I look pretty fit but I'm overweight?

esless004
esless004 Posts: 24 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.

I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.
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Replies

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    You couldn't target fat loss for an area anyway. Lift weights and grow your muscles. You mention nothing of your weightlifting routine so I'm going to suggest as gently as possible that the stuff you see popping out isn't your quads.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    So you are tying your happiness so a scale weight?
    If you like how you look, why do you think you'll be happier weighing less?
    If you workout a lot, try to reframe the context of happy into performing better and maybe dropping weight will help that?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You say you'd feel better... so that should be your motivation... no?
  • esless004
    esless004 Posts: 24 Member
    You couldn't target fat loss for an area anyway. Lift weights and grow your muscles. You mention nothing of your weightlifting routine so I'm going to suggest as gently as possible that the stuff you see popping out isn't your quads.

    Lol I do work out 6 days a week. I do not lift all of those days but I do a combination of steady state cardio, HIIT circuits + lifting. Idk what my maxes are right now but I did leg press 300+ pounds the other day. I do have a body type that tends towards muscle gain (as much as a lot of males, oddly).
  • esless004
    esless004 Posts: 24 Member
    esless004 wrote: »
    Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.

    I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.

    If you think you're OK. Get Podded. Get the facts.

    Don't assume that what you're seeing fully reflects reality.

    It Might... it might not. Not enough information for an accurate assessment.


    I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy

    D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.

    You're right. I realize that it might be deceptive and I'm not as healthy as I think, and that's been the basis for me making an account and starting up here in the first place. I'll look into how much a pod assessment is. Thanks.
  • esless004
    esless004 Posts: 24 Member
    rybo wrote: »
    So you are tying your happiness so a scale weight?
    If you like how you look, why do you think you'll be happier weighing less?
    If you workout a lot, try to reframe the context of happy into performing better and maybe dropping weight will help that?

    I guess I am just tired of people being like "wow! you weigh over 150!? dang" and showing up as overweight on the BMI scales. For a guy it's not as big of a deal but in the community I'm in makes me feel kind of gross. You're right about the performance thing - I'd like to get back into running but I know I am significantly slower than when I weighed 120. But at the same time, I'm a lot stronger since I didn't lift at all then, so maybe I should shoot for somewhere in the middle.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    esless004 wrote: »
    You couldn't target fat loss for an area anyway. Lift weights and grow your muscles. You mention nothing of your weightlifting routine so I'm going to suggest as gently as possible that the stuff you see popping out isn't your quads.

    Lol I do work out 6 days a week. I do not lift all of those days but I do a combination of steady state cardio, HIIT circuits + lifting. Idk what my maxes are right now but I did leg press 300+ pounds the other day. I do have a body type that tends towards muscle gain (as much as a lot of males, oddly).

    In that case, you're kicking butt and could easily kick mine. If you don't already use a progressive heavy lifting program, start doing that without neglecting the cardio and HIIT. I say that because lifting without a plan is lifting without making progress. You don't need and I don't suggest that you drive your body fat percentage below 20.
  • Joegettinghealthy
    Joegettinghealthy Posts: 6 Member
    edited May 2017
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    esless004 wrote: »
    rybo wrote: »
    So you are tying your happiness so a scale weight?
    If you like how you look, why do you think you'll be happier weighing less?
    If you workout a lot, try to reframe the context of happy into performing better and maybe dropping weight will help that?

    I guess I am just tired of people being like "wow! you weigh over 150!? dang" and showing up as overweight on the BMI scales. For a guy it's not as big of a deal but in the community I'm in makes me feel kind of gross. You're right about the performance thing - I'd like to get back into running but I know I am significantly slower than when I weighed 120. But at the same time, I'm a lot stronger since I didn't lift at all then, so maybe I should shoot for somewhere in the middle.

    Anecdotally I've noticed as society gets fatter and fatter people's perception of a "healthy weight" has changed significantly. Many don't have any idea what "overweight" looks like unless someone is morbidly obese (and even then they have a hard time distinguishing).

