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 sorry but regardless of what you say OP, I just think it's a physical impossibility. I'm 5'4" and 8.5 stone and I'm still wearing a size 8/10 in most clothes. It just isn't possible for you to be carrying an extra 2.5 stone in weight and be an inch shorter and us still be wearing the same size clothes. Agree with a few others that Next sizing isn't reliable though.

It sounds like your scales are wrong op.

A good rule of thumb is getting a tape measure out and measuring round your belly (where your belly button is not your dress waist which is the smallest part) if it is over 32" you are at higher risk (over 36" is very high risk) of weight related illness. I do think some people can have a higher BMI and not be at any higher risk if you don't carry it round your stomach like some hourglass figured women. Unfortunately I'm an apple and carry it all round my tummy (and chin) and I don't get under 32" belly until I have a BMI of 24. I'm currently trying to lose postpartum weight and I'm 5'5 and 11st7 so also have a BMI of 27. I like being 9st7 (I was 9stone in my younger days but not been able to hit that since I was 20) but just 9st7 takes alot of bloody effort to maintain nowadays lol

Goodness me. You’re overweight.

Getting irritated with our normalisation of fat. It’s not your fault OP, it’s that people are so used to seeing really overweight/obese people that they think they are normal, when they are not.

The max you should be at 5ft 3, IMO is 10 stone. I’d aim for that if you’re unhappy/want to lose.

Emeraldshamrock ok, so if you've never been properly measured I don't think you can comment that someone else (who may have been) is wearing the wrong size!

There's 2 ways to measure- the +4 method and the other method. The +4 method is old fashioned and generally means the cup is too small to contain all the breast tissue and the back is too big to correctly suport. The modern method means that the back is tighter, but because the cup is the correct size it doesn't feel uncomfortable.

I went from a 34B old measurement to a 28F new measurement. My boobs haven't changed. I get a better shape now though.

If you are interested, take a look at the boob or bust website, you can measure yourself at home. I'd guess you are a 28J.

Of course you are overweight. It has nothing to do with external appearances and everything to do with being an unhealthy weight for your height. Judging your health by your perception of your external appearance (especially when the minority of adults in this country are a healthy weight) is a really silly way of assessing it.

I could do with losing a bit round my tummy
I don't want to sound rude, OP, but you're probably carrying excess weight in places you're not even aware of. That is one of the things I noticed when I did lose weight.
And I'm sure it's already been mentioned many times on this thread, but you can't determine if you're overweight by your clothes size. Fashion retailers cater for their average customer, and seeing as the average woman the sizes tend to be larger as well.
It's generally accepted though that clothes sizes are 1-2 sizes bigger than they used to be, so that would make a size 10 up to a size 14. Size 14 used to be the cut off between regular and plus size 40-50 years ago, and there was no lycra or other stretchy stuff either. I always remind myself of this so I don't rely on clothes labels or being able to wear stretchy jeans.

I'm taller than you by a fair bit, weigh less than you by nearly two stone and some size ten are snug on me and I end up with a 12. Something doesn't add up here?

Clothes sizes are mad these days, I swear the bigger I get the smaller they tell me I am.

It is laughable how so many posters just don’t get different body shapes and distribution of weight, oooh in talker and skinnier and still have to wear size 16 so you are a liar 🤥

Scales are out is my guess. Your measurements sound ok. What did you weigh last time you weighed?

So I'm 5'2'' 8st 10, BMI 22.4. body fat of 30.2%, quite muscular, breast 36b, and fit well in size 10, occasionally size 8 depending on cut, rarely need size 12.

11stone is overweight for everyone but the very tall, unfortunately.

I am surprised that the OP thinks she isnt overweight - most women I know think they are overweight even at normal BMI.

Muscle weighs more than fat on a mass basis so if you're very toned/muscly you'll tip the scales higher but be a healthy body fat %

@dontdisturbmenow if you're fairly muscular and at that BMI your BF% can't be 30%. Definition started to show at around 25% (and that wouldnt be fairly muscular).

A lot of people are questioning if maybe the OP is such a high weight due to being muscular. (Which the Op has stated she isn't.) But it's worth commenting on as it's such a common assumption to make but it's incredibly, incredibly rare for that to apply to women. I'm rebuilding after a months long illness at the moment but before I got sick I was muscular enough to have visible muscle definition at rest and my BMI was 22. I'm also a fairly large breasted hourglass shape with big hips and bum. None of that adds up to a high BMI when I'm truly fit. And believe me, I fell into the trap of telling myself that they did through my late twenties and almost all of my 30s. Constantly telling myself that a too high weight was due to being muscular and/or my bum and boobs and/or my dense, heavy bones and large skeletal frame. It was an absolute revelation in my early 40s to finally get genuinely fit and strong and realise that those boobs, bones and bum plus really strong muscles still only added up to a very mid-level healthy BMI. My BMI is 23.5 now and even though that's in the healthy range and my muscles are increasing, I know I'm currently carrying more fat than I ideally should be.

Any woman whose BMI is overweight due to her having healthy levels of fat and enough muscles to push her over 25, is working very, very, very hard for that kind of muscle. Most likely for specific sporting goals and probably with a coach/trainer who is helping guide those gains. She knows damn well that her BMI doesn't make her overweight because her weight gain is planned and controlled. Anyone who just sees their weight creep into potentially unhealthy numbers and tells themselves it's because of their muscles, is just telling themselves a comforting lie. Their muscles might be adding to their weight but they almost certainly still have unhealthy levels of fat.

Would you be able to post a picture of yourself?

Some people do weigh more and fit smaller clothes
Someone further up said they are 5ft 11 and 11st 6 and a size 12/14
I'm the same height and at 15 stone I'm a size 14/16. I've got on the scales before at the doctors and they've made me use another set because they thought they were broken.. I really am that heavy!

Clothes size say nothing about being overweight or not.

Laughing at all the posters saying scales are out!

If you are carrying extra weight (ie on your tummy) then you probably are overweight, that's literally what it means! But it's not like being overweight is some mortal sin. If you like it keep it, if you don't then loose some.

I probably gain weight like the OP, my waist measurement only goes up very slowly, but I do put weight on in my lower stomach and over my hips. I could very easily have a 27inch waist and still be overweight. I'm currently just under 10stone with a 26inch waist, but have some lockdown flab to loose from my hips. My ribs would be pretty much the last things to disappear under fat if I put the weight on

@QueenCT

Some people do weigh more and fit smaller clothes Someone further up said they are 5ft 11 and 11st 6 and a size 12/14 I'm the same height and at 15 stone I'm a size 14/16. I've got on the scales before at the doctors and they've made me use another set because they thought they were broken.. I really am that heavy!

15 stone at 5ft 3!! I’m not surprised they got some more scales!! That’s really heavy for a woman and someone who is short.

BMI is just a blunt tool OP

With a small waist and big boobs, you may just not fit the general stats/averages

I am close to overweight myself as I am quite muscular/athletic. I work out daily and am a size 12 at 6ft+ which is hardly big

We don’t all fit into these “boxes”

It’s a blunt tool

Yes, you are overweight, but not obese.

OP is surprised though, that’s what makes me think the scales are wrong. At 5ft 3, 11 st would feel noticeably overweight for the individual.

Well dur @Bananabread8