big bones & target weight help?
losinglbslovinglife
Posts: 76 Member
I AM big boned, no BS. I'm "too small" at a UK size 12, US size 8 according to wiki at 5ft 3, I was thinking around 140lb for my target weight but I'm not sure, "too small" meaning visible hip bones & ribs, my body refuses to get any smaller than a UK size 10, I've been under 100lb & still in a size 10. 
is anyone else around 5ft 3 & big boned, or have a chart to work out where I should be weight wise?
is anyone else around 5ft 3 & big boned, or have a chart to work out where I should be weight wise?
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Replies
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Most weight charts have a range of "healthy weights". The higher limit would be a good place to start. That being said, If you are healthy and at a good weight for you (no matter the size) then stick with that!0
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You may be the rarity of a "big boned" person. I doubt it. I read recently that the difference between a former pro football player and a normal person's bone weight was 1 pound. (dexascan)
I though I was big boned. When you get smaller you may find that you aren't. Set your goal and see what happens. You may be happy at 140 and you stop. You may find you want to go further.0 -
I always thought I was "big boned" too, and calculating my wrist circumference and wrist-to-elbow measurements confirmed that I was indeed large framed, so I set my initial goal weight to be on the higher end of the healthy weight range suggestions.
Just google 'frame size calculator' to find one.0 -
I doubt very seriously that at 5'3 you are "big boned".
http://health.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Frame-Size-Wrist0 -
I am 5'4" and I am " big boned." My wrists are 8 inches. They were 8 inches when I was 120 lbs too, so its not because my wrists are fat. Everything I have read basically says to allow 10% extra to the suggested weight for your height.0
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Being "big boned" is extremely, extremely rare. Its usually just used as an excuse. I'd advise not blaming your weight on being big boned.0
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You just keep going till your closest family and friends tell you that you look old. At this stage you have lost the padding under your skin on your face and it is not easily replaced. That is why you do not see many older women with soft plump skin - they have naturally lost the padding under their skin.
Over time you need to build up the level of brisk walking and gently jogging as this will increase your metabolism.0 -
You just keep going till your closest family and friends tell you that you look old. At this stage you have lost the padding under your skin on your face and it is not easily replaced. That is why you do not see many older women with soft plump skin - they have naturally lost the padding under their skin.
Over time you need to build up the level of brisk walking and gently jogging as this will increase your metabolism.
SMH--UM No! 10 x's NO! Are you suggesting this OP get to the stage she is guantly and emaciated?
OP- If I understood your post, you are saying you are seeing all of these hip and rib bones already? You seem stuck on the #'s on your scale and on the tag of your pants. Try to find out what your body fat is and work on that number instead. Work on getting that number into the range that is best for you and I bet you become a little happier with your body in comparison to what your dealing with right now.0 -
You just keep going till your closest family and friends tell you that you look old. At this stage you have lost the padding under your skin on your face and it is not easily replaced. That is why you do not see many older women with soft plump skin - they have naturally lost the padding under their skin.
Over time you need to build up the level of brisk walking and gently jogging as this will increase your metabolism.
Don't do this. :grumble:
I'd say don't worry too much for now. Get down to the high end of healthy BMI and see how you look. I thought I was big boned and my doctor even said I would probably not want to get lower than 140. When I got there I found that I really wanted to lose a little more. Now I'm 130 and I think I look great, not gaunt at all. It's about finding the weight that feels best to you.0 -
This is all the more reason why people should go by body fat percentage and not scale weight. There are people who use "big bones" as an excuse, and then there are also people who actually have big bones/a large frame/heavy build/whatever you want to call it.
I'm 5'1" and 22-23% body fat and I weigh 130lb. I've seen women on here my height that are 22-23% body fat who weigh 100lb. My lean body mass is 100lb. (lean body mass = weight of all the non-fat parts of the body, what you'd weigh if you removed all the fat). The healthy weight range for my height is 100-132lb, and my lean body mass is in that range. I'm a novice at lifting, and I'm not "ripped" or "shredded" I naturally have a lot of lean body mass. And this is not that rare, there's a lot of variation among people, some people are naturally more heavily built than others. However body fat percentage is the same regardless, and whether you have a heavy or light build, you measure it the same way.
There is no way I'd be healthy if I attempted to get into the lower end of the BMI chart. I'd have to starve off 20lb of lean mass (i.e. lose muscle and lower my bone density) in order to do that. Losing that amount of lean body mass would equal smaller, weaker muscles and loss of bone density, and a greater risk of osteoporosis and other conditions associated with crash dieting and malnutrition. And someone who has a very small frame/light build would actually still be obese (more than 35% body fat) at the top of BMI and should be in the lower end of the BMI range. So it is important to take this into account.
