To think I am not overweight?

[orangegerbil]

According to BMI, I am overweight with a reading over 27. I am 5'3 and weigh almost 11 stone. I haven't weighed myself in years so I am a little shocked.

I could do with losing a bit around my tummy, but I am a size 10 so I can't be that bad surely? I do have quite a big chest but that can't be the only reason for my weight.

The NHS uses BMI calculators so I am slightly concerned about it as it must be a trusted way of measuring things. Is it possible to have a high BMI but not be overweight?

I'm 5 ft 2 and 11 stone 9 which puts me in the 'obese' catagory with a BMI of 30. I also feel overweight and I can see I am when I look in the mirror. I put a lot of weight on last year when I was going through treatment for cancer and was actually 13 stone at the start of the year so this is a massive improvement for me BUT I have along way to go. I'm getting there though.

Yes, OP, you're overweight. And as others have said, dress size means feck all these days. I had to return a pair of size 8 jeans to m&s recently as they were so huge they wouldn't stay up; but I have a vintage size 12 cocktail dress (belonged to MIL back in the day) that barely fastens.

And all these comments about people carrying weight differently etc - that's why BMI bands are so broad. At 5ft 6, I could be anything between around 8st and 11st and be "healthy", even though I'd undoubtedly look and feel very different at each end of the scale.

If you're seriously questioning if BMI applies to you because you're "muscular" then ask yourself...am I a weightlifter. 99.9% of people on these threads complaining BMI doesn't apply to them are not weightlifters. And as I posted on another of these threads recently, most very muscular athletes still have a BMI in the healthy range. Fatima Whitbread, famous for being massively muscular, was 10st 10 when she was throwing the javelin in the Olympics. I doubt those people who do a bit of HIIT and claim BMI doesn't apply to them are as muscly as she was...

OP if you are brave enough to post an anonymised photo we could let you know.

Im 5 ft 5 and 9st 12. BMI 22/23.I’m trying to get to 9st 7 as I feel big for me. Surprised you fit in 10s, are they elasticated? I have clothes size 10-12.

@Fressia123

Hi OP. I'm that height and that weight. I'm a size 8 though. My waist is 27in but I DO train.

Yes That height & weight is clearly overweight 🤦🏻‍♀️

Madness isn't it. Everyone is different.

You look fabulous!!

@orangegerbil. If you look like Fressia - then no, you're not overweight

Can I suggest you just enjoy your life/body, being 'normal' & healthy.

Before I got ill I had a nice wee body, but obsessed about every lb or perceived squishy bit. Since being ill I've put on a load of weight I cannot shift and I really regret not just enjoying being 'normal'

GG is two cup sizes over an F so obviously you'll fit smaller clothes. The op said 10 for GG you say 10/12 for F. That's my point.

I’m the same height and weight and I am at my heaviest at size 14/16.I would not fit into my size 10 clothes at all,and I consider myself fat now . Maybe you got your weight wrong if you can fit into a size 10,I’ve always been a size 10 but at 11 stones that would not be possible. Some of your measurements are wrong,hard to tell without seeing what you look like.

@JinglingHellsBells

Someone posts a photo of themselves saying they're a size 8 and you respond to that by saying, no way are you a size 8.

We must have vastly different ideas of what's rude or not.

Yes you are overweight and going by "well I'm a size 10" is meaningless due to size inflation. Ten years ago I was a size 8. Now I am struggling to fit into a size 4 as they are big on me. In the last ten years I have GAINED 2kg so I am heavier than I was then

@JinglingHellsBells I went to an emergency meeting at the hospital I worked at where we planned that one of the criteria for getting a ventilator if we started running out would be BMI. So you’re right, I’m being extremely careful with my weight since then.

Sizes are messed up. I’m wearing size 10 H&M loose trousers today, fit well but returning M&S size 10 similar style as skin tight!

@newphoneswhodis

GG is two cup sizes over an F so obviously you'll fit smaller clothes. The op said 10 for GG you say 10/12 for F. That's my point.

But my back size is 4 inches more than OPs, wouldn't that make a difference?

So you have a 27inch waist and 30GG breasts ? Wouldn't be surprised if that is where at least some of your additional weight is.

@JinglingHellsBells were you genuinely not being sarcastic with the Covid thing??

There is obviously a huge difference between obesity/morbid obesity and being a couple of BMI points over a healthy weight. And BMI isn't the be all and end all, it doesn't even take into account muscle mass and is based on white males who have a naturally lower body fat percentage than women.

This is not said in defence of being fat. I had a baby at the beginning of the year and was my highest weight ever; I've lost 2.5 stone motivated by the Covid outbreak so I do take it seriously.

But a BMI of 27 is nowhere near the same as being obese or morbidly obese. Sadly lots of people in the UK fit into this category.

@fellrunner85

Yes, OP, you're overweight. And as others have said, dress size means feck all these days. I had to return a pair of size 8 jeans to m&s recently as they were so huge they wouldn't stay up; but I have a vintage size 12 cocktail dress (belonged to MIL back in the day) that barely fastens.

And all these comments about people carrying weight differently etc - that's why BMI bands are so broad. At 5ft 6, I could be anything between around 8st and 11st and be "healthy", even though I'd undoubtedly look and feel very different at each end of the scale.

If you're seriously questioning if BMI applies to you because you're "muscular" then ask yourself...am I a weightlifter. 99.9% of people on these threads complaining BMI doesn't apply to them are not weightlifters. And as I posted on another of these threads recently, most very muscular athletes still have a BMI in the healthy range. Fatima Whitbread, famous for being massively muscular, was 10st 10 when she was throwing the javelin in the Olympics. I doubt those people who do a bit of HIIT and claim BMI doesn't apply to them are as muscly as she was...

I completely agree. I have a size 10 dress from back in the 90s and DD took one look at it and fell in love with it. She's a size 6/8 in H & M/top shops etc and could barely fasten it.

That is most definitely overweight yes.

Like others have said, I honestly don’t know how you’re getting into size 10.
I’ve just bought size 10 M&S jeans and they’re tight on me. I’ve put on weight during lockdown and am 5ft 3 and 9 stone 4, with most of the weight on my tummy.
I can’t imagine how at 11 stone you can get into size 10, sorry.

Op are your scales are wrong? Find it hard to believe you are 11st with a 27 inch waist. What’s your hip size?

clothing sizes are meaningless but I doubt very much that youre a 10 anywhere if you wear a 30GG bra. That sounds like a size 14 to me. What do your hips measure?

tbh, clothes sizes have got bigger and bigger. they're not really representative. at that weight and height i'd say you're definitely overweight.

It pretty much boils down to where you buy your clothes I could never buy trousers from next or m&s the sizes are much bigger than river island.

I'm 5'4" and at 9 and a half stone I was a size 10 and at 11 and a half stone I was a size 12 top or dress size 14 bottom (big hips and bum!) so you may be a big size 10 or small 12. I can carry a lot of weight before going up a dress size. I'd say you are overweight (as I was at that weight) but no-one would say you are fat.

Threads like this never end well it’s all vanity sizing, everyone is overweight unless they are are 8 stone wet through, BMI is the only way to consider anything, no one can be different to the BMI norm and it all goes around in a circle between everyone arguing.

I’m pretty active and eat nutritiously 80% of the time but if I was 8 stone I’d look ill as I have broad shoulders and hips.

OP @orangegerbil if you feel overweight then get more active and eat better food maybe with a deficit in calories over time. Visceral fat will still occur in slimmer bodies too. That can be helped by exercise and a healthy diet. FYI longer term regular yoga practice has been the best for shaping my waist in comparison to the cardio I’ve done. ( lots of core work!)

I'm. 5 ft 7 (almost 5 ft8) and at 11 stone I look overweight. I'm Officially just in the healthy BMI at that weight but in photos (and from people's comments) I can see I'm carrying too much fat. I do have a small bust and am not very muscular so when I put on weight it's all flesh. Maybe you carry it better and don't look overweight? It does sound slightly heavy for 5 ft3.

I’m 5’2 and when I weighed 11 I was definitely overweight. I might have got away with a size 10 top if it was designed to be a boxy fit or boyfriend styl. I couldn’t in a million years squeeze my arse into size 10 jeans, although I do have a very narrow waist so could have got away with a size 10 skirt if it was designed to be floaty.
I think my ideal weight should be about 10 at most (which I am at the moment) and I could probably fit in size 10 jeans now, but I would have to be picky over the cut without them digging in etc.

This does obviously depend on how you carry your weight. I tend have wideish hips and a chubby legs.