    Sad but true. Everybody except for my doctor is surprised to learn that I am clinically obese. That is my body fat is 34%.

    People are surprised. They think I look fit. I've told myself I hide it well. Your statement about people's misconceptions about a healthy weight is probably more accurate than me 'hiding it well'.

    Thanks for sharing.
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
    esless004 wrote: »
    rybo wrote: »
    So you are tying your happiness so a scale weight?
    If you like how you look, why do you think you'll be happier weighing less?
    If you workout a lot, try to reframe the context of happy into performing better and maybe dropping weight will help that?

    I guess I am just tired of people being like "wow! you weigh over 150!? dang" and showing up as overweight on the BMI scales. For a guy it's not as big of a deal but in the community I'm in makes me feel kind of gross. You're right about the performance thing - I'd like to get back into running but I know I am significantly slower than when I weighed 120. But at the same time, I'm a lot stronger since I didn't lift at all then, so maybe I should shoot for somewhere in the middle.

    Don't let the number on the scale define you. I am 5'3" and once upon a time I weighed 120lbs and wore a size 8 pant. Today I am 146lbs and wear a size 4 pant. I have recently been told that I need to eat more food because I look too thin. I think I look fit and healthy!!! Don't listen to the negativity. What is most important is that you feel good and continue to live a healthy lifestyle!
  • esless004
    esless004 Posts: 24 Member
    esless004 wrote: »
    You couldn't target fat loss for an area anyway. Lift weights and grow your muscles. You mention nothing of your weightlifting routine so I'm going to suggest as gently as possible that the stuff you see popping out isn't your quads.

    Lol I do work out 6 days a week. I do not lift all of those days but I do a combination of steady state cardio, HIIT circuits + lifting. Idk what my maxes are right now but I did leg press 300+ pounds the other day. I do have a body type that tends towards muscle gain (as much as a lot of males, oddly).

    In that case, you're kicking butt and could easily kick mine. If you don't already use a progressive heavy lifting program, start doing that without neglecting the cardio and HIIT. I say that because lifting without a plan is lifting without making progress. You don't need and I don't suggest that you drive your body fat percentage below 20.

    That's a good idea. I lack discipline but I do need something to kick my butt into a specific program. Do you have any suggestions?
    According to my scale my BF% right now is around 24% but I don't know how accurate that is, hence why I didn't post it above.
  • esless004
    esless004 Posts: 24 Member
    esless004 wrote: »
    rybo wrote: »
    So you are tying your happiness so a scale weight?
    If you like how you look, why do you think you'll be happier weighing less?
    If you workout a lot, try to reframe the context of happy into performing better and maybe dropping weight will help that?

    I guess I am just tired of people being like "wow! you weigh over 150!? dang" and showing up as overweight on the BMI scales. For a guy it's not as big of a deal but in the community I'm in makes me feel kind of gross. You're right about the performance thing - I'd like to get back into running but I know I am significantly slower than when I weighed 120. But at the same time, I'm a lot stronger since I didn't lift at all then, so maybe I should shoot for somewhere in the middle.

    why are you going around telling everyone your weight (you must be since you say people keep saying that to you)??


    Yeah that does sound a little weird. It's not an entirely frequent thing but I was a rower through a good deal of college so we sort of had to discuss weight in terms of the boat's balance and how much we're pulling. Not a normal human topic of conversation.
  • esless004
    esless004 Posts: 24 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    By BMI you're at the outside edge of a healthy weight, not even overweight (I've assumed age 24). http://www.smartbmicalculator.com/result.html?unit=1&hf=5&hi=5&wl=152&us=1&ua=24&gl=

    The BMI range is a range for a reason. As much as everyone is not healthy at the top of the range, not everyone is healthy at the bottom or middle of the range either. If you're an athlete there is a chance that you have sufficient muscle mass that you can top out of the BMI normal weight range without being over-fat.

    Your D size has some weight. Were you always a D size or has that increased in recent years? You also mentioned that you have gone up from 120 to 150. Is that 120 in high school, or was that 120 once you were fully grown?

