I look pretty fit but I'm overweight?
Options
Replies
-
By BMI you're at the outside edge of a healthy weight, not even overweight (I've assumed age 24). http://www.smartbmicalculator.com/result.html?unit=1&hf=5&hi=5&wl=152&us=1&ua=24&gl=
The BMI range is a range for a reason. As much as everyone is not healthy at the top of the range, not everyone is healthy at the bottom or middle of the range either. If you're an athlete there is a chance that you have sufficient muscle mass that you can top out of the BMI normal weight range without being over-fat.
Your D size has some weight. Were you always a D size or has that increased in recent years? You also mentioned that you have gone up from 120 to 150. Is that 120 in high school, or was that 120 once you were fully grown?
In total the picture I am getting is of someone near the top of their normal range; but probably still at a healthy fat % for a female and in particular when it comes to fat surrounding the abdomen.
Food restriction and weight loss is not without any side effects so if you don't need to lose weight and are not committed to losing weight there is little point in going through the roller coaster of trying to lose weight.
In any case if you do decide to restrict food you have no reason to be aiming for anything more than a 0.5lb a week rate of loss. Or you can take advantage of summer and load up on vegetables and fruits and go out for a couple of hikes/runs/bike rides while only off-setting part of that activity with additional food while continuing to strength train.
Very helpful. Thank you. I ranged from 110-120 in high school with the 120 my senior year. But I didn't finish growing till I was 18 or so, so my ideal weight may be closer to 130. I've pretty much always been a C/D but keep in mind it's a 32 band size so that doesn't implicate anything huge LOL. Pretty much all of the weight I have gained has accumulated around my hips/butt/thighs area. I might start by trying to replace a meal a day with a big salad and trying to avoid desserts... Thank you!1 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.
I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.
I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy
D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.
No...5-10 pounds is much higher that what is typically the case. A 32D is the same cup (breast size) as a a 34C and a 36B. The typical weight that you see quoted is just under 2 pounds for both combined.8 -
Very helpful. Thank you. I ranged from 110-120 in high school with the 120 my senior year. But I didn't finish growing till I was 18 or so, so my ideal weight may be closer to 130. I've pretty much always been a C/D but keep in mind it's a 32 band size so that doesn't implicate anything huge LOL. Pretty much all of the weight I have gained has accumulated around my hips/butt/thighs area. I might start by trying to replace a meal a day with a big salad and trying to avoid desserts... Thank you!
The questions about age etc were to gauge if you've had a sudden increase in weight as that would imply a higher fat % than a slower increase of weight in conjunction with athletic activity such as rowing and other training implies.
I would not be surprised if the 130 is closer to 140 in reality
Salads have the potential to have NO calories, or to actually have MORE calories than a normal meal depending on toppings and dressing.
When "loading up on vegetables" I mean thinks like (relatively dry) roasting some vegetables and having them next to your chicken or beef or fish instead of some extra mashed potato as an example.
Passing up on EVERY dessert sounds like something I would not do. But not having a dessert with every meal sounds like something I SHOULD do
replacing a dessert with some fruit is also fun.
Last, but not least, for people who are scale driven: you don't have a weight, you have a weight range. A trending weight web site or app (Libra android, happy scale iphone, www.trendweight.com, or www.weightgrapher.com) are your answer to understanding normal fluctuations over time and differentiating them from an actual change to your weight level over time.0 -
If you like the muscle mass you added and want to keep it, you will never get back to 120. But there is a lot of room between 120 and 152. You might find that you look and feel great at 140 +/- a few pounds. You are already working out on a regular basis. If you just cut a relatively small amount of calories from your diet, you would slowly lose some of the weight. You don't need a major change...some minor modifications could really make a difference.4
-
Muscle weighs a lot, and some of our frames are wider than others. So, weight in and of itself isn't a great indicator of health; it just may go against certain beauty standards set by the media.
If you really are concerned, get your body fat % checked.2 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.
I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.
I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy
D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.
No...5-10 pounds is much higher that what is typically the case. A 32D is the same cup (breast size) as a a 34C and a 36B. The typical weight that you see quoted is just under 2 pounds for both combined.
