Thin vs Fit

Healthy is generally a totally different category than fat/thin. You can be very thin and healthy, some people are just made that way. You can be overweight (even in some cases obese) and still rock a clean bill of health.

I personally want to be somewhat thin and healthy. I was healthy when I had a BMI of 27 but I wasn't happy. I am healthy now with a BMI of 22 and liking things more everyday.

Yes, you can be healthy and fat and healthy and thin, but Fit is another factor. I want to be healthy and fit. I'm glad you have found your sweet spot. I am looking for my own.

I guess I don't get what you mean by "fit". Muscular?

Looks are so decieving. Many thin people are not fit
and many people who have extra weight on them and look less than perfect run, hike, bicylce, etc..

Depends on the person..

I am losing weight for HEALTH AND VANITY reasons

BTW Bcattoes, I never said thin was a problem.

Yeah, the OP says "Thin is the opposite of Fat and both are a problem. " Thin is rarely a problem.

Fit is being an appropriate size for your body type. Everyone talks about being thin, thin, thin [and rich..ha!] but I wanted to know what does that really mean? Isn't being fit a more life long and fulfilling goal?

Fit has nothing to do with size, and everything to do with stamina, endurance, strengh and so on....Fit and healthy normally goes hand in hand, whereas both thin and fat does not always equal either healthy or unhealthy....

According to dictionary.com, Fit is defined as in good physical condition and good health. It is possible to be overweight and fit, but it's very hard to remain fit as you age if you are overweight.

Yes, you can be healthy and fat and healthy and thin, but Fit is another factor. I want to be healthy and fit. I'm glad you have found your sweet spot. I am looking for my own.

I guess I don't get what you mean by "fit". Muscular?

It simply means being in a healthy weight, not fat nor thin. When I say healthy weight, I mean someone who has good body composition because you can be thin & have lower BMI but at the same time a poor body composition because of high body fat percentage (aka "skinny fat"). Being "muscular" is another thing. We all have muscles however it is not easily seen if covered with a thick layer of fat. So those people who rock some muscle definition aren't automatically mean they gain muscle. It simply means that the body fat is lowered & their existing muscles are beginning to show.

But saying that thin is a problem isn't accurate either. You can be thin, and just have lean muscle. A friend of mine runs 40 miles a week and literally weighs 100 pounds. It's her genetics. I know that I will never be thin in that sense (my goal is set for 165 pounds, because of MY genetics.) But I do say that I want to be thin, meaning lean.

personally, i'd prefer thin over 'fit'
if fit comes into it, bonus.
but i'd still take thin. delicate

Never understood the quest for 'thin' - but then again, I'm a guy and I guess it's only women that want thin

Also, I posted a message here yesterday about the word 'skinny'

In UK skinny was always regarded as an insult in the same way that fat is

"She's skinny" was said in the same tone as "She's fat!"

Certainly wasnt seen as a compliment - however since joining MFP I have seen 'skinny' as being something to aspire to

"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" that type of thing. Often said instead of 'healthy'

Fit, slim, slender, trim, petitte, lean ....... but not skinny

Is it a generation thing (I'm quite old!) or a culture thing?

I'll just leave a quote from my always-slim, always-exercising cousin who, in her early thirties had stage 4 breast cancer. She was sitting drinking a beer on July 4 when a family member said "Oh you drink alcohol now?" and she replied, "Yep, ate healthy for thirty years and you see where that got me..."

You can be thin and fit...I am...I don't worry about my size...my goal is to look good naked thru my 40s lol

Yes, you can be healthy and fat and healthy and thin, but Fit is another factor. I want to be healthy and fit. I'm glad you have found your sweet spot. I am looking for my own.

I disagree with the part I put in bold. I don't think you can be truly healthy if you're truly fat, because to me, being "fat" means you have too much body fat (body fat % which usually correlates pretty closely to a high BMI too), which is not a healthy condition to be in.

Sure there are athletes who have healthy body fat % but high BMI, but those people aren't really "fat" then, right?

OP (Gwen)-
Thin, thick, fit, the best tool that I have found to measure over all heath is total body fat percentage (personally, but most health experts agree) I have using MFP for about 18mo now. When I first started my goal was to lose weight, that was it. As I exercise and eat healthy and time passes my goals have changed. It has taken me 2.5years to lose 15lbs (it has been lifestyle changes and not dieting.) As I progressed, I realized that I was not going to make my goal weight which was 108lbs. I wanted to be as "thin" as I could, w/o being under weight. The better I ate the more I exercise I found that I my weight was not what was important to me, feeling good about myself was most important. The longer you keep at this (and please do, just eating right and exercising will do wonders for your self body image) you will find what your "sweet spot" is. It may end up being a weight goal, a fitness goal (running a marathon) or a totally body fat percentage goal. I went from being 130lbs, size 10pant, 27% body fat, not being able to run for 5min to 115lbs, size 4 pant 18.5% body fat, and running 1/2 marathon....... should I keep striving for what I consider MY "thin" weight? I don't think I will, for me to drop my body weight I would have to lose muscle and if I lose muscle I feel I will not have the stamina for my long distance runs. My final goal for me now is 18% body fat and run a marathon (we'll see how I feel when I get there) Each person's self image is different. It is hard to set a goal for yourself when we are surrounded in the media by super models, "picture" perfect actresses, never seeing a drop of cellulite on a celebrity, and so on (at least it was for me) Gwen- set small goals so that you can achieve small victories and can win the battle of self body image and fitness. You can do this!