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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Am I being oversensitive about my weight?

179 replies

2389Champ · 25/08/2021 14:49

I’m 5’6” and weight 8.4 stone (53kg) Since I gave up alcohol a couple of years ago - I used to drink 3-4 large glasses of wine a night - I’ve just naturally lost the weight and have maintained it at a constant level. I’m fit, well and have plenty of energy.
DH is 15.5 stone and 5’10” He often comments that I’m too thin, don’t eat enough etc etc. I eat what I fancy, don’t calorie count but I’m also not that motivated by it either. I used to happily gorge but now am quite happy eating enough to satisfy me. If we go out for a meal, I often select a decent starter and pud which makes him sigh loudly and pass judgement.
We happened to bump into a friend today who said “every time I see you, you are thinner and thinner you bitch!” It was a bit of banter and a throwaway comment but it started him off again. He told her I just don’t eat and it’s really made me pretty pissed off. I don’t comment on anyone else’s weight or say they eat too much! If I’ve suggested to him about eating a little less to get fitter, I’m “on his case”
Two things, am I being oversensitive and is my weight really that ‘dangerously’ low? I wasn’t conscious of my eating/weight until DH started regularly mentioning it and now it’s making me a bit paranoid!

OP posts:
fellrunner85 · 25/08/2021 14:51

You're a normal, healthy, weight and have nothing to worry about. I honestly think people have lost sight of what a healthy weight looks like.

BabyRace · 25/08/2021 14:54

I'm only an inch taller than you and look very underweight under 10 stone. I suppose it's how you carry it, but it's also not representative of how healthy you are.

It's a dick move for people to comment on it, and especially for your DH to keep going on about it. Have you told him you don't like it?

RandomMess · 25/08/2021 14:57

You will look very slim but if you are fit and healthy that's fine.

The comments from your partner are just not ok Angry

I remember when I was also very very slim and it's horrid getting the comments.

Classica · 25/08/2021 14:59

I would say you're in the healthy weight range for your height, but probably near the lower end of the healthy range. Do you feel your partner is being a dick or is he genuinely concerned for you? Is he otherwise supportive/loving etc?

LittleMysSister · 25/08/2021 15:00

How much weight have you lost since stopping the wine? It sounds like maybe you've lost an extreme amount for people to keep commenting.

Your weight vs height does sound low to me as I'm 5'5 and would be very skinny if I weighed what you do, but then everyone carries it differently.

FangsForTheMemory · 25/08/2021 15:04

The thing is, a lot of people think saying someone is thin is a compliment, so it's probably not intended as a criticism but they don't realise that. Your OH probably feels insecure about his own weight.

2389Champ · 25/08/2021 15:06

@Classica

I would say you're in the healthy weight range for your height, but probably near the lower end of the healthy range. Do you feel your partner is being a dick or is he genuinely concerned for you? Is he otherwise supportive/loving etc?
I think he IS genuine because apart from the weight issue, he’s a great guy. It had crossed my mind that the fact I had lost weight after giving up alcohol, made him more conscious of his own health and fitness. A sort of deflection? He doesn’t drink that much at all, but will eat junk food and graze constantly on snacks etc. He’s a very fast eater too so sometimes I think he loses track of what he’s actually had. He’ll never say no to seconds of anything. That’s his choice, I wish he would make better ones as I genuinely care about his health but there is no way I would be as blunt to him as he is to me.
OP posts:
XpressoMartini · 25/08/2021 15:06

People say that to me all the time but my husband likes me very thin so unlike yours he does “praise” me for the way I look. I am one inch taller than you and the same weight and definitely don’t look underweight.
[Just to be clear I am naturally thin and happy as I am, I don’t starve myself to please my husband]
Like you I naturally lost some weight (in my case after several very close pregnancies) but that was some years ago and I have noticed people have got used to it now so I get much less comments of being too thin.

WhoppingBigBackside · 25/08/2021 15:09

They are projecting their insecurities on to you.

