Ribs showing but I am not underweight?

Fitorel
Fitorel Posts: 13 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, I am an 18 year old female which weighs approximately 60-61.4kg, depending on the day (9 stone 5 to 9 stone 8 approximately) and I am 5'8"/172.5cm tall, so I am far from underweight, I have an average BMI.
The problem that I have is that my ribs show and my hip bones poke out, it is especially noticeable when I lie on my back but you can still see this when I stand up.
Having said this, I do not have a flat stomach, which is what I want to achieve, there is still a bit of fat on it and I was wondering what causes this and what I can do to lose weight but not make my ribs show more.
I currently do stomach exercises such as sit ups, crunches, planks, etc.
Does my diet play a factor in this? I go off calorie counting, not off what type of food it is although I try to not eat too much junk food.

Replies

  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    Sounds like you are worried about something that is really not an issue. I am not underweight either, but my ribs certainly show when I lie down.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    I'm nowhere near underweight, have always had very prominent collarbones even while overweight and my butt hurts when I sit on anything hard from the bones poking.

    And certainly when I lie down my ribs show, I would think that's normal for a fair amount of people.
  • userlovecake
    userlovecake Posts: 5 Member
    Do you have a history of breathing problems, asthma, or panic attacks. I have really visible ribs but it's because I have a dodgy rib cage caused by asthma as a child.
  • Fitorel
    Fitorel Posts: 13 Member
    userlovecake wrote: »
    Do you have a history of breathing problems, asthma, or panic attacks. I have really visible ribs but it's because I have a dodgy rib cage caused by asthma as a child.

    I do have anxiety and panic attacks but I don't think that I have that many for ot to make my ribs shows.
  • Fitorel
    Fitorel Posts: 13 Member
    My collar bone has always been visible too but now it is exagerrated, by my ribs being visible I mean that you can see it quite clearly, not just a bit. I didn't bother mentioning my collar bone because I don't see that as a problem but that also looks weird.
    My question is: how can I fix this?
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Also worth noting you don't have to be underweight to have low bodyfat or even unhealthily low body fat. BMI is just one metric to assess physical health.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Fitorel wrote: »
    My collar bone has always been visible too but now it is exagerrated, by my ribs being visible I mean that you can see it quite clearly, not just a bit. I didn't bother mentioning my collar bone because I don't see that as a problem but that also looks weird.
    My question is: how can I fix this?

    Ask your GYN if this is something that actually needs fixing.
  • JennyThompson180
    JennyThompson180 Posts: 17 Member
    Body recomposition is a topic that might cover somewhat your need. There are lots of threads on these boards on it. I know I look less boney than I used to in my shoulders, and my fat deposit areas on my hips are less exaggerated, more like an average person. Not sure what exactly you are experiencing, so this may be off the mark.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    What needs to be fixed? Keep losing and know that many peoples ribs show. I'm 5'4" and mine are quite visible when I'm about 128. Far from underweight.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,748 Member
    Body composition varies a lot. I have very little fat on my upper body, so you can count all my ribs when I am standing, but my legs are another matter. All the fat dropped down to below my waist and mostly stays on my thighs. I am within normal weight for my height (5'6" 123 lbs.) and don't want to lose more. I've just learned to accept that I'll never have a Hollywood body.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    What needs to be fixed? Keep losing and know that many peoples ribs show. I'm 5'4" and mine are quite visible when I'm about 128. Far from underweight.

    Or don't keep losing, since you're already on the low side of the healthy weight range for your height, and accept that many healthy adult women do not have flat stomachs.

    Or that. I didn't convert KG to lbs
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    Fitorel wrote: »
    My collar bone has always been visible too but now it is exagerrated, by my ribs being visible I mean that you can see it quite clearly, not just a bit. I didn't bother mentioning my collar bone because I don't see that as a problem but that also looks weird.
    My question is: how can I fix this?

    But what is there to fix? :(

    I think we're so used to seeing overweight people as "normal" that we think of a non-overweight body as odd. We think a few bones showing in some way is odd...It's not. It's really not. We actually AREN'T designed to be rounded over every protrusion until it's all obscured.
  • xchocolategirl
    xchocolategirl Posts: 186 Member
    That's perfectly normal I'm 5'3 and 150 pounds (currently overweight), and my ribs show and hip bones stick out. As others mentioned it has to do with not a lot of fat being surrounded in that are.

