Too Skinny!

shmoony

I am a 5'10" male and weigh about 150 down from 180ish. I have at least one person tell me a day that I shouldn't lose any more weight and that I shouldn't get "too skinny". What the hell does that mean anyway?! I am at around 15.5% body fat with about 125 pounds of lean body mass. My blood pressure is perfect, and I eat a very healthy 2000 calories maintanance diet of delicious food. I work out 3 times a week with weights and treadmill. I am certainly not a bean pole and I can even pinch an inch here and there.
I think what has happened in our society is that being mildly obese has become the new norm, and when someone is actually lean and in shape, they are perceived as obsessive. This is a sad commentary in an age where obesity is the number one killer. In many other countries I would be looked at as totally normal, if not chubby. Has anyone else out there gotten to a lean weight and experienced the same kind of reaction?
By the way, it's almost always overweight people that make the comments.

jynxxxed

I haven't gotten this comment personally (still too much weight to lose) but I hear it all the time towards other people. It's just as offensive as telling somebody they're too fat, yet it's still socially acceptable. If somebody ever says this to me I'm going to comment on their weight immediately afterwards to make them just as uncomfortable.

shmoony

That's a good idea. I'm going save up a good one for my mother, who pretty much says something every time see her

Smurfette1987

Yes! I get this! Especially from family. I really hate the suggestions that I "should be eating pies/biscuits/cake" etc it's almost like if you are in a healthy weight range you should give up looking after yourself. Exercise is seen solely as something to do to lose weight by lots of people so to them the idea that I would go to the gym or eat well to make me better at sports, or feel better makes no sense, because if I don't need to lose weight why do sports at all let alone try to be better at them? So I give up.
I read somewhere that if you are confident in your food and lifestyle choices and assert them confidently people won't question them. Really not got the hang of it haha.

Colbyandsage

I have gotten this a few times. I am 5'3 and 130 lbs so not by any means skinny. I admit that I have a good BF% around 21% but I AM NOT SKINNY!

I think the reason that I get this is that I work from my remote office so when I see coworkers that haven't seen me in awhile they think this. I just say "thank you!" and smile. I know that I could kick their *kitten* in running or pretty much any physical activity so I try not to let it bother me.

jordanlell

I think it's generally most people's way of trying to reassure you that you look good. It's not necessarily their fault, there has been sort of a hyper-awareness of eating disorders, so people tend to think that if someone who is already fairly fit is trying to lose weight, or shows concern about their weight at all, they MUST be on the verge of serious ED. That's NOT to say that EDs are not something to be concerned with, they do happen and need to be addressed, but the awareness has caused this kind of attitude towards weight loss/maintenance that you have described as a side effect.

OR they're just jealous.

estepteau

It s about how you feel about yourself! When some people found out my goal weight of 110lbs they were worried. Keep in mind I am 5"3 and 110lbs looks great on me! Plus I have muscles which bulks me up a little more. I am sometimes told I am skinny from family members. I have not yet been told I'm too skinny from another person around my size. Its all about perception and preference.

tsegears

Some years ago, when I lost a desired amount of weight, I heard those dreaded words, "you are getting to thin." Psychologically, I began to think and feel as if I was to thin, so I gradually put the weight back on. Now, some twenty years later, I am struggling to get the weight back off. Now, I'm older and hormonial, so I don't seem to be able to get the weight off as easily and I have difficultly stating consistent, and I make up excuses to not exercise, so don't let anyone discourage you. Stay your course. You are doing great!


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jessicayoung82

I get it all the time and most of the time when I do tell someone what I weigh, they don't believe me. When I get asked why I continue to workout and I answer to get in better shape, I get comments that I don't need to be any skinnier. I responde with, I know thats why I am not trying to loose weight. They are two totally different things.

shelleyspots

How funny people are! I was just experiencing this same thing--and I just broke below 200! I've lost 62 pounds now, and people say things like "how far are you going?" and "are you at your goal now?" or "you look great the way you are!" Seriously, I weigh 198, 5 foot 7". I am very muscular and look pretty good in size 14 now, but still, I should be around 160 at the most. I think someone hit it when they said that obesity is the norm now, so people have lost their sense of what fit should look like. I'm going to keep working until I'm where I think I should be. Keep going everyone!