Waspsarearseholes · 25/08/2021 15:09

@XpressoMartini

People say that to me all the time but my husband likes me very thin so unlike yours he does “praise” me for the way I look. I am one inch taller than you and the same weight and definitely don’t look underweight. [Just to be clear I am naturally thin and happy as I am, I don’t starve myself to please my husband] Like you I naturally lost some weight (in my case after several very close pregnancies) but that was some years ago and I have noticed people have got used to it now so I get much less comments of being too thin.
Yikes
DelphiniumBlue · 25/08/2021 15:09

I don't think you are likely to be too thin at that weight and height, dep ending on your build. What size feet do you have, and how old are you?
I know in my 20's at 5'4, 8 stone was by no means thin, I still had a bit of a tummy at that weight. I could have gone down to 7 and a half stone before being anywhere near thin.

therocinante · 25/08/2021 15:10

Because of lots of things (diet culture, society being bigger in general than we probably should be, perceptions about couples 'matching' visually), people are weird about weight loss.

Being thinner (and losing weight) is seen as good. Therefore, people who aren't thinner or aren't losing weight can sometimes internalise other people's bodies and what they're doing as an implied judgement about themselves: Sarah's lost weight so she must be 'better' than me, I'll make a comment about it to make a point.

We're really obsessed with weight culturally, look at the front of any women's magazine.

So your husband might feel that you're leaving him behind, or 'getting too good for him', or are judging him because he hasn't lost weight, or he might be angry at himself for not doing the same, or he might be feeling insecure in comparison. It's not really a reflection of you (I assume - you're technically a healthy weight, so unless you're leaving out the part where you exercise 3 hours a day or have disordered eating, this is more to do with what he thinks how you look means about how he looks). Hence his defensiveness when you suggest eating less to him - he isn't happy with how he looks and he knows that that, in societal terms, means he is 'less disciplined', 'less attractive', 'less good' (thank you, diet culture, for fucking up our relationship with a healthy weight). By comparison, you have lost weight and look 'better' or more 'disciplined' or more 'attractive' - and he doesn't like that by comparison, you are therefore 'winning'.

Same with your friend. Women especially have these conversations all the time - we prize weight loss highly. A friend of mine lost 6 stone (which she would admit she needed to lose, granted) and people asked her how she did it all the time, pointed questions about her getting smaller and smaller, people praising her - she eventually had to tell them it was because she had developed a chronic illness. And the response was very often "oh that's terrible, well at least you're getting a benefit from it!".

So like I said, unless you haven't said the full truth and you're continuing to lose weight in an unsustainable or concerning way, people are just... weirdly obsessed with how other peoples' bodies look and what they assume that means about their own relationship with their body. It's not really about you and it can be very wearing - I'm not sure how you shut them up, but you're not being oversensitive.

All of this is so tied up in our weird culture of ascribing moral value to how someone looks or what they weigh as well as the explosion of types of food we just didn't have 50 years ago, adding layers of issues on how people view food, and causes really shit, below-radar-but-still-disordered relationships with food that explain both obesity and restrictive eating disorders It's tiring bullshit.

therocinante · 25/08/2021 15:12

...I'll put my soapbox away now Grin

RampantIvy · 25/08/2021 15:12

The BMI calculator puts you at the bottom end of the healthy weight zone.

2389Champ · 25/08/2021 15:14

@DelphiniumBlue

I don't think you are likely to be too thin at that weight and height, dep ending on your build. What size feet do you have, and how old are you? I know in my 20's at 5'4, 8 stone was by no means thin, I still had a bit of a tummy at that weight. I could have gone down to 7 and a half stone before being anywhere near thin.
I’m 55, size 5 feet and narrow framed. I stood upright and naked in front of the mirror just now to be as critical of myself as I could be. I still have enough flesh on my hips/boobs. There’s no bones jutting out! I can only just see my rib cage - but hopefully, that is normal?!
OP posts:
Dixiechickonhols · 25/08/2021 15:15