And that would just be an average. Breast weight will vary based on how dense the breast is (breast tissue vs. fat).2 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.
I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.
I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy
D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.
No...5-10 pounds is much higher that what is typically the case. A 32D is the same cup (breast size) as a a 34C and a 36B. The typical weight that you see quoted is just under 2 pounds for both combined.
NO! it's the same overall circumference... the cup is a D...
2 -
If you feel great and look great, I don't know why you feel a need to lose weight. Why don't you get a VALID body fat test done and set some goals from there? Valid= bod pod, dexa, or hydrtank. NOT scales, calipers, or handheld analyzers.1
-
stanmann571 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.
I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.
I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy
D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.
No...5-10 pounds is much higher that what is typically the case. A 32D is the same cup (breast size) as a a 34C and a 36B. The typical weight that you see quoted is just under 2 pounds for both combined.
NO! it's the same overall circumference... the cup is a D...
No. The letter size of the cup is derived from the difference between the band size (the part UNDER the breasts)...and the chest measurement itself (over the breasts). You subtract one from the other, and the number of inches you get gives you the cup letter size.
What I wrote is exactly how it works...you can look it up on hundreds of online bra sites, women's magazine sites, and various other sources. A 32 D has the exact same cup size as a 36B. The only difference in the two bras will be the length of the band that goes UNDER the breasts. But you can use the same cup for both.
On the other hand, a 36D will have a much LARGER cup than a 32D. So the D is meaningless if you don't know the band size. Not every D cup is the same size...it is completely dependent on the band size it goes with. Trust me, I developed early and have worn bras for the majority of my life.13 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.
I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.
I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy
D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.
No...5-10 pounds is much higher that what is typically the case. A 32D is the same cup (breast size) as a a 34C and a 36B. The typical weight that you see quoted is just under 2 pounds for both combined.
NO! it's the same overall circumference... the cup is a D...
No. The letter size of the cup is derived from the difference between the band size (the part UNDER the breasts)...and the chest measurement itself (over the breasts). You subtract one from the other, and the number of inches you get gives you the cup letter size.
What I wrote is exactly how it works...you can look it up on hundreds of online bra sites, women's magazine sites, and various other sources. A 32 D has the exact same cup size as a 36B. The only difference in the two bras will be the length of the band that goes UNDER the breasts. But you can use the same cup for both.
On the other hand, a 36D will have a much LARGER cup than a 32D. So the D is meaningless if you don't know the band size. Not every D cup is the same size...it is completely dependent on the band size it goes with. Trust me, I developed early and have worn bras for the majority of my life.
Yep. This is correct.8 -
I'm 10lbs overweight in the "after" pic. I look pretty fit but I COULD still lose. Do I care? not really. If you're uncomfortable then go ahead, but I wouldn't stress if you're marginally outside a normal BMI
19 -
mrsnattybulking wrote: »I'm 10lbs overweight in the "after" pic. I look pretty fit but I COULD still lose. Do I care? not really. If you're uncomfortable then go ahead, but I wouldn't stress if you're marginally outside a normal BMI
That is an AMAZING transformation, congrats!
I think you guys are right, in that a more gradual weight loss to shed 10-15 pounds would be a better place to start.3 -
By BMI you're at the outside edge of a healthy weight, not even overweight (I've assumed age 24). http://www.smartbmicalculator.com/result.html?unit=1&hf=5&hi=5&wl=152&us=1&ua=24&gl=
Just FYI, the "smart BMI" is not recognized by any health or medical organization. While there are people who disagree with BMI, the formula used by the NIH and WHO does not take age into account past adulthood, although children are measured by percentile.
Also on their site you will find such pseudoscientific claims as set-point and starvation mode being promoted. They strongly discourage CICO based diets and suggest that the very obese cannot lose significant weight.
The NIH, WHO and Mayo Clinic are all far more reliable sources when it comes to healthy weight and body fat management.1 -
armchairherpetologist wrote: »Just FYI, the "smart BMI" is not recognized by any health or medical organization. While there are people who disagree with BMI, the formula used by the NIH and WHO does not take age into account past adulthood, although children are measured by percentile.