The trouble with build/frame size/bone size, is it's really difficult to measure. (wrist measurements do not work for everyone as they don't always correlate with the size of your rib cage, shoulders etc). If you're carrying too much body fat, that just makes it all the more difficult. However body fat percentage can be measured more easily, and you can use that plus simple maths to find out what your lean body mass is from that, and there are online calculators where you can find your ideal weight based on your current weight and current body fat percentage. This assumes that as you lose the weight you only lose fat - that should be your goal anyway because this is what's most healthy. Slow steady fat loss along with exercise that works the muscles hard (e.g. lifting heavy) will help to ensure that the weight you lose is fat and that your muscles and bones stay strong while you get rid of the excess fat.0 -
You just keep going till your closest family and friends tell you that you look old. At this stage you have lost the padding under your skin on your face and it is not easily replaced. That is why you do not see many older women with soft plump skin - they have naturally lost the padding under their skin.
Over time you need to build up the level of brisk walking and gently jogging as this will increase your metabolism.
Losing the "padding" is a matter of age and, assuming you are eating well, little else.
You really need to start doing your research. Please. For the love of God, please.0 -
This is all the more reason why people should go by body fat percentage and not scale weight. There are people who use "big bones" as an excuse, and then there are also people who actually have big bones/a large frame/heavy build/whatever you want to call it.
I'm 5'1" and 22-23% body fat and I weigh 130lb. I've seen women on here my height that are 22-23% body fat who weigh 100lb. My lean body mass is 100lb. (lean body mass = weight of all the non-fat parts of the body, what you'd weigh if you removed all the fat). The healthy weight range for my height is 100-132lb, and my lean body mass is in that range. I'm a novice at lifting, and I'm not "ripped" or "shredded" I naturally have a lot of lean body mass. And this is not that rare, there's a lot of variation among people, some people are naturally more heavily built than others. However body fat percentage is the same regardless, and whether you have a heavy or light build, you measure it the same way.
There is no way I'd be healthy if I attempted to get into the lower end of the BMI chart. I'd have to starve off 20lb of lean mass (i.e. lose muscle and lower my bone density) in order to do that. Losing that amount of lean body mass would equal smaller, weaker muscles and loss of bone density, and a greater risk of osteoporosis and other conditions associated with crash dieting and malnutrition. And someone who has a very small frame/light build would actually still be obese (more than 35% body fat) at the top of BMI and should be in the lower end of the BMI range. So it is important to take this into account.
The trouble with build/frame size/bone size, is it's really difficult to measure. (wrist measurements do not work for everyone as they don't always correlate with the size of your rib cage, shoulders etc). If you're carrying too much body fat, that just makes it all the more difficult. However body fat percentage can be measured more easily, and you can use that plus simple maths to find out what your lean body mass is from that, and there are online calculators where you can find your ideal weight based on your current weight and current body fat percentage. This assumes that as you lose the weight you only lose fat - that should be your goal anyway because this is what's most healthy. Slow steady fat loss along with exercise that works the muscles hard (e.g. lifting heavy) will help to ensure that the weight you lose is fat and that your muscles and bones stay strong while you get rid of the excess fat.
I'm glad someone else had the sense to suggest bf%. I hate the scale, it's a rat *kitten* liar and can get you into trouble. However if your goal is to be in a healthy bf% range you should be just fine.0 -
You just keep going till your closest family and friends tell you that you look old. At this stage you have lost the padding under your skin on your face and it is not easily replaced. That is why you do not see many older women with soft plump skin - they have naturally lost the padding under their skin.
Over time you need to build up the level of brisk walking and gently jogging as this will increase your metabolism.
I don't understand why anyone would recommend this0 -
Sounds like you need "tough love"... No such thing as 'Big boned' Just be ok with your weight an size...than you will be more realistic about losing it! trying to justify it... will only make you procrastinate.0
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People here always hate on the "big-boned" thing, but really, people have different frame sizes.
My sister is 5'2, I am 5'3, but my hip, rib, and shoulder bones (bones, not padding) are two inches wider than her's. If all the charts "allow" extra weight for height, why would they not for extra width?
The weight BMI says is healthy for me would leave me looking emaciated, so like someone else suggested, I am working with body fat % rather than BMI/ weight.
According to BMI I am one step away from being obese (5'3, 162 lbs) but my body fat % is 30% (32% is average, 28% is good).0 -
I think 140lbs for you height is perfectly acceptable .. regardless of your bone size ...
I am 5' 6" and 140 is in the middle range for my height, I have done the frame size calcs and they show me as small frame ... I just have very petite hands as I have shoulders with their very own built in shoulder pads lol ...
