Thin vs Fit

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  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    Never understood the quest for 'thin' - but then again, I'm a guy and I guess it's only women that want thin

    Also, I posted a message here yesterday about the word 'skinny'

    In UK skinny was always regarded as an insult in the same way that fat is

    "She's skinny" was said in the same tone as "She's fat!"

    Certainly wasnt seen as a compliment - however since joining MFP I have seen 'skinny' as being something to aspire to

    "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" that type of thing. Often said instead of 'healthy'

    Fit, slim, slender, trim, petitte, lean ....... but not skinny

    Is it a generation thing (I'm quite old!) or a culture thing?
  • oboeing
    oboeing Posts: 1,816 Member
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    Being thin has never been what's important to me. Being fit is. Granted, I would love to fit into my old "skinny" clothes, but that's not my goal. I am a volunteer firefighter, and being able to do my job well is what's important. I have no problem being "thick", as long as it's because i'm muscular. My real goal is to be able to drag that 175 lb dummy 50 ft across the grass (LOTS OF RESISTANCE) without feeling like i'm going to pass out. I actually like being a thicker girl. I don't mind my tree trunk legs, I just want them to be all muscle.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    I'll just leave a quote from my always-slim, always-exercising cousin who, in her early thirties had stage 4 breast cancer. She was sitting drinking a beer on July 4 when a family member said "Oh you drink alcohol now?" and she replied, "Yep, ate healthy for thirty years and you see where that got me..."
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
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    Fat and thin are NOT mutually exclusive.
    Thin and healthy also are not.

    That is what OP is saying.
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
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    You can be thin and fit...I am...I don't worry about my size...my goal is to look good naked thru my 40s lol
  • Kristan_Forsey
    Kristan_Forsey Posts: 103 Member
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    To anyone who says you can be fat and fit, you are totally wrong. Stop deluding yourself! It will catch up with you, if not at this moment than later. The high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart attack. Wake up!
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
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    Yes, you can be healthy and fat and healthy and thin, but Fit is another factor. I want to be healthy and fit. I'm glad you have found your sweet spot. I am looking for my own.

    I disagree with the part I put in bold. I don't think you can be truly healthy if you're truly fat, because to me, being "fat" means you have too much body fat (body fat % which usually correlates pretty closely to a high BMI too), which is not a healthy condition to be in.

    Sure there are athletes who have healthy body fat % but high BMI, but those people aren't really "fat" then, right?
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    Yes, you can be healthy and fat and healthy and thin, but Fit is another factor. I want to be healthy and fit. I'm glad you have found your sweet spot. I am looking for my own.

    I disagree with the part I put in bold. I don't think you can be truly healthy if you're truly fat, because to me, being "fat" means you have too much body fat (body fat % which usually correlates pretty closely to a high BMI too), which is not a healthy condition to be in.

    Sure there are athletes who have healthy body fat % but high BMI, but those people aren't really "fat" then, right?
    I agree with you there...fat (to me) implies quite overweight..which I do not consider healthy under any circumstances. A person can be "otherwise" healthy while being fat (meaning they don't have any major health issues right now), but carrying significant extra weight is just never good.

    I want to be both fit AND thin...
  • celestialsmith
    celestialsmith Posts: 2 Member
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    OP (Gwen)-
    Thin, thick, fit, the best tool that I have found to measure over all heath is total body fat percentage (personally, but most health experts agree) I have using MFP for about 18mo now. When I first started my goal was to lose weight, that was it. As I exercise and eat healthy and time passes my goals have changed. It has taken me 2.5years to lose 15lbs (it has been lifestyle changes and not dieting.) As I progressed, I realized that I was not going to make my goal weight which was 108lbs. I wanted to be as "thin" as I could, w/o being under weight. The better I ate the more I exercise I found that I my weight was not what was important to me, feeling good about myself was most important. The longer you keep at this (and please do, just eating right and exercising will do wonders for your self body image) you will find what your "sweet spot" is. It may end up being a weight goal, a fitness goal (running a marathon) or a totally body fat percentage goal. I went from being 130lbs, size 10pant, 27% body fat, not being able to run for 5min to 115lbs, size 4 pant 18.5% body fat, and running 1/2 marathon....... should I keep striving for what I consider MY "thin" weight? I don't think I will, for me to drop my body weight I would have to lose muscle and if I lose muscle I feel I will not have the stamina for my long distance runs. My final goal for me now is 18% body fat and run a marathon (we'll see how I feel when I get there) Each person's self image is different. It is hard to set a goal for yourself when we are surrounded in the media by super models, "picture" perfect actresses, never seeing a drop of cellulite on a celebrity, and so on (at least it was for me) Gwen- set small goals so that you can achieve small victories and can win the battle of self body image and fitness. You can do this!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Yes, you can be healthy and fat and healthy and thin, but Fit is another factor. I want to be healthy and fit. I'm glad you have found your sweet spot. I am looking for my own.

    I disagree with the part I put in bold. I don't think you can be truly healthy if you're truly fat, because to me, being "fat" means you have too much body fat (body fat % which usually correlates pretty closely to a high BMI too), which is not a healthy condition to be in.

    Sure there are athletes who have healthy body fat % but high BMI, but those people aren't really "fat" then, right?

    Healthy means in good health. No diseases, syndromes, ailments, injuries, etc.

    A fat person can be healthy. But you are far more likely to be, and remain, healthy if you are thin and fit.
  • angieklebba
    angieklebba Posts: 3 Member
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    I call a thin, non-tone person "skinny fat." To tone, most people need to do some type of strength training. A good book for women to read on this matter is The Female Body Breakthrough by Rachel Crosgrove.
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
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    Yes, you can be healthy and fat and healthy and thin, but Fit is another factor. I want to be healthy and fit. I'm glad you have found your sweet spot. I am looking for my own.

    I disagree with the part I put in bold. I don't think you can be truly healthy if you're truly fat, because to me, being "fat" means you have too much body fat (body fat % which usually correlates pretty closely to a high BMI too), which is not a healthy condition to be in.

    Sure there are athletes who have healthy body fat % but high BMI, but those people aren't really "fat" then, right?

    Healthy means in good health. No diseases, syndromes, ailments, injuries, etc.

    A fat person can be healthy. But you are far more likely to be, and remain, healthy if you are thin and fit.
    Just because you aren't sick, doesn't mean you're healthy.

    There are 'fat' standards.

    BMI Categories:
    Underweight = <18.5
    Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
    Overweight = 25–29.9
    Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

    At 120lbs (5'2") and THIN, I've had a bmi of 25% before.

    THIN does NOT mean healthy.

    A BMI of 18.5–24.9. End of story.

    You can OTHERWISE be healthy, (not at risk of heart disease, regular BP, etc) but you are not healthy if you have a BMI of 24.9 or over.
  • GweniePoo
    GweniePoo Posts: 11
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    ok then...tell that to an anorexic
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    There are 'fat' standards.

    BMI Categories:
    Underweight = <18.5
    Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
    Overweight = 25–29.9
    Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

    At 120lbs (5'2") and THIN, I've had a bmi of 25% before.

    THIN does NOT mean healthy.

    A BMI of 18.5–24.9. End of story.

    You can OTHERWISE be healthy, (not at risk of heart disease, regular BP, etc) but you are not healthy if you have a BMI of 24.9 or over.

    Oh come on the BMI standards are so flawed as to be pretty much useless as a guide these days.

    BMI = 32 (Obese)

    arnie4.jpg
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    I think of being thin as being an appropriate weight for my height and age. When I was in my 30s that was around 120 (I'm 5'4) but now that I am in my 60s it means around 130. That gives me a size 8 where I feel happy about myself, but don't have to give up the occasional splurge dinner or dessert.
  • GweniePoo
    GweniePoo Posts: 11
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    I've gotten some good comments and help and thanks to those who were encouraging. I was surprised at those who were mean spirited kinda reminds me of High School. I'll think twice before post again. :0/
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Yes, you can be healthy and fat and healthy and thin, but Fit is another factor. I want to be healthy and fit. I'm glad you have found your sweet spot. I am looking for my own.

    I disagree with the part I put in bold. I don't think you can be truly healthy if you're truly fat, because to me, being "fat" means you have too much body fat (body fat % which usually correlates pretty closely to a high BMI too), which is not a healthy condition to be in.

    Sure there are athletes who have healthy body fat % but high BMI, but those people aren't really "fat" then, right?

    Healthy means in good health. No diseases, syndromes, ailments, injuries, etc.

    A fat person can be healthy. But you are far more likely to be, and remain, healthy if you are thin and fit.
    Just because you aren't sick, doesn't mean you're healthy.

    There are 'fat' standards.

    BMI Categories:
    Underweight = <18.5
    Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
    Overweight = 25–29.9
    Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

    At 120lbs (5'2") and THIN, I've had a bmi of 25% before.

    THIN does NOT mean healthy.

    A BMI of 18.5–24.9. End of story.

    You can OTHERWISE be healthy, (not at risk of heart disease, regular BP, etc) but you are not healthy if you have a BMI of 24.9 or over.

    That is simply not true. Look up the definition of the word healthy.

    Just as a healthy BMI is no guarantee of health, a BMI of over/under weight is no guarantee of poor health.

    Someone dying of cancer may have a healthy BMI, while someone free from disease and injury and able to run 10k and lift heavy things may have a BMI of overweight or even obese. Someone born with a congenital heart defect may have a healthy BMI, while a petite marathon runner may be in perfect health and have a BMI of underweight.

    Being overweight/obese risk factors for disease. But a risk factor is not the same thing as actually having disease.
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
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    Healthy BMI being key.

    If you're talking about overall health, then I stand by my statement.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    Healthy BMI being key.

    If you're talking about overall health, then I stand by my statement.

    Again - BMI has too many flaws as to make it anything more than a vague guide
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
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    So an individual with a very high BMI is an overall healthy individual?

    I am going to have to disagree. Though, like I said, you may be in perfect health otherwise, BMI itself is an indicator for future disease. See the research cited below:

    http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001212

    http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=664259

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/height-weight--bmi-doctors-urged-to-treat-body-mass-index-as-a-vital-sign/2012/05/12/gIQAbFbJLU_story.html

    These are few of many. Though it may not effect an individual for a short interim, it is, indeed, a sign of poor health.

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