Am I Fat? In a Word, No. But Still
February 3, 2007
I’ve been on a medication for about 8 or 9 months now whose chief side effect is “cravings for simple starches and sugars.” Oh, dear. As a result, I gained about 15 pounds. By the beginning of the year I decided enough was enough and decided to watch what I eat and exercise more. This is a bit tricky, as my appetite is relatively insane, but I’m doing well. I think I’ve probably lost about 5 pounds (though I’m not really paying attention to weight as I’m more concerned with how I feel). What really set me off on a health kick was having to buy my first pair of size-8 pants (and my other, existing pants, weren’t so much fitting anymore).*
What I find interesting is that I consider myself above optimal size right now. Normally I weigh about 125 and have had long-ish stints as low as 116 (I’m 5’7″, so the latter is basically runway-model-skinny). Right now I’m (in the interest of self-disclosure) 135.
However, if I do a BMI calculation, I come out at 21.1, which is, if anything, on the lower side of ideal weight. Interesting.
Also interesting to me is that apparently a full 77% of American women of my age and height weigh more than I do. And I plan on weighing less in the immediate future.
Thoughts? I hope I don’t regret telling this to the world.
* Please, British friends, no pants jokes. I can’t bring myself to use the word “trousers.” I just can’t.
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December 30, 2008
When I got back from travelling in 2003, my weight shot up to 200 lbs and stayed there for the next 4 years. I’m just over 6′ tall, and still looked too skinny, however my BMI put me on the borderline of overweight and fat.
Just over a month ago, thanks to a girl-related period of major stress, I lost 25 lbs in a week and a half.
Bizarrely, I looked exactly the same and the only noticable difference is that playing rugby hurt a whole lot more.
I’m now eating like I used to, and my weight has levelled out at about 185 lbs. I still look exactly the same, and rugby still hurts.
The moral to the story is this: Ignore your weight, BMI and all that crap. It’s all numbers and can be influenced by loads of factors. If you’re happy with what you see in the mirror, then it’s all good.
“77% of American women of my age and height weigh more than I do.”
That’s true, but to be fair, 77% of American women your age weigh more than elephants do.
Ha! I didn’t make a pants joke, I made a fat Americans joke. You didn’t see that one coming, did you!
Yes, you’re thin, especially for your age, which I assume the BMI doesn’t take into account.
ask your doctor to put you on Imipramine. terrible drug, but it made me accidentally lose ten pounds and suddenly everyone told me i “looked really well.”
I’m late on this one. Haha, Melaina slays me. I know what she looks like, as do you, I’m pretty sure she would get compliments if she lost 10 pounds, or gained 20 pounds, or wore an onion on her belt, which was the style of the time. Sorry, Simpsons reference. The problem is, people get fixated on numbers, especially women, and also, think that there is only fat and skinny. There are skinny people with unattractive bodies, trust me. And lots of people on the high end of the BMI that look great. I don’t mean in a “feel good” “empowerment” “lets pretend they look good” way, I mean actually. Plug Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson’s numbers in there, it says he is “obese” and in the 91st percentile for his age. That guy is an Adonis.