Small waist size and bmi

I know that your normal BMI is just a number. I just have an issue with getting a straightforward answer about my BMI because I have such a small waist size for my weight and height. (215,  66.5", 32" waist) I also have a very sturdy frame. My wrist size is like 7"! Does anyone else have this problem?

The BMI tool says that I should be at least 153 to be a normal healthy weight. I just feel this is too low. Im short yes, but Im built so much different than other girls. Being mixed ethnicities (not asian)  I am "curvier". I feel that at 153 I would be too skinny.

I would love input from females with similar problems. What are your measurements and gw?

I'm 5'7, I weight 130 pounds, I'm quite muscular and I still have plenty of fat I could lose. My highest weight was 165 and I looked terrible.

Original Post by lalalexi:

I'm also 5'6, weigh 156 pounds, and am larged frame (my wrist too, is 7" around, not that that means anything) and I am by no means sickly looking. My waist is about 30 inches, hips are 40, but my waist is always the smallest on me. I've never been up to 216 but I'd imagine I would haven't been too far off from where you are, give or take.

I'm not necessarily directing this at you, but sometimes I think that people use the whole "BMI is stupid, I would look sick at ____" argument as a rationalization or a way to make themselves feel better about being overweight. When I was 186 pounds I did the same thing.

As stated above, BMI offers a range for people from small frames to large frames. My personal goal is about 140. Basically, you're never going to know if it's "too skinny" until you get there. Set reasonable small goals and keep going from there. Don't dwell on BMI, but don't dismiss it in order to excuse being overweight, either.

 

i guess some ppl do that. For me its not an excuse. I just like the way my body looks with a little extra on it. Like I said in my previous posts..im not tryin to be skinny just healthier than i am now. 167 to me is skinny. I was around there in hs and I had a great body. I have a frame that carries weight well. For instance, at this very moment I weigh 215...but if you saw me you couldn't tell.

I am just gonna get back down to about 170 and see where I wanna go from there.

I guess it comes down to this question for me. Should I get down to 153 just because I can? Or should I pick a weight that I know I will be comfortable at, no matter what some chart says?

To me its just a little discouraging when I know that weight works for me and I will still have some chart tell me I am obese..lol. Thats all my original post was about.

Original Post by tasherie:

Original Post by lalalexi:

I'm also 5'6, weigh 156 pounds, and am larged frame (my wrist too, is 7" around, not that that means anything) and I am by no means sickly looking. My waist is about 30 inches, hips are 40, but my waist is always the smallest on me. I've never been up to 216 but I'd imagine I would haven't been too far off from where you are, give or take.

I'm not necessarily directing this at you, but sometimes I think that people use the whole "BMI is stupid, I would look sick at ____" argument as a rationalization or a way to make themselves feel better about being overweight. When I was 186 pounds I did the same thing.

As stated above, BMI offers a range for people from small frames to large frames. My personal goal is about 140. Basically, you're never going to know if it's "too skinny" until you get there. Set reasonable small goals and keep going from there. Don't dwell on BMI, but don't dismiss it in order to excuse being overweight, either.

 

i guess some ppl do that. For me its not an excuse. I just like the way my body looks with a little extra on it. Like I said in my previous posts..im not tryin to be skinny just healthier than i am now. 167 to me is skinny. I was around there in hs and I had a great body. I have a frame that carries weight well. For instance, at this very moment I weigh 215...but if you saw me you couldn't tell.

I am just gonna get back down to about 170 and see where I wanna go from there.

 Woohoo!  Another person who wants to be healthy and not skinny!  Like you no one knew I weighed what I did...including the doc from just looking at me.  I am 5 ft 6 and I was once at the weight a lot of 5 ft 6ers on this site are aiming for/are/ and it was not a good look for me.  I am aiming for 160 pounds of mostly muscle.  I have no desire to look like death. 

I really think it is unfair for people to make statements that people are making excuses for not wanting to be some magical number to fit in that single digit dress size. 

Original Post by fayeonherway:

Original Post by tasherie:

Original Post by lalalexi:

I'm also 5'6, weigh 156 pounds, and am larged frame (my wrist too, is 7" around, not that that means anything) and I am by no means sickly looking. My waist is about 30 inches, hips are 40, but my waist is always the smallest on me. I've never been up to 216 but I'd imagine I would haven't been too far off from where you are, give or take.