I used to use: http://halls.md/body-mass-index/av.htm to capture the fact that standard BMI calculators do not take into account research that shows the lower end of the "WHO overweight category" has as good or better longevity results than the lower end of the "WHO normal BMI category" when it comes to older adults.
However a while back Halls' site returned a few weird results/errors when looking at underweight BMI's which scared me from using it and sent me towards smartbmi which seems to capture the same point (namely that for older adults a slightly higher BMI may represent less of a health risk than a lower BMI)
I have not seen this nor would I particularly agree with it, subject to us understanding the same thing with the terms you are using.armchairherpetologist wrote: »Also on their site you will find such pseudoscientific claims as set-point and starvation mode being promoted. They strongly discourage CICO based diets and suggest that the very obese cannot lose significant weight.
That said I have certainly seen "commentary" in the smartbmi write ups that I would have skipped/not included/ignored/thought of as lightly funny. Such commentary did not devalue the basic premise of an adjusted level of risk based on age.
I think that we will both agree that actual fat percentage is the real risk indicator and that broadly speaking BMI helps alert people to being over-fat more often than not.3 -
armchairherpetologist wrote: »Just FYI, the "smart BMI" is not recognized by any health or medical organization. While there are people who disagree with BMI, the formula used by the NIH and WHO does not take age into account past adulthood, although children are measured by percentile.
I used to use: http://halls.md/body-mass-index/av.htm to capture the fact that standard BMI calculators do not take into account research that shows the lower end of the "WHO overweight category" has as good or better longevity results than the lower end of the "WHO normal BMI category" when it comes to older adults.
However a while back Halls' site returned a few weird results/errors when looking at underweight BMI's which scared me from using it and sent me towards smartbmi which seems to capture the same point (namely that for older adults a slightly higher BMI may represent less of a health risk than a lower BMI)
There are problems with applying that to individuals, though, and also a lot of assumption going into the assertion that it is a causal relationship.
The self-titled "Smart BMI" presumes the causal relationship between higher BMI and increased longevity - something that is currently not supported by any actual research - and adds age into its assertions as to what is healthy.
I have not seen this nor would I particularly agree with it, subject to us understanding the same thing with the terms you are using.armchairherpetologist wrote: »Also on their site you will find such pseudoscientific claims as set-point and starvation mode being promoted. They strongly discourage CICO based diets and suggest that the very obese cannot lose significant weight.
That said I have certainly seen "commentary" in the smartbmi write ups that I would have skipped/not included/ignored/thought of as lightly funny. Such commentary did not devalue the basic premise of an adjusted level of risk based on age.
I think that we will both agree that actual fat percentage is the real risk indicator and that broadly speaking BMI helps alert people to being over-fat more often than not.
If you indicate that you do any kind of dieting, the commentary that you'll receive is that it can lead to "yo-yoing", will reduce your metabolism as your body tries to maintain fat, calls weight loss goals that are very much within the healthy range as "very ambitious", actively discourages any weight loss at all for an individual with a BMI of less than 25 (even if it's 24.9).
It spouts this starvation mode pap:Your weight is below average: Do you really need this diet? When on this diet, it is important to reduce meals to the optimum extent, but not beyond. Too great a reduction could induce the body to consume less energy and store more of it in fat deposits. This may result in a yo-yo effect. If you want to stop dieting, do it step by step.
And it flat out will not let you enter a goal that it considers too large a gap between current weight and goal, so for example a person who is 5'8" tall and weighs 300 lbs would be told that having a goal of losing 140 pounds (putting them within the normal range) is too large.
After messing around with that site when I first found it, I decided to avoid it and don't recommend it to anyone else because it seems to have an undercurrent to it that opposes deliberate weight loss.0 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.
I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.
I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy
D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.
No...5-10 pounds is much higher that what is typically the case. A 32D is the same cup (breast size) as a a 34C and a 36B. The typical weight that you see quoted is just under 2 pounds for both combined.
