Is there a such thing as big boned?

24

Replies

  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I have broad shoulders, wide hips, big feet, hands, and head. I weigh 160lbs at 5'9", which is at the high end of a healthy BMI and am at a healthy body fat percentage. But I actually have small wrists.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I have broad shoulders, wide hips, big feet, hands, and head. I weigh 160lbs at 5'9", which is at the high end of a healthy BMI and am at a healthy body fat percentage. But I actually have small wrists.

    Yeah, it's not true that frame size is determined by the wrist measurement. As mentioned, it is more based on shoulder and rib cage. Although, in my case, my wrists are less than 5 inches (people at least need to measure and not use their fingers).
  • wilmnoca
    wilmnoca Posts: 416 Member
    Just a figure of speach for someone who is tall and/or broad (usually across the shoulders or hips). Not actual large bones. No more excuses!
  • Vicxie86
    Vicxie86 Posts: 181 Member
    I do think I have thicker bones and a slightly winder frame than average women. I always appear thinner than what my weight suggests. Also, as a small child I was very very skinny, yet I always had thick wrists and ankles. I also have large feet.

    This! this is me! I'm 6'2, a size 8 trainers, 9 shoes u.k, feet looks extra wide, almost mannish. People always guessed me to be 4st lighter and 3 sizes smaller than i am. I told them my size but never my weight lol

    This deluded me for years into thinking i was alright. I carried the weight well, had a bit of a jelly lower tummy but nothing excessive and turkey wings that i only started being comfy with this year.

    I want to lose weight so that i can stop convincing myself that i am happy with the way i am.
  • Sreneesa
    Sreneesa Posts: 1,170 Member
    There is such a thing and big boned is someone with a large frame. Usually in a female if she is really tall and broad across the shoulders and such. Small boned is someone that is really tiny in height and across the shoulders and such. Hope this makes sense to you. I am medium or average as it is called. God Bless, brenda

    No necessarily true.

    My daughter is tall and 5'8, and wears a 0 to 2. She is really tiny and petite as I am 5'10 and if I were ever 110, 112 she is somewhere around there, I wouldn't be alive. And she is 18 yrs old so she is finished growing and just a petite, small framed, young lady,

    So height does play a part but within that height people are small, medium, and large frame.
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
    Can someone explain to me what big boned means or if it is even real. Because I really need to clear this up so I can stop making excuses for myself. I would love info. Thank youu. =]

    Just do that; stop making excuses for yourself and don't worry about bones.
  • ggxx100
    ggxx100 Posts: 520 Member
    Yes, though the phrase is usually used out of context and far to widely.

    My sister has the same bmi as me, though slightly taller. Though we have similar weight to height proportions, she has a medium frame while I have a small frame (wrist test-hers do touch barely while my fingers overlap). Because of this, she's usually a 4 while I wear 0 or 1 juniors. She in no way has more fat, and it's usually her ribcage width that prevents her from wearing a smaller size.

    I do think being short has a lot to do with it...though I'm sure there are plenty of small-framed taller women out there.
  • 50_to_lose
    50_to_lose Posts: 28 Member
    Big boned refers to people with an Endomorph body type.

    Having wider shoulders and larger legs, wide everything really.

    Gains weight easily and develops muscle quickly.

    Athletes classed as endomorph (big boned) would be

    Front row rugby players, field athletes or strongman/woman.

    People make the common mistake that training and diet is a one size fits all plan

    but it's not as genetics play a massive role in your shape.

    Bone size and density depends on genetics.

    Simply put you can have naturally bigger bones in the same way as someone can

    be naturally more muscular than others.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Yes big boned exists, and I am. I am 5' 11" and when I weighed 145 I could never find bracelets to fit my wrists. It has nothing to do with fat--it's your bone structure that is bigger than normal. I've seen women my height with slim, slight, bone structure--think models. Thats nothing like mine. It makes you feel manish and you have to work at moving in a femine way, because you don't feel light and elegant. Anyone who says it does't exist doesn't know what they're talking about.
  • Health_Temple
    Health_Temple Posts: 93 Member
    You are not "big boned" according to your explanation of your ability to touch your middle finger and your thumb together around your wrist and your profile pic you are mesomprphic (medium build) you are easily a good height to weight ratio (can go over or under your bmi). Endomorphic and ectomorphic people are of a smaller frame or larger frame. Usually a "big boned" person is larger on top and easily can put on mass (either fat or muscle) likewise someone of a smaller build can find it very hard to build mass (if they are out of shape these people are known as "skinny-fat." No matter what your build is you should aim to be fit and healthy, you don't have to be a size 5 to look good, what your body composition is and body fat ratio is most important. Don't try to be something your not just be the best you!
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    Big boned refers to people with an Endomorph body type.

