Underweight vs Overweight

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  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
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    I can do back flips and pull overs at 178lbs I could pick up the back end of a car at 280 it really comes down to what I want to do.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
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    I read that wrong-- For me in a eating disorder currently its harder to gain weight but its the first time in my life after 7th grade I haven't been 200 plus so working on it
  • Kettle_Belle14
    Kettle_Belle14 Posts: 246 Member
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    Um, underweight. Cause I like to eat lots of food :D
  • OhMyGodAreAllUsernamesTaken
    OhMyGodAreAllUsernamesTaken Posts: 16 Member
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    I think I would choose the underweight only because I have never been in that position so I would like to see what that is like. However I do understand how hard it can be for some people to gain weight since I have met many diagnosed anorexic people and talked to them about their illness. I find it easier to see progress when someone like me (overweight) starts their journey to the healthy life than when someone who is underweight does the same which can lead to people commenting that they are not even trying and that can really mess up a person and discourage the process.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    Gaining weight, even when drastically underweight, messes up my mind. I knew I had to gain but still panicked every time I saw the scale went up and was embarrassed and ashamed people would notice and make insensitive comments. When I finally got up to normal weight (I was under because of crohn's) someone I hadn't seen since I was very ill came up to me and said "wow you have gained a lot of weight".
  • JDixon852019
    JDixon852019 Posts: 312 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Gaining weight, even when drastically underweight, messes up my mind. I knew I had to gain but still panicked every time I saw the scale went up and was embarrassed and ashamed people would notice and make insensitive comments. When I finally got up to normal weight (I was under because of crohn's) someone I hadn't seen since I was very ill came up to me and said "wow you have gained a lot of weight".

    That is terrible! I am sorry people suck.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    jrulo16 wrote: »
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    I would prefer to start from overweight (which is my actual situation).

    Firstly because it is so inescapable that I have a problem - our culture loves the skinny figure and so I think someone that's underweight is at more risk of thinking everything is fine.

    Also because extra fat can be protective when you get ill, whereas an underweight person does not have any spare resources and will suffer badly if they go off their food.

    Also, if you have a tendency to put on weight, and you reach a healthy weight, there is a bigger "buffer" between you and real health problems if you lose control of your eating. If I put on 30lb from a healthy weight, yeah, it's not great, but it's not the end of the world health-wise - it won't even get me back into "obese", just "overweight". But if you tend to be skinny, hit a life crisis and lose 30lb, you're straight into being dangerously underweight with immediate health consequences.

    Preparing yourself for a "life crisis" by holding on to weight sets up a self fulfilling prophecy in my opinion. There is no reason to justify your personal ideal weight (happy place). It may hold you back from achieving your goals.

    There are health consequences to both under and over weight, both suck and should be avoided.

    Eh?

    I wasn't recommending being overweight nor planning on staying that way. Ideal weight is what I'm aiming for. But the thread asked, if you had to choose, which would you choose? So I chose the lesser of two evils, IMO.

    And yes, you can be skinny and have big boobs, but I am not convinced you can be significantly underweight and maintain a set of prodigious bangers. I am open to correction on this.

    BTW my assumption was that if the fairy godmother made me underweight that she would also give me the eating issues that go with that, and the same for overweight. Otherwise the situation would resolve itself in a matter of months. The problem lies not in the body weight but in the behaviours that make it so.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I would rather be a healthy weight, which I now am after more than 30 years of gradual weight gain.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Either would suck really, but it would likely be more fun correcting the underweight.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    I like eating. I also really admire very slender physiques, despite knowing they are not in the cards for me. It's a no-brainer, all else being equal. But of course, all else is not equal.

    This question reminds me of the ridiculous question "which sense would you rather lose".
  • Intentional_Me
    Intentional_Me Posts: 336 Member
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    First here's a bit about me because it likely effects my answers : from my starting point I had more weight to lose than I would weigh when I reached my ideal weight (morbidly obese)

    I'd choose to start underweight for the following reasons:

    * Hello, I clearly love food.
    * society treats obese people like they are invisible at best but usually it's worse than that. Of course their are social obstacles being underweight but I don't believe the two are comparable whatsoever
    * well, there's no chance I'll ever be 150 pounds UNDER weight so calorie & time wise, I think reaching my goal would be more simple to have to gain some weight.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
    edited November 2016
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    Remember that people who are or appear underweight get a lot of flak, too. I know a girl who is very slim despite eating a lot (one of these fidgeting, naturally active types) and she is regularly told to eat something, asked if she is anorexic etc. She gets quite frustrated and self-conscious. Even at myheaviest (obese class 1, approaching class 2) I got few personal remarks or bad attitudes, she definitely has it worse than I ever have.


    Rude remarks are not reserved for us tubby people, they get handed out generously to anyone who deviates from the norm.
  • drivennightrunner87
    drivennightrunner87 Posts: 302 Member
    edited November 2016
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Either would suck really, but it would likely be more fun correcting the underweight.

    ikr...i'd go out and buy a different ben & jerry's flavor for every night of the week! :p

    ----
    :'(
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.

    I agree. Underweight people don't really want to eat big quantities normally.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
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    When I was slender I thought a little bit was a "lot". Lol
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.

    Unless you have a history of bulimia or anorexia binge/purge ;)
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    But if you were underweight, you would struggle to do that. If you found it easy to eat a big load of ice cream, you would not be underweight in the first place.

    Unless you have a history of bulimia or anorexia binge/purge ;)

    I never understood that. My BFF in school did and still does that, but it didn't appeal to me. Thankfully throwing up isn't something I can deal with. She is still struggling with eating disorders to this day.
    :(
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    i started from underweight and, because I like the way I look when skinny, that's much more comfortable psychologically for me. Was able to take my time and build slowly the body I want, and not worry about the scale.

    Cat of the Garage, I am not destined to have big boobs regardless, so that's not a consideration for me. I do prefer those on bigger ladies, though. Proportion. My sis got them the honest way, by paying for them, and to me always looks like she will fall over forward.
  • drivennightrunner87
    drivennightrunner87 Posts: 302 Member
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    trigden1991 wrote: »
    DresdenSinn wrote: »
    I can both gain and lose pretty equally and easily even at the tender age of 45, although gaining is much more satisfying. I'm currently at 148lbs and 10% bodyfat, according to the BMI chart at 151lbs I'm considered overweight which is erroneous because I have more lean muscle and I'm still about 11-12% bodyfat so I pay no mind to the BMI chart.

    As far as starting a journey as overweight vs. underweight would depend. You can be overweight and healthy as well as being underweight and unhealthy so I guess it would depend on an individual basis. I'd personally rather start underweight as gaining is more satisfying.

    You must be very short.

    Genius. Kudos 4 pointing out!

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