Why am I so heavy?

stonel94
stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
in Introduce Yourself
So, you can see my pictures, I'm not overweight in looks or health, only technically like as in BMI, but anyways, i'm 5'7" and weigh 170 lbs, and I've been looking at other people with similar stats as me, and people same height as me, but much lighter (even as low as 145 lbs) are measuring bigger than I am. Now I have big boobs (DD) and broad shoulders and broad back, and I lift, but like it seems quite heavy and it's odd to me that people same height and 25 lbs lighter (that's a LOT of weight) are physically larger than me....is it really muscle? am i just a...dense person?
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Replies

  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
    Probably muscle.
  • lafilledelarue
    lafilledelarue Posts: 66 Member
    Don't judge yourself too harshly. Everyone has a different body type, and muscle weighs more than fat. I am also 5'7". I weigh 160 pounds and am right between a size 8 and size 10 jeans. You look perfectly fine to me. Don't stress. Love your body and be thankful for your health. :-)
  • romach79
    romach79 Posts: 277 Member
    Muscle is heavier than fat, and women carry a little extra fat anyways. I would agree that you are not overweight. How much cardio do you do? Do you eat a lot of refined carbs? I have kind of the same issue - don't look fat, but I know I should weight about 175 instead of 200. My problem is ice cream and cookies!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    More muscle and better bone density. You are a more dense person!

    Don't let the number on the scale bother you. It has advantages- like you can eat more than the lighter people without gaining weight!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    You don't have that much muscle. Your weight sounds about right to me after looking over your pics.
  • holliebevineau
    holliebevineau Posts: 441 Member
    I am 5'9" and I am heavy about 173. I too have broad shoulders and wear a d cup bra. I don't look over weight to others. Some even ask why I count calories. I don't want to be at the top of my healthy weight range as I am now. I want to be healthy. I don't compare my weight to other girls my height because there are too many things that factor into why we are different. I have been as heavy as 226lbs after giving birth to my 2 year old. So things could always get HEAVIER!! Good luck.
  • alexandriax03
    alexandriax03 Posts: 289 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat.

    You are probably way more fit than them and overall have a different body shape which is why you have different stats.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat.

    You are probably way more fit than them and overall have a different body shape which is why you have different stats.

    Muscle weighs more than fat by unit volume. The unit volume we're talking about is a persons body. Two equivalent sized bodies, the one with more muscle weighs more. It's just nonsense to argue otherwise.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    What are your stats? You seem to be a 'normal' weight for your size/BF%.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    need more info …

    how many calorie per day …?

    are you in deficit, maintenance, bulk?

    what is your lifting routine like?

    any cardio?
  • HittinMyGoals
    HittinMyGoals Posts: 30 Member
    Can't trust the BMI test online, the only way to get a true reading is to do the water displacement BMI. I just did a online one for instance and I am obese according to that. Don't worry about it. You look great.
  • ___bella
    ___bella Posts: 22 Member
    If you don't think you're overweight or unhealthy then don't stress!

    Everybody's different and no one body is exactly the same in proportion or size or weight

    Comparison is the absolute enemy to the human spirit, you're a beautiful girl who has common sense

    Trust your gut, you're fine x x
  • alexandriax03
    alexandriax03 Posts: 289 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat.

    You are probably way more fit than them and overall have a different body shape which is why you have different stats.

    Muscle weighs more than fat by unit volume. The unit volume we're talking about is a persons body. Two equivalent sized bodies, the one with more muscle weighs more. It's just nonsense to argue otherwise.

    I know that. I said BY VOLUME.
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    Grab yourself some callipers (they're ridiculously cheap) and have someone help you test your body fat percentage.

    http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

    (Use the female bit at the bottom of the page)

    That'll give you a better indicator of your muscularity (although not 100% accurate, it's accurate enough).
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    Now I have big boobs (DD) and broad shoulders and broad back, and I lift,
    I'd say you just answered your own question! And judging by your pics, you definitely have muscles in your upper body! Whoever said you look like you don't have much is probably wrong. I mean, women don't have to look ripped to have more muscle than average. It can totally be deceptive sometimes!

    and people same height as me, but much lighter (even as low as 145 lbs) are measuring bigger than I am.
    The women who are measuring bigger may just have a larger bone structure than you in that part of their body (like hips). Or, more muscle and/or fat localized in a certain area.

    We're all different, and we're all a product of our own physiology and our own habits! :smile:
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat.

    You are probably way more fit than them and overall have a different body shape which is why you have different stats.

    Muscle weighs more than fat by unit volume. The unit volume we're talking about is a persons body. Two equivalent sized bodies, the one with more muscle weighs more. It's just nonsense to argue otherwise.

    I know that. I said BY VOLUME.

    Right so why would you go out of your way correct something when you understand what is being said?

    Everybody that says "muscle weighs more than fat" understands that 1lb=1lb.
  • alexandriax03
    alexandriax03 Posts: 289 Member
    Now I have big boobs (DD) and broad shoulders and broad back, and I lift,

    I'd say you just answered your own question! And judging by your pics, you definitely have muscles in your upper body! Whoever said you look like you don't have much is probably wrong. I mean, women don't have to look ripped to have more muscle than average. It can totally be deceptive sometimes!

    and people same height as me, but much lighter (even as low as 145 lbs) are measuring bigger than I am.
    The women who are measuring bigger may just have a larger bone structure than you in that part of their body (like hips). Or, more muscle and/or fat localized in a certain area.

    We're all different, and we're all a product of our own physiology and our own habits! :smile:

    Agreed.

    The person who said you don't have much muscle is wrong. You definitely have a decent amount of muscle. Your core also looks pretty strong.
  • pweiters99
    pweiters99 Posts: 1
    1/21/14, I'm 66, male & want to lose 10 lbs by 2/10/14. I have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Navigating between green veggies (vit K) & carbs (potato, rice, pasta, bread, beer) ; red meat, beans, corn, salt, there's not much left to eat. This electrophysiologist gives me this convoluted 7-day meal plan consisting of cabbage, onion & celery soup. This is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do; I just have to eat something more solid to keep from passing out. I pedal a stationary bike in the AM, which seems to help lose weight, then I have to eat something. Bananas one day, a potato another day, skim milk---ugh! I can't drink milk, so I drink seltzer. (T-J miracle diet). I hate this crap. 7 years ago I had abdominal fistula surgery; couldn't eat solid food for almost 2 months. I was 59 & 180 lbs, then; my weight dropped to 145; I was on total IV drip. As I was gradually reintroduced to solid food, the docs said I'd regain my normal weight. Little did I know I'd regain weight & then some. The problem is I don't eat any different or more that before the surgery.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    I am just a few pounds (1-4 depend on the day) from overweight and a good 15-20 pounds more than other girls my size. Just the way I am made.
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    The person who said you don't have much muscle is wrong. You definitely have a decent amount of muscle. Your core also looks pretty strong.

    I think she's right...your core looks very strong in fact. You must do a lot of ab exercises.
    Actually your whole body looks pretty strong. Some people still can't see/believe it if a person isn't "ripped", though.

    The other thing is, my own measurements hardly changed with a 15-20 lbs LBM loss years ago. And after regaining 7 of those lbs in the past few months, I have essentially no difference in most measurements from my starting point! I was always "dense", too.
  • TomfromNY
    TomfromNY Posts: 100 Member
    You look very healthy. Don't worry about the number on the scale. If you want to lose a little body fat, I would suggest keep lifting weights, reduce some of the carbs you eat, increase your fat intake and keep the protein the same.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    The person who said you don't have much muscle is wrong.

    Is this professional opinion, doctor?

    OP- Are you happy with yourself? Are you healthy?

    If yes, then toss your scale.

    Don't compare yourself to other's -- it's a losing game.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
    I have to agree with you here - I am the same way. I look at stats from women who are my height, and their waist size on average is 3 inches or MORE bigger than mine! When I was thin, years ago, my waist size was similar to people my age who were 20 lbs lighter than me!

    This absolutely means you have muscle mass/bone density that you don't even know you have. It's a GOOD thing. It's healthy and positive! It'll be beneficial for you as you age!
  • karishabussell23
    karishabussell23 Posts: 3 Member
    I am the same way, and I'm only 5 four, I have extremely late bones and when I had a body fat analysis it said that my bones mustle bad water were 125 pounds which is on the lower end of my bmi, for my height and age but I wear a size ten which I guess is still technically big in today's standards but pretty good for me
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    You don't have that much muscle. Your weight sounds about right to me after looking over your pics.

    I have to agree with this. Looking at your pictures with no clothes on and knowing you are 5'7" I would guess you weighed about 170 pounds. You don't look bad, but I'd guess you are around 30% body fat. Nobody ever guessed I weighed 217 pounds when I started losing weight. It becomes more apparent how high body fat is when you start losing fat.
  • SashleyA
    SashleyA Posts: 122 Member
    I have to agree with you here - I am the same way. I look at stats from women who are my height, and their waist size on average is 3 inches or MORE bigger than mine! When I was thin, years ago, my waist size was similar to people my age who were 20 lbs lighter than me!

    This absolutely means you have muscle mass/bone density that you don't even know you have. It's a GOOD thing. It's healthy and positive! It'll be beneficial for you as you age!

    All of this. I've been in that boat. My best friend and I are the same height and in high school wore the same size clothing (we shared). I was no less than 20lbs heavier than her. A solid mixture of muscle mass and the fact that I have a larger bone structure. It's a great reason to not worry about the scale as much.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat.

    You are probably way more fit than them and overall have a different body shape which is why you have different stats.
    The other 99% of us already understand that it means "by volume." Just like when someone says "gold is more valuable than poop" they are not comparing $1 worth of gold to $1 worth of poop.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    You look to be more apple-shaped. We tend to carry our weight in the midsection and have smaller hips and thighs, making us look a bit smaller, depending on how we dress. We also tend to have a bit higher muscle mass naturally. I always carried 10-15 lbs more than my sister, who is pear shaped, when we wore the same size. I am 5'6"and 155 is the top of my healthy range, but will probably be the lowest I will be able to get to, now that I am 50 and unable to work out due to injuries/disability.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat.

    You are probably way more fit than them and overall have a different body shape which is why you have different stats.
    The other 99% of us already understand that it means "by volume." Just like when someone says "gold is more valuable than poop" they are not comparing $1 worth of gold to $1 worth of poop.

    I am really loving this gold vs. poop scenario. :laugh:
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Gotta say, if OP is happy with how she looks, that's awesome, toss the scale.

    But I also agree, OP's pictures look like she has a bf% of around 30%, I don't see a lot of defined muscle anywhere.

    Also, poster who said "Your core looks strong, you must do lots of ab exercises"... Wat.

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