Underweight vs Overweight
Replies
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First here's a bit about me because it likely effects my answers : from my starting point I had more weight to lose than I would weigh when I reached my ideal weight (morbidly obese)
I'd choose to start underweight for the following reasons:
* Hello, I clearly love food.
* society treats obese people like they are invisible at best but usually it's worse than that. Of course their are social obstacles being underweight but I don't believe the two are comparable whatsoever
* well, there's no chance I'll ever be 150 pounds UNDER weight so calorie & time wise, I think reaching my goal would be more simple to have to gain some weight.3 -
Remember that people who are or appear underweight get a lot of flak, too. I know a girl who is very slim despite eating a lot (one of these fidgeting, naturally active types) and she is regularly told to eat something, asked if she is anorexic etc. She gets quite frustrated and self-conscious. Even at myheaviest (obese class 1, approaching class 2) I got few personal remarks or bad attitudes, she definitely has it worse than I ever have.
Rude remarks are not reserved for us tubby people, they get handed out generously to anyone who deviates from the norm.2 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Either would suck really, but it would likely be more fun correcting the underweight.
ikr...i'd go out and buy a different ben & jerry's flavor for every night of the week!
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But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.3
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CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
I agree. Underweight people don't really want to eat big quantities normally.1 -
When I was slender I thought a little bit was a "lot". Lol0
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CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
Unless you have a history of bulimia or anorexia binge/purge
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singingflutelady wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
Unless you have a history of bulimia or anorexia binge/purge
I never understood that. My BFF in school did and still does that, but it didn't appeal to me. Thankfully throwing up isn't something I can deal with. She is still struggling with eating disorders to this day.
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i started from underweight and, because I like the way I look when skinny, that's much more comfortable psychologically for me. Was able to take my time and build slowly the body I want, and not worry about the scale.
Cat of the Garage, I am not destined to have big boobs regardless, so that's not a consideration for me. I do prefer those on bigger ladies, though. Proportion. My sis got them the honest way, by paying for them, and to me always looks like she will fall over forward.0 -
trigden1991 wrote: »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.
Genius. Kudos 4 pointing out!0 -
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 have a similar situation. My daughter is 5'6" and weighs 103 on a good day. I actually think she exaggerates and weighs about 100. I am 5'4.75" and I weigh 130 now but I started on mfp at 195. I think it was easier for me to lose than it has been for her to gain. I do think that she has some underlying health issues but we have been trying to figure out why she has trouble graining weight since she was 2 years old. She had to have a feeding tube for most of her preschool years until about 1st grade. I always hatr when someone says they are trying to gain and people say they would love to have that problem. Trying to gain weight is still a problem. And my daughter has endures a lot more body shaming than I ever did.2 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
I meant that because it would be impossible to be 150 pounds under weight that the journey could be quicker if it's a 10-20 pound difference compared to losing 50+.
Because either way it's calories in vs calories out (3,500/pound ) baring medical issues.0 -
Michael190lbs wrote: »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.
Goals.1 -
oliverneedsyou wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
I meant that because it would be impossible to be 150 pounds under weight that the journey could be quicker if it's a 10-20 pound difference compared to losing 50+.
Because either way it's calories in vs calories out (3,500/pound ) baring medical issues.
IMO it is really hard to lose the last 10-20 pounds. It can be slow because the deficit is so small (ex. 250 calories) that one has to be meticulous with logging and weighing every bite or one can stall.1 -
singingflutelady wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
Unless you have a history of bulimia or anorexia binge/purge
I never understood that. My BFF in school did and still does that, but it didn't appeal to me. Thankfully throwing up isn't something I can deal with. She is still struggling with eating disorders to this day.
Deb, please dont do that. Bulimia and anorexia are eating disorders, and vomiting is not something one does because it appeals to them. I have been in remission from bulimia for over 30 years, and that time in my life was one hell of a struggle. Pure hell in fact. Thank God for recovery.
I hope you are urging your friend to get help.7 -
singingflutelady wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
Unless you have a history of bulimia or anorexia binge/purge
I never understood that. My BFF in school did and still does that, but it didn't appeal to me. Thankfully throwing up isn't something I can deal with. She is still struggling with eating disorders to this day.
Deb, please dont do that. Bulimia and anorexia are eating disoeders, and vomiting is not something one does because it appeals to them. I have been in remission from bulimia for over 30 years, and that time in my life was one hell of a struggle.
I hope you are urging your friend to get help.
Thanks. I'll try to be more sensitive writing next time.
I don't understand it. It is a compartment of her life that she does in private. She confides in me, but I don't know how to help her.
If you want to PM me with any helpful resources I would be grateful. She would listen to me.
I didn't mean to come across as judgmental. Honestly I accept my friend and don't let that influence our friendship.1 -
oliverneedsyou wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
I meant that because it would be impossible to be 150 pounds under weight that the journey could be quicker if it's a 10-20 pound difference compared to losing 50+.
