Getting too thin?

[mmner31]

Hello Mumsnetters,

12 months ago I started losing weight through IF (16:8) and reducing portion sizes of meals. I also started walking more, which in turn lead me into starting jogging. I'm 5ft7 and I started at 13st9 and I'm now 10st 2. DP has expressed his concern that I am starting to look too thin.

I have explained that I still fast (for the health benefits) but do eat considerably more than I did when trying to lose weight. To be honest I do not wish to lose anymore weight as I am a healthy weight for my height.

Has anyone actually got too thin and then had a comment made by a DP/DH or even a close friend/family member/?

There you go. You know this for a fact. Other people's opinions are just that.

@MyDcAreMarvel I don't think there would be anything left of me if I weighed 8st6

Blimey I'm your height and being 13 7 would be me in my idea weight zone! Currently trying to lose 2 stone!

That is not 'too thin'!
It's normal

My Dsis lost a stone recently and everyone said 'oh too thin' and tried to feed her, offering food. It was all so odd. She will admit, she was still the larger end of a normal BMI. But it made her realise how warped peoples views are on weight.

I am 5 ft 7 and have used cardio to lose weight before - even at a normal bmi I looked too thin and almost weathered. When I incorporated weights I looked much healthier even at lower bmis. Maybe that’s what your oh is trying to (tactfully) say?

It is wrong to say that being 8.6 is a healthy weight for that height. It is a possible but does come with a warning. The lowest end of the BMI is for those with small body frames/structure. At the lowest end you can be malnourished and periods stopped.

Oh and when I say ideal weight zone, it is where I look my best, not thin by any means but healthy.

@fellrunner85

Yeah, I was told I was too thin when I first lost a lot of weight. I went from 11st 7ish to just under 9st, at 5ft 6. I'm not too thin; people were just used to me being fat!

Wow well done you! Thats a great loss. I agree, people get used to seeing you a certain way

That was exactly my experience Billie when I lost my baby weight.

@YesItsAPeacock

That's a fantastic weight loss, well done you.

He's just not used to how you look, he'll come round. When I lose weight sometimes I'm alarmed by how I look in the mirror - sort of drawn and angular - but it's only because I'm (sadly) more used to my overweight face.

Thank you :)

My family telling me I'm "too thin" when I finally managed to lose weight and be healthy is primarily one of the reasons I'm fat again now. Because the people who have influenced my perception of healthy eating made incorrect statements, often.

OP you sound healthy. And happy. Sod what any one else thinks.

A friend of mine lost a lot of weight. He is 6'1 and was morbidly obese, and got down to 'obese' bmi. All of his mates kept saying 'wow you look so skinny!' and he took it to heart like it was too much and has started putting the weight back on again

He wasn't 'skinny' by any stretch, and I'm sure his friends were trying to be nice, but the comments got in his head. It's not helpful ultimately, especially as words like thin and skinny are loaded and point to unhealthy or even eating disorder.

Well done on your weight loss! As long as you're a healthy bmi then I would ignore any thin comments. He'll get used to it

l lost weight after the birth of my second child. I got really fed up of people commenting negatively on how thin I was. I am still safely within a healthy BMI, eat three meals a day, and don't feel the need to eat more. I'm just a bit thinner than I was. Honestly, no-one says 'gosh you;'ve got fat recently, you need to lose weight' Do they? So stop making me unattractive for losing weight!

I'd say that was a healthy weight and not too thin. As pp said when you lose weight it can take a while for your new look to become normal I'm 5ft 5 and 9st and I feel healthy and not too slim (I also eat good portion sizes and a range of food). Congrats on the weight loss.

For me a BMI of 22 isn’t that thin. Certainly not concerning, just healthy. I got to a BMI of 21 and wanted to lose a bit more because I still had a flabby tummy - lots of exercising too. But it depends on someone’s build, bone structure and muscle mass. That’s why fat percentage can be more helpful if exercising a lot.

OP I’ve often seen this issue being reported because others just aren’t used to seeing you like that. It’s a drastic change. Plus it can be ageing if your face is affected.

@liquoricecravings thank you :) I'm just hoping I don't pile it back on. I comfartbly fit size 10 jeans so I'm happy with that.

That's not too thin at all, it's completely normal and shit like this can be damaging to people who are just making healthy changes.

Show him some links about healthy BMI and help to educate him.

Has anyone actually got too thin and then had a comment made by a DP/DH or even a close friend/family member/?

I am not sure why you are asking this.

You are not too thin. You know this.
If your DH thinks you are then he needs to be told that you're fine and happy.

In answer to your question, of course there will be people who have become too thin and have had people comment, whether it be deliberate (dieting, exercise) or not (illness, loss of appetite).

@Gin4thewin4

Don't they say scales do not matter anyway though?

Muscle weighs more than fat etc etc.
So without seeing what you actually look like there's no way of knowing if you look too skinny.
All the previous comments stating that weight and height is a healthy combo because of bmi are wrong.
There are women, really lean, muscly, with hardly any fat, size 8, but there bmi will be higher - muscle weighs more than fat. Thats does not mean they are obese or overweight.... even though a bmi reading would tell you so.

Scales are stupid. Don't use them. If you think you look too slim, fine, if you don't, fine.

Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat

I had the opposite, I lost so much weight my periods stopped and everyone told me how amazing I looked. To be fair I did look and feel great but it can’t have been healthy or my periods wouldn’t have stopped. The trouble is that now I endlessly wish I still looked like I did when I was at my thinnest and I’ll never feel thin enough despite being at the lower end of normal.

Yes - both times after I’ve given birth - 8st pre pregnancy, 9st when give birth- end up at 7st within a couple of weeks of giving birth
Usually takes me about a year to get back to normal 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[quote mmner31]@MyDcAreMarvel I don't think there would be anything left of me if I weighed 8st6[/quote]
I’m a couple of inches shorter but that’s around my ideal weight, but I have narrow shoulders and relatively skinny wrists and ankles. My BMI would be 20 so safely in the healthy zone.

The celebs we see will have BMIs on the low side, 20 or even verging on underweight. Many will be healthy and they wouldn’t get work with a BMI in the middle of the healthy range. It’s all a bit fucked up at both ends.

I am 5ft 7 and at 10st 2 I feel really good. I am currently averaging 10st 10. You are not 'too thin' at all

My Mum lost lots of weight and appeared a bit too thin in the face. After a while, although her weight remained the same, she looked healthier. I think it's just it takes time for the fat distribution to get sorted out.

1lb of fat is larger in volume than 1lb of muscle. When people, slightly incorrectly, paraphrase and say muscle weighs more than fat I am assuming they are doing just that, paraphrasing.