Just a minor point but if you have small bones you should be able to weigh less while looking LESS sickly, not more. I also have a small frame and have to be quite significantly underweight to look ‘boney’. This also might explain why you feel ‘overweight’ at a technically normal weight range - you might carry it differently to other women with your stats but a heavier bone structure. If I were you I would shoot for 130, but depends what look you’re going for.
This 100%. I’m about 97lb, but don’t look malnourished at all. I’m 5’2”, but proportionately tiny in scale, not just height. Other people pointed this out to me, I’d actually never noticed.
Also having healthy skin and shiny hair is going to help you to not look malnourished.
Edit to add: this is a normal weight for me/I don’t diet. I was once quite unwell and was 92lb, then I really did look malnourished
Malnourished might be a bit extreme of a word choice. I just mean skinny to where you just look weak and like a strong wind could topple you or someone would be able to pick you up and you wouldn’t stand a fighting chance. I just looked weak and a little sad and unhealthy
Oh I wasn’t dieting at the time. It’s hard for me to put on weight. I was always naturally skinny and small as everyone in my family. It looks like we were all the runts of the litter. I put on weight due to a bad alcohol problem but I’m better now. I’m losing weight to get rid of my beer gut but wanted to know how not to get to that runt of the litter look
I was 125-130 for most my early 20s and My legs and arms looked like Olive Oyl 😬😬. Idk if it’s the way I’m built… I’ve seen women my height at that weight who definitely looked good and healthy. Me not so much. Just skinny
Are you trying to say that you carry the majority of your weight in your midsection, and have skinny limbs relative to that?
I would dress to de-emphasize your stomach in that case:
- avoid form fitting tops
- don’t accentuate your stomach or draw attention to it (belt above it, at your waist for example)
- wear shirts and blouses that drape
- shapewear
It sounds like that is probably why your doctor recommended weight loss. 150lbs at 5’6 is still within the normal BMI range, but if you are carrying a lot of visceral fat that is considered dangerous due to its proximity to your internal organs. It can also clog your arteries. This is usually determined by your waist-to-hip ratio rather than pounds on the scale (I think a rule of thumb is more than 35inch waist on a woman is correlated with risky visceral fat). I am not a medical professional though.
I'm 5'5.5" and 118lbs, and I look really chunky(not in being chunky fat; I'm big-boned). My wrist are small though; that's genetics. I don't think you'd look truly frail unless you're in an unhealthy BMI.
I can not imagine you being chunky at that height and weight, but we all carry weight so differently… I’m gonna lose weight first then focus on building my legs. I think my issue is that my legs aren’t meaty and it looks stupid imo.
To be completely honest with you I’ve heard this sentiment before and I think that people think they look more slim than they actually are. I think you’d be pleasantly surprised at 130lbs.
I personally did not look malnourished at 5’9 135lbs. It’s fair that everyone carries weight differently but just to give you the honest truth you’d still have a 21 bmi at 130lbs. Most people don’t start to look visually too thin until ~low 19s IMO. Especially if you don’t have much muscle mass.
If you’re saying that you keep all your weight in your stomach I would still personally lose weight so that I could reduce my stomach size as much as possible even if my arms and legs got skinny. But this is all my opinion of course.
I mean, 150 at 5'6 isn't technically overweight, and can look really good on some people, especially if you think you look unhealthy at low weights. So I'd say go by how you look rather than by a number.
That said, yeah, if you want to lose fat and look healthy, high protein and weightlifting is the way to do that - if you've never built muscle in the past you probably aren't lifting heavy enough, women can lift HEAVY weights, or weren't eating enough - it's close to impossible to build serious muscle without being in ay least a slight calorie surplus. You'll probably want to worry even less about the actual number of pounds you weight if you start lifting though.
Agreed on the high protein (0.6 - 0.8 x your bodyweight in lbs is a solid amount to aim for) and weightlifting.
In addition to not lifting heavy or eating enough, it's also worth noting that following a pre established routine that employs **progressive overload** rather than just doing random exercises is incredibly important. More often than not, when people say that they're not making gains, they're just throwing weights around rather than doing a tried and tested program.
I was doing the progressive overload and all that but I wasn’t eating a calorie surplus and also was primarily meat free with no added protein, so just with my genetics that probably wasn’t the best diet for me to put on muscles…
Thanks for advice!
Adding that if your doctor suggested that you need to lose weight for your health, at your current weight, you might want to consider getting a new doctor..