I'm not necessarily directing this at you, but sometimes I think that people use the whole "BMI is stupid, I would look sick at ____" argument as a rationalization or a way to make themselves feel better about being overweight. When I was 186 pounds I did the same thing.

As stated above, BMI offers a range for people from small frames to large frames. My personal goal is about 140. Basically, you're never going to know if it's "too skinny" until you get there. Set reasonable small goals and keep going from there. Don't dwell on BMI, but don't dismiss it in order to excuse being overweight, either.

 

i guess some ppl do that. For me its not an excuse. I just like the way my body looks with a little extra on it. Like I said in my previous posts..im not tryin to be skinny just healthier than i am now. 167 to me is skinny. I was around there in hs and I had a great body. I have a frame that carries weight well. For instance, at this very moment I weigh 215...but if you saw me you couldn't tell.

I am just gonna get back down to about 170 and see where I wanna go from there.

 Woohoo!  Another person who wants to be healthy and not skinny!  Like you no one knew I weighed what I did...including the doc from just looking at me.  I am 5 ft 6 and I was once at the weight a lot of 5 ft 6ers on this site are aiming for/are/ and it was not a good look for me.  I am aiming for 160 pounds of mostly muscle.  I have no desire to look like death. 

I really think it is unfair for people to make statements that people are making excuses for not wanting to be some magical number to fit in that single digit dress size. 

 Exactly. lol

 

I saw this post and wanted to comment. I too have wonderful curves that I have absolutely no intention of loosing. I'm 5"7 and currently 205 lbs. (down from 228 lbs.) and the healthy weight for my height and age (23 y/o) is 120-155. At my lowest weight I was 140, and I thought I was way too skinny. In fact, when I look at old pictures, I do look sickly (for how I am proportioned). I too am just trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle, and my goal weight is about 170-175. Everyone has their own personal preference on what goal size is the right one given certain stats, but only you can make that decision and be comfortable in your own skin.

Tash- I too am a curvy girl who carries weight well, and I commend you for wanting to be a weight your comfortable at. I definitely don't want to lose my curves either. Back when I got down to 140 doing Atkins I did look sick, but I also lost weight in a terrible way. I think getting there in a healthy manner might be a good look for me. 170 may be a good look for you. It isn't for me, curves and all. Whatever works. I think that's what we all want. It's less about charts and more about what's healthy. Best of luck to you on your journey. Keep up the confidence and keep your curves, they are a wonderful thing to have, aren't they? :)

Fayeonherway- No where did I say that I think that people are making excuses because they don't want to fit into some magical single digit dress. I said that many people make excuses about BMI because they don't want to admit to themselves that they are, in fact, overweight or obese. If someone is comfortable with their body being overweight, then that is perfectly fine. Some overweight people are much healthier than people who are of "normal weight." And of course, BMI doesn't take into account muscle mass, but let's be honest with ourselves, many of the people on here are not 50 pounds overweight due to muscle mass.

I think you'd be in denial to think that many people who are overweight aren't in denial. For me, one of the first steps to a successful weightloss (and I'm not all the way there yet) was admitting that yeah, I'm fat, yeah, I'm still bangin', but no, this isn't as healthy or attractive as I could be.

I'm 5'5" tall and in the past couple of years I've gone from 240 lbs. to 158 lbs.  Unfortunately, I gained back 25 lbs. (almost entirely due to Stacey's Pita Chips...LOL) and I'm now in the process of losing that, and more.  My wrist size is 6", my waist size is 37" and my bra size is 38D at either weight.  I was actually pleased with how I looked at 158 lbs., wearing Size 12 jeans.  And, honestlly, I don't think I want to go below 150 lbs., which should be about a Size 10. 

For one thing, I'm 58 years old and my skin isn't "snapping back" as well as it did when I was in my 20's and 30's.  Also, when I was in my 20's, I DID get down to 125 lbs. (which is in the "healthy" range for someone my height) and I DID look skeletal.  I have wide hips and high cheekbones, so it just didn't work for me. 

