Am i fat? i really need to know

amy214
amy214 Posts: 18
edited September 24 in Introduce Yourself
Hi .. i know this is kind of a stupid question to ask .. i'm 5 feet and 5 incehs and weigh about 140 pounds .. is that a bad weight to be at? i'm also not too toned, so i just started off with some bikram yoga .. hope to continue it .. i have a pretty sedentary life otherwise.. and i try to stick to a healthy diet but have a big sweet tooth. i try to stay on trackk but once i eat a candy or something, its all down the drain from there and i end up eating everything in sight. i have a BMI of about 23.1 which is not bad at all.. but EVERYTIME i send some pictures of mine to my mom, or friends, all of them say one thing..."lose some weight...at least 10 pounds" of course i want to.. but somehow it seems impossible..the scale does not budge!
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Replies

  • hannahmayr30
    hannahmayr30 Posts: 93 Member
    Honey, I'm 5'6" and that's my goal weight! :0) You could lose weight and still be healthy but you are most definitely not fat!
  • lirienleigh
    lirienleigh Posts: 17
    you are actually at your perfect weight for that height.
    people have a messed up consept of what is "FAT" and what is "NORMAL" being 110 lbs at your height would probably make you look sickly.
    its all about if you are healthy. you can always tone your body up if you want to lose inches, but i dont think you need to lose weight ^^
  • FruitLoop05317
    FruitLoop05317 Posts: 229
    well first, it depends on how YOU feel. you are the most important person. dont lose for them do it for you. second, they could be more supportive and tell you that you look nice or something besides lose some weight.

    on that note, yes the healthy thing to do would be to tone up...not particularly lose weight but just get in some exercise and i think you will be just fine.
  • dcsox33
    dcsox33 Posts: 1
    AGREED! You are NOT fat! Add a little work out to your day and you'll feel much better, good for you! :)
  • KristenAnn711
    KristenAnn711 Posts: 783
    I think that is a great weight for your height. I would love to be 140lbs. Don't listen to the negativity.
  • sweetdianachka
    sweetdianachka Posts: 318 Member
    I agree with what they said! Im the same height and 140 would be awesome! Dont let your fam get you down, they're probably just taking out their own issues on you. I do think you could definitely make an effort to eat more healthy foods, you dont need to cut out sweets, but we could all eat better, even if its not to lose weight but just to get the best nutrition.
  • ashleyjea1985
    ashleyjea1985 Posts: 190
    140 is a healthy weight, certainly not fat. id ud like to lose, aim for 130! its not impossible, its calories in calories out.

    good luck- dont listen to ur family.!!
  • ricnrac
    ricnrac Posts: 95 Member
    5'5" 140lbs is NOT fat. Maybe you just need to tone up. Guess it depends on your frame. If you are comfortable with your weight then you don't need to lose weight. Do not do it for other people, it will only make you unhappy. Do it for yourself if you even think you need to.
  • navvs15
    navvs15 Posts: 165
    Well, no. Although I've never seen a picture of you, your weight is healthy for your height and weight.
    If you want to lose weight, go a head. But don't lose weight simply because friends and family want you to. ESPECIALLY considering you're not morbidly obese, obese, or even overweight and its not affecting your health.

    I would be disappointed in my family and friends if I was a normal weight and they wanted me to lose ten pounds. :huh:
  • Sherbog
    Sherbog Posts: 1,072 Member
    Forget what everyone else says....live your live for you. Have a discussion with your physican. But do not let others control your life. Should you decide to loose weight do it because you want to.
  • Picky_nikki
    Picky_nikki Posts: 405 Member
    I would say you are not fat... you may be "skinny fat" if you eat a lot of unhealthy foods and are sedentary! When I worked out all the time back in the day I was 142... toned, and proud! I would just find a healthy you (moving more and watching what types of food you eat for fuel and nutrients, and where your "weight" ends up doesn't matter, but I guarantee you, you will be happier with your appearance if you eat clean, and move more! BTW, it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks if you are happy where you are!
  • jesslaur75
    jesslaur75 Posts: 75 Member
    I would be curious what your friends and family weigh. So many people judge correct weight based on what they see in magazines and on TV. You shouldn't be a size 2 to be healthy. You might consider getting in a little better shape, but losing weight? Nah.
    I am 5'2" and when I was in the best shape of my life, working out about 5 days a week and going scuba diving maybe once or twice per month I weighed 140 and it drove me nuts that I couldn't get under, but I knew I was very healthy.

    And about the food thing? We all have those days when we fall off the wagon. I call it PMS. :wink:
  • jenbusick
    jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
    I am 5'5" myself, and my goal weight is 130. When I get below 150, though, I will be at a healthy BMI. So, you are at a healthy BMI -- you are not overweight. The question is, do you feel you are at your ideal weight? Within that "healthy BMI" range is the allowance for people who have a heavier bone structure or who tend to be smaller or whatever.

