Weighing less than you look?

So you always hear about people who weigh more than they look -- they carry their weight well, or they are lean and have a good amount of muscle. But is there anyone out there who feels that they look heavier than they weigh? I feel I fit into that camp. I'm 5' 4", 125.8 lbs, but I feel like I look at least 10, maybe 15 lbs heavier. I feel that it's all because of the fat still stuck on my abdomen and inner thighs. I do core exercises and have started doing yoga, and I would say I have a moderately strong core, so I think I'm a little toned up there. So I don't really think not being toned up in that area is the problem. I do know I have a little bit of issues with body dysmorphic disorder... But I still feel like my big stomach just makes me look so much heavier than I actually am, and it really gets me down sometimes!

Can anyone else sympathize?

Replies

Meerataila

Yep. I do weigh less than I look. I go to my body gallery and I look like the people who weigh ten or twenty pounds more than I do. I look at a body fat percentage picture chart for women, and I look like I'm over %30 body fat. It's because I lost too much muscle when I lost my weight. I have more fat than most people my height, age, and weight due to having less muscle. I used to look good at the weight in my pic. Not anymore.

nixxthirteen

I don't know if it's due to my small frame or what, but I feel like I don't carry weight well AT ALL

numinousnymph

well, it's good to know that at least a few people have the same problem! it's so frustrating and disappointing

JennetteMac

I am there with you.
I am 52 years old.
I am 5'6" and weigh 118lb.
I am an English size 6-8.
I look about 10-15lb heavier because my flabby bits are still flabby!

I do sits ups, crunches, the plank, leg raises every night (or almost if work is late) but my tummy, while very strong, refuses to look toned.
Sigh.
It just isn't going to happen. So I keep my clothes on!!

Swiftdogs

When I started MFP I hadn't stepped on a scale in several years. I was 10-15 pounds lighter than I expected based on what I'd weighed in the past. I'm now 126 pounds at 5'9" (age 55). The top half is good, but my butt and thighs are not as trim as I'd like. So I'm concentrating on strength training now.

itsbasschick

i have rarely known a woman who didn't feel she looked heavier than she was. heck, when i was anorexic and weighed 97, i thought i looked heavier than i was. also most women dislike their thighs, belly and butt, feeling they're too big, when in reality women are made to have some curves.

albayin

I dont go asking around how much weight I look like...I look at myself and always think I look big, and in fact I am heavy, too.

albayin

i have rarely known a woman who didn't feel she looked heavier than she was. heck, when i was anorexic and weighed 97, i thought i looked heavier than i was. also most women dislike their thighs, belly and butt, feeling they're too big, when in reality women are made to have some curves.

oh god....were you talking to me? LOL that's how I feel and my number does show I am pretty heavy too.

ValerieMartini2Olives

I look less than I weigh. People are SHOCKED when I tell them I'm around 230. They think it is way less.

inertiastrength

People rarely believe me when I tell them my weight so yeah, I think I look lighter than I am but that's probably the lifting. It just looks better if you squat, that's science folks lol

Jennifer_Lynn_1982

some people call it "skinny fat" when you weigh less than you look like you do. Counteract by adding in strength training and lifting and by lifting heavy, not 5 lbs weights. Within a few months you'll notice a difference!

numinousnymph

some people call it "skinny fat" when you weigh less than you look like you do. Counteract by adding in strength training and lifting and by lifting heavy, not 5 lbs weights. Within a few months you'll notice a difference!

the thing is is that i *have* been doing strength training, since oct/nov last year. usually 2 or 3x a week. i do a couple of body weight exercises but it's mostly weights. and i do use heavy weights for me, trust me, not 5lb ones. i can definitely see muscle improvement and definition in my arms and my outer quadriceps. i also work my core and my inner thighs, so i know i have muscle strength under tehre. but my inner thighs and lower abdomen just do not want to let go of their fat. it almost looks disproportionate on me. i can't figure out completely how much of it is loose skin ('cause i have some) and how much still is fat, but i feel like most of it is fat.

elv1ra

mybodygallery makes me think i look heavier then i am because there are a lot of girls at my height and weight that are much leaner than me. i carry a lot on my belly and it doesnt seem to be getting any better

sakuya3834

If the picture in your profile is you, I don't think you weigh less than you look. I did a double take when I saw the picture and read the post because I couldn't believe you think you look like you weigh more than you do. O_o

I think a lot of it is mental. I see people that weigh what I do and think I look much bigger. The people I think I look like are all 300+ lbs, which I am nowhere near.