The BMI calculator on this site says that I'm "milldly overweight" at 178 lbs...and suggested a goal weight of 132 lbs.  In my 30's, I weighed 135 lbs. and I was on the "thin" side.  I really think that, at my age, 150 lbs. would just look better on me.

And yes...I agree with everyone who says "just feel good in your own body and that's what matters".  I know that I felt a LOT more comfortable with myself when I was under 160 lbs.

 

Original Post by fitmom4life:

No website calculator can tell you your lean mass and fat mass.  Your best bet is to get a body fat monitor scale.

 

At 139, at 5'7", I assure you I have plenty of curves.  LOL.

Ok i write this with a bit of caution as i fear there may be some backlash. No one seems to have mentioned the fact that tasherie is of mixed ethnicitites. now i don't know which one of you is in the picture but in my opinion some, and i stress SOME black women can carry a lot more weight and look a lot better. i'm mixed raced and whilst my butt is by no means flat i definately did not get the booty jean. to my dismay!!! however my boyfriends sis is fully black and probably a little overweight. but honestly she looks good. you could balance a plate on her derrier and she does NO exercise. her arms whilst a lot bigger tha mine look firm and theres no bingo wings.

Some, again some white/european/mixed race people look a lot more soft and unfit when they are at a larger weight. Now i'm not saying that this is the case just because you're white and she's black but because you're saying you looked terrible at theat higher weight whereas tacherie is pretty happy. she can't be that much in denial!! especially since she has such a small waist for her weight. i would bet your waist wasn;t that size at her waist. i sure as hell no mine wouldn';t be.

Now me i'm 5'5'' and thought i looked pretty overweight at 135 but i can completely believe that the poster would look good 30 pounds heavier.

Sure she would look a lot bigger than me but it wouldnt look 'bad' big if you know what i mean it would just look solid.

another few examples example: my grandma is really quite overweight. but she has no cellulite and no bingo wings- honestly is defies gravity!!

 

my sis is a few inches taller than me and probably lighter than me but she has a huge butt. we both have boobs but her butt is amzing.and i don't mean hips no no no from the front she looks lean with slim hips but then she turns to the side its like wow!

 

Original Post by jade_100:

Original Post by fitmom4life:

No website calculator can tell you your lean mass and fat mass.  Your best bet is to get a body fat monitor scale.

 

At 139, at 5'7", I assure you I have plenty of curves.  LOL.

Ok i write this with a bit of caution as i fear there may be some backlash. No one seems to have mentioned the fact that tasherie is of mixed ethnicitites. now i don't know which one of you is in the picture but in my opinion some, and i stress SOME black women can carry a lot more weight and look a lot better. i'm mixed raced and whilst my butt is by no means flat i definately did not get the booty jean. to my dismay!!! however my boyfriends sis is fully black and probably a little overweight. but honestly she looks good. you could balance a plate on her derrier and she does NO exercise. her arms whilst a lot bigger tha mine look firm and theres no bingo wings.

Some, again some white/european/mixed race people look a lot more soft and unfit when they are at a larger weight. Now i'm not saying that this is the case just because you're white and she's black but because you're saying you looked terrible at theat higher weight whereas tacherie is pretty happy. she can't be that much in denial!! especially since she has such a small waist for her weight. i would bet your waist wasn;t that size at her waist. i sure as hell no mine wouldn';t be.

Now me i'm 5'5'' and thought i looked pretty overweight at 135 but i can completely believe that the poster would look good 30 pounds heavier.

Sure she would look a lot bigger than me but it wouldnt look 'bad' big if you know what i mean it would just look solid.

another few examples example: my grandma is really quite overweight. but she has no cellulite and no bingo wings- honestly is defies gravity!!

 

my sis is a few inches taller than me and probably lighter than me but she has a huge butt. we both have boobs but her butt is amzing.and i don't mean hips no no no from the front she looks lean with slim hips but then she turns to the side its like wow!

 

 I am actually the one on the left and that picture was when i was a little heavier than I am now. I am puerto rican and black and i definantly got the booty and dare I say..body of a black girl..lol. I have always been thick (sturdy) and I have a few problem areas I would prefer werent there but I only have a little cellulite and everything else is pretty smooth. I was adding that in for obvious reasons to you and I, but people that are not of that culture don't really understand. I have seen girls (black) that weigh more than me and you would only think they are about 170 - 180.

