Women who are in shape and athletic but weigh more??

stonel94
stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
edited November 12 in Motivation and Support
So, I'm 19, and I'm 5'7" ish and I weigh somewhere between 150 and 160 I think, so like bmi wise almost or over weight. Now, I'm in good shape, I'm strong and I heavy lift and I have a lot of muscle, I'm about 24% body fat and that's dropping. I also have pretty large boobs (DD) I wear a size 28 jeans and a medium top usually so I know I'm not phyiscally very big, and I know BMI and stuff is bogus, but I just feel like really uncomfortable being that heavy. When people ask me how much I weigh I lie and say a lower number (usually 130) and nobody ever questions it. So I have a couple things, 1. Women who are in the same boat as me, not physically big but heavier on the scale, show me your pictures (and say height and weight and sizes/measurements if you know them)! and 2. how heavy do I look like...size wise...not taking into account muscle and stuff (idk if that's a hard question to answer)

I know it's stupid but I just can't help but feel this way, even though I want to keep reducing body fat and gain strength even if that means the number on the scale staying the same or going up I'd rather look better than weigh less...but inside my mind Im very self conscious about the number...make me feel better about it?
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Replies

  • Alisha28
    Alisha28 Posts: 406 Member
    I have been told I look 120 I really weigh around 128-130. I am 5'4 and feel where I am at is good I think 120 be great but I would look like my 15 year old daughter who weighs around that. I am athletic too, I run teach aerobics and personal train. I wear a size 4 and small shirts but have size b chest only. WHO CARES WHAT THE NUMBER SAYS ON SCALE ITS JUST A NUMBER. They say if you workout you always look 10 pounds smaller than you are :)
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    So many hot women weigh over 150 lbs. Don't let the number bug you. Just tell people your dress size and ask them if they need a piggy back ride.

    Yeah it bugged me in high school. I was 17 years old and had 133 lbs of lean mass... I weighed 178 lbs and thought I was HYOOOGE! But I really wasn't. I was strong.

    Advice from an old lady: enjoy the body you have - it is excellent. And you are more likely to be super fit at your high school reunions than the girls who weigh 120 or 130 now lol... truth. I just went to my 20 year reunion.

    You can look through my pics if you want. I'm 5'7" and about 160 lbs... BF % is about 23-25%.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Just for fun, go to my mybodygallery.com and you'll see how diverse real women are at the same height and weight, it's an amazing site.
  • Great post, and Alisha thanks for that answer. The scale will not change for me anymore. I'm 5'2 and weigh 120 but with all my hard work, most is muscle. I lift weights and most of my body feels rock hard. I don't want to look like Barbie and think supermodels look gross. For a mom of three, I feel like I'm were I'd like to be. I agree that we shouldn't rely on the scale, the mirror and our clothes are more honest.
  • runnermama81
    runnermama81 Posts: 388 Member
    I am the same way. Yes I would like to lose a few lbs, but if I weighed what those bmi charts said I should my bones would stick out. I have always had muscular legs and butt. Look at my pics I dont think you will guess what I actially weigh. The scale is tough, because its a nice guide to tell where you are, but also very frustrating for some of us!
  • AmyEm3
    AmyEm3 Posts: 784 Member
    I'm 5'4" and 150 so technically overweight still. I run a fair amount and do P90X as well as occasionally biking and tennis. I also have a larger than average chest. I've had some people be really surprised to hear my weight. I carry most of my excess weight in my stomach.

    I weigh more than I did in high school but I am a heck of a lot healthier. Still working on losing some more pounds but it is slow going.

    I don't have any picture of me on here though. I have some on my phone...just need to try to figure out how to get them here.
  • I felt the same way! I am 5'2" and I weighed 152 lbs at my heaviest about a year ago. I was working out like crazy so i built a lot of muscle and no one ever believed me when I said I was 152.... everyone thought I was 120. So I get how you feel! I had size D boobs! I recently started working out a lot more lifting heavier and I started eating healthier and I shed about 12-15 lbs of extra fat that was spread throughout my body that I didnt think I could lose! 15 lbs sounds a lot on a small person and it didnt seem like i had extra fat on my body. So now I am down to about 135. But again, like you said, the number doesnt really matter. thats what I told myself. As long as I like how I look I dont care how much I weigh, I just wanted to slim down and be able to see definition in my muscles since I have been working out so hard! and its working!

