How to tell if you're to skinny?

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Replies

  • DianneP6772
    DianneP6772 Posts: 272 Member
    Congratulations! You have really done well.
    I am also your height and originally set 129 as my goal, but as i got nearer - i started thinking 119-120. And now that i am at 128-129, most people are saying "well - you aren't trying to lose anymore, are you?" At first i started saying, well.....i would like to lose just a little more so i can go have a pepperoni pizza and not worry about it! But now, its easier to say " no - i am just trying to hold it here" My BF is somewhere between 24 and 27 - hard to say as its only with my scale and since that changes 3 points within a day according to my activity - its not too reliable. I would like to get it down in the 22-24 range. So i am eating more now but still watching it - and we will see where it goes.
    Like so many others - you know how you feel and how you want to look - so go with it and enjoy.
    You look great now - but i don't think 120 would be too low. If it is 'well - walla - you can eat for awhile - its not like you can't get it back if you want to.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    It's hard to tell based just on the pictures on your profile, but it is hard to imagine you losing 15 more pounds. 120 is often a great weight for a woman of your height, but you truly don't have more to lose. I wouldn't say you need to try to gain weight, but if you're going to the army, switch your focus to overall health and fitness. Great work-you do look awesome.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    You look wonderful!!!! I can't imagine 15 lbs less on you unless you want to lose muscle, because it certainly looks like you have nice muscle. But if you have a few bikini lbs hiding out somewhere, a few more lbs would be fine, too, imho. Maybe you just really dress well, lol.

    I'm sure the full 15 would be 'fine' health-wise. But you don't look like you could have much fat on you at all, no. I mean, female bodybuilders get to incredibly low BF levels, so it depends on what you want, really. Just try to keep that muscle if you must go lower.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
    As long as you're at a healthy weight for your height, which it sounds like you are, then don't pay any mind to the "too skinny" comments. Your weight and appearance isn't anybody else's business.

    I agree with this completely. Both your current weight and goal are in the healthy range. Focus on your goals, not the opinions of others.

    Congratulations on your wonderful success!
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    I think you look great. I don't think you look "too skinny", and I don't think you look like you need to lose any more. Whether you want to lose a little more fat or not is your choice. It's hard to tell from the fully-clothed photos whether or not that would be a good idea in my opinion, but you're still at the point where it's personal preference (ie you could probably still lose a few pounds and still be healthy). That doesn't mean that 120 would be ideal for you and I definitely think you're at the point where it could be helpful to let go of a particular goal number, and focus on what you see in the mirror, photos, and how your body feels.

    By the way, it's very common for people who have lost a significant amount of weight to have a slightly distorted view of their body, to have some degree of body dysmorphia. That doesn't mean that you have Body Dysmorphic Syndrome, but it can take a bit of time for your brain to catch up with your changing size/shape. If you're really struggling to see what you really look like, one option is just to maintain for a while so that you can get used to how you look, and if you still want to lose a bit more fat, then go for it. Just try not to get to fixed on certain numbers, as that can lead to problems too.

    It's also pretty common for those around us to get used to us at a certain (higher) weight and then think we look to skinny when in fact we;re healthy. It doesn't mean they're jealous or insecure. Chances are they just need some time to get used to the new you too. If it's people close to you, then there might also be a genuine worry about when you're going to stop losing. If it's people whose opinion matters to you, then you could try talking to them, be open an honest about your goals and wanting to be fit and healthy. Otherwise, just focus on what you want for your body, and let them mind their own business.
  • iDrix
    iDrix Posts: 21
    Yeah, I got those last 10lbs to loose. People started progresively tellling me to stop throught my weight loss journey, the last month I became over encumbered from all the people telling to stop, even my close ones. I know I can loose another good layer of fat so I decided to burn those last 10lbs but straight bull****ting people about my weight, as far as people know I already stopped my weight loss journey, I stopped losing weight last month... and i'm doing my thing low key.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    I use BMI as my guideline. I'm still working on losing weight right now, but in the future if I should ever happen to drop into the underweight category, I would make an effort to gain until back to the normal category. If other people think I "look too skinny" despite being a healthy weight, screw 'em. It's my body, not theirs.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Something to think about: I joined MFP weighing about 73kg. I went down to 60kg eating about 1800 cals a day doing a lot of HIIT. I still wasn't happy with my fat levels but my arms got a bit skinny. Got the same comments from friends and family that you did.

