No really... I AM big boned..?

incognit017

Looking for some motivation!

Anyone else out there have a large frame and able to share their story? I'm 5'8 and 220... generally wear a size 16. I was at a Doctor's office the other day and he told me I was NOT big boned, and that he's seen much bigger - he's kinda given me a complex now! So I went and looked online to see how I can judge this myself and the circumference of my wrist is 7"....and according to everything I read that's big boned! I am very broad and carry weight all over, anyways I'm trying to lose weight, and I really wish I can get down to a size 10, is this even possible? I don't even remember a time that I wore something outside of a size 14. About 3 years ago I dropped down to 180, and I was wearing a size 14 - and this was a healthy look for me.

Am I deluding myself into thinking my frame will prevent me from going down to a size 10?

If anyone has got some stories, please share! Thanks!

gaiareeves

You may or may not be big-boned, really you won't know for sure until you are in the healthy weight range for your height. If you've overweight, than can actually effect the measurement of your wrist.

I'm 5'3.5", 127lbs and my wrist measurement is 6" - that makes me medium framed.

However when I was overweight at 165lbs, my wrist measurement was 6.5" - large framed.

verptwerp

Why worry about a particular size ?

If you think you need to lose weight, then lose it ......

Best of luck to you :drinker:

Carolyn_79

I did the wrist measurement thing and I was right smack in the middle of medium/large and I'm an 8/10. I'm 5'6 and 156 pounds right now. I agree your measurement could go down once you lose.

neverstray

Skeletons are all about the same size. No such thing as "big boned". Lol.

Koldnomore

5'6, currently 204. My wrist is BONEY (I have no fat on it at all so it wont get smaller unless somehow I lose skin) its over 7inches. I am big boned and I have BEEN size 10 so yes, it is possible. At my smallest (135 and sickly looking) I was a size 6/7. My goal will be 8/10 at about 145.

amez1974

I am also 5'8", started at 242 and I looked "big boned." However before I had kids I weighed around 135, so I knew my bones weren't that big Now I'm at 168 and wearing an 8/10, so yes I definitely think you can reach that goal. HTH and just keep on working toward losing weight. I'm still not completely sure what my final weight or size will be. I will know when I get there!

_stephanie0

i do not want this to sound rude. i used to think i was big boned. since then ive lost weight and seen a few fitness models post this on facebook.

CrueChix

Skeletons are all about the same size. No such thing as "big boned". Lol.

I agree!!! Big boned is nothing but bull**** that big people use as an excuse to be big. I know, used that same excuse myself for years!

redredy9

I have a 7 inch wrist too. I am 5'5 and now weigh 160# When I was a size 12 I thought a size 8 would be my goal. Now that I am in size 8 skirts (10 in pants and dresses) I know that I can get down to a 6 and still look healthy.

I think setting a preliminary goal and then re-evaluating when you get closer is a good idea. A smaller initial goal will also help keep you motivated.

I have a larger frame so I will weigh more than most other women wearing the same size 6 skirt but I that means I'll also have a higher BMR!! muahahahahaha!

beckajw

Looking for some motivation!

Anyone else out there have a large frame and able to share their story? I'm 5'8 and 220... generally wear a size 16. I was at a Doctor's office the other day and he told me I was NOT big boned, and that he's seen much bigger - he's kinda given me a complex now! So I went and looked online to see how I can judge this myself and the circumference of my wrist is 7"....and according to everything I read that's big boned! I am very broad and carry weight all over, anyways I'm trying to lose weight, and I really wish I can get down to a size 10, is this even possible? I don't even remember a time that I wore something outside of a size 14. About 3 years ago I dropped down to 180, and I was wearing a size 14 - and this was a healthy look for me.

Am I deluding myself into thinking my frame will prevent me from going down to a size 10?

If anyone has got some stories, please share! Thanks!

Your frame will probably not prevent you from being a size 10. If you lose enough weight, you could be a 6 or less.

However, don't shoot for a size like. Aim to be healthy. If 180 and size 14 was healthy, that seems like a more realistic goal.

Your health is more important than your dress size.

Koldnomore

If people have EXACTLY THE SAME skeletons then how is it possible to identify male from female when fossils are discovered from ancient cultures?

Why are some women to 'narrow' for childbirth if the skeletons are EXACTLY the same? is the fat making their hips closer together?

If all skeletons are the same please explain Osteoporosis and the other skeletal disorders. By this thinking then it would be impossible to have any differences in structure at all.

Here's one from the American Journal of clinical nutrition : http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/6/1012.long which discusses frame sizes.

It is utterly ridiculous to say that everyone has the same size of skeleton.

ebony__

If people have EXACTLY THE SAME skeletons then how is it possible to identify male from female when fossils are discovered from ancient cultures?

Why are some women to 'narrow' for childbirth if the skeletons are EXACTLY the same? is the fat making their hips closer together?

If all skeletons are the same please explain Osteoporosis and the other skeletal disorders. By this thinking then it would be impossible to have any differences in structure at all.

Here's one from the American Journal of clinical nutrition : http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/6/1012.long which discusses frame sizes.