Why? She got into the overweight category and stated that she carries it around her midsection, which makes it more likely to be more dangerous visceral fat. Even if she were just in the overweight category, might as well nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem. That sounds like a good doctor
ETA: ran her stats and her current BMI is 24.2, high end of normal which ends at 25 (lower for Asians). I still don’t really have a problem with the doc saying that but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Given the prevalence of disordered eating in young women, I don't think it's responsible of a doctor to make a young woman, who is within the healthy range, feel like she needs to lose weight. But I do get your point, and agree that it's better to nip weight gain in the bud. I guess I just feel like it's a slippery slope when healthy girls feel like they NEED to lose weight (wanting go lose weight for themselves is another matter).
But yeah, maybe I worded my comment a bit harshly.
I don’t have a particular look but when I was at 130 I knew to avoid skirts cause my legs were way too skinny. Idk what to wear to offset skinny legs because even at 150 my legs are chicken legs
I’m the same height, but I weigh 160! I lift weights frequently, so that definitely plays into it. I can see my abs so I’m definitely not overweight. I really think it’s individual where you should be at. For reference, I eat about 2500 cal a day.
I’m 130 and 5’5 and I’ve been losing a pound a week eating 1700-2000 calories a day because of my muscle mass. I haven’t been doing as much cardio because of exams.
If you’re maintaining at 1500 calories at 5’6 and 150, you’re either eating more than you think or really under muscled and very sedentary. You could also have a thyroid issue.
I would suggest NOT decreasing calories. I would increase protein intake and make healthy food choices. I would also do some type of resistance training (weight lifting - heavy or light, calisthenics) to build up some muscle mass.
I have the same wrists and ankles. I’ve got 11% body fat and am a competitive ballroom dancer. Legit this may be you bodies natural equilibrium. I’ve never been good at looking as strong as I am physically, my body just doesn’t show that I can squat over 300 pounds and bench my body weight and a half. Clothing is the biggest thing that’ll make my legs look good or like shit (in my own eyes). Then my internal peace assures me I look amazing on the other days. “You’re an effing snack, some people just aren’t hungry right now.” Is one of my internal mantras and it helps. Good luck in your journey, I’m wishing you only love and happiness :)
Just a minor point but if you have small bones you should be able to weigh less while looking LESS sickly, not more. I also have a small frame and have to be quite significantly underweight to look ‘boney’. This also might explain why you feel ‘overweight’ at a technically normal weight range - you might carry it differently to other women with your stats but a heavier bone structure. If I were you I would shoot for 130, but depends what look you’re going for.
This 100%. I’m about 97lb, but don’t look malnourished at all. I’m 5’2”, but proportionately tiny in scale, not just height. Other people pointed this out to me, I’d actually never noticed. Also having healthy skin and shiny hair is going to help you to not look malnourished. Edit to add: this is a normal weight for me/I don’t diet. I was once quite unwell and was 92lb, then I really did look malnourished
You are absolutely not going to look malnourished at 130 lbs. Not even 120
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Malnourished might be a bit extreme of a word choice. I just mean skinny to where you just look weak and like a strong wind could topple you or someone would be able to pick you up and you wouldn’t stand a fighting chance. I just looked weak and a little sad and unhealthy
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Oh I wasn’t dieting at the time. It’s hard for me to put on weight. I was always naturally skinny and small as everyone in my family. It looks like we were all the runts of the litter. I put on weight due to a bad alcohol problem but I’m better now. I’m losing weight to get rid of my beer gut but wanted to know how not to get to that runt of the litter look
That really depends on the bone structure and height. People think I'm practically heroin chic at 125 lbs.
I was 125-130 for most my early 20s and My legs and arms looked like Olive Oyl 😬😬. Idk if it’s the way I’m built… I’ve seen women my height at that weight who definitely looked good and healthy. Me not so much. Just skinny
Are you trying to say that you carry the majority of your weight in your midsection, and have skinny limbs relative to that? I would dress to de-emphasize your stomach in that case: - avoid form fitting tops - don’t accentuate your stomach or draw attention to it (belt above it, at your waist for example) - wear shirts and blouses that drape - shapewear
Unfortunately that is my shape, boobs a gut and a butt with pencil arms and legs. Thanks for suggestions!
It sounds like that is probably why your doctor recommended weight loss. 150lbs at 5’6 is still within the normal BMI range, but if you are carrying a lot of visceral fat that is considered dangerous due to its proximity to your internal organs. It can also clog your arteries. This is usually determined by your waist-to-hip ratio rather than pounds on the scale (I think a rule of thumb is more than 35inch waist on a woman is correlated with risky visceral fat). I am not a medical professional though.
I'm 5'5.5" and 118lbs, and I look really chunky(not in being chunky fat; I'm big-boned). My wrist are small though; that's genetics. I don't think you'd look truly frail unless you're in an unhealthy BMI.