I just think, only my opinion of course, is that women of color hold their weight a lot different and I would prefer to keep my booty (cuz i love it and it makes the boys say ayyyy ayyyy ayyy...lol), and my curves.

I also understand that a lot of extra weight is bad for your health so I just want to be a healthier weight. 167 is only about 12 lbs. over what BMI says is healthy for me. I really don't think that 12 lbs. is gonna kill me, as long as I exercise and eat right.

Tasherie, I absolutely AGREE with you.  167 probably still puts you in the "safe zone".  And black women ARE built differently from women of European descent.  If you've got big boobs and a boo-tay, you CAN have a small waist and ROCKIN' CURVES.  The very epitome of an hourglass figure!

I, myself, have no explanation for why I hold my weight so well.  When I weighed 135, people swore that I must weigh 120!  And when I was 150-155 lbs., I STILL wore a Size 10!  Yet, I'm only 5'5" and my legs are shorter than they should be for my height.  I have to buy Petite pants.  LOL!

But I had to LAUGH when you described your sister.  My Daddy used to call me "Big Butt"...and I spent my entire teen years thinking I had a big butt!  It wasn't until I was comparing shapes with a girlfriend of mine when I was in my early 30's that I realized that I actually have a rather flat butt; I just have wide HIPS.  And to think I actually thought he knew what he was talking about!  Once I had that realization...and that no amount of diet and exercise was going to change the width of my hips...I stopped trying to look like a Barbie doll!

Original Post by fitmom4life:

Original Post by tasherie:

I know that your normal BMI is just a number. I just have an issue with getting a straightforward answer about my BMI because I have such a small waist size for my weight and height. (215, 66.5", 32" waist) I also have a very sturdy frame. My wrist size is like 7"! Does anyone else have this problem?

The BMI tool says that I should be at least 153 to be a normal healthy weight. I just feel this is too low. Im short yes, but Im built so much different than other girls. Being mixed ethnicities (not asian) I am "curvier". I feel that at 153 I would be too skinny.

I am 5'7", 139 lbs, and I still am not at my goal weight, so for you, at 5'5", I think 153 is too heavy - curves or no curves.

holy crap! I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I would never tell anyone who has a healthy weight goal that they will be too heavy when they reach it! You don't know how she carries weight!

My friend carries weight way differently than I. She's 5'2" and currently weighs 175ish. I saw a pic of her when she weighed 130 and she looked too thin. She told me that she would never want to weigh that again, that friends would ask her if she was feeling ok, was she sick, etc.

Me on the other hand, I'm 5'6" and when I weighed 130, I was chubby. I'm not curvy at all, so when I put on weight it mostly goes on my belly and I don't care for the pregnant look when I'm not.

How boring it would be if we all fit into the same mold!

edit- forgot to trim quotes

If you read the REST of my posts, you would see that I agree with you. 

You can find an argument anywhere you look dear.

Ok, I have to add to this pot.

I'm in the same boat. I'm quite overweight at the moment, but I haven't always been. I played soccer in high school, I was lean, had obvious muscle tone and definition, and my hip/collar bones were visible, waist 30". My weight fluctuated between 145 and 155. I worked out for 2 hours a day and was the picture of health (*sigh* why did I ever stop?) Note that this puts me just above a healthy bmi. No, I never lost my boobs or hips, believe it or not, sometimes genetics win. Point is, all you "thats just overweight, curves or not" obviously don't have this body shape. On a curvy woman with a large frame, its incredibly difficult to get into that range.

Should it matter? The BMI is a marker of health and health risks. Research shows that people at different levels of overweight have different risks, in general. However, other research should reassure you that it sounds like you are completely healthy. One: studies show that a person with a BMI in the moderate range (approx 190 lbs for you) is at no increased health risk if they eat healthy and exercise (Not everyone loses every ounce of fat on their body when they get healthy). Two: waist to hip ratio is a huge indicator of health risks. In fact, its a better indicator of mortality than BMI. Basically, someone with a small waist can carry more fat without health risks.

