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

sobriquet84

to deny that bone widths and densities don't differ from person to person is absolutely ridiculous. also, the term "big boned" is used to describe the size of one's frame. bone width, bone density, and size of frame is very largely a hereditary trait.

however, this has no correlation with increased body fat percentage. increased weight, yes, of course-- if you're a bigger/taller/wider person, you're gonna weigh more. but this should not be used as a reason for having a larger body fat percentage than your same height/smaller frame counterparts. and % body fat is what matters, not weight.

i am of nordic blood and i have always known myself to be "big boned". my siblings and i all are, but none of us are overweight (we're all actually considered quite slender), however, we're all on the top end of the "what you should weigh for your height" charts. call it "big blood", if you will. my father was 6'7" and a solid 280 lbs, and a VERY strong nordic blood line. he was a giant.

i'm 5'8" (and am the "shorty" of my siblings) and i have gotten down to 130 before, and i looked terrible. you could see my ribs through my back, my hip bones stuck out extremely far, my clavicle was ridiculously prominent, you could even see my sternum. i looked bony and sick, (and i was), yet i was at a weight that other women i know that are around my height either strive for, try to stay at, or even try to keep under. being at that weight for me literally made me sick, and was unsustanable for me.

when i stay at 150, i look and feel the best, and is a size 6 in jeans for me. yet, if other women i know that are my height went up to 150, it would require them to gain 20 pounds of fat and go up 2 jean sizes. people are amazed when they hear what i actually weigh. i'm currently at 154, i let myself flucuate 5 (and only 5) pounds, and use mfp as a food log when i'm trying to cut a few lbs.

bump.

incognit017

Oh my! I feel like I've incited a riot.... Honestly, I haven't even been able to read through all the comments, but thank you everyone!

To follow up on a couple of the recurring questions/comments...

My wrist bone also protrudes, and on 70% of the bracelets out there I can't even get it past my knuckles (which also protrude).... here's another one for you - i've been cracking my knuckles for more than 15 years, did that make me bigger?

I do carry my weight very well, and I've asked many people how much they think I weigh.... all are shocked at the true.... yes, I totally agree they can be paying me lip service. When guessing my weight people generally guess 175-190. No one ever guesses the truth, and if you know my family and most friends....its always brutal honesty. I am very broad, even at my current weight I have no "roll" love handles, and my hip bones clearly protrude even when standing up. After asking around, my Mom reminded me that when I was a freshman in HS, I was already wearing a size 9 - and I had very little fat (used to be a lot more athletic then I am currently!), at that point I was bony, but 150lbs. Now I can't tell you what height I was then, but freshman year is what age 14/15? My first license, age 16, has me at 5"7, so I grew another inch after that, and definitely put on some weight. I was probably in a Junior size 11/13 after finishing HS. So, ok getting to a size 10 is very possible.

Anyways, since my freshman physical...outside of dentists, and the most recent experience, 14 years later....I've never been to another doctor - thank god for my health. So, this Doctor telling me that I'm not big boned did throw me for a total loop. I know that my frame is larger than most women, and respect that bones alone cannot account for such a variation in weight, but to then have him tell me I need to be closer to 145lbs to be healthy and getting to 160 is just ok? Please....145? I'd be sick looking. Honestly I walked away just annoyed with that Doctor, and on a hunt to read about bone/frame sizes - thank you all again for the feedback!

Yes, I know and totally agree that it will be healthier in the long run if I lose some weight, and that is my goal...even if ultimately its just so I can get into some designer jeans.

louisau

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

^this

I'm 5'5", 140lbs and my wrist measurement is 6.5" - that makes me "BIG BONED"?????
I wear a size 6 pants (34 inch waist)

Echo_Dan

Im 6'4, and my dominant hand wrist is 7.5 inches. I've had my Doctor tell me Im "big boned", (not actually JUST referring to bones but general frame) so anyone saying there's no such thing as "big boned" is ill informed. Even when I slim down to the healthy range I will still be 1 to 2 stone heavier than what the guide lines tell me I should be because of my frame/"big bones". The "healthy range guidelines" are all out of whack and don't take in to account a persons frame, or if they have any muscle.

jjxxxbirmzx

i do believe you can be big boned, i have lost 37lbs and currently weigh 180lbs even at my biggest my ribs would be prominent when i lay down etc and now its even worse i am still about 30lbs away from my goal but my ribs are extremely prominent but my wrist is very slim!! maybe i have a large ribcage who knows!!!

LindseySprake

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

This ...!

ChrisRS87

My wrists have little to no fat on them - the bones are clearly visible even though I'm overweight. They measure 7" around with the tape pulled tight. I can't touch my finger to my thumb with a firm grip, even though my middle finger is 3" long (hello ladies) and from my finger tip to the bottom of my palm is 7". My shoulders are 55" around the tops. Some people genuinely are big boned.

Big bones still don't make you fat, though.

My husband just measured. My middle finger is also 3 inches, and my wrist is 6.5" (still considered "big boned" as it's more than 6 1/4 inches and I'm over 5'2''... barely). The point is that when you're fat, you generally can't wrap your fingers around your wrist, and your wrist measures larger. Once you lose weight, VOILA! Magically you aren't "big boned" anymore. I sincerely believe this is a myth.

Fat people have fat even on the pads of their feet-which is why it's not uncommon to lose 1/2 inch or so when you drop a significant amount of weight (the doctor told me this when I did, in fact, lose 1/2 inch of height).

And my point is there is no fat on my wrist, of all areas There's hardly any skin to pinch even. It aint gettin' any smaller.

You say that, but I can see fat on your wrists from here. Were there no fat they'd be more boney and the veins would be sticking through. I didn't think my wrists would get smaller but they did, and that was just going from 14% bf to 11%.

hughtwalker

I haven't caught up with this thread for a while.

So, let's see what the experts say?:

Aha! I see my collar bone is thicker than my wife's because that is how male and female skeletons compare

- BUT there is no difference in skeleton sizes?

Hmmm? Perhaps not all the butterflies are in the stomach.

Koldnomore

Having a large frame has nothing to do with being fat. This point is what is being missed by at least half the people posting here saying ..you're just fat.

Having a large frame means there is a physical limit to how small (in clothes) you can wear because your hips can't get any smaller than a certain size - some women have more narrow hips than others. Your rib cage can't get any smaller - unless you plan to have bottom ribs removed (which some have done). It has nothing to do with FAT, it's about bone structure. It's why some women don't ever need shoulder pads and look like line backers when they don't do any lifting at all and yet they are thin (this is me at 135lbs) My legs are sickly skinny, like toothpick anorexic looking thin..my hip bones stick out, like protrude as in forget getting any smaller size jeans because they will not fit over the bones that are sticking out! My rib cage is huge, my wrists are huge, and no there is no fat on them right now..and yes the veins are very obviously there - 3 huge ones and a bunch of spidery other ones.

I am fat. I don't deny this, I never have. I am not fat because I am big boned, the 2 are NOT related.. I am fat because I eat too much. The only bearing that my frame has will be to how small of clothing I can wear when I am at my goal weight, That's IT - which is what the OP originally asked before everyone went off on unrelated things.

rocuf

Big boned, small boned, x-small, medium, XL. 175#, 225#, all really don't mean much to be healthy. The thing that I am focusing on is body composition (%body fat).

flag91

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'm so glad this lady spoke up! :-) Maybe a better way to measure your progress and where you want to go is body fat percentage. I find that with weight training and things, the scale may not move but I'm still shedding fat and it provides a great way to know how far I've come with my body fat %. In the end, that's all that matters. The goal is to gain muscle, shed fat, and increase bone density. Find a good tool to measure your body fat % and focus on that.

Martina_Who

I'm 5'7 and large framed!
I also started my journey at 220lbs!
After 3months I'm down to 189lbs and am aiming for around 159lbs. Maybe even 150lbs depending on how I feel at goal!
I started off as a size UK 18 which is US 14 and am aiming for a UK size 12 which is a US size 8

I know how you feel about never feeling like your going to be small.... but you can be... if you want it that badly.
Just because you or I have a large frame does not mean that we cant be slim!

I never want to be skinny tho FYI! I find it very unhealthy and ugly....

Feel free to add me if you want, I'm on everyday and very supportive.

xox

CarmenLynn75

If there is no such thing as big bones- then why can some ladies wear a size 6 shoe while I dig to find a size 10? A person's foot size doesn't shrink with weight loss. And neither does my broad german shoulder set. Why at my lightest (sickly thin) could I still not fit a bracelet or typical watch on my wrist? YES THERE IS BIGGER BONES.

jessicalaws77

I do xray's everyday of people who have always used the excuse that they are "big-'boned", very often the largest people have the smallest frames. You're wrist measurement isn't really a great way to determine the size of your skeleton but the size of your bones doesn't determine alone how fat or skinny you are. Stop focusing on being 'big boned" or using it as an excuse, if that is the case, focus on getting to a healthy weight. My family told me I was big boned my whole life, (bc I was bigger than my siblings I guess). Reality is, I need to lose weight, so don't feel like you're in the boat alone. Eating low carb and using fitness pal to keep up with calories have both really helped me on my journey. Good luck!!

