How can you actually tell what your body frame?

SunflowerCutie
SunflowerCutie Posts: 61 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I mean I've always been a big girl all my life and as puberty hit, I've gained SO MUCH WEIGHT. My highest weight was about 235lbs I think and I've been 5'8 or 9 since I was 14 or 15. Anyways I used to wear a size XL and I lost the weight. Now I'm back in the 200s and trying to get to at least 199 again. I wear a L or sometimes M. I heard the wrist size determent a persons bone structure. Do clothes determine someone's bone structure. I've always see myself as large built. But not so sure.
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Replies

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited September 2016
    Clothes don't, no. You need to look at parts of your body that are nearly all bone, no overlaying muscle or fat. I've seen wrist measurements used and elbow, too. Here's a good article with a few different methods:

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/219938-how-to-know-your-body-frame/
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
    You an tell when you've been small and got big, subsequently. Otherwise, keep on reducing, until it looks right.
  • sliminby60
    sliminby60 Posts: 52 Member
    i have read if you put your thumb and finger of one hand around wrist and they touch you are medium boned if dont touch large boned if overlap small boned
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    edited September 2016
    I wouldn't worry about it. Just work on weight loss (if you feel it's needed), health, and fitness. It only becomes an issue as you approach what looks good to you. If your measurements and weight are higher, but you look fit then you might have a larger frame. If you find yourself much smaller then you might have a small frame. Usually it's based on the size of your rib cage. And other measurements such as your shoulders. You can usually tell just by looking at people if they have small or broad shoulders. A bigger or smaller rib cage. Weight can have other factors as well such as body composition (how much muscle you have). But, a small framed person will be smaller than a large framed person even if they are both body builders with a lot of muscle.
  • saphin
    saphin Posts: 246 Member
    You might find that this site helps you to calculate your build and a suitable weight range tailored to your frame size

    https://www.myfooddiary.com/resources/ideal_weight_calc.asp
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    I dont think those tests are 100 accurate. it tells me I have a small frame and I am more like a medium frame.Ive never been really small lowest weight after becoming an adult was 125 and at that weight I look emaciated.(Im 5'6 1/2)
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    edited September 2016
    The tests based on wrist size are not accurate. The aspect of frame that influences weight is mainly things like shoulders and rib cage. Wrist size doesn't have an impact on body mass. But, a person with a small rib cage has smaller internal organs and less space for body mass, so in general they are smaller and weigh less than a person of the same height with a big rib cage. For example I have a small rib cage, my internal organs are small, I can't donate a kidney to a person that is bigger because my kidney is too small for their body and wouldn't function at the capacity they would need. But, on the flip side a bigger person could donate a kidney to me if I needed it.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I don't think you can tell until you have at least a normal BMI. Wrists really don't mean much when you still have fat on them, and I know that in my case my wrists are relatively thin, but I have a large ribcage and if I go by elbow width, I'm medium/large.

    Clothes size doesn't really mean anything though, for example it will be much easier for a 5'2" woman to fit in size 0 clothes than a 5'8" woman...
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I don't think you can tell until you have at least a normal BMI. Wrists really don't mean much when you still have fat on them, and I know that in my case my wrists are relatively thin, but I have a large ribcage and if I go by elbow width, I'm medium/large.

    Clothes size doesn't really mean anything though, for example it will be much easier for a 5'2" woman to fit in size 0 clothes than a 5'8" woman...

    yeah Im talking about my frame size when I was a normal BMI,Im close again but not quite there
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited September 2016
    Wrist diameter and elbow breadth are the most common measure of frame size. Basically the parts of you that are down to the bone unless you are very very overweight.

    Plenty of online calculators for it, here is one I just googled.

    http://www.superskinnyme.com/body_type_calculator.html

    At 6' tall and a wrist of 6.25'' I am very small framed as an example. If you are very overweight elbow breadth might be more accurate. Frame size is going to have a role in what your overall lean mass is and therefore what bodyweight is a reasonable expectation at low percent bodyfat assuming a normal amount of muscle.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited September 2016
    sliminby60 wrote: »
    i have read if you put your thumb and finger of one hand around wrist and they touch you are medium boned if dont touch large boned if overlap small boned

    It's not really a good test if someone is obese or larger, though. Fat does begin to build up on wrists and fingers as one gains more and more weight. The elbow test is better.