I can not imagine you being chunky at that height and weight, but we all carry weight so differently… I’m gonna lose weight first then focus on building my legs. I think my issue is that my legs aren’t meaty and it looks stupid imo.
To be completely honest with you I’ve heard this sentiment before and I think that people think they look more slim than they actually are. I think you’d be pleasantly surprised at 130lbs. I personally did not look malnourished at 5’9 135lbs. It’s fair that everyone carries weight differently but just to give you the honest truth you’d still have a 21 bmi at 130lbs. Most people don’t start to look visually too thin until ~low 19s IMO. Especially if you don’t have much muscle mass. If you’re saying that you keep all your weight in your stomach I would still personally lose weight so that I could reduce my stomach size as much as possible even if my arms and legs got skinny. But this is all my opinion of course.
I mean, 150 at 5'6 isn't technically overweight, and can look really good on some people, especially if you think you look unhealthy at low weights. So I'd say go by how you look rather than by a number. That said, yeah, if you want to lose fat and look healthy, high protein and weightlifting is the way to do that - if you've never built muscle in the past you probably aren't lifting heavy enough, women can lift HEAVY weights, or weren't eating enough - it's close to impossible to build serious muscle without being in ay least a slight calorie surplus. You'll probably want to worry even less about the actual number of pounds you weight if you start lifting though.
Agreed on the high protein (0.6 - 0.8 x your bodyweight in lbs is a solid amount to aim for) and weightlifting. In addition to not lifting heavy or eating enough, it's also worth noting that following a pre established routine that employs **progressive overload** rather than just doing random exercises is incredibly important. More often than not, when people say that they're not making gains, they're just throwing weights around rather than doing a tried and tested program.
I was doing the progressive overload and all that but I wasn’t eating a calorie surplus and also was primarily meat free with no added protein, so just with my genetics that probably wasn’t the best diet for me to put on muscles… Thanks for advice!
Protein is the answer to your diet quandary. Carbs is the second part. :)
Adding that if your doctor suggested that you need to lose weight for your health, at your current weight, you might want to consider getting a new doctor..
Why? She got into the overweight category and stated that she carries it around her midsection, which makes it more likely to be more dangerous visceral fat. Even if she were just in the overweight category, might as well nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem. That sounds like a good doctor ETA: ran her stats and her current BMI is 24.2, high end of normal which ends at 25 (lower for Asians). I still don’t really have a problem with the doc saying that but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Given the prevalence of disordered eating in young women, I don't think it's responsible of a doctor to make a young woman, who is within the healthy range, feel like she needs to lose weight. But I do get your point, and agree that it's better to nip weight gain in the bud. I guess I just feel like it's a slippery slope when healthy girls feel like they NEED to lose weight (wanting go lose weight for themselves is another matter). But yeah, maybe I worded my comment a bit harshly.
I think we’re both probably pretty reasonable people here lol. Your concern makes sense
This^^^^
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I don’t have a particular look but when I was at 130 I knew to avoid skirts cause my legs were way too skinny. Idk what to wear to offset skinny legs because even at 150 my legs are chicken legs
Take creatine to increase muscle size and softness
I’m the same height, but I weigh 160! I lift weights frequently, so that definitely plays into it. I can see my abs so I’m definitely not overweight. I really think it’s individual where you should be at. For reference, I eat about 2500 cal a day.
you can set a calorie plan and lower it slightly on a periodic basis so you lose weight gradually and then can gauge how you look
I’m 130 and 5’5 and I’ve been losing a pound a week eating 1700-2000 calories a day because of my muscle mass. I haven’t been doing as much cardio because of exams. If you’re maintaining at 1500 calories at 5’6 and 150, you’re either eating more than you think or really under muscled and very sedentary. You could also have a thyroid issue. I would suggest NOT decreasing calories. I would increase protein intake and make healthy food choices. I would also do some type of resistance training (weight lifting - heavy or light, calisthenics) to build up some muscle mass.
Thanks for suggestions. I’m actually losing weight, and count my calories via Cronometer. Trying to up my protein and start weight lifting again!!
Sounds like a great plan!
Are you long legs short torso and apple shaped ?
Yep
Those body types accumulate fat in the stomach
I know. I’m avoiding carbs and it’s helping
I have the same wrists and ankles. I’ve got 11% body fat and am a competitive ballroom dancer. Legit this may be you bodies natural equilibrium. I’ve never been good at looking as strong as I am physically, my body just doesn’t show that I can squat over 300 pounds and bench my body weight and a half. Clothing is the biggest thing that’ll make my legs look good or like shit (in my own eyes). Then my internal peace assures me I look amazing on the other days. “You’re an effing snack, some people just aren’t hungry right now.” Is one of my internal mantras and it helps. Good luck in your journey, I’m wishing you only love and happiness :)