How skinny is too skinny?

fowlmeli1093

I recently lost 35 lbs. I am 5"9 and weigh 173 lbs now. My co-workers seem very concerned that I am losing too much weight, they say that I look too skinny now. However, my BMI says that I should be around 150-160lbs, and that my current weight at 173 lbs is considered "overweight". Could it be that they are just not used to seeing me at this weight? I'm a little concerned by their concern now...I don't want to be anorexic; I want to be healthy (when I look in the mirror I still see where I can make improvement). I don't want to be 130 lbs still thinking I need to lose more.

DJH510

Yeah sounds like people are just saying that because you look so different. Whilst you are fairly tall, 130lbs would still be a very reasonable target weight. So I wouldn't listen to people, just be glad that they are noticing such big change in your appearance!

reneeot

I would think health issues would be a clue that someone maybe too skinny. Not enough nutrition can cause skin problems, extreme decrease in energy levels or sicknesses due to lack of nutrition.

My sister lost weight and we thought she looked to skinny, because she looked like a bobble head. But she felt fine. I think we were just not use to seeing her that way.

Skinnytime

As long as you are not getting into an unhealthy BMI then you decide what too skinny is. That number on the scale or that clothing size is really personal preference when you are in a healthy range. My BMI puts me in the healthy range, but I feel I need to lose more because I am not comfortable with the way I look. Do I want to go below the heathy range? No.

As long as you are aiming for somewhere in that healthy range, you are ok. Assure your friends that you are not anorexic and that you are just living a healthier lifestyle and seeing the results of that lifestyle.

If you were at the low end of your BMI, and you still wanted to lose weight, then you'd have cause for concern.

ScoobieGirl

You know your body! I'm 6' and currently weigh 176 pounds...but I feel my best at 150-155. If you are making healthy choices and you are consuming enough calories and exercising...you're doing it right. If you are concerned talk with your doctor.

katchl

I think they are not used to seeing you at your current weight. If you want to lose more, then you should. But I don't think you should lose to under your recommended weight.

myrazimmie

Maybe they are a teensy bit jealous by your success. On a side note, that bmi scale is crazy. You might want to calculate your body fat percentage and go by that instead.

LittleSpy

I honestly just go by the ribs/hip bones test... just like I do with my dogs. :laugh: If I can see all your ribs and your hip bones are sticking way out, you're too skinny.

The BMI isn't appropriate for everyone, it's true. But, you also can't trust your coworkers. I'm 5'4" and I weigh 191.8 pounds in a size 12/14 and I've received several comments over the last couple of weeks from coworkers about me being at my goal weight or only needing to lose 10-20 more pounds. "When are you going to stop?!" "Are you where you want to be?" etc. Yeah, no. I have AT LEAST 40 more pounds to lose for sure. Probably more.

Sometimes I think we're just a culture so used to seeing extremely obese folks that when we see someone just slightly overweight, we think they're too skinny.

Having your body fat tested by a professional is a surefire way to find out if you're really "too skinny."

sparis88

Yeah sounds like people are just saying that because you look so different. Whilst you are fairly tall, 130lbs would still be a very reasonable target weight. So I wouldn't listen to people, just be glad that they are noticing such big change in your appearance!

Yes keep up the good work! People are just noticing the change and it looks different to them! You go GIRL!

SHBoss1673

if you really want to know if you're at a healthy weight, have your body fat tested. Anything below 15% for a woman is the danger zone. between about 17% to about 23% is just about perfect, and 24% to about 28% is ok, above that and you start to run into issues with regards to obesity (depending on the person, some frames can handle the fat better than others, and it depends on where the fat is stored too).

for guys it's different percentages (lower).

TheMaidOfAstolat

First- Don't go by your BMI or the scale! Use a measuring tape. Remember that BMI and the scale do not take into account your frame, muscle mass, bone density, or the fact that you have had a child (or have boobs).
Second- See a doctor if you are unsure about what you should weigh.
As a former anorexic I can tell you horror stories about weight loss and what it can do to you. While I weigh 90 pounds now...it's a good weight for me-I'm not quite 5 feet tall, small frame, and have low body fat but quite a bit of muscle.

summerblunden

Ignore BMI, it is the most unuseful, inaccurate measurement of health ever. I have a co-worker who is extremely fit, very muscular, and not at ALL unhealthy, and his BMI says he is obese, because he has so much muscle mass.
I would recommend a body fat reader, while not the most accurate, it can show you where you stand. Females should be around the 20% range. Because of various aspects, it is hard to tell what a "good" weight for a woman is. If you are more...busty...you are obviously going to weigh more than someone with an a cup. I would pick a clothing size you want, instead of a weight. A nice round number is great when starting out, but when you get down to the last pounds, it is more about how you feel, and how things fit.
If you start having health issues, menstural irregularities (that are abnormal) then I would for sur ebe concerned about losing too much.

BOGmama2010

I think it depends on your body. I'm a medium build 5'7" and I weigh 169 right now. I am aiming to get down to 155 and maybe 145, depending on how I feel. I am trying to work more on my body fat. My coach is 5'3" and weighs about 130, but she is so muscular that she wouldn't look good if she lost any more. She's 10.5% body fat.

Tasha1476

I honestly just go by the ribs/hip bones test... just like I do with my dogs. :laugh: If I can see all your ribs and your hip bones are sticking way out, you're too skinny.

The BMI isn't appropriate for everyone, it's true. But, you also can't trust your coworkers. I'm 5'4" and I weigh 191.8 pounds in a size 12/14 and I've received several comments over the last couple of weeks from coworkers about me being at my goal weight or only needing to lose 10-20 more pounds. "When are you going to stop?!" "Are you where you want to be?" etc. Yeah, no. I have AT LEAST 40 more pounds to lose for sure. Probably more.

Sometimes I think we're just a culture so used to seeing extremely obese folks that when we see someone just slightly overweight, we think they're too skinny.

Having your body fat tested by a professional is a surefire way to find out if you're really "too skinny."

i know what you mean.. I am currently 173 at 5'8. my goal weight is between 135 and 140. either way I still have 30+ lbs to lose and everyone is like "Oh you are so skinny now!" which is cool, but I know I am still on a very long road, but I came from 198 (I started logging MFP at 185) so to them its a dramatic difference.. But I want to be at a healthy weight and be happy with what I see.

thedreamhazer

It may help to know that I'm 5'8.5 and down to 170 lbs now. When I started at 184, all of my friends would tell me, "I had no idea you weighed that much! I would never guess! You look great!" etc. etc. Now that I'm down 14 lbs., the compliments are coming in more and people are telling me to stop. Many of my friends are even discouraging me from my goal weight of 142 lbs, saying, "you'll look weird" and "you'll be way to skinny." And one of the friends telling me this is 5'7 and 120 lbs.

So my point is what a lot of people have said already. People just aren't used to seeing you in a different way, and they're resistant to it. You probably look AMAZING right now, but if you don't feel like you're done, then don't let them discourage you! I think while we're losing weight, it is appropriate to be VERY conscientious of how we're feeling to make sure that we don't develop unhealthy feelings about ourselves and our bodies. So, I believe that checking in on yourself is healthy, but don't be discouraged! Check in with your doctor and/or nutritionist about your goals, but mostly listen to your body (and not just your head!)

WillPillageYourVillageForFood

Weight is just like age....it's just a number. Go by how you feel not by what the scale says. All of our bodies are built differently and we all carry weight differently. You could have 10 people all the same height and weight and all 10 of them would carry the weight differently and would look completely different.

LotusF1ower

I recently lost 35 lbs. I am 5"9 and weigh 173 lbs now. My co-workers seem very concerned that I am losing too much weight, they say that I look too skinny now. However, my BMI says that I should be around 150-160lbs, and that my current weight at 173 lbs is considered "overweight". Could it be that they are just not used to seeing me at this weight? I'm a little concerned by their concern now...I don't want to be anorexic; I want to be healthy (when I look in the mirror I still see where I can make improvement). I don't want to be 130 lbs still thinking I need to lose more.

You hit the nail on the head when you said could it be that they are just not used to seeing you at that weight.

Seriously the times people have said to me "but you don't need to lose weight" or "you are already slim" etc etc, all a load of old rubbish if you ask me.

Out of interest, are the people that say this to you, bigger than you or slimmer? Just a little observation I have made, if somebody is smaller than me, they tend to look slim, regardless as to whether they are termed "overweight" for their height or not, however, if I suddenly start to lose weight and they remain the same, suddenly that same person will no longer look slim to me at all, but now look as if they have put on some weight. I will often go by this "reflection" when I need to judge my own weight, because just looking in the mirror doesn't seem to work for me.

What goal weight did you start out with at the beginning? Stick to that, what was okay for you then, if fine now. Don't tell other people what you are doing either, they tend to like to stick their noses in and sometimes it is not what you require at all.

Congratulations on your weightloss so far by the way, 35lbs is terrific! :flowerforyou:

STARG1RL

Agreed!

I'm 5'8, currently (as of yesterday morning) I weighed in at 164 (163.8 if you want specifics)...
Weight & Height charts say I should weigh 146lbs, which I plan on achieving in the next few months but what I also wish to surpass by 10 lbs. My goal is to be a healthy 134 lbs...

I think that your coworkers may be a bit hesitant to congratulate you on your success! BRAVO to you

fowlmeli1093

Thank you for all the posts everyone! Very helpful!

weelissa

I reckon there's perhaps some jealously going on. People used to tell me I was too skinny when I first lost weight despite still being classed as overweight. I learned quickly that they were perhaps a tad envious that I was now smaller than them...

Congratulations for losing the weight! :flowerforyou:

Sumatra

I bet it's just because you've lost weight and you look very different. I'm 6'1" and I looked really good at about 170-175. I could have probably even lost a little bit more, or toned up a little bit more, but I really liked myself at that weight. That's where I want to be again.

I say go by how you feel about yourself! And good work on the weight loss!!!