Underweight vs Overweight

maddyzq101
maddyzq101 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So many people say it's easier to gain weight than it is to loose it. However some people argue that it's the exact opposite.

I would just like to know out of curiosity. If you guys could be one would you rather start your journey to a healthy weight from being under weight or over weight.
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Replies

  • maddyzq101
    maddyzq101 Posts: 3 Member
    Let me know what you guys think
  • DresdenSinn
    DresdenSinn Posts: 665 Member
    I can both gain and lose pretty equally and easily even at the tender age of 45, although gaining is much more satisfying. I'm currently at 148lbs and 10% bodyfat, according to the BMI chart at 151lbs I'm considered overweight which is erroneous because I have more lean muscle and I'm still about 11-12% bodyfat so I pay no mind to the BMI chart.

    As far as starting a journey as overweight vs. underweight would depend. You can be overweight and healthy as well as being underweight and unhealthy so I guess it would depend on an individual basis. I'd personally rather start underweight as gaining is more satisfying.
  • maddyzq101
    maddyzq101 Posts: 3 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    If I had to pick a starting point, I would rather have started from being underweight. Starting from being underweight would have meant I could have spent the last 3 years eating more and I would now have a lower bf% and I would not have stretched out skin. It's an easy choice for me.

    That's a good reason
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    For those trying to gain weight that had/have an eating disorder or those under weight putting on weight, you will get a different answer

    To lose weight, people that have only a few pounds to lose vs people who are very overweight vs people who are obese, you will get a different answer..

    Personally, neither..
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I would rather start from overweight

    So many more health risks and issues associated with being underweight than slightly overweight

    Now if it was underweight vs morbid obesity then I'd pause for thought

    But yes willpower over hunger and habit is probably easier to achieve than willpower over lack of hunger, habit and physically painful reactions to eating appropriate calories to gain weight
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I guess it depends on how underweight or overweight we are talking here. I mean it would definitely be easier (for me) to lose weight coming from a place say like, post pregnancy where I am just a bit overweight. If I had to gain weight I would prefer it to be fat and muscle which is actually really hard work but can be done.
    Honestly I have no clue it would depend on the body shape and muscle base I am starting with.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Well, for me, I'd rather come from a place of being underweight, because then I could eat tons of food! But, really, that just serves to point out how foreign the idea of being underweight really is to me. Like, I totally get that it's a problem, and it's a difficult thing for them, and I have compassion. But I simply cannot fathom being in that place myself. I have never had a problem getting enough, and more than enough calories in.
  • cardiacmommy
    cardiacmommy Posts: 52 Member
    I have daughter my same height. I am 194 she is 103 on a good day. Very hard for her to not only gain..but not lose. We do have very skinny genes in our family..I just didn't get them. Otherwise she and I are almost twins. It's weird. Encouraging get to use mfp to see exactly how many calories she eats. She is a constant grazer but doesn't usually eat really large meals. Thinking of having her resting metabolic rate tested at the university Nutrition dept out of curiosity. She is only 3rd percentile bmi for her age..but doctor can find nothing wrong. Interestingly her fasting glucose is a little high at104. Encouraging her to cut back on sweets..and eat more nuts, seeds, avocado, whole grains and full fat dairy.
    It's a challenge with us having completely opposite goals weight wise.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,643 Member
    Anyone who "naturally" stays overweight or underweight will have trouble getting to where they should be, because where they should be isn't natural for them.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    cardiacmommy wrote: »
    I have daughter my same height. I am 194 she is 103 on a good day. Very hard for her to not only gain..but not lose. We do have very skinny genes in our family..I just didn't get them. Otherwise she and I are almost twins. It's weird. Encouraging get to use mfp to see exactly how many calories she eats. She is a constant grazer but doesn't usually eat really large meals. Thinking of having her resting metabolic rate tested at the university Nutrition dept out of curiosity. She is only 3rd percentile bmi for her age..but doctor can find nothing wrong. Interestingly her fasting glucose is a little high at104. Encouraging her to cut back on sweets..and eat more nuts, seeds, avocado, whole grains and full fat dairy.
    It's a challenge with us having completely opposite goals weight wise.

    I'm guessing her calorie intake is lower than you think and she moves a lot.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    I have a family member who has the opposite thyroid issues to mine so this is all I can personally relate the question to. I know that when Im out of whack and get overweight my health is still less of a risk than when her levels are out of whack and she starts losing uncontrollably. So I'd rather be on this side needing to lose a few pounds. Also, the only time I personally needed to gain I was recovering from an eating disorder. That was much harder than counting calories and balancing macros has been while losing.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    I suspect that most people would choose the path they didn't have to take. For those who have trouble gaining weight, losing would seem easier. For those who have trouble losing weight, gaining would seem easier.

    I personally cannot fathom being officially underweight. My body would hit the "extreme hunger kicking and screaming to prevent further weight loss" stage long before my BMI ever got below 18.5.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    DresdenSinn wrote: »
    I can both gain and lose pretty equally and easily even at the tender age of 45, although gaining is much more satisfying. I'm currently at 148lbs and 10% bodyfat, according to the BMI chart at 151lbs I'm considered overweight which is erroneous because I have more lean muscle and I'm still about 11-12% bodyfat so I pay no mind to the BMI chart.

    As far as starting a journey as overweight vs. underweight would depend. You can be overweight and healthy as well as being underweight and unhealthy so I guess it would depend on an individual basis. I'd personally rather start underweight as gaining is more satisfying.