    It's okay.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    What needs to be fixed? Keep losing and know that many peoples ribs show. I'm 5'4" and mine are quite visible when I'm about 128. Far from underweight.

    Or don't keep losing, since you're already on the low side of the healthy weight range for your height, and accept that many healthy adult women do not have flat stomachs.

    Or that. I didn't convert KG to lbs

    Sorry if it sounded like I thought you were wrong. I just meant that as another option, not necessarily a better one. OP isn't underweight, but doesn't seem happy with her genetic lot in life, which seems to be that the abdomen is the first place that her body stores fat. So she has to either accept visible ribs or a bit of a tummy.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    What needs to be fixed? Keep losing and know that many peoples ribs show. I'm 5'4" and mine are quite visible when I'm about 128. Far from underweight.

    Or don't keep losing, since you're already on the low side of the healthy weight range for your height, and accept that many healthy adult women do not have flat stomachs.

    Or that. I didn't convert KG to lbs

    Sorry if it sounded like I thought you were wrong. I just meant that as another option, not necessarily a better one. OP isn't underweight, but doesn't seem happy with her genetic lot in life, which seems to be that the abdomen is the first place that her body stores fat. So she has to either accept visible ribs or a bit of a tummy.

    No no. I got you ha.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    My pelvic bones and elbows are very prominent, but my hips measure 39" and my arms are quite beefy. Bones show if you're not obese, whether you are slightly overweight, if you are "perfect" weight or of course if you're underweight. The amount each bone shows varies from person to person.
    A slightly rounded tummy is normal for most women. I've been thinner than I am now (because I've been a lot younger!) but never had an entirely flat stomach even when doing 3-4 ballet classes a week. One of life's many disappointments!
  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
    I can see my ribs, collar bones, hip bones and the top of my sternum. I also have those triangle shaped indentations under my collarbones. And I still have weight to lose. I will probably never have a flat tummy (it pokes out but is hard with loose skin). It all depends on body fat distribution.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Nothing that you're describing indicates any sort of problem with your body. I am currently at the upper end of the "ideal" BMI range for my height. What you're describing in terms of body shape sounds a lot like me.

    To me, it sounds more like an idea that your anxiety has caused you to fixate on. I've been there myself. I've sometimes found completely unconcerning things about my body and convinced myself that they were problems, or developed panic attacks over very minor symptoms because I was afraid that they meant I had something fatal. So I would suggest that your concerns may be related to your anxiety rather than your physical health. Are you seeing a professional for your anxiety and panic attacks?
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    edited June 2017
    OP, I have a nearly identical BMI to you -- I weigh less, but I'm also shorter -- and have a similar "issue". (I don't see it as a problem, though...) For me, it's because despite having toothpick wrists and ankles, the rest of my frame isn't small -- I'm broad shouldered, and have a large rib cage. So on people like us, we don't have to be underweight to have bones showing through.

    I understand the frustration. I carry the bulk of my weight (no pun intended) in my torso. I'm perplexed at how my ribs can show, yet I've got all that fat in the front. But, I know that I'm dealing with dysmorphia, so it's not supposedly/technically a problem with the abdomen, as much as it is with how I view it. My hips are between 34-35 inches these days, and I'm frustrated that things aren't evening out more... but I know that is my issue to work through.

    If you see this as a problem, maybe consider trying to add more weight on, and becoming more "equal" in that regard? I know that's not my goal, but I'm also not hung up on the fact that you can see my ribs. So you may need to decide whether it's worth having the visible ribs and hips, or whether it is better to accept the ab fat.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    If you are struggling to have a flat stomach, and since you are at the low end of the weight spectrum, it's probably driven by the fact you have low amounts of lean body mass to enable you to have a flat stomach. If your goal is to have a flat stomach, you might need to add some muscle first, and then cut any new fat gains... and then rinse and repeat until you enjoy the results. While the below link is extreme, it' demonstrates what I mean.

    https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    There's a difference between being able to see your rib cage and having prominent indentations between individual ribs. The difference can be seen if you look up pictures of a healthy weight dog.
This discussion has been closed.

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