It is utterly ridiculous to say that everyone has the same size of skeleton.

I don't think any one in this post has said everyone has 'exactly' the same size skeleton lol

kellison89

Skeletons do have differences, but this is something I wouldn't concern myself with if I were you. Focus on being healthy. When you lose weight your body will change and you'll notice when you feel the best for whatever frame you have.

Mima79

i do not want this to sound rude. i used to think i was big boned. since then ive lost weight and seen a few fitness models post this on facebook.

There is tremendous variation in size and shape of human bones (some more so than others). For example, if you exercise a lot, many microscopic cracks will form in your bones and bone cells will grow into the cracks to repair them. As a result, someone who exercises a lot will have much thicker bone than someone who does not exercise. Diet, diseases, parasites, evolutionary responses to temperature and many other factors also influence the dimensions of human bones.
It is true that the sizes of bones in a population will cluster around certain average values. This is because some aspects of bone growth are under fairly strong genetic control. But any such values are statistical approximations, not fixed limits of bone dimensions.
What the doctor have meant to say is that one cannot blame obesity on a person being "big boned". Bones simply do not make up that much of one's weight to tip the scale, as it were, between normal weight and obseity.

at the end of the day if you challenge yourself for a healthy life you will notice that you are not "big boned" you were just out of shape

sarahmichelle876

I'm a physical anthropologist, and there IS such thing as big boned. No bones are the same size. Your ancestry plays a large part it it. It doesn't make a huge difference, but it's not irrelevant either. Now to say its an excuse for 50+ pounds is just crazy. But it can make things like wrists and ankles appear larger. It doesn't effect weight except by the smallest fraction. But a lot of things can change how you appear. Like a girl I went to school with was 5'7, 115 pounds and wore a size 6-8 depending on the brand because her hips were wide. She wasn't big boned, but her hip bones were spread apart farther.

jeolds

It is not a myth. I have met people that have a decisively smaller tibia than mine on numerous occasions.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/17182.htm

People vary in ratios of bone lengths, circumferences, etc. My scale estimates bone mass, and that can vary since it can change in density, mostly affected by strength training and age.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/225710-how-to-measure-muscle-bone-mass/


We'll see if I have the code right for links.

julieh391

I have chronic pain in my pelvis above my hip joints, and after having x-rays and CT scans to figure out what's wrong my doctor told me I just "have an abnormally large pelvis." Ugh. Thanks, Doc. So I actually am "big boned." But is sure isn't an excuse to stay the size 14 that I am now (or 18 that I was a few months ago.) I'm shooting for a size 10 and 150ish pounds at 5'7".

Edited to add "big" can mean a lot of things. In my case it means my pelvis is wide (hooray for easy childbirth!) not necessarily dense or thicker.

jeolds

I'm a physical anthropologist, and there IS such thing as big boned. No bones are the same size. Your ancestry play a large part it it. It doesn't make a huge difference, but it's not irrelevant either.

^^^^ See, empirical evidence. Isn't science (actual science) a wonderful thing?

SmexAppeal

i do not want this to sound rude. i used to think i was big boned. since then ive lost weight and seen a few fitness models post this on facebook.

You beat me to it lol. I was just about to post this. Wrist size is irrelevant. Fat is all over your body, even around your wrists and ankles. Don't let that get you down though. Actually, find encouragement that "big-boned" is a false theory, because that means you can lose it. Stay on this site, stay motivated and just DO IT!!!!!
We're all here for you

gaiareeves

No one said that everyone's skeleton is exactly the same.

It's more a case that no one is so 'big boned' that they are naturally fat. The weight range for large boned people is higher than it is for smaller boned people, but it's still in the healthy range.

It's an argument I used a lot at one point. "I'm big boned, I'll never weigh less than 147lbs, I'm just not built to."

I'm now 127 and my frame isn't actually that big at all.

ebony__

I'm a physical anthropologist, and there IS such thing as big boned. No bones are the same size. Your ancestry plays a large part it it. It doesn't make a huge difference, but it's not irrelevant either. Now to say its an excuse for 50+ pounds is just crazy. But it can make things like wrists and ankles appear larger. It doesn't effect weight except by the smallest fraction. But a lot of things can change how you appear. Like a girl I went to school with was 5'7, 115 pounds and wore a size 6-8 depending on the brand because her hips were wide. She wasn't big boned, but her hip bones were spread apart farther.

I like this.
It definitely seems like my ASIS sit slightly wider since childbirth

castadiva

Please ignore the numpties here who are saying that variation in frame size is a myth. As SarahMichelle says, bone size itself is variable, and more to the point, the way those bones are put together and the relative proportions are highly variable, and can make a big difference to how your body looks.

Whether or not you will ever be able to wear a size 10 will depend in large part on your frame. I'm a similar height to you, with a larger-than-average frame (probably due to my Scandinavian/Scottish Highlander ancestry), and think it is unlikely, simply because of the depth of my ribcage and width of my pelvic bones, that I will ever be smaller than a small UK size 14, no matter how much weight I lose. That doesn't mean that you won't ever be able to achieve a smaller size, or that you shouldn't aim for whatever size you wish, but try not to get too hung up on it. Your body will look 'right' at one point or other, and how many pounds, or what clothing size that is, will essentially be irrelevant, unless you allow it to be the be-all and end-all.

