Being big boned and skinny

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jco03
jco03 Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
Can you be skinny and big boned? I want to be skinny but I'm big boned.

I don't want to be skinny to the point where I look anorexic (or anything alongside seeing my ribcage)
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  • GingerbreadCandy
    GingerbreadCandy Posts: 403 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Can you define what you mean by being skinny and big boned? I am rather big boned (have a large frame, thick calves), when I was younger you could see my ribcage and spine easily, I wasn't underweight…

    is that what you are asking?
  • jco03
    jco03 Posts: 14
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    GingerbreadCandy wrote: »
    Can you define what you mean by being skinny and big boned? I am rather big boned (have a large frame, thick calves), when I was younger you could see my ribcage and spine easily, I wasn't even underweight…

    is that what you are asking?
    Like, I'm bordered between overweight and normal weight and I can see my ribcage stick out already. If I lose more weight, will it stick out more?
  • GingerbreadCandy
    GingerbreadCandy Posts: 403 Member
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    Possibly… what's your current weight and height?

    Fat loss doesn't occur evenly, though… and there is no telling really how fat loss will occur, I have been able to make out my ribcage even when I bordered into overweight. Most of my fat loss has occurred on my tummy and in the face though, so there hasn't been any real difference in my ribcage.

    Anyhow, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just focus on being healthy and getting to your ideal weight, and see what happens. :smile:
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    I'm not understanding your question. If your not interested in losing weight but would like to improve your physique, I'd recommend heavy lifting.
  • oxlisaxo91
    oxlisaxo91 Posts: 67 Member
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    Your ribs may become more protruding if you lose weight, it comes down to genetics and the way your built. I personally get so bony in my top half, my collar bone is very prominent and you can usually see my sternum. Unfortunately that's just the way I'm built. I could still be thick around my love handles and thighs but have a bony neck and chest.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    edited January 2015
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    if you have extra fat on you, of course you can still lose weight. not sure what you mean by skinny. you can lose fat. you can't lose bone. i'll always be wide at any weight because i have a wide bone structure. i'm still noticeably skinny though. i'm wide, but flat and a low weight.
  • ajnb88
    ajnb88 Posts: 339 Member
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    I used to think I was big boned, but I was just fat. As I lost weight, certain places (ribs, spine, clavicles) stuck out a lot, but only because there just wasn't as much fat there as other places, and I was losing it from all over.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    I think I'm there, but not sure. My collarbones, hip bones and wrist bones are very protruding now, but my thighs and calves are meaty. Belly looks kind of flat when naked, but round when I'm wearing jeans. Don't look skinny fat either, more like healthy. But confused. I just don't get it :s
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Tell us again about being "big boned" ...

    big-bones.png



    Hint: successful weight loss starts with brutal honesty. Denial guarantees failure.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited January 2015
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    I think the question is, can you have big bones as such even at a high-normal/low-overweight BMI you have low body fat and visible ribs? The answer is yes. If you have a heavy bone structure you are likely to be "normal" even though BMI says you're overweight. Go by the way you look and don't pay much attention to the scale. If you like your look, call it a day and stop dieting. If you feel you are still too plump, lose weight. If you feel you are too skinny, gain weight.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    I think the question is, can you have big bones as such even at a high-normal/low-overweight BMI you have low body fat and visible ribs? The answer is yes. If you have a heavy bone structure you are likely to be "normal" even though BMI says you're overweight. Go by the way you look and don't pay much attention to the scale. If you like your look, call it a day and stop dieting. If you feel you are still too plump, lose weight. If you feel you are too skinny, gain weight.

    I feel like I'm both, and neither :(

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I have a big frame based on wrist and forearm measurements

    I'm also over 25 on the BMI scale (population measure not individual) with visible ribcage. BMI is a guideline range that shouldn't be used on an individual basis by about 25-30% of the population (those numbers came from another thread with some interesting research linked but I can't find it now and I'm a bit hazy on the actual percentage just know it was much higher than the 5% outliers most people comment on)

    BMI is no judge of your body ...look to Body fat measures (dexa scans), but easier to go with measurements, mirror and clothes
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Yes. At one time, I was. If you're truly big boned, your ideal weight will probably be at the high end of normal by BMI.
  • GingerbreadCandy
    GingerbreadCandy Posts: 403 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I have a big frame based on wrist and forearm measurements