    You must be very short.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    Also, I like big boobs.
  • JDixon852019
    JDixon852019 Posts: 312 Member
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    I would prefer to start from overweight (which is my actual situation).

    Firstly because it is so inescapable that I have a problem - our culture loves the skinny figure and so I think someone that's underweight is at more risk of thinking everything is fine.

    Also because extra fat can be protective when you get ill, whereas an underweight person does not have any spare resources and will suffer badly if they go off their food.

    Also, if you have a tendency to put on weight, and you reach a healthy weight, there is a bigger "buffer" between you and real health problems if you lose control of your eating. If I put on 30lb from a healthy weight, yeah, it's not great, but it's not the end of the world health-wise - it won't even get me back into "obese", just "overweight". But if you tend to be skinny, hit a life crisis and lose 30lb, you're straight into being dangerously underweight with immediate health consequences.

    Too much extra fat can cause health problems too. I definitely feel better 40lbs lighter. I also get sick far less often than when I was overweight. I am at the low end of the BMI scale and feel fantastic.

    Most underweight (probably all) adults have a pre existing condition that is making them underweight. Preparing yourself for a "life crisis" by holding on to weight sets up a self fulfilling prophecy in my opinion. There is no reason to justify your personal ideal weight (happy place). It may hold you back from achieving your goals.

    There are health consequences to both under and over weight, both suck and should be avoided.


    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Also, I like big boobs.

    I have a 19.3 BMI and 30 FF breasts. It is possible to be thin and have big boobs.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    edited November 2016
    For me, overweight, I think. My natural eating tendencies mean I'd have to have been ill or on strict rations (would mean an ED for me, or have to be imposed on me) in order to be underweight.

    While I've never been overweight, I could easily get there just by having dessert every night, which I'd totally do, and that wouldn't be particularly harmful to me.

    Much rather start out from a position of relative health.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    I can do back flips and pull overs at 178lbs I could pick up the back end of a car at 280 it really comes down to what I want to do.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    I read that wrong-- For me in a eating disorder currently its harder to gain weight but its the first time in my life after 7th grade I haven't been 200 plus so working on it
  • Kettle_Belle14
    Kettle_Belle14 Posts: 246 Member
    Um, underweight. Cause I like to eat lots of food :D
  • OhMyGodAreAllUsernamesTaken
    OhMyGodAreAllUsernamesTaken Posts: 16 Member
    I think I would choose the underweight only because I have never been in that position so I would like to see what that is like. However I do understand how hard it can be for some people to gain weight since I have met many diagnosed anorexic people and talked to them about their illness. I find it easier to see progress when someone like me (overweight) starts their journey to the healthy life than when someone who is underweight does the same which can lead to people commenting that they are not even trying and that can really mess up a person and discourage the process.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Gaining weight, even when drastically underweight, messes up my mind. I knew I had to gain but still panicked every time I saw the scale went up and was embarrassed and ashamed people would notice and make insensitive comments. When I finally got up to normal weight (I was under because of crohn's) someone I hadn't seen since I was very ill came up to me and said "wow you have gained a lot of weight".
  • JDixon852019
    JDixon852019 Posts: 312 Member
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Gaining weight, even when drastically underweight, messes up my mind. I knew I had to gain but still panicked every time I saw the scale went up and was embarrassed and ashamed people would notice and make insensitive comments. When I finally got up to normal weight (I was under because of crohn's) someone I hadn't seen since I was very ill came up to me and said "wow you have gained a lot of weight".

    That is terrible! I am sorry people suck.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    jrulo16 wrote: »
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    I would prefer to start from overweight (which is my actual situation).

    Firstly because it is so inescapable that I have a problem - our culture loves the skinny figure and so I think someone that's underweight is at more risk of thinking everything is fine.

    Also because extra fat can be protective when you get ill, whereas an underweight person does not have any spare resources and will suffer badly if they go off their food.

    Also, if you have a tendency to put on weight, and you reach a healthy weight, there is a bigger "buffer" between you and real health problems if you lose control of your eating. If I put on 30lb from a healthy weight, yeah, it's not great, but it's not the end of the world health-wise - it won't even get me back into "obese", just "overweight". But if you tend to be skinny, hit a life crisis and lose 30lb, you're straight into being dangerously underweight with immediate health consequences.

    Preparing yourself for a "life crisis" by holding on to weight sets up a self fulfilling prophecy in my opinion. There is no reason to justify your personal ideal weight (happy place). It may hold you back from achieving your goals.

    There are health consequences to both under and over weight, both suck and should be avoided.

    Eh?

    I wasn't recommending being overweight nor planning on staying that way. Ideal weight is what I'm aiming for. But the thread asked, if you had to choose, which would you choose? So I chose the lesser of two evils, IMO.

    And yes, you can be skinny and have big boobs, but I am not convinced you can be significantly underweight and maintain a set of prodigious bangers. I am open to correction on this.

    BTW my assumption was that if the fairy godmother made me underweight that she would also give me the eating issues that go with that, and the same for overweight. Otherwise the situation would resolve itself in a matter of months. The problem lies not in the body weight but in the behaviours that make it so.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    I would rather be a healthy weight, which I now am after more than 30 years of gradual weight gain.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Either would suck really, but it would likely be more fun correcting the underweight.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    I like eating. I also really admire very slender physiques, despite knowing they are not in the cards for me. It's a no-brainer, all else being equal. But of course, all else is not equal.

    This question reminds me of the ridiculous question "which sense would you rather lose".

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