Do I look overweight?

[ZippyLimeBear]

Do I look overweight? I’m the one in grey. I’ve had two kids and I think I might have let my weight run away with me, but as a typical woman I want to know if I’m being over critical? Please be honest

No you don’t look overweight but not slim either probably at the higher end of your healthy weight, however you look lovely

Definitely not overweight! A bit of a "mum tum" in jeans that look a bit small, and the cut of that jumper sits right at your biggest point, emphasizing it.

I would have guessed at the higher end of a "normal" BMI, I wouldn't look at you and think you're overweight.

BMI isn't the best indicator of health on its own. My brother has a BMI of 26 and he's a PT with low body fat

Even at my fittest when I was teaching 10 plus fitness classes a week - my BMI was around 27/28.

Absolutely thinking the same!

The bikini thread was ridiculous. Sort of nice that people default to being (mendaciously) kind. But this is a stanger. On the internet. It made me think ‘what is the point of asking for objective opinions?’ Some of the comments were ludicrous.

If I want people to blow smoke up my arse, I have friends for that. If I want objective opinions, I’d hope that at least most of the hundreds of posters on Mumsnet might be honest.

Well then you may be very muscley, BMI does not take build into account.

I’m 55 and can still wear my teenage clothes. However clothes I buy now are 6 whereas I was 8/10 in the 80s and you could rarely find 6s. I’m exactly the same weight as I was then but clothes have gone up a size or more.

This is true.

Conversely, I'd definitely be overweight at my upper BMI and look chubby mid point.

What? Am I the only one confused by this. The op doesn’t look like a 15 year old or any where close to a teenager.

Yeah I thought that. The OP looks fine, but is clearly an adult woman.

Not at all!

I wouldn't look at you and think you looked overweight, no.

A single photo can make it hard to tell exactly but I agree with others that I’d imagine you’re around the highest point of the healthy range of bmi. Maybe in the 90s people would say you were slightly overweight in that culture obsessed with thinness but nowadays your weight is likely to be under the national average. I’m similar to you. My main aim is just to do weights and eat healthier rather than worry about my exact weight.

I think it’d also a very unflattering photo op and unflattering clothes and angle, a size 12 at 5ft 9 is actually really quite slim, the photo makes you look at least a 14, so I’d not worry, a 12 is a 29-30 inch waist, so even on a waist to height measurement you’re definitely in tne healthy weight camp.

I suspect you maybe pear shaped, and carry more weight on your lower body and rhe jumper is just adding bulk.

but again, as you’re a 12, and tall you’ve nothing to be concerned about here it’s just a bad photo and unflattering clothes.

I feel like ive entered a parallel universe. Was the woman in the flowery bikini who was on the large side bless her, but still looked fab. But woman were falling over themselves to tell her she looked great - yet she was clearly overweight. Yet this woman, who is clearly a healthy size and looks great - people can't wait to tell her shes overweight and has a mum tum. I mean I find it fascinating. The psychology behind that. Is it taking someone who looks good down a peg or two? Is that the goal? Baffling.

She absolutely does not look a size 14. She looks what she is - 10-12 - no mum tum at all, and a healthy weight - which she is.

Im your height and size 10-12 too. BMI 23. I have massive jugs, chunky arms and legs but skinny waist. I have just come back from holidays in Morocco. Ive looked at all the pics and some I look quite slim and some I look quite chunky - like a different person. Its bizarre actually. They are all candid snaps taken by others. One upset me so much I had such a huge double chin I looked like jabba the hut - ive been on the carnivore diet all week tyring to lose some weight. Then I saw some other pics of me in a bikini and I thought 'bloody hell I look hot' - so now Im munching an easter egg. Im choosing to believe the flattering shot. 😂

No you don’t.
The photo doesn’t show your full leg length as it sort of cuts your feet off. The angle also makes you look smaller. Am guessing you’re long legged and short bodied which means the jumper hits at your widest point.

I’ve been all sizes and I think she does look bigger than she is due to the unflattering photo and clothes. I’ve clearly stated it’s the image as she’s only an12 and really quite tall. We all have unflattering photos at some time. It’s not something for you to get upset about.

however I do agree with you on the bikini shot thread.

my take is people wanted to be kind and boost the lady in the bikini up. But as this is a healthy weight women they are just being honest. It is also likely a different demographic answering and not necessarily the same posters.

the op has eyes in her head, she knows it’s an unflattering photo she knows she’s slim in reality, a 12 at 5ft 9 is.

Not at all being creepy, but I'd need to see what's under the clothes. Based on the chest size/shape I'm guessing you're not very muscular/weight lifting shape, so I'm going to guess a little on the cuddly side. Not slim, not fat.

Whether this means anything at all about you or your values is a different question. Does any of it matter in the grand scheme of things - probably not. Does it make you a better/lesser friend, sister, workmate, or mother? Certainly not. If you feel healthy and energetic, I'm going to suggest it may be exactly the right size for you.

I hope you get what you wanted or needed from this thread and hope you find grace and acceptance for your lovely body which is capable (if I could see properly) of an egg and spoon race. Go well.

Yes you’re right on this, I’ve had two c sections and have really struggled to get rid of ‘the shelf’

In all honesty its hard to tell from a photo, you have weighed yourself and are within a healthy BMI so not medically overweight, however one of the important measures now used it waist/height ratio. If you are 5ft 9 and a size 12 (true size 12, not stretchy stuff) then you probably aren't overweight, I am 5ft 4 and definitely was. Weight training would definitely help you.

Think people should leave the bikini girl out of this. I've been her size and a lot thinner. She has nothing to do with this thread

Not sure why people are saying a size 12 has to be slim. I’m 5ft 10 and was wearing size 12s at 13st 10 and definitely looked overweight. Being tall does not automatically mean you never look fat, yes it does mean that you never look like a weeble but you can end up looking like a line backer. Not saying op looks like that but it makes me a bit cross when people presume that tall women get away with carrying lots of weight.

Because a size 12 is 29-30 inches waist band, which is significantly less than half her height. Obvs I mean a size 12 with a fixed waistband, not something with stretch in it or from next or markies who size up huge, a proper size 12 is unlikely to be overweight at 5 ft 9.

Nah you look perfectly normal. You've probably filled out a bit around the middle after kids, but nothing wrong with that. Hope you won the race!

That really depends on your shape though, size 12s are very inconsistent also. But yes, a true size 12 would not be overweight at 5ft 9 generally.

Next is a really odd one, some people find they size up and some people find they size down. I have 3 pairs of jeans in the same size, the exact same style but different colours and they are all a slightly different fit, not necessarily bigger or smaller but the waist sits in different places. They are all size 8 and definitely arent sized up though, they seem pretty consistent with other size 8 clothes.