WendyTerry420

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

^this

I'm 5'5", 140lbs and my wrist measurement is 6.5" - that makes me "BIG BONED"?????
I wear a size 6 pants (34 inch waist)

Yes, it makes you big-boned (aka large-framed) Sorry.

WendyTerry420

There is such a thing as larger framed people. I wouldn't put much mind to what your doctor has to say on whether you're large framed or not. He simply doesn't want you to think it's okay to be heavier than you should. Which is true, being naturally "big boned" is not an excuse to keep weight on.

I'm also a very large framed woman. Even when I was thin, I was bigger and wider than all the other women who were my size or larger. I'm just a very big, strong person naturally. I swear, I could have been a lumberjack lol. My wrist is also 7" but it tends to shrink down to about 5 1/2 - 6" when I lose weight. But even thin, I sometimes have problems finding bracelets and watches that fit my wrists.

Bottom line is, you have to figure out what healthy size works best for you. Your body frame will always remain big but your weight will change regardless.

You say there is no such things as large-framed, then say that *you* are large-framed.

It's like the whole BMI thing. Yes, it exists, but it isn't an end-all-beat-all measurement or carry any huge significance.

mama78loosinWeight

Hi there, I am 5'9" tall and have 7" wrists. I have always considered myself to have a larger frame. God knows my family has always called me "big boned". Especially since the women in my family are barley 5" tall and itty bitty petite. Offset horribly by 6'6" tall men, and then me. When I am fit and trim at my ideal weight (140) I am a size 8-10 depending on the brand. At that weight my wrists only shrink by 1/2" or less, but the rest of me was tone muscle. However, to get to this size I worked out every day with out fail. I ran, walked, and did work out tapes. I was involved in sports, and I ate healthy. I grew to love my work outs because I saw the results. I had a six pack, and it wasn't one I bought from the store for a change!
Now after a couple kids and more than a couple injuries I am back on track to find that fit girl again. Don't let someone sell you short and tell you that you simply can't be a size 10. That isn't an unreasonable goal. It can take time and a lot of effort like any goal. But if you don't think the goal you set for yourself ( no matter what it is) is possible you won't attain it.

weight_in_vain

There is such thing as being big boned or large frame. My doctor told me that I was large framed. She made me wrap my middle finger and index fingers around my wrist. If they can't or barely touched, then you are large framed, according to her. I think it's important to recognize this, as I know I could never be the weight I'm supposed to be and be healthy. She told me not to worry about trying to achieve that exact weight and to consider other numbers, too.. I know I have to still lose a lot of weight, but we all have different body types. One size can't fit all!

Good Luck!

reneecgc

No i thought i could only get to a size 12 and if I was lucky a size 10, but now I am a size eight. I am 5'7" and I weigh 154.
Everyone thinks I am smaller. They think I weigh 130 at the most. You can do it. I am smaller than I was in HS. OH by
the way I am 45 years old. You never too late to get into shape. I started my journey at 215.8lbs and a size 16.

lornajeeves

hey.i know how you feel.as i got 3 stone to lose after having baby.but before he came along i weighed 12st 5 and was size 14-16.went jogging everyday,or gym,and got told by own doctor when i went in saying if he could help me lose half a stone,that i looked fine and if i lost anymore weight i would look ill.yes skeletons are the same but im broad and how i carry my weight and muscle he said ive got medium frame.i know ill be looking bad in face if i got into size 10-12.i had my collarbones sticking out when size 14.and on photos even my friends dont believe i look a size 14.....im happy being that size and i looked good,so go to a size that makes u look and feel comfortable.xxx

kdblunk

We are about the same size.. well I am where you started minus about 5 lbs.. I am curious.. how did you stay motivated and what did you do to loose the 38lbs? How long has it taken?
THnks so much for sharing!
Kasi

Bigaug

I saw this topic and had to break out the tape just to know. 8.5". On the scale for men when I entered 8.5" it asked, "Is this a human wrist?"

WendyTerry420

I saw this topic and had to break out the tape just to know. 8.5". On the scale for men when I entered 8.5" it asked, "Is this a human wrist?"

:laugh:

OfficiallySexyVal

I know there is a lot of controversy out there about wether or not you can be big boned! Well coming from someone that gets told all the time that I am an Amazon...lol... I believe it to be true! My doctor told me that I have a very large frame and very dense bones! My wrists are 7.5 inces with no fat on them, I find it very hard to find womens watches and bracelets that fit! I am also just over 6 foot tall!
My ultimate goal is a size 14 because I do believe my bone stucture will not allow me to get down any size smaller! I am currently and 18!

Lifties

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.

^^^ This Exactly!!!!.. What was that guy thinking I wonder??? Hmmmm

I believe the person meant that skeletons are all the same proportion. Of course he didn't mean the exact same sized skeletons. That would make us all the same height. Everybody's frame is different, and they carry a different amount of weight, but that usually means they carry about more or less muscle.

It's all about body fat %, not about absolute weight. That is the measure of where you should be, regardless of lean muscle mass or "big bones". I have never seen a "big boned" person that didn't need to lose some body fat. IMHO it is just a way people rationalize being over weight.

When I was a kid, the term for big people was "husky". I guess "big boned" is the euphemism now.

banks89202

Larger frame but no such thing as big boned lol

llkilgore

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.

^^^ This Exactly!!!!.. What was that guy thinking I wonder??? Hmmmm

I believe the person meant that skeletons are all the same proportion. Of course he didn't mean the exact same sized skeletons. That would make us all the same height. Everybody's frame is different, and they carry a different amount of weight, but that usually means they carry about more or less muscle.

It's all about body fat %, not about absolute weight. That is the measure of where you should be, regardless of lean muscle mass or "big bones". I have never seen a "big boned" person that didn't need to lose some body fat. IMHO it is just a way people rationalize being over weight.

When I was a kid, the term for big people was "husky". I guess "big boned" is the euphemism now.

Skeletons aren't all the same proportion either. For a given height you can have a long back or a short back, wide hips or narrow hips, wide shoulders or narrow shoulders, large feet or small feet, etc. etc. Any of that can influence an individual's ideal weight and/or clothing size. None of them are any excuse for being fat, though.

Silverkittycat

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.

^^^ This Exactly!!!!.. What was that guy thinking I wonder??? Hmmmm

I believe the person meant that skeletons are all the same proportion. Of course he didn't mean the exact same sized skeletons. That would make us all the same height. Everybody's frame is different, and they carry a different amount of weight, but that usually means they carry about more or less muscle.

It's all about body fat %, not about absolute weight. That is the measure of where you should be, regardless of lean muscle mass or "big bones". I have never seen a "big boned" person that didn't need to lose some body fat. IMHO it is just a way people rationalize being over weight.

When I was a kid, the term for big people was "husky". I guess "big boned" is the euphemism now.

Skeletons aren't all the same proportion either. For a given height you can have a long back or a short back, wide hips or narrow hips, wide shoulders or narrow large feet or small feet, etc. etc.

Exactly.

purplecharm

I don't understand why people don't understand that large frames aka big bones exist and that having big bones is not the same as being fat. There are plenty of small framed people that are fat, obese and morbidly obese, just as there are large framed people that are fat, obese, and morbidly obese. i used to work with a morbidly obese lady and I could tell that she had a small frame underneath all her fat because she had small wrist, small feet, very narrow shoulders and a small head.

My 11 year old daughter is already 5'10 and weighs between 125-130 lbs BUT she has a large frame. Her shoulders are broad and she wears a size 12 women's shoe.I measured her wrist and it measured 6.5 inches. I don't know if she has stopped growing yet, but it's obvious that she is not fat but yet she has a large frame which she took after me.

I have a large from and although I am only 5'8 I wear a size 13 women's shoe. My wrist measures 7 inches(no fat on my wrist), I can't wear once size fits all hats because my head is larger than average and I have extremely broad shoulders. I took after my father, who also has a large frame with broad shoulder

My mother on the other hand has a wrist so small that she has to have additional holes added to her watches because her frame is small.

crazytreelady

People do have different frame sizes. I have a disproportionate rib cage and hand-size for instance. I found this out when I broke a rib when I was younger.

Your hand length will not shrink when you lose weight. I just have very large hands for my height.