    I decided to focus more on building muscle, eating around 2600-3000 cals a day, playing tennis once or twice a week. I now weigh about 73kg (my original weight) but my lower ab area now has more definition so I've lost fat. :laugh:

    The same people who commented on me being too skinny now say how I look more athletic/muscular.
  • alechua
    alechua Posts: 224 Member
    It really sucks ESPECIALLY when its your family and friends. I think its because they aren't use to seeing it that it appears that way.

    This. I feel the same way. I'm 5'3 and my SW: 156lbs and CW: 118-120lbs (fluctuating), they keep telling me im skinny but i know im not
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    BMI can be a little weird for individuals, remember. Would I be healthy at the lowest end of the range for my height? Well, that's 3 lbs above my lean mass, so that BF% would not be healthy, no! Of course, you can lose lean mass (the muscle part), too, but who would want to?

    I think the BMI being the 'healthy range' is more of a range to attempt to cover frame sizes in the population and not a fully healthy range for each person! And we all know that more muscular people are going to weigh more without needing to lose weight. Is it healthy to lose some muscle? Meh, to an extent it can be, I guess, but I'd think more muscle is definitely healthier.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    other people definitely get used to seeing you a certain way. if you eat healthy, eat enough, feel good, and like your body and can maintain it while being happy and having other good things going on in your life, then I'd guess that you're just fine.

    I don't know your height, but I weigh around 120 and I'm 5'6" and I don't feel too skinny at all. I don't really care what anyone else thinks about it because my opinion is the only one that matters (when it comes to aesthetics only, of course).
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Congrats on your success!!! 135 and even 120 at 5'4" is not in any way too skinny. Americans are accustomed to looking at their overweight selves so perception is skewed.

    At this point, like others suggested, I would concentrate more on body fat percentage. I'm sure you look great at either weight!

    I agree with you. I'm European and a European healthy weight is very different from an American healthy weight. I'm 5'2" and 144 lbs. Here, my friends tell me I look so thin but back home, I'm still terribly overweight!

    We're just used to seeing bigger bodies in the U.S.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    BMI can be a little weird for individuals, remember. Would I be healthy at the lowest end of the range for my height? Well, that's 3 lbs above my lean mass, so that BF% would not be healthy, no! Of course, you can lose lean mass (the muscle part), too, but who would want to?

    I think the BMI being the 'healthy range' is more of a range to attempt to cover frame sizes in the population and not a fully healthy range for each person! And we all know that more muscular people are going to weigh more without needing to lose weight. Is it healthy to lose some muscle? Meh, to an extent it can be, I guess, but I'd think more muscle is definitely healthier.

    Yeah, this is true, the entire range is not meant for one individual. A very small framed person would likely be overweight at the highest end of the range. The larger framed person would be dangerously thin at the low end of the range. Putting on muscle is always an option, but there is a limit to how much a person can put on within a certain time frame and also depends on the amount of effort they want to put in. With very hard work a person may be able to work towards 10 pounds of muscle, over time. But, it's not likely for a person to put on 30 pounds of muscle.

    Also whenever you lose fat, you will always lose a small amount of muscle, just like you gain some fat when gaining muscle.
  • ajcmoran2005
    ajcmoran2005 Posts: 173 Member
    Honestly I really think a lot of it is based on your body type. I am a little under 5'5" and as of my weigh in this morning I was a little under 121 pounds. I have a very small frame so when I was 135 pounds I did look like I needed to lose more weight but that was just because of my small frame. I would like to get to my wedding day weight of 116 pounds but after having three kiddos I just don't think that will happen :). I really wouldn't listen to what anyone else says. If you feel good about yourself then that is all that matters! Congratulations on your wonderful weight loss!!!
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
    I think you are right in that people are used to seeing you a certain way.

    When I went to my parents' house this week for Christmas, my sister and my mom told me I look "creepy" and "gross" because I look too thin now. I told my mom that I am around my HS size/weight and she did not believe me---even though it's true. I just haven't been around this weight in 10-11 years! My BMI is about 20.5, which is in the normal range, though I don't have a small frame so I'm sure my leanness looks exaggerated.

    I don't feel too skinny and I'm not even close to being underweight so I think we're all good here.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    You don't look too skinny now, but you do look thin, so I think you look great right now, it's hard to say how you would look at 120, it could be a huge change in which case I think it would be too skinny, but it might not be that drastic. Go on how you feel, are you happy, are you tired all the time, are you eating well and living well, you will know.

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