    I'm also over 25 on the BMI scale (population measure not individual) with visible ribcage. BMI is a guideline range that shouldn't be used on an individual basis by about 25-30% of the population (those numbers came from another thread with some interesting research linked but I can't find it now and I'm a bit hazy on the actual percentage just know it was much higher than the 5% outliers most people comment on)

    BMI is no judge of your body ...look to Body fat measures (dexa scans), but easier to go with measurements, mirror and clothes

    How/where did you get that calculated actually? Because my forearms and wrists are rather thin. However, shoulders are broad and my calves are rather thick. So I don't fully believe I have a thin frame, but based on my wrists I probably should...
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Thinness isn't related the the size of your bones. I have plenty of body fat but it's concentrated mostly on my bum, thighs, upper arms and tummy. I have a thin face, neck and my collar bone sticks out. I have thin calves and ankles, small wrists etc, (with no fat on them). If you were big boned and didn't have fat in some areas like your ankles or wrists, you could take a measurement to see if you were really big bones or not. I'm very broad shouldered but my hips are narrow (37 inches right now with a thick layer of fat on them!) and I have big bones on my fingers as they are thin but I wear a large ring size. My shape indicates I should be big boned but it's just my shape as other parts indicate I'm small boned.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    Tell us again about being "big boned" ...

    big-bones.png



    Hint: successful weight loss starts with brutal honesty. Denial guarantees failure.

    So you're telling us that we're all made the same way and we all have the same body frames? Learn something new every day...

    OP, it's possible to be skinny with a large frame, you just won't look the same as someone who is skinny with a small frame, obviously.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    GingerbreadCandy wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I have a big frame based on wrist and forearm measurements

    I'm also over 25 on the BMI scale (population measure not individual) with visible ribcage. BMI is a guideline range that shouldn't be used on an individual basis by about 25-30% of the population (those numbers came from another thread with some interesting research linked but I can't find it now and I'm a bit hazy on the actual percentage just know it was much higher than the 5% outliers most people comment on)

    BMI is no judge of your body ...look to Body fat measures (dexa scans), but easier to go with measurements, mirror and clothes

    How/where did you get that calculated actually? Because my forearms and wrists are rather thin. However, shoulders are broad and my calves are rather thick. So I don't fully believe I have a thin frame, but based on my wrists I probably should...

    I'm a weirdo too. Child-sized wrists and linebacker shoulders.

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
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    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    Tell us again about being "big boned" ...

    big-bones.png



    Hint: successful weight loss starts with brutal honesty. Denial guarantees failure.

    Hint: Some people have larger frames for the same height. That's why the BMI scale is a range of acceptable weights for every height.

    OP: You may want to go off of body fat and overall health. I have very visible ribs because I have a wide rib cage. I've added muscle to my frame and it makes my ribs look a bit more normal.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2015
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    GingerbreadCandy wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I have a big frame based on wrist and forearm measurements

    I'm also over 25 on the BMI scale (population measure not individual) with visible ribcage. BMI is a guideline range that shouldn't be used on an individual basis by about 25-30% of the population (those numbers came from another thread with some interesting research linked but I can't find it now and I'm a bit hazy on the actual percentage just know it was much higher than the 5% outliers most people comment on)

    BMI is no judge of your body ...look to Body fat measures (dexa scans), but easier to go with measurements, mirror and clothes

    How/where did you get that calculated actually? Because my forearms and wrists are rather thin. However, shoulders are broad and my calves are rather thick. So I don't fully believe I have a thin frame, but based on my wrists I probably should...

    Wrist only
    nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/17182.htm

    Wrist and elbow breadth
    healthstatus.com/calculate/fsz

    And wiki
    m.wikihow.com/Measure-Frame-Size



    Wouldn't calves be muscle ..and a lot of shoulders too...I think the point about wrist forearm is there's very little fat / muscle there
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    This is how I've been feeling about myself lately. I'm 5'3" and about 163 and I could set a book on my collar bones, my ribs and hip bones are sticking out. I don't want to look freaky... But I want to get down to about 135.

    I'd say just keep going and see what happens :)

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