MelodyandBarbells

some people call it "skinny fat" when you weigh less than you look like you do. Counteract by adding in strength training and lifting and by lifting heavy, not 5 lbs weights. Within a few months you'll notice a difference!

the thing is is that i *have* been doing strength training, since oct/nov last year. usually 2 or 3x a week. i do a couple of body weight exercises but it's mostly weights. and i do use heavy weights for me, trust me, not 5lb ones. i can definitely see muscle improvement and definition in my arms and my outer quadriceps. i also work my core and my inner thighs, so i know i have muscle strength under tehre. but my inner thighs and lower abdomen just do not want to let go of their fat. it almost looks disproportionate on me. i can't figure out completely how much of it is loose skin ('cause i have some) and how much still is fat, but i feel like most of it is fat.

How heavy are the weights you use?

jenilla1

I'm the opposite. People always think I weigh less than I do.

ETA: I also wear larger sizes than people think I do and people are frequently amazed that I can lift as heavy as I can. Apparently, I look like a scrawny weakling. :frown:

Ryan_Case

Not sure if this thread was meant for the ladies only, or if it is open to men as well. I will say that I am a mixed bag concerning this question.

With my clothes on, I look like I weigh less than I do. I have very big wrists, shoulders, etc. and am fairly tall at 75".

When I take my shirt off and look in the mirror, I look like I weigh more than I do.

numinousnymph

some people call it "skinny fat" when you weigh less than you look like you do. Counteract by adding in strength training and lifting and by lifting heavy, not 5 lbs weights. Within a few months you'll notice a difference!

the thing is is that i *have* been doing strength training, since oct/nov last year. usually 2 or 3x a week. i do a couple of body weight exercises but it's mostly weights. and i do use heavy weights for me, trust me, not 5lb ones. i can definitely see muscle improvement and definition in my arms and my outer quadriceps. i also work my core and my inner thighs, so i know i have muscle strength under tehre. but my inner thighs and lower abdomen just do not want to let go of their fat. it almost looks disproportionate on me. i can't figure out completely how much of it is loose skin ('cause i have some) and how much still is fat, but i feel like most of it is fat.

How heavy are the weights you use?

it depends on what area of my body i work on, but here is some of what i do:

leg press - ~200 lbs
hip abduction - ~75 lbs
hip adduction - ~100 lbs
lat pulldown - ~80 lbs
leg curl - ~60 lbs

each of these i do 4, occasionally 5 sets of 15 reps.

i do pushups, mountain climbers, planks, lunges, and lift a 15lb dumbell behind my head for triceps, reps of 25 for 4 sets. all my other exercises i do 4 sets of also.

Spaghetti_Bender

Most people never guess my age or weight correctly. It's awesome! :smokin:

mekabr84

Swiftdogs wrote: »

When I started MFP I hadn't stepped on a scale in several years. I was 10-15 pounds lighter than I expected based on what I'd weighed in the past. I'm now 126 pounds at 5'9" (age 55). The top half is good, but my butt and thighs are not as trim as I'd like. So I'm concentrating on strength training now.

This is exactly me. I *just* stepped on the scale for the first time in a while. I weigh about 4 pounds less than I would have guessed, based on past knowledge of how I looked at different weights. (4 pounds is a big deal when you're 5'1" with a small frame.) I have definitely looked smaller than I do now. My curves are all intact, including my little tummy and love handles, and my collar bones aren't protruding as they did once in the past, but I'm only about 2 pounds above my lowest ever weight. I think I must just really need to build up more muscle to hit my optimal weight. . . like 6 pound of it!

numinousnymph wrote: »

So you always hear about people who weigh more than they look -- they carry their weight well, or they are lean and have a good amount of muscle. But is there anyone out there who feels that they look heavier than they weigh? I feel I fit into that camp. I'm 5' 4", 125.8 lbs, but I feel like I look at least 10, maybe 15 lbs heavier. I feel that it's all because of the fat still stuck on my abdomen and inner thighs. I do core exercises and have started doing yoga, and I would say I have a moderately strong core, so I think I'm a little toned up there. So I don't really think not being toned up in that area is the problem. I do know I have a little bit of issues with body dysmorphic disorder... But I still feel like my big stomach just makes me look so much heavier than I actually am, and it really gets me down sometimes!