Hopelessone

OMG I can't wait to hear those words! Sorry, just saying

amonkey794

I absolutely agree with you!!

angiechimpanzee

I think what has happened in our society is that being mildly obese has become the new norm, and when someone is actually lean and in shape, they are perceived as obsessive.

This is completely true. In places like France, Japan, Sweden, it's normal for people to be thin. Unfortunately gluttony is the norm in America. If you care about your health & what you eat, you're seen as "obsessed" and people tell you stuff like "have some cake! have a burger! live a little!" as if stuffing your face with artery-clogging fats and diabetes-causing sugars on a daily basis equates to a good life. Sigh.

All I can say is, ignore them, they're jealous of the fact that you're smart & determined enough to care for your health. They wish they could become slim & in shape too but they know they lack the self control.

Yunnieh

I really hate this too.
Whenever I go running, my family is like '' Why are you running?'' And the right question should be to them '' Why aren't YOU running?'' It's healthy and you should exercise even if you don't want to lose weight. Besides is 20% exercise 80% diet. I run because I feel good about it and there's nothing wrong with me doing that, they just look at me like i'm crazy because i run everyday. bull****.

Lake_Po

I don't like when people tell me "You just won't look right" or "Don't get too skinny, you're so pretty now, you'll look sick" or "I like girls who have some meat on their bones" (implying that I won't be beautiful anymore if I lose weight). It's very disheartening. It makes me feel uncomfortable since I do care what people think about me and the way I look (I'm in the fashion/beauty industry so it matters!). I'm unhealthy being overweight like I am. stupid people...

mjchartrand

Something i have noticed - as we get older and lose weight our looks change dramatically - sometimes not always in an appealing way - it makes us look older as we have skin around our eyes, neck etc. that shows our age. Don't know the age of the op but i keep this in mind as I lose some weight - losing weight changes how we look - not like when we were 20

slrrese

I agree with the OP about people thinking overweight is the norm. My Mom tells me she is worried and that I am too skinny all the time!! I just tell her that I am maintaining my weight and just toning up, which I am right now. I may decide to lose another 5-10lbs after the first of the year but I will never tell her that!!

dtucker3800

I agree with you about people feeling it's okay to tell you that you're too skinny when they would never tell you that you were too fat. Why would one be any more socially correct than the other? Recently I went to the doctor and the nurse who had never seen me before said 'ah... you so skinny'. I am pretty sure she would not have said 'you so fat' if I hadn't lost the weight.

Easywider

Hmm..I dunno man. 5'10, 150 is rather skinny. I think what whoever meant was..You simply don't have the 'real estate' to continue cutting. You should focus predominantly on gaining lean mass.

sillybeachgirl

you should reply with with, why don't you workout? It's awesome, healthy and you will live way longer than that person. That is the dumbest thing I have ever herd in my entire life. People are jealous and when they see someone else being healthy and they aren't they need to bring that other person down.

WendyTerry420

To me, too skinny is when you don't have muscles and your bones protrude through your skin. It's when someone looks like they just stepped out of a Nazi death camp. For a guy, 15% body fat is good, but I would be surprised if you are "too skinny" if you went down to around 10% or even a little less. I think they are just used to seeing you with more fat than you have now. Don't worry about others. So long as you don't go under 6-7% BF, then it's probably unlikely that you will look too skinny. (Unless you have virtually no muscle mass, in which case you can solve that with weight lifting. :laugh: )

Ge0rgiana

Sweetheart, if you feel like you're healthy and look healthy and your woman thinks you're sexy, that's all that matters. More power to you. :flowerforyou:

erickirb

Wow, that is a very low LBM for that height. I am 5'6" with LBM of about 130lbs (and I'm not jacked). You would be classes as underweight at that height and weight (with a relatively high BF% would classify you "skinny fat"). I suggest eating slightly above maintenance and lift heavy to add some LBM, then cut the fat once you increase your LBM to a point that you are happy with.

gjulie

just jumpin in here,Im 5 2 and years ago I was 136 lbs I was a member of unislim at the time and I was told if I lost anymore my membership would be suspended!i never went back and regaind all my weight!
It s about how you feel about yourself! When some people found out my goal weight of 110lbs they were worried. Keep in mind I am 5"3 and 110lbs looks great on me! Plus I have muscles which bulks me up a little more. I am sometimes told I am skinny from family members. I have not yet been told I'm too skinny from another person around my size. Its all about perception and preference.

quietasariot

Yes, I have gotten it - from my family mostly, the older ladies are worried I will wither away and that I'm not eating. I tell them I eat a LOT but somehow they just don't believe me .

It's common, yes, and as long as you feel good about you and you are taking care of yourself by eating enough and eating right, and exercising, then you aren't doing a darn thing wrong!!!

bowser625

I think what has happened in our society is that being mildly obese has become the new norm, and when someone is actually lean and in shape, they are perceived as obsessive. This is a sad commentary in an age where obesity is the number one killer. In many other countries I would be looked at as totally normal, if not chubby. Has anyone else out there gotten to a lean weight and experienced the same kind of reaction?
By the way, it's almost always overweight people that make the comments.

YES! I get this several times a week and I am in NO way a bean pole. 5'7'' 145 lbs. I have curves. I did lose 25 pounds since the late summer so maybe that's why people are saying stuff to me, but I definitely am BARELY over the healthy BMI range. According to BMI, I could go as low at 127 lb., which is waaaay too small for my frame IMO.

Haven't they looked through pictures of people who grew up in the 30/40s? MOST people were thin. NOWADAYS, most people in my family/friends pictures are overweight. Sad but true...

And it's always people who are struggling with their weight who say stuff to me. "You look great but don't lose anymore!"

So to turn it around sometimes (depending on how well I know them), I'll tell them how I lost the weight. Simple tracking of calories on MFP and exercising at least 5 days a week. It's all about portion control and keeping yourself accountable for what you put in your mouth.

I'm getting healthy. Period.

heddylyn

Just keep doing what makes you happy. I agree that being overweight or obese is the new normal especially in the US so when you're fit and healthy you stand out more and people that don't take care of themselves dismiss all your efforts and tell you you're too skinny. I get told this quite often. I am in the best shape of my life and I'm able to eat like crazy since I exercise so much and it feels great! I know I'm healthy. My body fat percentage is around 22 (I'm a 37 year old female) and I'm not doing unhealthy things to maintain. My husband has lost 40 pounds since February and the receptionist at his work told him that he's starting to look like a cancer patient. Uhhhhh...... thanks?!? Some people are just clueless. It's frustrating that it's perfectly acceptable to tell people they're "too skinny" but the second you turn around and comment on people's obesity you're seen as rude and out of line. The double standard drives me crazy.

Mustlovepugs11

I agree with easywider...My husband is 5'10 - 5'11 and he is currently 167 I believe. I tell him all the time not to lose too much more weight because he feels too skinny. I couldn't image what he would be like at 150. I know his goal was to lose the weight and then add more muscle.

trailblazer888

I hear this quite often from co-workers and my family especially when I haven't seen them in awhile. I still have 30lbs to lose, and am slowly working my way there. It is difficult when people are constantly commenting on what your eating, or trying to give you advice as they sit there stuffing their face with chips/pizza etc.I have a co-worker who jokes that I used to be to fat to fit through the door at work.He always harrasses me now telling me I need to eat because Im getting to skinny and soon I'll look sick.
He wonders why I tell him off :P he comments on me having an attitude now that I've lost weight. People can be crazy sometimes. I apologize that kind of turned into a rant. I refuse to talk to unsupportive people about my weightloss/fitness goals, maybe that is something you could do?
I feel if your are being healthy about your weightloss and your goal weight is inline with your height forget people sometimes they are just jealous you are accomplishing something they can't.

TAnne123

I totally agree: moderate obesity is the norm, and a healthy weight looks "too thin" in our backward society. It's sad... and, as a woman, inconvenient! I'm average/thin and have to shop in the children's or junior's section, depending on the store. The expensive stores (with 00's) have a plethora of big sizes (like 6-12), but finding a 0 that fits is hard, and 00 are very limited. If I'm a 00, what would a very thin person wear?!? It's very hard to buy work clothes that fit ! That's my #1 complaint of being at a healthy weight in America. But it was worse in Europe because everyone was just.. big! Not fat- but big. The women towered over me! children's section to the rescue!
We're a dying breed, my friend! :yawn:

MariaLivingFit

I just got the same comment over the weekend, and I completely agree with you!

I haven't even lost any pounds - I've lost fat and gained muscle, but the scale has stayed the same.