Too Skinny!

miche_smash

Yup, I've been surprised lately with the comments that I am 'small.' I'm still slightly overweight! I think we have become way too accustomed to overweight being normal. It's very sad to me...

Angie__1MR

My husband lost a significant amount of weight. He went from 280 pounds down to 160 pounds. He's 6'1", and has a very large build. Over the past few years, he's gotten into bodybuilding, and has gotten his weight up to 220 pounds - 8% body fat. As he was losing weight, I thought he looked great, and he thought he looked great. Now, when we look back at photos of him at his lightest, he did look very skinny, unheathfully so, we didn't see it at the time. I think it's very, very difficult to look at yourself, and for your significant other to look at you, on a daily basis and see the true changes your body is making. Once you get going on a diet, it feels so great to lose weight, especially when you were uncomfortable before.

I do think people can be very insensitive however, as a society, we just aren't used to seeing people that are lean anymore...it's a sad, sad state.

bananapancakebella

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:

Since when is a size 6 "big" ? I feel a little bit more understanding seeing that you're 5'2", but for those of us who are naturally "big" like you say (I'm 5'7" and wear a size 4, which to you I'm guessing is giant sized), can be very healthy, even slim, at the sizes you stated were "big." I know that finding petite sizes can be difficult, I just wish you had expressed this frustration without making taller folks feel like freaks.

mizzie1980

Yeah, I got that when i was losing before. I got down to 152 and was getting a lot of comments from family about "getting too skinny". The thing is, according to my BMI, I was still in the "overweight" category. Just barely, but still. When I'd comment that I needed to lose at least 5 more pounds and ideally wanted to lost 10-15 more, they would start exchanging worried glances. *sigh* At 5'5", 135 is exactly in the middle of the healthy weight range.

I think it has a lot to do with how our family is used to seeing us. I looked much skinnier to them than a 150 pound woman that they didn't know, because they had spent the last 8 years seeing me at 220, if that makes sense.

Casandra1029

oh yes. I am latina so its the norm to have a little extra in the back (which i don't mind). i am 5'6" and am 173. My ideal is about 150 and when i say that people have the nerve to look at me like i'm bulimic or something...People i'm only 5'6" its too much weight on my knees. Just think no one called me fat when i was walking around at 235...... now that's saddddd:frown:

kschr201

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****.

EXACTLY. I get from my family "haven't you already lost the weight?". So I can only run when I'm overweight? now that makes no sense.

ltl_leah

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.

My husband gets the same comments. He's about 5'9" and about 152#, lean with decent muscle size. He's about 12% BF with a little to pinch. My sister saw him recently and asked if he was alright because she thought there was something wrong with him. She thought he was sick because he looked "so skinny". I actually think he looks normal for his height and frame. He's has a smaller frame and I can understand how society thinks it looks strange when someone is at a healthy weight.

lilmisfit

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****.

EXACTLY. I get from my family "haven't you already lost the weight?". So I can only run when I'm overweight? now that makes no sense.

Yep, I get that comment from a coworker a lot - "Are you still working out". Um, yes...just because I'm at my goal weight doesn't mean I don't want to continue strengthening my body. Ridiculous, I tell ya!

naculp

My family is the same way. However, I'm not convinced that I'm borderline "too skinny" at 198 pounds. I think I could stand to lose 20 more and still be normal-looking, but coming from a background of weighing 300+ I think is what they all reference against.

I'm happy with where I am now, and I'd be happy 8 pounds lighter too. I'd mostly be happy with the loose stomach skin going away! That's about the only thing I don't have much more patience with

namluv

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:

Since when is a size 6 "big" ? I feel a little bit more understanding seeing that you're 5'2", but for those of us who are naturally "big" like you say (I'm 5'7" and wear a size 4, which to you I'm guessing is giant sized), can be very healthy, even slim, at the sizes you stated were "big." I know that finding petite sizes can be difficult, I just wish you had expressed this frustration without making taller folks feel like freaks.

ditto bananapancake. I feel like I should be a freaking giant whale right now at 5'9" and size 12 ... but no one I talk to believes I need to lose any weight. Definitely has to do with societal norms. Also questioning why this 5'2' woman has on her profile she wants to be 92 lb when the standard female weight chart for a small framed person lists the low weight at 108 lb.

UpsideMeagan

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.

Agreed 100%

StinkyWinkies

While in school years ago I 'got up to' 180, when I left I started dropping wt like mad...the only comment I ever got was "are you eating?" The only person to ever tell me I was "too skinny" was my step-dad seeing me in a bikini at 110#'s...I was 18 at the time. (this was after spending years of my childhood telling me how fat and ugly I was...and I wasn't fat at all)

From my own experience, I know just looking at someone can be deceiving, my last LTR was ~6' weighed ~170ish and I thought he was 'skinny' until thru circumstances too long to get into here, he was forced to wear one of my sweat shirts...which I wore extremely baggy...they were very snug across his chest and 2 inches too short on his arms...I stopped seeing him as "skinny" after that. He was a runner and a mild (if there is such a thing) weight lifter.

iAMsmiling

I feel really bad for you...ok, not really.