    Having wider shoulders and larger legs, wide everything really.

    Gains weight easily and develops muscle quickly.

    Athletes classed as endomorph (big boned) would be

    Front row rugby players, field athletes or strongman/woman.

    People make the common mistake that training and diet is a one size fits all plan

    but it's not as genetics play a massive role in your shape.

    Bone size and density depends on genetics.

    Simply put you can have naturally bigger bones in the same way as someone can

    be naturally more muscular than others.
    people still believe in somatypes? i thought that went out with the belief that eating fat is what causes people to be fat.

    by the way i was an all east prop, was very close to being selected to the women's national rugby team (had to drop out because of an injury). i'm "small boned" in that i have a small ribcage, small wrists and ankles but i would also cause the scrum to wheel since I was WAY stronger than the other prop who was much bigger than me weight wise and "bone" wise

    strength has nothing to do with size.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Big boned refers to people with an Endomorph body type.

    Having wider shoulders and larger legs, wide everything really.

    Gains weight easily and develops muscle quickly.

    Athletes classed as endomorph (big boned) would be

    Front row rugby players, field athletes or strongman/woman.

    People make the common mistake that training and diet is a one size fits all plan

    but it's not as genetics play a massive role in your shape.

    Bone size and density depends on genetics.

    Simply put you can have naturally bigger bones in the same way as someone can

    be naturally more muscular than others.
    people still believe in somatypes? i thought that went out with the belief that eating fat is what causes people to be fat.

    by the way i was an all east prop, was very close to being selected to the women's national rugby team (had to drop out because of an injury). i'm "small boned" in that i have a small ribcage, small wrists and ankles but i would also cause the scrum to wheel since I was WAY stronger than the other prop who was much bigger than me weight wise and "bone" wise

    strength has nothing to do with size.

    I was also a prop at 5'9" and 160lbs. We had some really tall ladies on the team so I got pushed to front row because I was too slow to flank or 9.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
    Sure there are probably different frame sizes, but I know I used "big boned" as an excuse for too long. I had always heard that one doesn't lose a lot of weight from wrists, so it's a good location to use to judge being big or small boned. Well, mine were big, so I figured I was big boned. I always figured I couldn't become as small as the lucky small-frame girls. Well, that's just not true. I lost 50 pounds, and my wrists shrunk a ton. I'm down another 40 now and just bought my first extra small clothes this week.
  • 50_to_lose
    50_to_lose Posts: 28 Member
    Big boned refers to people with an Endomorph body type.

    Having wider shoulders and larger legs, wide everything really.

    Gains weight easily and develops muscle quickly.

    Athletes classed as endomorph (big boned) would be

    Front row rugby players, field athletes or strongman/woman.

    People make the common mistake that training and diet is a one size fits all plan

    but it's not as genetics play a massive role in your shape.

    Bone size and density depends on genetics.

    Simply put you can have naturally bigger bones in the same way as someone can

    be naturally more muscular than others.
    people still believe in somatypes? i thought that went out with the belief that eating fat is what causes people to be fat.

    by the way i was an all east prop, was very close to being selected to the women's national rugby team (had to drop out because of an injury). i'm "small boned" in that i have a small ribcage, small wrists and ankles but i would also cause the scrum to wheel since I was WAY stronger than the other prop who was much bigger than me weight wise and "bone" wise

    strength has nothing to do with size.
    I'm not really sure why you started your post with sarcasm.
    I did not state in my post about size and strength being related as you can be strong without being big, male ballet dancers are very strong but you won't see them lifting atlas stones for fun, so I suppose size does come into it.
    The post I made was a general interpretation of being big boned and yes people still believe in somatypes, why would they not?
    Gauging someone's body type is the quickest way to assemble an exercise program to suit their individual needs.
  • thatgirlkellib
    thatgirlkellib Posts: 150 Member
    Big boned is a wider or broader (shoulder span and hips )person, I consider my self big boned, because I am broad where as some of my friends are not as wide and they are more petite smaller frame. If I weighed 120 I would look like a crackhead lol not to make jokes literally its to thin for my structure. I look good at 135-140-145

    Like sopmeone else said, no one could guess my weight as I didnt look fat but just well stacked and thicker / wider / broader/ and I bulk up nicely
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    My doctor told me I'm small boned and need to watch out for osteoporosis due to thin bones. I've also always been a healthy weight. I use MFP to maintain or to stay on track when I travel.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Also, I must have a giant rib cage because despite the small bones I'm a 38 band size with a C cup.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Is it possible to be small boned and large framed? Because I seriously think this could be the case with me.

    My wrists, ankles, hands, and feet are all very small (I'd call 'em delicate even!) and were that way even when I was way heavier. I wore a smaller bracelet, watch, anklet, than my average sized friends even at 300 lb! And a 6 ring is the largest I've even worn (currently 4.5). But I am somewhat tall at 5'8" and even with weight loss my shoulders and hips are much wider than average and even though I seriously have little to no "back fat" left my back is quite broad.

    My dad is the same way. He was 6'4" when he was younger and a BIG man, and he is still big although he has lost weight for health and is no longer overweight or obese. Even though he has large hands/feet his wrists, ankles, neck, are rather small.

    This is very confusing! hehe
  • lilbearzmom
    lilbearzmom Posts: 600 Member
    I had to lose weight in order to realize I wasn't "big boned" at all. Now that I'm at a healthy weight, I realize I am a medium frame. At between 5'4 and 5'5, it makes sense.
  • harvo
    harvo Posts: 4,676 Member
    The last time I proved this one.....I got in A LOT of trouble from MFP.....smh...
  • DR2501
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
    Yes, people have different frame/body sizes etc. I have a large ribcage or 'pigeon chest' as some people describe it! Makes me look bigger than I am so its annoying, but not much I can do about it!
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    myth-i-am-just-big-boned.jpg

    Wow that visual really shows me how important it is to reduce the stress put on joints from too much weight. .
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    Frame size and bone length differ from person to person, but from a percentage stand point (meaning diameter of the bones) they are about equal from person to person.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
    Yes it is real. Some people have bigger bones than others, in this sense wider bones. It can make them have a more wider build naturally. However, this isn't to say it is an excuse to be overweight, if a person is big boned they don't necessarily have to be obese or anything. Look at Rebecca Adlington, she is big boned but since she is a swimmer has an athletic body at the same time.
  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
    Btw peeps, you may not be allowed to have an opinion on this because of all the know it alls on here who will try to prove you wrong and quote you. It's happened to me before. Have your opinion and don't reply to them they aren't worth the time of day.

    I personally have wide, broad shoulders for a girl. I hate them. In my shoulder area I would classify myself as big boned but the rest of me isn't.
  • I don't believe in the 'big-boned' theory. I think some folks have greater bone density which is not the same a 'bigger bones.'
  • cursiny
    cursiny Posts: 907 Member
    The last time I proved this one.....I got in A LOT of trouble from MFP.....smh...


    LOL
  • ctalimenti
    ctalimenti Posts: 865 Member
    Many of the above responses make great sense but I'd like to add; have you ever seen a "fat" skeleton?

    :noway:
  • Many of the above responses make great sense but I'd like to add; have you ever seen a "fat" skeleton?

    :noway:

    Hahaha! :laugh:
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
    Well, according to that chart I'm "big-boned". I do have a larger frame in many ways--my rib cage is large, I have broad shoulders, a fairly large head, larger hands/feet, but my wrists are small. If you put me next to my sister, I look massive, even though I'm only 1" taller. My shoulders are a good 3" wider, if not more. However, I'm also at the low end of weight for the medium frame for my height. I guess it's nice because if you are big-boned, you can hold a little more weight at your height and still be lean.
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