Large frame/big bones - was told I was too thin at 145

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Elleposh119
Elleposh119 Posts: 46 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all, so I'm 5"9 and my goal weight is to get to around 170. About 5 years ago I was about 143 -145 lbs, my doctor (and several friends/relatives) told me that I looked too skinny, and was too thin at this weight, I was confused by this since i've never heard of anyone being told that they looked and or were too thin at 143-145 lbs and my BMI was regular, she explained her statement to me a bit and said that since I have larger bones/frame and am pretty tall that the BMI formula is a bit different for me. Before she weighed me and factored in my frame/bones, etc she thought that I was under 120 lbs.

I have a large rib cage that has always stuck out (no matter what my weight is- even at my heaviest), and I do have bigger bones all around. But, what's the deal with this and how it effects my weight? Why is it that at a weight which is considered average (even when calculating my height in there) I was considered too thin?

Do people with larger frames, etc have bones that weigh more and incorporate largely into what the number on the scale says? Are there any other people that know what I'm talking about/big boned, etc?

Sorry for the long post, and to some this might be a stupid post, but I've always been curious about this!

Replies

  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    Sounds like you'll be able to maintain a higher weight and still look great, which means you burn more calories and can eat more, win/win!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Yes, people with large frames have heavier bones and require more muscle, so they'll weigh more than those with smaller frames, even if they're both the same height.

    If the doctor says you're too think you're too thin. Listen to the doctor.
  • m13a
    m13a Posts: 41 Member
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    I totally relate. I'm 5'8" and also considered to have a large frame. Years ago I was around 140 pounds and, looking at photos, I appeared extremely skinny - even a bit sickly at times.

    Right now I'm aiming for a goal of about 155 pounds, but even at 164 - the cutoff point for my height between "healthy" and "overweight" in terms of BMI - I feel relatively pleased with my body and am open to the idea of stopping at a higher weight.

    It is true that the frames of some people are just bigger. This increased bone structure would weigh more. On top of that, I've always tended to be more muscular than the vast majority of women around me, despite little to no exercise.

    I think it's healthy to take your comfort level into consideration and recognize that - because you have a larger frame - you don't need to get down to the low weight goals of others. That's something I've come to terms with over time.
  • Elleposh119
    Elleposh119 Posts: 46 Member
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    Thanks for the responses guys, i've just always been curious about this.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,196 Member
    edited August 2015
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    The BMI formula doesn't work as well for people who are taller, have a large frame size, carry a lot of muscle or who have unusual proportions. For example, I have an extraordinarily long torso and very large breasts--the regular formula just doesn't work for me.

    I'm an inch or two taller than you and all of my doctors seem to agree that 190 is a good weight for me. The last time I weighed that much, people were asking me if I had an eating disorder--I know that it sounds huge, but it really isn't for my body. 145 seems VERY thin at your height if you have a larger frame.

    BMI was actually designed to look at weight and health across aggregations/large populations. It has a lot of limitations when used to assess the health of an individual person.

    In your case, I would ask several doctors to see if they give you the same/similar goal numbers.
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
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    Hi,
    I'm 5'10 and 151.5lbs. Everyone is telling me the same thing, that I'm too skinny, need to stop losing weight, etc. However, everything I've checked says I have a medium/small frame. Maybe it has to do with the height?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Elleposh119 wrote: »
    Hey all, so I'm 5"9 and my goal weight is to get to around 170. About 5 years ago I was about 143 -145 lbs, my doctor (and several friends/relatives) told me that I looked too skinny, and was too thin at this weight, I was confused by this since i've never heard of anyone being told that they looked and or were too thin at 143-145 lbs and my BMI was regular, she explained her statement to me a bit and said that since I have larger bones/frame and am pretty tall that the BMI formula is a bit different for me. Before she weighed me and factored in my frame/bones, etc she thought that I was under 120 lbs.

    I have a large rib cage that has always stuck out (no matter what my weight is- even at my heaviest), and I do have bigger bones all around. But, what's the deal with this and how it effects my weight? Why is it that at a weight which is considered average (even when calculating my height in there) I was considered too thin?

    Do people with larger frames, etc have bones that weigh more and incorporate largely into what the number on the scale says? Are there any other people that know what I'm talking about/big boned, etc?

    Sorry for the long post, and to some this might be a stupid post, but I've always been curious about this!

    I'm 5'8

    I'm discomfited if my weight drops much below 155-160

    I technically have a large frame, by wrist measurement, I have an hourglass shape and a decent musculature ..I assume that my bones are relatively dense so my scale weight always surprises others

    my comfort BMI is around 24 and ideal Body Fat is 23-25% (based on my own aesthetic) I imagine I'm currently at around 24%



  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    The BMI formula doesn't work as well for people who are taller, have a large frame size, carry a lot of muscle or who have unusual proportions. For example, I have an extraordinarily long torso and very large breasts--the regular formula just doesn't work for me.

    I'm an inch or two taller than you and all of my doctors seem to agree that 190 is a good weight for me. The last time I weighed that much, people were asking me if I had an eating disorder--I know that it sounds huge, but it really isn't for my body. 145 seems VERY thin at your height if you have a larger frame.

    BMI was actually designed to look at weight and health across aggregations/large populations. It has a lot of limitations when used to assess the health of an individual person.

    In your case, I would ask several doctors to see if they give you the same/similar goal numbers.

    Whilst this is relatively true there are too many people who feel they fit this outlier status when they simply don't.

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