    PS. BMI is bull****! I went to the dr and she told me I was overweight! I did not look overweight at all. she was just taking into account my weight and height, not my actual body composition! I want to figure out my actual body fat % but I don't know how to figure that out :(
  • AABru
    AABru Posts: 610 Member
    I am with the other ladies who have posted...WEIGHT is not as important as BODY FAT. Your body fat is normal. You are normal. Be proud that you are strong!!
    BTW. also 5'7"...but 180 pounds and presently a size 10 or 12 depending on brand and cut. YOU are at MY goal weight! :drinker:
  • DaughterOfTheMostHighKing
    DaughterOfTheMostHighKing Posts: 1,436 Member
    I've been there too... I still struggle with the number on the scale. I'm 5'4" 150 -155 depending on what time of the month it is. I find that if I lose weight I sometime lose strength. now I am working on what I look like verses what the scale says... it's hard though when the doctors tell you you are overweight, near obese... gotta find what's healthy for your body.
  • tokataro
    tokataro Posts: 52 Member
    Wow, that mybodygallery site is fascinating! Thanks for the link.
  • runnermama81
    runnermama81 Posts: 388 Member
    @daughter I looked at your pics. You look amazing!! Just proof the scale doesnt mean everything.
  • RobynLB83
    RobynLB83 Posts: 626 Member
    I'm 5'7" and 130. You look about how I looked at my HW of 145, and I have an athletic (i.e. muscular) build also.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    I'm 5'7.5" and currently 157 pounds. I get the "you don't look like you weigh that much" all the time when people find out how much I weigh. I'm a fairly consistent size 6 throughout many different brands. I have some very recent (as in yesterday) progress pics in my profile (sorry, feeling too lazy to post them)
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    I'm 5'7.5" and currently 157 pounds. I get the "you don't look like you weigh that much" all the time when people find out how much I weigh. I'm a fairly consistent size 6 throughout many different brands. I have some very recent (as in yesterday) progress pics in my profile (sorry, feeling too lazy to post them)

    thanks this helped a lot your body looks quite similar to mine
  • Alisha28
    Alisha28 Posts: 406 Member
    Great post, and Alisha thanks for that answer. The scale will not change for me anymore. I'm 5'2 and weigh 120 but with all my hard work, most is muscle. I lift weights and most of my body feels rock hard. I don't want to look like Barbie and think supermodels look gross. For a mom of three, I feel like I'm were I'd like to be. I agree that we shouldn't rely on the scale, the mirror and our clothes are more honest.

    I am mom 0f 5 and when you become a mom you change what your body should look like or what perfect is to you (there is no perfect) we have to work with what we got and luv it:) This was a great post!!!!
  • sweetpea129
    sweetpea129 Posts: 755 Member
    Yes, I think i look less than I actually weigh. Every time someone asks me what I weigh and i say 155 they tell me i'm lying. Yeah, because I would lie to INCREASE the number?? My mom had me get on her scale and prove to her thats what I weigh because she said "no way in heck is that true". So, yeah, 155 and 5'5. People say that it's just a number and doesnt mean much but I also can't help but to focus on it.

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  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I gained weight recently (thanks, Depo :grumble: ), and I'd like to drop a little... but I don't think I look like I gained nearly 20 pounds (thanks, lifting! :drinker: ). I'm 5'5.

    IMG_1988_1-copy_zps7561b286.jpg
  • Bounce2
    Bounce2 Posts: 138 Member
    I can relate to this one. I am 5.4" and weigh around 63kg or 138lb. According to my BMI I am just within the healthy weight range; I can be the same clothes size (8/10 Australian) 10kg heavier and 10kg lighter.... Makes it interesting when I am trying to figure out how I am supposed to eat and talking to my friends about how much I weigh... Step away from the scale is all I can say :flowerforyou:
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    <--- Currently 154lb in my pic taken this morning. I am 5 6" and that is 1lb away from overweight according to the BMI. I wear a US size 6/8.
  • jaxxie
    jaxxie Posts: 576 Member
    <<<<< I'm 5'8 and about 150-154 depending on the day. I don't weigh myself much anymore but I know where you're coming from.

    Edited to add age: I'm 44.
  • mcconnelllkelly
    mcconnelllkelly Posts: 8 Member
    I'm in the same boat as you, I am 5 foot 1 and weigh 128-130. I'm what you'd consider to be "pear" shape because I'm Puerto Rican, and I wear pants from size 6-9 and I feel horrrrible about it. It also doesn't help that I'm only an A cup because I feel like I am not proportional. I go to therapy for personal reasons, but one of the main things my DR taught me was not to worry about the numbers. He even saw how obsessed I was with my weight and pants size and sometimes now he even has to reassure me that my size is healthy and that's all that matter. What he explained to me was that numbers are different to everyone, which if you think about it its true. Notice how some scales can tell you that you weigh one thing, and then another tells you something totally different. As long as you can see progress in yourself and that you are trying your hardest, eventually you'll forget about all the numbers and feel great.

    Good Luck!


    PS - i'm also currently trying to get my picture to upload here to show you i really don't even look like a pear or a size 9, but its taking too long. will edit again !
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Your body's mass might matter if:

    * You are trying to make a weight class for a competitive lifting meet;
    * You are a jockey;
    * You are a dancer or cheerleader and someone needs to lift you or twirl you in the air;
    * You are trying to traverse a recently frozen pond;
    * You are a blushing bride about to be carried by a scrawny groom across a threshold;
    * You are trying to figure out your LBM to decide how to set your macros.

    I cannot imagine any other type of scenario when it matters a damn otherwise.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    The number on the scales are not really of much value. That number represents far more than fat. It includes waste, lean muscle and more. And, the BMI means nothing. There are far better gauges of fitness. I'm between 19% and 20% body fat and have a waist of 27 and hips of 37 and weigh 127. I'm 69 years old and have a large frame. I'm in very good shape and what would be termed athletic. At 5' 1", some would argue I should weigh less. Not so. I have no desire to be skinny. Nor is skinny healthy.

    Most women feel as if they're too heavy whether they are or not. I don't know what your age is. But your body fat is reasonably low for a younger woman. It's not athletic but it's in the fitness range I would say (without knowing your age.)

    As long as you're in a healthy range for your age and body type, your frame size, you really shouldn't worry about weight. There is no perfect number. But, there is a close to perfect range of weight. But it's unique to the age, sex, body type and frame of a person and there's no one size fits all.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    5'9" 160lbs.

    I've always liked to brag about my weight because people think I weigh a lot less. I wear a size 8.

    20127619_2174.jpg
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    I am 5'8" and weigh 152-154, depending on the day, and am 35 with about 24% body fat. No one has ever been able to accurately guess my weight and the other day I was able to fit into a dress made for me in high school when I was about 30lbs lighter. I don't put much faith in the scale.

    These pics are about 6 lbs and a year apart:

    p5wftqpl.jpg

    The dress from high school:
    zOy44CKl.jpg

    DP0faI8l.jpg
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    5'10 and 140 Ibs.
    People seem to always think I am less due to my low bodyfat.


    20130615_114119_zps8d734f98.jpg

    20130608_145620_zpsaa65438f.jpg
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    BMI is a population metric. it's not useful when applied to individuals.

    also, who in the world is asking you what you weigh? that's one of those taboo questions you never ask a stranger.
  • aliciaje
    aliciaje Posts: 83
    Hi I am 5'4 and 160 body fat is 23.4% measured by body pod. I am very active and athletic so you are not alone!!! Check out my pics most people peg me at 140.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    BMI is a population metric. it's not useful when applied to individuals.

    also, who in the world is asking you what you weigh? that's one of those taboo questions you never ask a stranger.

    Agree
This discussion has been closed.