Are you fat?

[sallysparrow157]

There are so many threads on here where people say 'I'm a size 8 but I feel flabby' or 'no wonder teenagers have a poor body image when people who are size 16 or 18 think they're big'
I'm a big 16. I am 5 ft nearly 5 and weigh just under 14 stone.
I feel less fat than I did 3 stone ago, I would class myself as chubby but my fatness doesn't turn heads.
So... Do you think you're fat?

Yes I am. 5ft 9 and 11st, size 12 (or 10 or 14 depending on shop/cut). I want to shift a stone.

I don't think I'm fat, but I'm not small either. I'm pretty average.

I'm 5 foot nothing, and have a medium-athletic hourglass build (which sounds uncompatible but - broad shoulders, broad hips, hips as wide as my large bust, small waist, big strong arms, big strong thighs, very slim forearms and calves and torso). I build muscle easily on my thighs and arms, and I have a lame 2pack on my flat tummy.
I'm around 10 stone, which is a lot for my height. But I'm a hell of a lot stronger than I was at 7 stone. I'm active with different sports regularly. Guess muscle does weigh more than fat.
I know I carry lots of fat in my bum and boobs which sometimes gets me down... but I do feel lucky to still have a flat tummy, so in that respect, I don't feel big.

My BMI is 26 therefore in official medical terms I am overweight.

I think a lot of the time people are not fat, they just need to tone up muscles and firmer skin (and a tan!).

Yes. Over 20st at 5"6. Size 24. Fat by anyone's definition.

Pinkandtwinkly I could have written your post about 2 years ago. I've lost 4.5 stones due to exercise and breastfeeding and am now a 16-18.

When I look in the mirror the only difference I see is in my face, other than that I look the same. The scales and my clothes size tell me different.

I did finally notice the difference when I saw photos of myself next to other people.

I nearly didn't buy a size 16 top the other day as I couldn't get my head around the fact it fitted.

"Are you fat?"

Well, I'm not thin...

But no, I wouldn't say I was fat.
Have recently ramped up the exercise and gone from an ~18 to ~16, though I'm more excited about seeing my strength/fitness/flexibility improve than any body change.
Probably because my massive arse and tiny boobs have ruled out any chance of having a 'bikini body' since I were a lass, so I've just decided not to care too much.

Will come over as a bitch now, but it's not indended.
I know this women who has always been somewhat over weight, well a few years ago she lost a load of weight through dieting not through illness. She ended up looking like a lollypop, big head a tiny body. It just didn't suit her. Not everyone does suit being skinny.x

Tipping 10 st, 5'5'' and all the weight is around my middle. Yes, I feel fat.

Yes & no. I'm 5'4" & 9 stone so my BMI's fine, & I have slim legs & hips & my bum's not fat.

But like NightLark any excess weight goes straight to my stomach, & I've never had much of a waist. So I often feel fat, & I definitely look fat when I wear / try on certain things - particularly some styles of dress that I've seen looking fine on women who are, on paper, bigger than me.

I also regularly try on trousers / jeans & find that while a size 10 is a great fit on my legs & bum, I need a 12 or even a 14 to get the waist to fit. So I feel out of proportion.

No, I'm 5'7" and 10st 1lb (down from 11st 8 at New Year) and size 12 - I could do with shifting another 1/2st from my slightly wobbly tummy but I have a waist and no 'rolls' anymore so I'm pretty content. I'm certainly not slender but I'm not fat.

I do a moderate amount of exercise (running, cycling and gym - so decent legs) and 5:2 but I probably need to focus on abs and try harder with food to get my ideal shape.

My contentedness is helped by the huge number of compliments I've received since loosing weight!

Rainydayblues are you the same height as me? (5'8"?). The lightest I've been in my adult life was 11 stone - size 10 on top and size 12 bottom. I'm top end of size 14 at the moment.

Is also just like to clarify that, while I am fat, I'm not disgusted by myself in that sense. I want to lose weight because my current weight is not healthy. Being obese certainly wasn't doing me any favours!

And I do think, while exercise isn't the answer to everything, it def helps. It does tone to some extent. It does burn calories/fat. It does make you happy.

It's relative to us as individuals how we feel about our weight and size.

So when is it ok for other women to judge us ?
A size 12 is as equally justified to feel she is fat as someone who is a size 20.
I daren't mention my weight ishoos in front of my size 20 friend as she would love to be my size.
She is stunning and tall and I never think of her as being 'fat'.
I'm anywhere from a 10 to a 12 but ideally would go back to being an 8 as I feel flabby and uncomfortable at my current weight.
I'm touching 5'5" and slender of build - it's my arse and thighs that are my main gripe and awful cellulite.

Yes, i feel fat compared to my pre pregnancy size but i know im not fat in the true definition. spare rolls on stomach and side flanks/arms bigger than normal but i have a nearly 10 week old baby so trying not to beat myself up too much.

5 ft 8 and 10 stone, size 10, 12 or 14 depending on shop. BMI 22 or just below.

Not fat, 5ft 6, about 10st4, size 12 ish depending on fit (have broad shoulders), am fit, do lots of walking (fast, uneven, hilly).

A size 12 for me is not fat but I suppose with a more petite build or shorter it might be, I'm definitely not petite even when skinny.

Yep Trazzle I'm 5 8.5in. I feel quite large at 11 stone I'm 9st 10lbs at the moment and I'm wearing size 12...sometimes I can squeeze into a vanity 10. I'm an hourglass so I rarely look skinny. I'd love to be able to weigh more and yet look smaller.

Bugger me Rainy I would love to be your size again! It's my current goal! It is funny isn't it how we perceive ourselves. I'm very broad though and hide a lot of weight easily. I'm sure my bones weigh about 10 stone by themselves

Trazzle I'm only this light for health reasons - my diet is overly restrictive but staying away from pain is a high motivator, being slimmer is just a nice side effect, I struggle to stay away from tasty food for vanity reasons alone.

Some interesting comments here.

I've reached peri menopause and after a life time of being extremely slender I've now put on half a stone in the last 5 months. Unfortunately it has virtually all gone on my stomach. So my stomach is visibly carrying fat when wearing nothing and is rounding out after being totally flat.

However, I am still a size 8 and with a lower end of normal BMI.

So whilst I don't feel fat as such, my stomach does.

polly I'm not medical, but reading your post made me think that's not right! My DSIL had a cyst that did that to her. Obviously I can't see you, your belly may wobble like a jelly , but I couldn't not say something.

Its definitely fat that I can pinch! According to my GP unfortunately for some women it can be completely normal at my age.

Most people when looking at me wouldn't notice, but its a big, big difference to how it was. With hardly an ounce of fat on me.

I am fat
5ft 8 and 15st 8
I can't look at myself naked. Feel ugly in clothes. Hate letting DH touch me as know he can feel my fat.

I was 10st before DC

I start to diet. Then have a bad day and binge.

I need to lose the weight. It makes me sad every day.

Nope. I'm 5ft and 7 stone 5 with a bmi of around 21. I'm a runner and feel fit and toned. Because I'm short I don't think I look super thin. TBH, I think I look better carrying less weight.

I was heavier for a while. I had 2 children 17 months apart and my weight crept up to just under 9 stone. I felt fat then and the extra weight didn't suit me as it does some.

I'm a bit fat
5'9, 12st, size 12-14 top, size 16 bottom

probably doesn't sound enormous for my height, but I have a small frame, with narrow shoulder, and very small breast. at this weight I have visible rolls and saddlebags

normal for me is a size 10 on top, size 14 bottom, which is between 10st-10st7.