    In total the picture I am getting is of someone near the top of their normal range; but probably still at a healthy fat % for a female and in particular when it comes to fat surrounding the abdomen.

    Food restriction and weight loss is not without any side effects so if you don't need to lose weight and are not committed to losing weight there is little point in going through the roller coaster of trying to lose weight.

    In any case if you do decide to restrict food you have no reason to be aiming for anything more than a 0.5lb a week rate of loss. Or you can take advantage of summer and load up on vegetables and fruits and go out for a couple of hikes/runs/bike rides while only off-setting part of that activity with additional food while continuing to strength train.

    Very helpful. Thank you. I ranged from 110-120 in high school with the 120 my senior year. But I didn't finish growing till I was 18 or so, so my ideal weight may be closer to 130. I've pretty much always been a C/D but keep in mind it's a 32 band size so that doesn't implicate anything huge LOL. Pretty much all of the weight I have gained has accumulated around my hips/butt/thighs area. I might start by trying to replace a meal a day with a big salad and trying to avoid desserts... Thank you!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,303 Member
    esless004 wrote: »
    Very helpful. Thank you. I ranged from 110-120 in high school with the 120 my senior year. But I didn't finish growing till I was 18 or so, so my ideal weight may be closer to 130. I've pretty much always been a C/D but keep in mind it's a 32 band size so that doesn't implicate anything huge LOL. Pretty much all of the weight I have gained has accumulated around my hips/butt/thighs area. I might start by trying to replace a meal a day with a big salad and trying to avoid desserts... Thank you!

    The questions about age etc were to gauge if you've had a sudden increase in weight as that would imply a higher fat % than a slower increase of weight in conjunction with athletic activity such as rowing and other training implies.

    I would not be surprised if the 130 is closer to 140 in reality

    Salads have the potential to have NO calories, or to actually have MORE calories than a normal meal depending on toppings and dressing.

    When "loading up on vegetables" I mean thinks like (relatively dry) roasting some vegetables and having them next to your chicken or beef or fish instead of some extra mashed potato as an example.

    Passing up on EVERY dessert sounds like something I would not do. But not having a dessert with every meal sounds like something I SHOULD do :smiley: replacing a dessert with some fruit is also fun.

    Last, but not least, for people who are scale driven: you don't have a weight, you have a weight range. A trending weight web site or app (Libra android, happy scale iphone, www.trendweight.com, or www.weightgrapher.com) are your answer to understanding normal fluctuations over time and differentiating them from an actual change to your weight level over time.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    If you like the muscle mass you added and want to keep it, you will never get back to 120. But there is a lot of room between 120 and 152. You might find that you look and feel great at 140 +/- a few pounds. You are already working out on a regular basis. If you just cut a relatively small amount of calories from your diet, you would slowly lose some of the weight. You don't need a major change...some minor modifications could really make a difference.
  • new_arc87
    new_arc87 Posts: 38 Member
    Muscle weighs a lot, and some of our frames are wider than others. So, weight in and of itself isn't a great indicator of health; it just may go against certain beauty standards set by the media.

    If you really are concerned, get your body fat % checked.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    esless004 wrote: »
    Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.

    I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.


    I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy

    D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.

    No...5-10 pounds is much higher that what is typically the case. A 32D is the same cup (breast size) as a a 34C and a 36B. The typical weight that you see quoted is just under 2 pounds for both combined.

    And that would just be an average. Breast weight will vary based on how dense the breast is (breast tissue vs. fat).
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    esless004 wrote: »
    Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.

    I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.


    I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy

    D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.

    No...5-10 pounds is much higher that what is typically the case. A 32D is the same cup (breast size) as a a 34C and a 36B. The typical weight that you see quoted is just under 2 pounds for both combined.


    NO! it's the same overall circumference... the cup is a D...
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    If you feel great and look great, I don't know why you feel a need to lose weight. Why don't you get a VALID body fat test done and set some goals from there? Valid= bod pod, dexa, or hydrtank. NOT scales, calipers, or handheld analyzers.
This discussion has been closed.