If you put your stats into nhs bmi calculator you are right at bottom end of healthy 8.3-11.2. The advice on there is to try and stay in healthy range and speak to your Gp.
It’s so easy to lose a few pounds if ill etc and that would drop you into unhealthy category.
He could be concerned about you. Your eating habits may have become very rigid or concerning - he sees you most and knows. It may be work speaking to dietitian and looking at adding some calories - I’m not suggesting you eat Mars bars but avocado or nuts etc.
My understanding is underweight can be more dangerous than just in overweight category. It’s really important to be at least a healthy weight. Are your periods ok?

2389Champ · 25/08/2021 15:16

No, no eating disorders etc. I don’t ‘do’ gyms, just walk the dog.

OP posts:
CutePanda · 25/08/2021 15:26

You’re borderline underweight/healthy bmi (18.5). If you lose a couple of pounds then you’ll be underweight. Maybe you should calorie count for a week and track how much you’re actually eating. You might not be eating enough calories.

I’m 30 years younger than you and I’m underweight. The difference is that I eat 3 normal size meals and snacks a day. I don’t under eat or over exercise. For me, this is genetic. For you, it might be due to not eating enough.

123344user · 25/08/2021 15:27

You're slim but I'm in a running club and that sort of slender build is not unusual in the good runners. I'm about the same height and when I got my PB (long time ago now!) I was about that weight.

You're not being sensitive, he's feeling bad about being a bit porky (?2stone overweight?) and taking it out on you.

However, mentioning anything about his eating or lifestyle to him is counterproductive. Counterintuitively, it seems people are more likely to look after themselves if they feel positive and loved (even though it's very understandable to see a wobbling gut and want to rage-flush all the doughnuts).

CutePanda · 25/08/2021 15:27

@XpressoMartini

People say that to me all the time but my husband likes me very thin so unlike yours he does “praise” me for the way I look. I am one inch taller than you and the same weight and definitely don’t look underweight. [Just to be clear I am naturally thin and happy as I am, I don’t starve myself to please my husband] Like you I naturally lost some weight (in my case after several very close pregnancies) but that was some years ago and I have noticed people have got used to it now so I get much less comments of being too thin.
You sound way too obsessed with your weight to be “naturally thin.”
bananamushy · 25/08/2021 15:30

People say that to me all the time but my husband likes me very thin so unlike yours he does “praise” me for the way I look.

Likes you very thin? Ok...

romdowa · 25/08/2021 15:31

I'm 5 foot one and developed a bowel condition and dropped to 49kg and I looked horrendous 😫 I knew I looked awful , I felt awful and people constantly made comments which made me feel worse. I was waiting for testing and treatment and I was so conscious of my visible ribs and hip bones. So I agree that people shouldn't comment on people's weight, it made a difficult time in my life even harder

Batshitkerazy · 25/08/2021 15:32

@XpressoMartini

People say that to me all the time but my husband likes me very thin so unlike yours he does “praise” me for the way I look. I am one inch taller than you and the same weight and definitely don’t look underweight. [Just to be clear I am naturally thin and happy as I am, I don’t starve myself to please my husband] Like you I naturally lost some weight (in my case after several very close pregnancies) but that was some years ago and I have noticed people have got used to it now so I get much less comments of being too thin.
“My husband likes me very thin”…. Yikes
Acryforhelp · 25/08/2021 15:34

Tbh it would be very easy for you to slip into the underweight category, I imagine he is just concerned.

XpressoMartini · 25/08/2021 15:37

@CutePanda

I’ve just been sharing my personal experience which is not too dissimilar to the OP (except the husband). I’m not too sure which part of my post shows I am obsessed Hmm
Granted, I eat very healthily, rarely eat junk food but that’s “natural” to me, that’s the way I was raised by my family. I might be bigger if my diet was more “normal” by MN standards, although I must admit I drink wine, in quantities way above MN standards Smile