I agree with someone earlier. They're just trying to re-assure you that you are in a good place.

justmyalias

5'10" and 150 lbs just sounds thin.

I have a friend that has been REALLY into P90X - and he is ripped and very lean (in posed shirtless pics) but assuming very healthy.
But in regular (clothes) pics, he looks so very gaunt and tired - and I would say my first impression would be that he looks unhealthy and sick... : /

princessquitealot

I recently visited a girlfriend who spent the entire week trying to make me eat more. She had me try on her string bean 10 year olds next size up school jeans and I felt so ashamed and confused and terrified that I had crossed over into chasing non existant pounds that I had a mini meltdown. I am on the lean side and not finished yet but I am NOT too skinny as my compadres here and my family have informed me. All the comments I have received have been unsolicited. One friend went so far as to suggest that I have worms. Again I turned to mfp for confirmation that I wasn't out of control. I wouldn't dream of telling anyone (true or not) that they're too fat so why do others feel the need to comment other than 'you look healthy'? I don't get it either. What I get is that with patience I will reach my goal, and NEVER go back.

NocturnalGirl

Yeah people tell me I'm slim/skinny but I just think that the world is so fat, everyone's views are skewed.

joannathechef

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.

My hubby is 6' 7" and 185 - he look great slim hipped (32') wide shoulders but he is slim for his height.

People come in different 'types' so it may be OK

keem88

i know where you are coming from. people will tell me "you are so small." no, you are just fat. (sorry if that is harsh or mean, just had to get that out there). but i think being overweight has become more of the norm these days, it's sad

shmoony

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.

I'm just going by what my digital scale tells me. I'm not sure how accurate the BF% and LBM is on it, but I bought a set of calipers, and I'm trying to figure out how to use them accurately. I have a six pack (ok maybe a 4 pack). I am not jacked, but I do have relatively big muscles compared to someone who doesn't lift weights. I think I just have a small frame. Either way, I am working on gaining lean muscle mass, but losing fat is a lot easier than gaining muscle. Losing fat is just a numbers game, eat less than you burn. Gaining lean mass requires more trial and error, more research, and more guess work as to how much to eat in order to gain muscle instead of fat based on how much you lift. Any suggestions would be great.

RoadsterGirlie

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:

I soooo can relate to this post. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm 5'9" and a size 2 in woman's dress sizes, and wear a small or xsmall in sweaters and shirts. I love shopping for clothes - however when I walk into the department store, the "small" section is stuck in this tiny little part of the store and has very little to choose from.

BTW, don't let anybody cut on you regarding your goal weight. I too am on the low end of the BMI scale, and anybody who questions my health other than myself can stick it where the sun don't shine.

lilmisfit

i know where you are coming from. people will tell me "you are so small." no, you are just fat. (sorry if that is harsh or mean, just had to get that out there). but i think being overweight has become more of the norm these days, it's sad

^ This is true. I have to bite my tongue so many times to stop myself from saying "You're so fat" when people won't stop telling me "You're so skinny!" I want to do it, just once, to see the look on someone's face. :bigsmile:

arlenem1974

I have had the exact thing happen to me. I was 130 LBS back in 97 I heard this more then once. I think because it mostly done by over weight people it makes them feel better if you stay over weight makes them feel more accepted. I'm 5'1".

jeffreyjording

I am in the best shape of my life. Bmi of 22. Blood pressure 110/60. Cycled 2600miles so far this year. All friends and family seem to focus on is that I am too thin. Nobody said much of anything when I weighed 305lbs. I have totally changed my health for the better, but you would never know it from all the negative comments

SomeoneSomeplace

I get it all the time from some people, others say I'm fine. As a girl I'd say I'd have to lose another 15 pounds to be "too skinny"

But I will say there is a double standard and I'd say you're teetering on the edge of what society think of as too skinny for a guy. Generally guys are on the bigger side, muscular, etc

If you like the way you look and are healthy that's what matters.

LeggyAmericanGirl

too skinny = damn you look hot and im jealous as hell please eat something LOL

offthedeependay

I get this all the time,I was 240 ,now 155-160...my coment back to them is usually ,I'm not to skinny,,I am healthy

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Sorry--I'd agree with those people saying you are too skinny--and I (a 4'11 female) happen to find 2000 calories quite unsatisfying. I don't think they're labeling you as obsessive because they're jealous or unhealthy themselves. I think you are truly TOO THIN. That's just my opinion.

lilmisfit

too skinny = damn you look hot and im jealous as hell please eat something LOL

geekyjock76

You probably get the comments because of your very low lean body mass, mate - 5'10" and 125 LBM is not much to be honest. I hate to say it, and I don't mean to sound mean, but many women have that same LBM at that height. If you added about 10 to 20 lbs of muscle mass, they would likely think very different.

QueenofComeBacks

if your happy with your self don't worry what others say. my hubby is 5'10" and weight 150 too. i dont think he look thin or unhealthy. everyone comes in different shapes and sizes.