    I'm large framed no matter which test I do (thanks, Dad!). I have large shoulders, a large rib cage and big wrists. My mother and sisters, on the other hand, are all very fine boned. My fingers overlap by about a half inch on my mom's wrist and are farther apart than that around my own. The difference is obvious.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    The reason you measure your frame at your wrist or your elbow is that is where your fat is generally lowest and the diameter or radius is determined by the bone rather than flesh. That said if you are considerably overweight then there still can be fat there which would make you appear larger framed than you actually are.
  • SunflowerCutie
    SunflowerCutie Posts: 61 Member
    sliminby60 wrote: »
    i have read if you put your thumb and finger of one hand around wrist and they touch you are medium boned if dont touch large boned if overlap small boned

    I did that and my fingers overlaps a bit.
  • SunflowerCutie
    SunflowerCutie Posts: 61 Member
    SueInAz wrote: »
    Clothes don't, no. You need to look at parts of your body that are nearly all bone, no overlaying muscle or fat. I've seen wrist measurements used and elbow, too. Here's a good article with a few different methods:

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/219938-how-to-know-your-body-frame/

    Thanks. I'll check that out.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    The only reliable way I know is to have your body fat % measured by someone who knows how, and then have the results interpreted by someone who can put them into context. I can't do the measuring because you are too far away, but if you ever got some reliable numbers, I could definitely do the latter.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    I dont think those tests are 100 accurate. it tells me I have a small frame and I am more like a medium frame.Ive never been really small lowest weight after becoming an adult was 125 and at that weight I look emaciated.(Im 5'6 1/2)

    What results does this site give you? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Wrist diameter and elbow breadth are the most common measure of frame size. Basically the parts of you that are down to the bone unless you are very very overweight.

    Plenty of online calculators for it, here is one I just googled.

    http://www.superskinnyme.com/body_type_calculator.html

    At 6' tall and a wrist of 6.25'' I am very small framed as an example. If you are very overweight elbow breadth might be more accurate. Frame size is going to have a role in what your overall lean mass is and therefore what bodyweight is a reasonable expectation at low percent bodyfat assuming a normal amount of muscle.

    so I did this and it said small frame too. well maybe my upper half is lol the lower half is a different story always has been. hehehehe
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Wrist diameter and elbow breadth are the most common measure of frame size. Basically the parts of you that are down to the bone unless you are very very overweight.

    Plenty of online calculators for it, here is one I just googled.

    http://www.superskinnyme.com/body_type_calculator.html

    At 6' tall and a wrist of 6.25'' I am very small framed as an example. If you are very overweight elbow breadth might be more accurate. Frame size is going to have a role in what your overall lean mass is and therefore what bodyweight is a reasonable expectation at low percent bodyfat assuming a normal amount of muscle.

    so I did this and it said small frame too. well maybe my upper half is lol the lower half is a different story always has been. hehehehe

    While I have my doubts about the whole endomorph/exomorph thing I do believe frame size is legit. I mean it does make sense that different people could have different skeleton sizes in terms of bone density and that larger bone size and density would generally support larger muscle development and heavier lean mass.

    As someone with a very small frame when I get down to 12% bodyfat I only weigh about 154 pounds as a 6' tall man. People here that number and think that is drastically underweight but because of my frame size it really isn't for me. My profile pictures of me looking quite fit are me at 160 pounds when I was at about 15% bodyfat. I got down to 154 and didn't look all that different (a little trimmer)
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    yeah I dont believe in the "morphs" thing as it has been debunked. someone will post the link to that study Im sure
  • kathrynjean_
    kathrynjean_ Posts: 428 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    What results does this site give you? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp

    Interestingly, my results on that site didn't match. My wrist measurement apparently indicates a "thin" frame while my elbow measurement indicates a "broad" frame. FWIW, I always thought I had a medium frame ...

