Pounds and stones

kettlewitch
kettlewitch Posts: 277 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
you will see from my ticker that I hit 49 lb loss. Now for me, as a Brit this is a milestone because it's 3 1/2 stone and the next one will be 4 stone, 56 lb. But all of my American friends are messaging me about how I'm so close to the magical 50. Do Americans even think in stones ? Because I've been here for 3 months I talk in pounds but when people ask me at work how much I've lost and I say whatever in pounds they say " whats that in stones?'

My question to my american friends is " what is a stone?" lol you do miles and not kilometres too yes? I still to remember that pants to America is not knickers(panties I think you say). We could maybe do a America/uk dictionary! Diversity is great!

Replies

  • ybba12490
    ybba12490 Posts: 252
    I never think in stones, thats definitely a brit thing, lol. I've only starting thinking... "I've lost half a stone" because I watch the uk show supersize vs superskinny and they always call it that. and yes its miles here, I don't even know how to measure kilos lol
  • sylvia1970
    sylvia1970 Posts: 134
    I'm from England and I do both. Doesn't worry me in the slightest if they don't understand. I'm quite confident in what I say on here; whether they understand or not;

    But its an American website?

    I believe in diversity.
  • HollyRutledge
    HollyRutledge Posts: 250 Member
    I never heard of stones until I added some UK friends on here...its def a Brit thing...but thats ok, we are very different, but thats what makes the friendships even more interesting:drinker:
  • mjmtxk
    mjmtxk Posts: 33
    If you see me post "I've lost a stone", it means I passed yet another kidney stone!!!!" ;-) There definitely is grammatical divide between America and the mother country sometimes! :-)
  • adkmountainguy
    adkmountainguy Posts: 50 Member
    Two countries divided by a common language...
  • Meganne1982
    Meganne1982 Posts: 451
    I've never even known what the the conversion is! I'm gonna find an online calculator now to see what me weight is in stones! :)
  • kettlewitch
    kettlewitch Posts: 277 Member
    A stone is 14 lb. A division of a pound is an ounce and there's 16 of those to a pound. I was born exactly a year after the metric system was introduced to the uk so I should know kilos but although I know how to convert ( 2.2 lb to a kilo) I don't use it. It's true that although we do have a common language we do use it differently. Had one yesterday when someone mentioned suspenders. Now as a Brit, suspenders hold up stockings, but Americans use them to hold up trousers (pants) and pants are our knickers (panties) . We use braces to hold up our trousers, or at least we did in the 60' s.

    And what are grits? And what is mono? I am hoping to go to America soon, I need to know!
  • mjmtxk
    mjmtxk Posts: 33
    Grits are a breakfast dish made from ground corn, similar to oatmeal but unsweetened. (Most Americans sweeten their oatmeal but not their grits). I'm a southerner and most southerners LOVE grits, I've just never been a big fan. Something to try if you've never had it though!

    Mono is Mononucleosis. Here is the official definition: Mononucleosis is a viral infection causing fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands, especially in the neck. Mono can take a VERY long time to get over, weeks to months. If you hear someone has Mono, RUN!

    Now you are ready for your trip to America! OK, maybe not but at least you know grits from mono! ;-)
  • kentlass
    kentlass Posts: 325 Member
    i'm in the uk and have always used 'stones and pounds' but now since i've been on here i tend to use just pounds...alot of people look at me like 'what????' when i say i've lost 41lbs lol
  • JanW01
    JanW01 Posts: 91 Member
    I am a Canadian so I can add even more confusion to the discussion. We weigh in pounds, drive by kilometers, read the temperature in either F or C. Cook by Fahrenheit and measure fuel by litre! :laugh:
  • JunkFoodJane
    JunkFoodJane Posts: 150 Member
    Grits are not like oatmeal :x Ick! They're like farina or polenta. I prepare plain farina the way my grandmother prepares grits.
  • PNCTink
    PNCTink Posts: 232 Member
    I am a Canadian so I can add even more confusion to the discussion. We weigh in pounds, drive by kilometers, read the temperature in either F or C. Cook by Fahrenheit and measure fuel by litre! :laugh:
    :laugh:

    I'm married to a Brit and there are so many differences in our terms!! We still come across new terms and we've been together for 10 years. We're always doing conversions for MIL for weather and how much weight we've lost. It is 14 pounds to a stone and we just use a website to convert F to C. (And I say Celsius and he says Centigrade.) :laugh:
  • mjmtxk
    mjmtxk Posts: 33
    I did not mean that they tasted like oatmeal, only that Americans eat them for breakfast much like oatmeal and there are certain similarities in consistency and preparation. :-)
  • Annie5859
    Annie5859 Posts: 280 Member
    I'm from Canada and we use a mish mash of measurements. We use pounds mostly to weigh ourselves, but Kilos is our "official" weight measurement. I think that is what they record on our driver's licence. When we drive, jog or run we use kilometres, not miles. Panties are underwear, girls underwear. Anyone older than 50 seems to use the imperial system and anyone under 50 uses metric.
  • kdouglas11
    kdouglas11 Posts: 185 Member
    A stone is something you skip when at the river... a 'rock' you throw and it skips on the water.

    I don't know what a 'stone' is in weight loss terms.

    I do KNOW that if you lose weight too fast you can get gall stones! Which is totally bad for your health and very painful.

    *grin*

    Anyway... I'm glad you're almost to the magic 50. 50 wasn't a big deal for me... it was only 'half way' I think when I get to 80, it'll be a BIG deal.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    No, Americans definitely do not think in stones. Kilometers is a common measurement in the U.S. for runners (5K and 10K races, etc.). Not for driving distances, though. That's always in miles.
  • Lisa__Michelle
    Lisa__Michelle Posts: 845 Member
    I honestly had never even heard of the word stone other than a rock lol. I didn't know what someone was talking about when they said something like "I lost 3 stones." lol So what is the conversion for pounds vs. stones then?
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
    I didn't know what a stone was until I heard people on here use it. I know kilometers just because of distances for running, 5K or 10K.
  • eeeekie
    eeeekie Posts: 1,011 Member
    I don't think in Stone. I do when I speak to my English family and friends but as an American I do all my weight in LBS. I do know the conversion though so if you were speaking to me about it and told me stones I could easily calculate it.
  • eeeekie
    eeeekie Posts: 1,011 Member
    I honestly had never even heard of the word stone other than a rock lol. I didn't know what someone was talking about when they said something like "I lost 3 stones." lol So what is the conversion for pounds vs. stones then?

    14lbs - 1 stone
  • sue26
    sue26 Posts: 412
    well, in Canada we do pounds but kms not miles so its even more confusing at times - esp as Im English originally lol :smile:
  • JanW01
    JanW01 Posts: 91 Member
    I'm from Canada and we use a mish mash of measurements. We use pounds mostly to weigh ourselves, but Kilos is our "official" weight measurement. I think that is what they record on our driver's licence. When we drive, jog or run we use kilometres, not miles. Panties are underwear, girls underwear. Anyone older than 50 seems to use the imperial system and anyone under 50 uses metric.

    Where in Canada are you? I am in Ontario and we don't have our weight on our driver's licence just height in cms. I am assuming they don't put weight on because not to many of them would be accurate. :laugh:

    And I disagree with with the poster that said "Anyone older than 50 seems to use the imperial system and anyone under 50 uses metric." I am over 50 and can convert back and forth without a problem. I think the 'younger crowd' grew up with metric and therefore uses it but us 'old farts' have had to learn both ways. :wink:
  • Davali
    Davali Posts: 225 Member
    I love seeing my weight loss in pounds, but my milestones are still in stones and pounds. Next one will be 3 1/2 stone (49 pounds). Although weighing under 200 pounds (no idea what that is in stones..... Will need to work it out!) is my biggest milestone I want to reach over the next few months.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    I'm British so obviously I think in stones - right now I weigh 10 stone and an EIGHTH of a pound so you can imagine what a milestone that is, I'm desperate to get down to 9 stone SOMETHING!

    (note for North Americans 10 stone is 140lb)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories