Coworker said I looked "skeletal" and that I should "stop" losing any more weight

ElJefeChief
ElJefeChief Posts: 651 Member
in Motivation and Support
My profile pic is a very recent pic of me from a day or so ago. I'm six-foot-three, 207 (as of today) with some decent base muscle from about 20 years of weightlifting (although I haven't lifted for about a year and a half now).

Should I stop losing, or keep going? I still have an "overweight" BMI, I'm just not sure what that means at this point.
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Replies

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    If your BMI indicates overweight and you aren't a solid piece of muscle, then I'd ignore the co-worker. There's so many reasons why the person might have said you look "skeletal" and they all have to do with him and none to do with you.
  • Rheameg
    Rheameg Posts: 71 Member
    I do not think you look skeletal at all. I believe that you look a nice healthy weight.
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    Well looking "skeletal" doesn't have to be a bad thing.

    fkxtptzzyql1.jpg
  • Vickilick
    Vickilick Posts: 81 Member
    I think skeletal is a bit of a stretch of a description...no offence.
    If you're working out and eating healthy and the correct portions you won't be underweight and I don't see anything wrong.
    If you're quite muscular BMI won't be much help to you.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    Being generous I would guess they meant that as a compliment, to try and congratulate you on successful weight loss. Just a very, very awkwardly phrased compliment....

    Definitely not skeletal, you look quite proportionate to me.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    Well looking "skeletal" doesn't have to be a bad thing.

    fkxtptzzyql1.jpg

    Ha!

    I was thinking you should put a skeleton in your coworker's office; they apparently don't remember what they look like.

    I think you look fine, but I don't think you look unhealthy skinny. If you would like to continue losing a little more, I don't see a problem with that; if you're fine where you are, that's cool too. And you could always run your goals past your doctor if you're really concerned.
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
    I think you look good. I'd guess that the only "meaning" behind it reflects more on the person who said it. What's their deal? Overweight, underweight? Jealous of your accomplishments? You don't have to tell us. I'd just place the comment more on THEM than having to do with you.
  • tomofnj
    tomofnj Posts: 88 Member
    Jealousy, my coworker I hadn't seen in 6 months said I am way to thin, although I clearly have another 40 or 50 to lose to get out of the obese category.. it was said by the guy who must have gained 40 or more since I last saw him.

    haters
  • deladypilot
    deladypilot Posts: 618 Member
    I think often that when people have seen you out of shape or over weight for any length of time that when you do become healthy they see you as too skinny. It is a mental perception. I think you look fantastic
  • leanlicorice
    leanlicorice Posts: 84 Member
    My two cents: take it with a grain of salt and move on. Your body; your mind; your choice.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    You look great. You co-worker was trying to start a conversation. ;)
  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    You're making them look bad, so STOP IT! ;)
    They were:
    1) Poorly giving a compliment
    2) Jealous of your accomplishment
    3) Wondering what your secret is
  • Tamlyngo
    Tamlyngo Posts: 96 Member
    Drives me crazy when people make rude comments when someone looses weight or makes positive changes! I get that a lot since I'm on the thin side and am trying to be healthier and just loose excess body fat. Unfortunately those comments usually come from jealousy or misinformation. I'm also not a huge fan of BMI, especially for talker men with larger bone structure/extra muscle. At your height you'd likely look very thin if you're BMI was under 25. The whole package needs to be considered! Good luck :)
  • GunnDancer
    GunnDancer Posts: 8 Member
    I think it also depends on who is saying it. I was heading out to run during my lunch at work and a female coworker saw me in my gym clothes and couldn't stop gushing about how great I was doing losing weight... And finished with "don't lose too much more! Men look better with a little weight on them!"

    So consider the source before being offended and just do what you feel you need to do.
  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
    People get used to seeing you a certain way and you changing causes them discomfort.

    I am starting to get the "too skinny" comments and I still have 10kg's to go. I think they just have a comfort zone which has been disrupted. They might think of Joe as being the "solid large guy" and Beth as being "the one that can carry the extra weight off" and they are probably also comparing themselves in the range - seeing themselves as always being bigger than you or smaller than you.

    I had a bit of experience on the other side of the equation when I was a teenager - my sister, who had always been overweight, lost enough weight on one of her crazy fad diets that people were starting to say "Oh look, you are almost the same size as Soo!" I must admit, I didn't like it, because she had always been the pretty one and I was the thin one. I was threatened by her weight loss and went and lost some extra weight myself to stay ahead. She ended up gaining the weight back and the contest was off, so I never really had to face the nasty things that were going on in my head at the time.

    I never sabotaged her, but it was hard to support her, for selfish reasons. I probably made those sort of comments, maybe things like "look, you are losing your boobs" or something else nasty that a sibling might say.

    I like to think that I would handle it more maturely now, but it gives me a bit of insight into the sort of behavior you describe.

  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,779 Member
    DrEnalg wrote: »
    My profile pic is a very recent pic of me from a day or so ago. I'm six-foot-three, 207 (as of today) with some decent base muscle from about 20 years of weightlifting (although I haven't lifted for about a year and a half now).

    Should I stop losing, or keep going? I still have an "overweight" BMI, I'm just not sure what that means at this point.

    No offense, but I think you should keep going. You don't really look like you have an overweight BMI, but you're not overly lean either.

    Your coworker's comment says a lot about them and nothing about you.
  • happygalah
    happygalah Posts: 343 Member
    You don't look skeletal. You look great! Keep going and don't listen to the co worker.
  • WheezynFat
    WheezynFat Posts: 8 Member
    my two cents: none of your co workers business, at the end of the day if you have a plan of where you want to get to stick to it.
  • lauracups
    lauracups Posts: 533 Member
    You didn't get fit for the approval of coworkers, don't stop your journey because of one.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    And their opinion matters why?

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