    OP, it just goes to show you that these numbers can be inconsistent. I think it's better to go off of how you look and feel.

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    I dont think those tests are 100 accurate. it tells me I have a small frame and I am more like a medium frame.Ive never been really small lowest weight after becoming an adult was 125 and at that weight I look emaciated.(Im 5'6 1/2)

    What results does this site give you? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp

    Hmm. Mine says I have a small to medium frame but I have a large frame with good sized pelvis and wide shoulders on top of a bit of a barrel chest. I have bigger shoulders than most women...

    Perhaps my bones are not thick (thin) on my large frame?
  • Joolytron
    Joolytron Posts: 2 Member
    You want to get a body composition test done and find out how much dry mass (bone) you have in your body. This will help you determine what weight you should be. I had a nutritionist do it, in my case. She ended up recommending a higher goal weight than I would have expected, based on looking at BMI charts.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    edited September 2016
    sliminby60 wrote: »
    i have read if you put your thumb and finger of one hand around wrist and they touch you are medium boned if dont touch large boned if overlap small boned

    I've heard this too, but you have to be careful with it if you have unusually long or short fingers. (Mine just touch - but my fingers are so short I can't even play guitar because I can't reach the whole chords at once. My sister, on the other hand, has really long fingers and should really have taken up piano.)
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    Joolytron wrote: »
    You want to get a body composition test done and find out how much dry mass (bone) you have in your body. This will help you determine what weight you should be. I had a nutritionist do it, in my case. She ended up recommending a higher goal weight than I would have expected, based on looking at BMI charts.

    This! I too worked with professionals. They took a variety of measurements including wrist, neck, shoulders, hips, and limb lengths. Later I had a body scan done. I was given a healthy weight range based on that info.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    Ha to the fingers around wrist. One thumb and finger meet - so I am medium boned. One thumb and finger do not meet so I am large boned. I know I have large ships and shoulders. I was not heavy-actually on the too skinny side until mid forties.
  • iheartdinosaurs
    iheartdinosaurs Posts: 45 Member
    kathrynjean_ wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    What results does this site give you? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp

    Interestingly, my results on that site didn't match. My wrist measurement apparently indicates a "thin" frame while my elbow measurement indicates a "broad" frame. FWIW, I always thought I had a medium frame ...

    OP, it just goes to show you that these numbers can be inconsistent. I think it's better to go off of how you look and feel.

    Haha, my measurements also don't agree (story of my life). I squeezed the tape as tight as possible around my wrist, almost bruised my elbow pinching hard, and rounded both my measurements down just in case - wrist says medium, elbow says broad. Somewhat unsurprising based on how clothes have fit throughout my life...

    That said, whether or not the measurements are totally valid for this, it just helps to validate the goal I've set with my doctor being on the highest end of the healthy weight spectrum (in addition to how my body holds onto muscle).

    But more importantly, it helps me be more realistic about my goals and what my body might look like, which I find has been really helpful in my ongoing journey towards self acceptance & happiness!
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    My measurements all agree. I'm large-framed (broad) as well. I'd be large if I was a man. This is why I'm not too concerned about my weight goal being at the top of the healthy range. I'm also rather muscular. Hooray for those Viking ancestors.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Well, my measurements agree too.

    s2pqrp58kc5t.png

    I already knew that, though. I'm noticeably larger in the pelvis than many women I know and I have broad shoulders. I'm built sturdy, which I like because even though I'm clumsy and reckless I don't remember ever breaking a bone except in one serious car accident.
  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 403 Member
    I am a 6'5" Male, and I have a large frame. Large chest, broad shoulder, long torso. No matter how much weight I lose I will never fit into a large shirt. I have to buy an XL, which may look too big for me, but if I were to wear a large, it would be way too short. I've seen people my height, similar weight, wear a medium, but they usually have like a 36-38 inseam, where mine is a 30. I'm just taller on top, but not comically so. I look proportionate.

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