Can anyone else sympathize?

I looked at your pictures, and I would have guessed you weighed less than 125.8. Probably 115. You have about the same body composition that I do (small top, slightly more womanly waist/butt/legs, thank god!), though you're 3 inches taller. Except your legs look great, with some nice muscled quads! I have no advice on the last bit of tummy fat, because I've got it too. What I do know is that you and I both can't afford to lose any more fat without a real focus on muscle building, especially on the top half where we already look as skinny as can be. We'd just look too frail. We may have to accept that our tummies will always be a bit more substantial than we'd like, because the only way to get ride of every bit of belly fat is to make the rest of our bodies look weak (hoping I'm wrong, but my tiny mom has a bit of a belly, too, sooo)

AnnPT77

@numinousnymph, JMO, but I don't think you look heavier than your weight either (and I'm not "just being nice" - I'm definitely not that li'l ol'lady . . . I'm more the cranky kind that pokes slackers with her forefinger and tells 'em to shape up.

)

Don't know for sure whether this applies to you, but many who've spent time feeling negative about their appearance also develop a slumpy posture. That habit - letting head/shoulders drop forward, pelvis to tilt - tends to cause some faux belly bulge. Maybe experiment with tilting your pelvis the opposite way, standing up tall, lifting the ribcage, rolling shoulders back, looking kinda proud, and see if that reduces the abdominal appearance you're concerned about.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Judging by the pictures in your profile, I'd guess it's a combination of body dis-morphia and just expecting/wanting to be "perfect". No one is perfect. Even the models in magazines don't look like that in real life. All of us are going to have little "imperfections", small fat stores, "flaws", etc that are perfectly normal and probably even healthy. Try focusing on your body as a whole, don't zoom in on little flaws. Consider all the awesome things your body can do (200lbs leg press is awesome!), not on what it looks like. Focus on health and fitness, not appearance.

And you definitely do NOT look 135 to 140lbs. If anything at your height, based on those pictures, I'd have guessed 115ish.

its_whisper

When people learn how much I weigh they are shocked. Once, my aunt asked me what size jeans I wear because she had some size 6 pairs to give away and I told her I'm a size 12 in jeans and her eyes got so big! she asked how much I weigh and when I told her she said "no way. You look 20 pounds less!" haha

its_whisper

I'm 5'4 if that helps. I carry most of my weight in my hips. My upper body is really tiny so I guess that's why people assume I weigh less.

Amerek412

A bit OT but what is mybodygallery? is that on here or a different site/app?

animatorswearbras

I used to think I looked much bigger when I was 152 (put all my weight on stomach and face, classic apple) but now I think I look my weight at 136 (137 in profile), I will say though you look your weight or smaller you certainly don't look bigger so please don't think you do xxxx

tabletop_joe

A lot of people suffer from body dysphoria and feel like their body or parts of their body are ill-proportioned. Chances are you look fabulous. Take it easy on yourself.

kshama2001

Just a note that the OP is from 2014 and who knows if she was using the same pictures at that time.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

JennetteMac wrote: »

I am there with you.
I am 52 years old.
I am 5'6" and weigh 118lb.
I am an English size 6-8.
I look about 10-15lb heavier because my flabby bits are still flabby!

I do sits ups, crunches, the plank, leg raises every night (or almost if work is late) but my tummy, while very strong, refuses to look toned.
Sigh.
It just isn't going to happen. So I keep my clothes on!!

Of course not. That's because you can't spot reduce. Exercises are meant for strengthening and preserving muscle; it has very little to do with getting rid of the fat over the muscle. That's where diet and calorie deficits come into play.

shadowbaby4

Just based on your profile pic, you look pretty small-boned, so the same weight may look different on you than on people who are structured larger. I'm the same way. Same height, same weight as other women, but I look heavier, especially in the belly, just because of my bone structure.

On the bright side, people are constantly describing me as tiny even though I'm not really. So there are some advantages to being small-boned!