Lastly, If you are healthy, own it. If you're eating well and getting your exercise, your body will find it's healthy weight (and it won't check a BMI chart first). If you feel good, you look good. And for your shape, BMI is not the best indicator of health risks, so I'd advise to ignore it.

Minda, thank you for your wonderful post.  It has always stymied me, how women who have seemingly similar frames can have such widely varying weights!  Before my 92 lb. weight gain 19 yrs. ago (as a result of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), I had a VERY small waist.  So my hip to waist ratio was GREAT.  But when I gained more weight than I ever had in my life (plus, I was much older), my waistline just "blossomed".  The GOOD part was that my boobs ALSO got much bigger.  And when I lost 82 lbs., they STAYED.  YAYYYY!!!  For most of my life, I was a 34B and now I wear a 38D!  But the consequence is that my waist isn't as small as it used to be, either.  But I digress.....

I was going to say that I recently saw a Tyra Show where women of a similar height, but a variety of body shapes were lined up in a row and a woman was asked to pick out whose booty was bigger than hers.  It was astonishing!  Women who I thought had a smaller booty than she did, were actually bigger!  I guess this explains why, when I weighed 135 lbs., people thought I was smaller than that.  And why some of my girlfriends, who weighed LESS than I did, wore the same size!

This all leads up to the fact that I spent most of my life trying to fit into a "mold"...the Barbie-mold, if you like.  My mother put me on a diet, and amphetamines, when I was six years old...and I've spent most of the rest of my life trying to be "thin".  Up until the last few years, my goal has been that ever-elusive number on the scale!  And I'm only just NOW realizing that it's not about the numbers (BMI included)!

At the end of the day, it's all about how you FEEL about your body...and IN your body...and how healthy you are.  Nothing else matters.

Oh....and never let anyone else tell you what you "should" weigh...or look like.  I always say, "Don't let anyone 'should' on you".

I am also always amazed by similar people with different weights. My best friend and I wear similar sizes (I'm one pants size up but I'm smaller in the waist) but I am 4 inches shorter than her and 40lbs heavier. It doesn't seem like it should be possible. I thought my scale was broken :)

I love your saying ("Don't let anyone 'should' on you"), I may have to adopt it. Personally, I just got tired of 'dieting.' And of feeling like I had to feel bad about myself to be good on a diet. I used to tell people (who were surprised I wasn't on a diet) that "I just don't hate myself enough to do it." Then I had a bit of an epiphany that I didn't have to feel bad to be healthy. Plus it really isn't as hard as all the diets make it. I eat healthy and exercise. Thats it. I feel great, sleep well, and I'm sure my body will eventually catch up to looking healthy, but at 1 to 2 lbs a week, it will take over a year, and I just can't wait that long to be happy about it.

I also had the realization that I will never be 5'11 and skinny :) I have an exaggerated hourglass going on. My hips could kill people :)

Apparently we're hiding weight in the same place, because when I was 150-ish, I also wore a sz 10 (at 5'4) so when people tell me I 'should' weigh around 130, I just laugh at them.

I guess what bugs me is that I know plenty of people sz 14-ish who are quite healthy. Eat well, exercise, good stamina. I'm sure BMI-wise they're overweight, and I'm annoyed for them that world thinks of them that way.

Congrats on the boobs :) If I thought mine would go away, I would be more motivated to lose weight.

Obviously women do not all fit into the same "molds".  I don't think anyone here has suggested that. If that were the case, we could all just buy clothes in our size, with never trying them on, and they would fit perfectly.  Right.  On what planet does THAT happen?? 

Genetics determine where we each store our fat, and you might as well learn to make the best of it.  You can exercise and eat healthier, and burn off the excess, but you can't control the areas it comes off, and you never will.  (Other than surgery of course.)  That is why you see some women that look fairly slender up top, yet have very thick hips and legs, or the opposite, or any combination you can come up with.  We are all individual works of art.  The best we can do for ourselves, is to take care of our own masterpieces. 

"Dieting" is a term that should be banned from our vocabulary.  It's misleading, and it allows people to think of getting healthy in temporary terms.  I have NEVER "dieted".  All I have ever done is made permanent changes in my eating habits and exercise, over time, to where I am now a far healthier and stronger person than I was 20 years ago. And I'm surely not done making changes either.   That isn't dieting.  It's living.