Because either way it's calories in vs calories out (3,500/pound ) baring medical issues.
IMO it is really hard to lose the last 10-20 pounds. It can be slow because the deficit is so small (ex. 250 calories) that one has to be meticulous with logging and weighing every bite or one can stall.
Yes this is true. I meant for someone under weight that needed to gain 10 to 20.
I was actually telling my husband it'll probably take me at least a year longer than I anticipated to reach goal weight because of the things you mentioned. Especially with no wiggle room!!0 -
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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 have a similar situation. My daughter is 5'6" and weighs 103 on a good day. I actually think she exaggerates and weighs about 100. I am 5'4.75" and I weigh 130 now but I started on mfp at 195. I think it was easier for me to lose than it has been for her to gain. I do think that she has some underlying health issues but we have been trying to figure out why she has trouble gaining weight since she was 2 years old. She had to have a feeding tube for most of her preschool years until about 1st grade. I always hatr when someone says they are trying to gain and people say they would love to have that problem. Trying to gain weight is still a problem. And my daughter has endures a lot more body shaming than I ever did.
The people on this thread who stated that they would rather be underweight than overweight have probably never experienced the former. I graduated from high school at 5'6, 100 pounds. Oh, I was teased, especially in junior high, mostly about being flat chested. The boys were so cruel. I wore tight sweat pants or long johns under my jeans to make my legs look bigger, even on warm days. Pants for teenage girls only went down to size 5 or 7. This was in the 70's when being thin wasn't idolized in everyday life or in the media. My mother, who always struggled with being overweight, never understood why I just didn't eat more food and she would push fatty high calorie items. It was very annoying.
In my late 20's, I finally figured out that I have a nervous stomach. Meaning, that when I'm stressed out (high school - yep) my appetite vanishes and when very nervous, I can become nauseous. Food holds no appeal during times of stress. It has no taste, is dry, and I feel like I'm eating cardboard.
Anyway, your daughters could have nervous stomachs, but don't know it, especially if they have always been high strung children. I had lots of stomach aches and waist-bands bothered me as a child, my only clues that it was nervous stomach. My mom didn't catch on, because she has never experienced it herself. Anyway, I thought I would share in case it's any help!
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oliverneedsyou wrote: »oliverneedsyou wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
I meant that because it would be impossible to be 150 pounds under weight that the journey could be quicker if it's a 10-20 pound difference compared to losing 50+.
Because either way it's calories in vs calories out (3,500/pound ) baring medical issues.
IMO it is really hard to lose the last 10-20 pounds. It can be slow because the deficit is so small (ex. 250 calories) that one has to be meticulous with logging and weighing every bite or one can stall.
Yes this is true. I meant for someone under weight that needed to gain 10 to 20.
I was actually telling my husband it'll probably take me at least a year longer than I anticipated to reach goal weight because of the things you mentioned. Especially with no wiggle room!!
Oh right. My mom was very thin and couldn't gain weight. She had books that said, "How to get shapely legs", etc. You could see all of her ribs, hip bones and her knees were knobby. She wanted to gain weight and had a really difficult time. I said, "Well at least you have a teenager's body." She replied, "Yeah. Undeveloped." ETA: She was 5'4" and 109 pounds in her twenties and early 30s.0 -
oliverneedsyou wrote: »oliverneedsyou wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
I meant that because it would be impossible to be 150 pounds under weight that the journey could be quicker if it's a 10-20 pound difference compared to losing 50+.
Because either way it's calories in vs calories out (3,500/pound ) baring medical issues.
IMO it is really hard to lose the last 10-20 pounds. It can be slow because the deficit is so small (ex. 250 calories) that one has to be meticulous with logging and weighing every bite or one can stall.
Yes this is true. I meant for someone under weight that needed to gain 10 to 20.
I was actually telling my husband it'll probably take me at least a year longer than I anticipated to reach goal weight because of the things you mentioned. Especially with no wiggle room!!
Oh right. My mom was very thin and couldn't gain weight. She had books that said, "How to get shapely legs", etc. You could see all of her ribs, hip bones and her knees were knobby. She wanted to gain weight and had a really difficult time. I said, "Well at least you have a teenager's body." She replied, "Yeah. Undeveloped."
Definitely a struggle no matter the direction the scale needs to go 1 -
oliverneedsyou wrote: »oliverneedsyou wrote: »oliverneedsyou wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
I meant that because it would be impossible to be 150 pounds under weight that the journey could be quicker if it's a 10-20 pound difference compared to losing 50+.
Because either way it's calories in vs calories out (3,500/pound ) baring medical issues.
IMO it is really hard to lose the last 10-20 pounds. It can be slow because the deficit is so small (ex. 250 calories) that one has to be meticulous with logging and weighing every bite or one can stall.
Yes this is true. I meant for someone under weight that needed to gain 10 to 20.
I was actually telling my husband it'll probably take me at least a year longer than I anticipated to reach goal weight because of the things you mentioned. Especially with no wiggle room!!
Oh right. My mom was very thin and couldn't gain weight. She had books that said, "How to get shapely legs", etc. You could see all of her ribs, hip bones and her knees were knobby. She wanted to gain weight and had a really difficult time. I said, "Well at least you have a teenager's body." She replied, "Yeah. Undeveloped."
Definitely a struggle no matter the direction the scale needs to go
We always think the grass is greener on the other side.2 -
I'd prefer going from overweight down. I've been from underweight up, and it's physically and mentally painful.
Something that a lot of people don't understand about eating disorders is that the very act of being underweight for your body has a physiological effect on the body that distorts your body image and makes you feel fat if you gain, often even without an eating disorder. Combine that and a shrunken stomach in a person who does have an eating disorder, and it's pure hell.
Losing weight, however, can feel incredibly rewarding (note I'm not talking about losing a lot because I've never had to lose a lot), and body image improves for most people unless they lose too much1 -
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 have a similar situation. My daughter is 5'6" and weighs 103 on a good day. I actually think she exaggerates and weighs about 100. I am 5'4.75" and I weigh 130 now but I started on mfp at 195. I think it was easier for me to lose than it has been for her to gain. I do think that she has some underlying health issues but we have been trying to figure out why she has trouble gaining weight since she was 2 years old. She had to have a feeding tube for most of her preschool years until about 1st grade. I always hatr when someone says they are trying to gain and people say they would love to have that problem. Trying to gain weight is still a problem. And my daughter has endures a lot more body shaming than I ever did.
The people on this thread who stated that they would rather be underweight than overweight have probably never experienced the former. I graduated from high school at 5'6, 100 pounds. Oh, I was teased, especially in junior high, mostly about being flat chested. The boys were so cruel. I wore tight sweat pants or long johns under my jeans to make my legs look bigger, even on warm days. Pants for teenage girls only went down to size 5 or 7. This was in the 70's when being thin wasn't idolized in everyday life or in the media. My mother, who always struggled with being overweight, never understood why I just didn't eat more food and she would push fatty high calorie items. It was very annoying.
In my late 20's, I finally figured out that I have a nervous stomach. Meaning, that when I'm stressed out (high school - yep) my appetite vanishes and when very nervous, I can become nauseous. Food holds no appeal during times of stress. It has no taste, is dry, and I feel like I'm eating cardboard.
Anyway, your daughters could have nervous stomachs, but don't know it, especially if they have always been high strung children. I had lots of stomach aches and waist-bands bothered me as a child, my only clues that it was nervous stomach. My mom didn't catch on, because she has never experienced it herself. Anyway, I thought I would share in case it's any help!
I feel you. I was also a little underweight during HS and VERY underweight college. I can not eat when stressed out. I have zero appetite and will vomit if I force solid foods. I used to drink slim fast and ensure just to get calories and nutrition into me. I have large breasts though and was often accused of having implants. Kids in HS called me stove top and in college people were a little more tactful about comments, but it still bothered me.
I was overweight 4 years ago (finally had some control of my life thus less stress and had a desk job). I got to my goal weight this year. Loosing weight was not nearly as difficult as trying to put it on when under stress.1 -
This makes sense to me. There are so many ways to increase fullness and so many ways to eat less, but there's not much you can do to eat more if the appetite just won't come. Even persistent hunger has to be easier to bear than the sick feeling of forcing down food when you have no appetite.
Having said that, after helping out a friend who was chronically underweight (no ED, just active and a small appetite) I realised that as a fat person I have a lot of expertise in what makes food calorific and moreish, which was extremely valuable to her. We should pair up underweight people and overweight people and they could help each other.3 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »We should pair up underweight people and overweight people and they could help each other.
They actually did that on a British TV show that used to air on TLC. Made them literally swap diets for a week(?) before putting both on an appropriate food plan. It was a really well made and fascinating show.
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CattOfTheGarage wrote: »This makes sense to me. There are so many ways to increase fullness and so many ways to eat less, but there's not much you can do to eat more if the appetite just won't come. Even persistent hunger has to be easier to bear than the sick feeling of forcing down food when you have no appetite.
Having said that, after helping out a friend who was chronically underweight (no ED, just active and a small appetite) I realised that as a fat person I have a lot of expertise in what makes food calorific and moreish, which was extremely valuable to her. We should pair up underweight people and overweight people and they could help each other.
Actually, that was part of my weight gain, my husband has always been overweight. He taught me awesome food combinations like Doritos dipped in Frito Cheese Dip and dumping ranch on everything, including pork chops.1
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