This is not true and I don't know why the fashion industry is trying to convince people it is. Try picking up a 36B and a 30DD and put one cup in the other. You will see they are not even close to the same cup size. Heck what about a 38A and a 28F? NOPE!!! An A cup would hardly cover my nipple when I'm actually an F regardless of if I could clasp the band around me.
Sorry, little pet peeve of mine.
It is true that the cup is relative to the band size though. It has to do with the difference of inches between your measurements around the ribs and around the breasts, in inches. B cup means there's something like a 3" difference in circumference and D means more like 5 or 6". Big difference.
It is said something like 80% of women wear the wrong bra size. The myth in quotes is why.
Annnyyyway....
OP, you might have more muscle mass than a lot of women, relative to fat. Especially since you mentioned you can see ab definition. You could try to lose a little but I wonder if it's not really a big deal. The key is to feel proud of your body. Maybe just start with 5 lbs and see how you feel.2 -
mrsnattybulking wrote: »I'm 10lbs overweight in the "after" pic. I look pretty fit but I COULD still lose. Do I care? not really. If you're uncomfortable then go ahead, but I wouldn't stress if you're marginally outside a normal BMI
Holy *puppy*, that's an awesome transformation.1 -
0
-
MoiAussi93 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Hi all, I have been thinking about losing the weight I gained in college for a while but now I am finally committing to it. I am currently 5'5 and 152 pounds. I wear between a size 5-8 pants and 32D bra. The issue is, I do not really have jiggly places, rolls or bulges. A little cellulite but who doesn't. I have abdominal definition and you can see my quad muscles popping out. I'm overweight, but I look pretty fit and I work out a lot. I'm not happy with myself, but I'm also not *unhappy*.
I know I would be much happier - and feel better about a healthier lifestyle - if I lost 20 pounds and was a bit smaller everywhere, but how can I motivate myself to keep going when there aren't any particular areas I need to target? I am pretty confident in my body as it is but I can't find the motivation to get healthier regardless of my body itself.
I've edited this 6 times, trying not to be pervy
D Cup can be up to 5-10 lbs. so take that into account.
No...5-10 pounds is much higher that what is typically the case. A 32D is the same cup (breast size) as a a 34C and a 36B. The typical weight that you see quoted is just under 2 pounds for both combined.
This is not true and I don't know why the fashion industry is trying to convince people it is. Try picking up a 36B and a 30DD and put one cup in the other. You will see they are not even close to the same cup size. Heck what about a 38A and a 28F? NOPE!!! An A cup would hardly cover my nipple when I'm actually an F regardless of if I could clasp the band around me.
Sorry, little pet peeve of mine.
It is true that the cup is relative to the band size though. It has to do with the difference of inches between your measurements around the ribs and around the breasts, in inches. B cup means there's something like a 3" difference in circumference and D means more like 5 or 6". Big difference.
It is said something like 80% of women wear the wrong bra size. The myth in quotes is why.
Annnyyyway....
OP, you might have more muscle mass than a lot of women, relative to fat. Especially since you mentioned you can see ab definition. You could try to lose a little but I wonder if it's not really a big deal. The key is to feel proud of your body. Maybe just start with 5 lbs and see how you feel.
The other real issue is that a 32C(32x38) is expected to fit 31x38/39, 32x37,38,39, 33x37,38... so a 30D(30x38) will also fit some of those same sizes.. as will a 34B(34x38) Because Mass Production.
I actually built a spreadsheet with the math, and the differences between Circumferences and cylinder volume, but I chunked it because I didn't really want to deal with math in public and other people.0 -
As you write, you are neither happy nor unhappy with your body, so it sounds like you could probably coast where you are fine enough for a while. I've done it before. But then I either get my motivation back and am ready to get to the place where I am fully happy or I gain a few pounds and feel unhappy and that kicks in the motivation. I am not sure what will work for you. Going from my own personal experience, even losing 5-10 pounds on your weight and height might make a huge difference in how you feel and view yourself. For instance, I am 5'3.5''...the difference between 140 and 130 for me is huge. I go from feeling 'okay, a bit pudgy, but I can live with' to downright feeling slim. Just my two cents :-) xx0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.9K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.4K Fitness and Exercise
- 403 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 999 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions