mentioned, I carry more weight in my lower half. I lift weights, and I have done throughout my weight loss journey so I also have some decent muscle definition. For the last year I've been at maintenance and concentrating on lifting.
I don't think I look fat anymore, although I'm not technically happy with my weight yet. Anecdotal evidence, but my clothing size seems to be consistent with my friends who actually weigh much less than me, and many people don't realise now that I still weigh what I do. So I don't think you're doomed. More to the point though, even if you do lose the weight and still look bigger or chunkier than other guys at your target weight - does it matter? Because you're going to be much healthier than you are if you stay at 143 kg.0 -
That photo is just silly. Even if it's genuine, it's no way to tell if the person it depicts ever claimed to be "big boned". You can be fat or skinny unrelated to frame build. Just as some people are taller, some people are broader. Bones and joints can be of different thickness. (The weight of the skeleton is not very different at the same height. That's not what we're talking about, but it always comes up. Just as that picture.) If you really have a broad skeleton, you may look gaunt at a higher weight than a person with a narrower frame, but you will NOT stay "chubby" if you lose enough weight. You may never look like an underwear model, but most people don't, either. And the scale doesn't even tell the whole story. A good distribution of fat and muscle is what makes a person healthy and look attractive.0
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kommodevaran wrote: »That photo is just silly. Even if it's genuine, it's no way to tell if the person it depicts ever claimed to be "big boned".
But that wasn't the point of the photo. It is a little silly but it proves a good point. OP was worried he would never be able to be slim because his mother said his "big bones" would make it impossible. I used the photo as an example as how he isn't his size because of the size of his bones. His frame might always be broader, but his bones are not the cause of his weight gain and they will not hinder his weightloss.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »That photo is just silly. Even if it's genuine, it's no way to tell if the person it depicts ever claimed to be "big boned".
But that wasn't the point of the photo. It is a little silly but it proves a good point. OP was worried he would never be able to be slim because his mother said his "big bones" would make it impossible. I used the photo as an example as how he isn't his size because of the size of his bones. His frame might always be broader, but his bones are not the cause of his weight gain and they will not hinder his weightloss.
OK, that makes sense. Thank you.0 -
Honestly I think your focus should be more in small steps. Looking at the finish goal can seem unattainable and kind of hard to motivate yourself for when progress is slow. Set your finish goal but set smaller, more frequent and attainable goals. Celebrate those successes as you reach them. Start with making a meal plan. Portion out snacks so you don't impulse eat. Focus on healthy and filling foods. Second. Form an excercise plan. Make sure your doctor approves of your plan! Start out walking 30 minutes and build from there. Third- take body measurements.you will be encouraged by the change you can't always feel or "see". Fourth. Find an accountability partner. Someone to help encourage you, keep you on track and who will celebrate with you. You can always post here and get lots of support. Lastly be patient with yourself. Don't worry about bones and if they are big or not. Focus on what you can change. I understand how you are thinking. My hips have spread a bit after pregnancy. Ok so I'm curvier. But I am healthy, slimmer, muscular and fit. Took me a long time to have my mental image of myself- you know- that critical eye you see yourself with?-Took a long time for it to match what I actually saw in the mirror! This is where patience comes in handy. Read up on food and excercise. You can change your life and your body. If it was not TOTALLY POSSIBLE then we wouldn't be here to encourage you. I'm a mom of 5, 51 and have gone from 200 lbs post pregnancy to 130. Yep- totally possible!0
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I have such back problems because of belly weight so I am hoping that ones I drop maybe 30kg or maybe 20 that I'll be able to move my body around with more comfort.
It was my back flaring up that made me realise I'd put even more weight on. I started at 252lb, so I don't know what it will be like for you, but just dropping the first 10lb improved things dramatically for me. I still get twinges, but it hasn't flared up at all since the beginning of September. I'd hope that even the same for you would help relieve it a bit.
And hey, we may never look like Ryan Gosling, but being healthy and free of back pain is worth the hard work all on its own.kommodevaran wrote: »That photo is just silly.
While it's interesting and it does illustrate the point very well - OP can be slim, no matter what his mother said - the photo is silly. It's not the same person, so the comparison is a bit off. The person who made the image is an utter egg, because the one on the left is female (breasts, crotch, bigger pelvic cavity), the one on the right is male (bigger pelvic bone, base of penis visible at the bottom of the image). Not criticising KateTii at all for posting the pic as she made her point well, just think it's sensible to point out it's not the same person for comparison reasons.0 -
I don't think that being chunky as a kid is the same as being "big boned"
I think that most often, people use the term as a way to say "I have a tendency to being overweight". (**flame away**)
BUT there are definitely some people that have a wider or thicker frame/skeletal structure than others -- meaning they are going to be perceived as bigger that someone else with very similar weight and body composition that has an otherwise more narrow frame. -- that's what I called big boned.
With that said, I don't think that every man is meant to be as lean as Ryan Gosling(sp?) Just as some girls will never have a thigh gap or a tiny waist no matter how fit they are.
Personally, I will never have a tiny, cinched waist, but can have thigh gap naturally. My best friend has a tiny waist and full hips and thighs.
I mean, even a lot professional athletes are not that lean and small -- some are lean and huge, some are muscular yet carry a lot more body fat along with the muscle making up for a larger circumference.
You are concerned that you will never look fit because you have a bigger frame (bigger than Ryan) Well, look at someone like "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson. If you look up pictures of him when he was younger, you can see that he was kinda chunky and def. had/has a big frame -- if you look at pictures of him now, nobody would argue that
a) He is fit and in good shape
b) He does not have a small frame
c)his body is not similar to Ryan G's)
D) He looks fantastic despite not looking like Ryan G.
There are many, many types of bodies that are fit and athletic -- there isn't a narrow scope for a man or a woman -- look at sprinters, gymnasts, different weight boxers, wrestlers, basketball players -- all different and still working their body types to the max
My point is, work with your body type, not against it.
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beachhouse758 wrote: »I don't think that being chunky as a kid is the same as being "big boned"
I think that most often, people use the term as a way to say "I have a tendency to being overweight". (**flame away**)
BUT there are definitely some people that have a wider or thicker frame/skeletal structure than others -- meaning they are going to be perceived as bigger that someone else with very similar weight and body composition that has an otherwise more narrow frame. -- that's what I called big boned.
With that said, I don't think that every man is meant to be as lean as Ryan Gosling(sp?) Just as some girls will never have a thigh gap or a tiny waist no matter how fit they are.
Personally, I will never have a tiny, cinched waist, but can have thigh gap naturally. My best friend has a tiny waist and full hips and thighs.
I mean, even a lot professional athletes are not that lean and small -- some are lean and huge, some are muscular yet carry a lot more body fat along with the muscle making up for a larger circumference.
You are concerned that you will never look fit because you have a bigger frame (bigger than Ryan) Well, look at someone like "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson. If you look up pictures of him when he was younger, you can see that he was kinda chunky and def. had/has a big frame -- if you look at pictures of him now, nobody would argue that
a) He is fit and in good shape
b) He does not have a small frame
c)his body is not similar to Ryan G's)
D) He looks fantastic despite not looking like Ryan G.
There are many, many types of bodies that are fit and athletic -- there isn't a narrow scope for a man or a woman -- look at sprinters, gymnasts, different weight boxers, wrestlers, basketball players -- all different and still working their body types to the max
My point is, work with your body type, not against it.
Great post.
I have a large frame. I'm 5'5", but I'll never be able to fit in a size 0 and I don't think my waist can go under 29 inches (I'm 30 currently and there isn't much to lose there).
I don't fit I'll ever look 'slim' because of that either. But I still look pretty good and I look fit (I'm 133 pounds).0 -
Thank you everybody for your wonderful advice and guidance. I feel better about this big bone issues, I don't mind being bulky I just don't want to be fat, I've been fat all my life and I'm done with it, and I was worried that this old wives tail about big bones was true. I'm grateful to you all for taking the time to help me clear this up, Thank you 0
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Your bones are about 15% - 20% of your weight. If you weigh 200 lbs. Your bones are about 30 lbs. of that weight. 170 lbs of the rest is "other stuff" but not bones. Saying you're big boned to gloss over being overweight is a an old wives tale. Just a myth that still around from when people knew little about human anatomy.0
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