 

amen

Minda, you're RIGHT...it DOESN'T seem possible.  LOL! But if you think about it, if every fingerprint is unique and every face is unique, why wouldn't EVERY body shape be unique?

I've spent most of my life on a diet.  And, even though I tell myself that what I'm doing right now is NOT "dieting", if I'm counting calories, then it IS.  I call it a "new eating plan".  Makes me feel better.   I HAD lost 92 lbs.  But then I got carried away with the Stacy's Pita Chips and gained back 20!  I'm in the process of losing that AGAIN.  But I most DEFINITELY can't have those pita chips in my HOUSE.  In THAT sense, I guess I'm changing my "lifestyle".  I can say, though, that I know it will be HARD doing this for the rest of my LIFE. (Even though I don't have THAT much farther to GO.  LOL)

And I wanted to add (since my short-term memory SUCKS...LOL):

You said:

"Apparently we're hiding weight in the same place, because when I was 150-ish, I also wore a sz 10 (at 5'4) so when people tell me I 'should' weigh around 130, I just laugh at them."

LOL!  I LOVE that!  Especially the "hiding weight in the same place" part.

"I guess what bugs me is that I know plenty of people sz 14-ish who are quite healthy. Eat well, exercise, good stamina. I'm sure BMI-wise they're overweight, and I'm annoyed for them that world thinks of them that way."

Yeah...and there are LOTS of "us" out there.  As for the rest of the world...screw 'em! The people who think we should all be modelesque have a very skewed perception of the human body. And, as it turns out, the people who LIKE me the way I am are the people who I like, TOO.  I'm getting smaller for ME...not for ANYONE else.

"Congrats on the boobs :) If I thought mine would go away, I would be more motivated to lose weight."

LOL!  THANKS!  My mother had to get a boob job.  And I just gained almost a hundred pounds and then lost most of it!  Of course, I DID have that weight on for about 17 YEARS.  And by the time I got around to losing it (which is really HARD with CFS) I guess that part of my body figured it BELONGED there!

Just a word as a nutrition professional. BMIs are established by data pulled from populations that are predominately caucasian. In the future, we are hoping that data collected to establish normal BMIs for different races. Many races such as african americans and polynesians have greater muscle mass and build.

The diet advice I'd give to people who tend to over develop muscle would be to greatly cut back on protein intake. Reducing some muscle mass will allow for a more flexible body and decresed appetite allowing for more weight loss.

As good diet would be a semi-vegetarian diet, low protein, most proteins from low fat dairy. Increased intake of vegetables, less fat from processed packaged foods and less fat/ cholesterol intake by cutting out fatty meats.

Muscle lost should not turn into fat if the person is not overeating (intake of too many calories or more than burned) and if the person is overall reducing fat intake (which is what happens when meats (that contain animal fats) is taken out of the picture). Also, with increased intake of fiber/water/calcium from fruits/veggies/dairy the body should tranform into a less muscular, leaner individual.

Many genetically muscular people can suffer from over developed muscle, and their bodys maintain muscle because their digestion is more advanced and it is highly efficient at utilizing proteins eaten to support muscle mass. Thi occurs even if a muscular person eats only the recommend amount of proteins. For these people I'd recommend the minimun intake of proteins (0.8 grams for kilogram of body weight). examples 150 pounds = 68 kg x 0.8 =55grams protein. One cup of milk contains 12 grams protein, a slice of bread contains 3 grams. 3 ounce of rice or potatoes contain 3 grams of protein. If you have the recommended 6servings starch as day you'll get 3 grams protein x 6 servings= 18 grams. There servings dairy can get you another 24-30 grams protein and you've already reached the medical minimum needed by a 150 pound person to maintain their muscle mass. An ounce of meat contains 7 grams. I'd strongly recommend cutting down on animal proteins to allow the body proteins to break down and decrease the muscle mass. Overall these people will live healthier lives with less muscle, more flexibility and less contricted movement. Also, weight loss will occur in those who don't over eat. Good Luck! This diet is working for me!