I recommend you ignore all of these numbers and go to, www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/ to calculate your BF% ,,, go with that number ...
to give you an example a year ago I was 172.5 lbs and 36.7% BF and a size 16 UK ... today I am 173.2 lbs 32.7%BF and a size 12 UK ..... do I listen to the scales ... hell no!!!!!0 -
People here always hate on the "big-boned" thing, but really, people have different frame sizes.
My sister is 5'2, I am 5'3, but my hip, rib, and shoulder bones (bones, not padding) are two inches wider than her's. If all the charts "allow" extra weight for height, why would they not for extra width?
The weight BMI says is healthy for me would leave me looking emaciated, so like someone else suggested, I am working with body fat % rather than BMI/ weight.
According to BMI I am one step away from being obese (5'3, 162 lbs) but my body fat % is 30% (32% is average, 28% is good).
OK..someone thats 6'5 is gonna have bigger bones than some one 5'6....BUT! Bone"structure" does not change! Bones dont get thicker, thus making a person look bigger! lol No one person is doomed to always look big lol! Just an excuse! Sorry!0 -
Please ignore all the idiots who say there is no such thing as big boned. They don't know what they are talking about. I am 5'2". When I was a practicing bulemic in my teens and early 20s, I kept my weight down to 130. At 125 I looked anorexic. You could look at me and count my ribs. All the "charts" said I should weigh 105 for a "large frame". Obviously, the charts don't work. Set your weight goal at 140. Then see how you look and feel as you get close to it. I am now 54, so am setting my weight goal at 145 for now. I don't want to look gaunt, just want to feel good. My wrist measurement is a 7 and a half when thin. So it isn't "just fat". I also cannot wear women's hats or gloves- they are way too small. And I have to wear men's shoes for comfort - in a MEN's 4E width. I made my own clothes when I was thin, so I could get them to fit right. NOTHING off the racks, unless it is knit, ever comes close to fitting well. My and uncles, whom I inherited this "german peasant" frame all had problems getting clothes to fit too. Oh, my big bones aren't just wide on the outside. They are so wide on the inside that I had to have all three of my children by C-section! Even with "wide hips". My main photo is me at 130 pounds.0
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I was 97lb, 5ft 3, bmi of 17.2 & UK size 8 was digging into me & leaving bright red marks, especially over my hip bones. I have 8 inch wrists & my ribs won't come any smaller than 33 inches, my hips dont come any smaller than 36 inches. these were checked at my LOWEST weight of 97lb. like I've previously said, anything smaller than a UK size 12 is too small & a UK size 10 is the smallest I can get..0
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@Miriam you are bigger.. But there is no such thing as "big Boned which makes you look fat" which is the subject! Dont wanna be the "A-hole"lol but telling someone "yeah... your just big boned... an thats how you should look... is honestly settin em up for failure...."
No-one on this thread said that big bones make you look fat. "big bones"/larger frame/heavier build (as in skeleton and muscles) makes you heavier, and makes BMI charts an unreliable indicator of how much you should weigh. The OP was asking for advice about what weight someone of this build/body type should go for. My advice was (and still is) to go by body fat percentage as that's the same regardless of frame size, how much muscle you have, etc. Body fat percentage would also sort out the people who really have this body type from those that are using "big bones" as a way to not accept that they're carrying too much body fat. Because body fat percentage tells you directly whether you are carrying too much fat or not (measured with calipers is best as this is directly measuring the amount of fat under the skin, unless you have the money to do really high tech reliable methods such as DEXA). Scale weight does not distinguish between bone, muscle, internal organs or any other tissue, and fat, it's a very crude way of estimating whether someone's carrying too much fat or not.
If someone has a large frame/build/"big bones" (however you want to describe it), their ribs, shoulders and pelvis are bigger/wider for their height than average. This means their entire torso will be bigger than average for their height. It's not the weight of the bones themselves that makes a difference, it's the weight of the larger muscles and everything that makes up a person's torso that make someone with this body type heavier for their height. Plus it's often the case that people with larger bones have naturally larger muscles too, which adds to their weight. As it's really difficult to reliably measure these things, it's better to go by body fat percentage rather than scale weight.0 -
There might not be a "thing" as "big boned" but there is "large framed" and "high lean body mass" both of which will make an individual heavier than a small framed person with lower lean body mass.
Definitely go by body fat percentage.
I'm 5'9", 160lbs and at a healthy body fat percentage (25%ish). I wear a size 8-12 (depending on the brand). I have big hips, a wide rib cage, broad shoulders, long arms, long legs, a big head, big hands, big feet, etc. I also have been weight training for a year including a bulking period.0
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