    The question is, do you feel like you are carrying more weight than you need to, or that you are out of shape and need to tone up? Because technically, you don't *need* to lose weight.
  • jclji4
    jclji4 Posts: 118 Member
    The question should be....are you healthy? It is a good weight to be at, but are you eating healthy and physically fit...that should be your goal....not some number on the scale...
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
    NO you are NOT fat - but exercise anyway. It makes you healthy and more toned and works that biggest muscle in your body - you know - the important one called the HEART!
  • fitoverfifty
    fitoverfifty Posts: 192 Member
    I'm 5.6 and about 136 right now.... My BMI is good, but I know I need to lose about 5-10 more pounds. You can tell when there's still extra fat on your stomach ( or where ever else you carry it)......So even though I'm not considered overweight, I'm not where I need to be.
  • newkay
    newkay Posts: 20
    i am 5'5'' and 142. i also have ginormous boobs that probably weigh 15 lbs lol... but still.. i wouldnt say im "fat". it depends how you carry it, and how you feel about it. clearly you arent 100% happy or it wouldnt be on your mind. for my body type ( i dont know if yours is the same or completely different) id like to lose about 10-15 max.

    if God wanted our bones to be visible, he would have put them on the outside of our bodies.
  • amy214
    amy214 Posts: 18
    Thanks for the quick responses .. i guess i would like to tone my self rather than lose weight, since muscle does weigh more.. just need to start (honestly) tracking the calories and going to the yoga class more than just 2 times a week!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Regular exercise and eating healthily is a great idea to make sure you stay in good shape.

    But, I'd find some new friends, they sound like complete b******es to me!
  • StephyTheGreat
    StephyTheGreat Posts: 13 Member
    You dont sound fat! Dont go by all those BMI calculators, and all the weights "they" say you are going to be. Go by how you feel you look and be honest. Dont compare yourself to other peoples clothing or sizes.

    Im 5'2''. So Im shorter than you. My goal weight is 155-160, and that would be good for me. The man says that is obese, and Im supposed to be 125. That is TOOO thin for me! The first time I lost a bunch of weight I weighed 138, and that was skinny!! I cant imagine being 125. Ew.

    Now that I gained it back, Im 188, looking to be 160 and toned. That is what works for my body. You have to do what works for your body!
  • Bigwig236
    Bigwig236 Posts: 74 Member
    A male non-sexist, non-pervy view point... 140lbs for your height seems perfectly normal to me. My partner is 5'4 and 138lbs, and looks fabulous. Women look so much more attractive with smooth curves rather than bones sticking out. It is so depressing to see perfectly healthy, active women stressing about their weight unnecessarily. Eat wisely, work out occasionally, and enjoy life.
  • ka_42
    ka_42 Posts: 720 Member
    You're not fat at all... Some friends!
  • meanness67
    meanness67 Posts: 366 Member
    I am 5' 5" and my goal weight is between 135-140. You are NOT fat!
  • lcouterm
    lcouterm Posts: 138 Member
    Don't pay too much attention to what a scale say's (they lie) The only way to know for sure is to go to a doctor and see what your fat ratio is. My Wii Fit plus program say's I should weigh in at 136 but a few years ago I competed in and placed 3rd in Redondo beach Mr Olympia I was at lett than 6%bodyfat and I was weighing in at 160. I think your fine.
  • StephyTheGreat
    StephyTheGreat Posts: 13 Member
    Oh, and definately dont try to please your Mom! Some people have a fat stigma, or a screwed up perception of what is big and what isnt. I know its tempting to just do something to get people off your back, but they could just have a weird view of peoples bodies.
  • LurayneMarie
    LurayneMarie Posts: 342 Member
    I am 5ft 6" and 161lbs and my healthy BMI range is (apparently) between 114-154lbs! That's 40lbs of a difference from one end to another. I personally want a curvy body and dont want to look 'thin' or 'skinny' So my goal is to reach 140lbs and maintain that. I definitely dont want to go all the way down to 114lbs! That just sounds ridiculous!
    You are a healthy weight for your height, you look normal weight and you would not be considered 'fat' by anybody i know!
    Any weight loss after that should be down to personal preference or health related. It should not be based on 'thinking' you look fat.
    Change your lifestyle for yourself and not your family because at the moment you do not have any weight-related health risks to worry about.
    It's your body and you are the only one to decide what to do with it! :)
  • djmom1984
    djmom1984 Posts: 55 Member
    I always used the scale of 100 lbs for 5 feet, then 5 lbs for each inch over 5 feet.

    Using that, you should weight 125.

    Fitness is a huge contributor. Get more active and see what happens to your clothes instead of relying on the number.

    Nice relatives, to pick on you like that! Remember, everyone looks heavier on film!
  • fmouco
    fmouco Posts: 100 Member
    Well, you are NOT fat. Yo have normal weight and you are a beautiful girl.

    I'll briefly tell you my story: I am 5'7'' and was weighting 137 pounds, so I went to a doctor because I was not happy with my body. I felt no muscular tone at all. Then he measured my body fat and it was 34% (I had 47 pounds of fat in my body!!!). I changed my eating habits (decreased carbohidrates, increased lean proteins, kept calories under control) and trained seriously with weight lifting and cardio (6 times a week). Three months later I weight 135 pounds (you can see it didn´t change much), but with 22% of body fat (30 pounds) and my lean mass is 15 pounds bigger. I can see a completely different body, and I feel so much better.

    So, you have to look at yourself and find out how YOU feel about your body. Then it would be interesting to forget about weight and find out your body composition. Then you have good information to make a decision.

    I hope I could help...Good luck!
  • skinnylaura88
    skinnylaura88 Posts: 19
    to me 5'5 and 140 is fat
    im 5'5- 5'6 and im 119 lbs and im still feeling fat...
  • SheliaN1960
    SheliaN1960 Posts: 454 Member
    Welcome! First of all you should be the one that decides if you need to lose 10 pounds. Do not listen to anyone else. This could trigger an eating disorder and losing weight is hard enough without all of the other issues. Be careful, although some of our MFP ladies mean well the best advice is not always for everyone. The food and exercise program here is awesome and if you use it correctly you will get to the weight that you desire! I am older and I have managed to drop 20 pounds in about a month and 1/2. So hang in there, keep your chin up and stay connected with MFP!!! Best wishes to you on your new journey!
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