Anonymous wrote:So many skinny people on this forum. I feel like in life, there are fat people everywhere. (I'm one of them!)

Well, yeah, it’s the diet and exercise forum for one of the fittest, richest areas of the country. It’s going to have a disproportionate number of non-overweight and obese people chiming in.

I’m a pretty fit, mid-range healthy BMI woman living in Arlington which regularly is in the top 5 “fittest cities” lists. Around here, I’m just average. I leave this area, it’s like my fitness level magically increases 1000%. All of a sudden, I’m skinny and ripped

So many skinny people on this forum. I feel like in life, there are fat people everywhere. (I'm one of them!)

I'm 20lbs heavier. In fairness I was starving myself to get the last 10lbs without realizing it. I'm 10lbs above my fit weight right now. Its all belly- my body elsewhere is really toned and its very discouraging

At my wedding I was 135 lbs. Eight years and two kids later, I am 148 lbs. (I am 5'4"). I was about 143 when I got engaged and I worked really hard to lose those 8 lbs by my wedding day. I have always struggled with the fact that I have a thicker body type. Its not natural for me to weigh under 140 lbs; my period gets really irregular the lower I go in weight. I'd like to lose like 5 lbs now so I can be in the "normal" BMI weight range, but I am not losing too much sleep about it.

Some of you clearly don't know anything about body composition.

There are many, many, MANY factors that go into weight other than body fat. Bone density, muscle composition, water retention, that sort of thing.

Not saying it's 100% accurate but I own a TANITA scale that measures body fat/water content/bone and muscle weight as an estimate. I regularly fluctuate between 117-122 lb, (I'm 5'4) and between 17-20% body fat. The difference? Water, menstruation, how recently I ate, how much I sweat out. If I weigh less, I have higher body fat percentage, because I probably have less of the food/water weight along with it. It's that simple.

There is also frame size which is different from bone size. You can have small bones that are set wide apart. For example I have tiny little wrists but a wide ribcage and wide set hips, so even at a low body fat I can't get narrow hips without removing a part of my skeleton.

Bodies are all different! It's entirely possible to be healthy if you are my weight and 5'8 (though that's rare) if that's your body type. Maybe your bones are just more narrowly packed, and you tend to build leaner slow-twitch muscle as opposed to thicker fast-twitch muscle like mine (I am/was a sprinter/high jumper). It's also possible to be healthy and my height and 140 lbs. Some people have a sturdier build.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I was 5'8" and 120-125 when I got married. 15 years and two kids later, I'm 130-135. Shrug.

You're at a much healthier weight now. You were clinically underweight then.

Some people don’t wear their weight well. I’m the same height as PP, and I’m really small boned, so at 130 I don’t look good.

I'm fine boned and 5'8. But my face looks really gaunt at 135 my doctor told me to gain weight.

145 5'5 at wedding
155, three kids, eleven years later
I am a little heavier but I look strong and feel good

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I was 5'8" and 120-125 when I got married. 15 years and two kids later, I'm 130-135. Shrug.

You're at a much healthier weight now. You were clinically underweight then.

Some people don’t wear their weight well. I’m the same height as PP, and I’m really small boned, so at 130 I don’t look good.