By the way, as a further point of reference, at 203lbs, UK 16-18, I have a clean jaw-line, visible, defined collar bones, defined tendons in my hands and feet, and no excess flesh on my wrists, ankles and lower arms/legs. My goal-weight is 176lbs, and I'll then re-assess, but I think it's unlikely I'll want to lose much more from my sturdy frame. Strong and toned is my aim.

Arilysal

Agree, i dont buy into the big bone excuse as well eventhough i've been told for YEARS that i am naturally big bone and will never ever be as skinny as my younger sister. I tend to carry my weight in my hips and shoulder so not only i look "fertile" i also looked like someone who can carry 3 rugsacks of rice. LOL. but i've manage to slim down and lose the thick shoulders and watching my younger sister growing more mature and carrying weight in her hips kinda relieved me a little (god im evil XD)

Don't limit yourself to squeezing into a size zero if it just makes you look like a giant skeleton and scary. Focus on what you look best despite not being a size 10. Focus on loving yourself and your healthy glow!

jfrankic

Don't stress about frame size. Yes, there are small, medium and large frames but one of the best factors, in my NON expert opinion, to use to determine health is body fat %. You can be within your healthy weight range for your size and still be unhealthy because you are 40% bf. Or you can be 20 pounds over your recommended weight but be fit and healthy because you are 25% body fat.

I am medium frame but I have a more muscular build. At my "healthy" recommended weight, I would be at 16% body fat. But at 20 pounds over my healthy weight, according to the charts, I am a healthy 25% body fat. So frame doesn't really matter, as I'm trying to be the best and healthiest me I can be. Heck, I'm 30 pounds over my chart weight and I'm a healthy/acceptable bf%. At 25% bf, I should be in size 10. I'm also 5'8, for reference.

Bottom line...... get healthy! Stay healthy! Love yourself! It sounds like you carry your weight very well but it might not be a frame issue. It could just be how your body stores fat. Be healthy and just roll with it. Best of success to you!

714rah714

So what you are saying is that there's no difference in body frame between say your typical basketball player and an NFL linebacker, none, none whatsoever..

kristen6022

I always used to say I was "big boned". Until I tested that theory and realize I was really medium framed. I also always thought I'd never get below a size 10 in my adult life. I'm now a 4/6, 5'11 and 147lbs. It is possible. Blaming your frame size is just another excuse we use to stay larger.

Keep up the great work!

126siany

Looking for some motivation!

Anyone else out there have a large frame and able to share their story? I'm 5'8 and 220... generally wear a size 16. I was at a Doctor's office the other day and he told me I was NOT big boned, and that he's seen much bigger - he's kinda given me a complex now! So I went and looked online to see how I can judge this myself and the circumference of my wrist is 7"....and according to everything I read that's big boned! I am very broad and carry weight all over, anyways I'm trying to lose weight, and I really wish I can get down to a size 10, is this even possible? I don't even remember a time that I wore something outside of a size 14. About 3 years ago I dropped down to 180, and I was wearing a size 14 - and this was a healthy look for me.

Am I deluding myself into thinking my frame will prevent me from going down to a size 10?

If anyone has got some stories, please share! Thanks!

I think you are kidding yourself a little, yes. I'm 5'7" and the wrist on my dominant hand is 6.5". I do not consider myself "big boned".

Yes, you can get down to a size 10. I'm still 12 pounds over my goal weight and am wearing my sizes 6 and 8 clothes. When those 12 are gone I'll be back in my 4s and 6s.

firstsip

"Bone" is relative, I have a 6' inch at 5'6", roughly 158 lbs, and I'm considered small framed, and people have often told me I'm "small boned" as long as I can remember. But when I was the same height and dealing with anorexia, at roughly 95 lbs, my hips were still big enough where a size 5/7 jeans was as small as I could go.

I was "small boned," but my hip bones were wide enough not to make a difference

So bone 'thickness" could be something, as my sister has thick wrists and is generally stocky though she's a healthy weight. I think there' something to "small boned" versus "big boned" on HOW you show your healthy weight--not an excuse to be overweight.

For instance, two people with different "frames" at the same weight and height are going to look different.

Curvimami

5'6, currently 204. My wrist is BONEY (I have no fat on it at all so it wont get smaller unless somehow I lose skin) its over 7inches. I am big boned and I have BEEN size 10 so yes, it is possible. At my smallest (135 and sickly looking) I was a size 6/7. My goal will be 8/10 at about 145.

Ditto. Except my goal is 160 and that puts me at about a size 10 and some 8s depending on brand. Its amazing and so beautiful to me how people are built and shaped so differently.

Faye_Anderson

Skeletons are all about the same size. No such thing as "big boned". Lol.

So why am I 5ft4 and my husband is 6ft 3? :laugh: