Do I look 3-5 stone overweight?

[Obsesetits]

I know I’m overweight, absolutely.

I also know we shouldn’t take much notice of BMI because it’s a load of rubbish. But I checked anyway to see what a normal healthy range would be for my height/age and it’s coming up with between 6st 11lbs, and 9st 2lbs. I’m 12st 2lbs currently, I have a 5 and 3 year old and until recently had a 9-5 WFH job so I got too comfortable too close to the fridge 🤣

Even as a teen I’ve always had wider hips, bigger thighs and I was an E cup at 14. So I’ve always seen myself as on the curvier side. I’m much more jiggly now after two kids but I cannot ever imagine myself to be 7stone?! I was really shocked to see that I should lose 3-5 stone! I was expecting maybe 2-3.. but over 3 seems impossible without having a breast reduction 🤣

ps… ignore my extremely discoloured bra and non-matching undies.. it was a comfort day 🤣

@Obsesetitswhat do you snack on?

The good news is that you've got an hourglass shape where fat is distributed more safely away from your organs as visceral fat where it's a much higher risk of interfering with your body's metabolic processes.

Age matters with BMI. We naturally gain weight as we age. The lower end of healthy BMI is a good place for young adults who have had fewer hormonal shifts such as pregnancy and are highly likely to gradually acrue weight over the coming decades. Older adults can benefit from the fat reserves of being mildly overweight.

This year I've been around BMI 25-26. Even being short (5'2"), it's not that obvious, and is partly bolstered by good muscle mass which is great. But there are a few kg of fat that I don't need, that slow me down, that make clothes tighter or lumpy. Being mid-40s, I'm getting to the harder to maintain, easy to gain, hard to lose stage of life despite having a lot of decent habits, but the reality is too many unhelpful habits have crept in which need challenging. It might not be an issue now, but future-me will appreciate what I manage now.

BMI 20 me was great 25 years ago, but that was pre-children, pre-weight training. I have no desire to go back there again. I looked good at 22 in my mid-30s post-children, but I hadn't started weight training then, so I think that's on the low side of realism a decade later. I'd rather aim for 23-24 to keep a little buffer for Christmas/ holidays because life happens.

The "right" BMI is personal, but the further from the healthy zone, the more likely it is to impact quality of life and health. Nothing magical happens between 24.9 and 25. If 26 or 27 suits your build better, that's fine, and better long term than being 30+.

I'd say break it down to smaller, achievable goals and re-evaluate at each waypoint to see what's the right place to be for you.

I like The Body Coaches before/ afters. They're interesting to see what the range of an individual's proportions can be.

I have the same body as you, this could be me in the pjcture! Honestly, I do look overweight. Not massively and I can hide it with baggy tshirts but my arms and face are puffier than they are when I am slimmer. But yes I am overweight. I am planning to get fit, not necessarily slim down, but sometimes other things in life take precident and thats OK too.

You do look overweight and untoned OP. But you know that and are young enough to do something about it. It probably won't be as hard as you think. You do't have to aim for 7 stone, but try for a healthier weight.

This is really hard as it’s an internal fight to be polite and say no you are just curvy or be blunt, and say yes you look overweight,

i will pick honesty rather than soft soap, since you asked, and yes you look overweight.

However that doesn’t mean you look bad, we each alone decide our ideal body shape and if you’re happy with your aappearance it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

your bmi is 33, 30 is obese, so yes you’re at risk of many weight related complexities, heart attack, stroke, diabetes,cancers, high blood pressure, joint degradation etc, it doesn’t mean you will get these, but carrying that much additional weight is never good for us and the longer we carry the weight, the worse it often is.

By the way, our boobs usually decrease when we lose weight, seldom do they not shrink with weight loss.

so it’s your decision on whether you wish to lose weight or not.

You look like me. Or I look like you! A lot of my weight is in my boobs. Following …

You look similar to how I looked before I lost 3 stone and went from ‘overweight’ to ‘healthy’ on the BMI calculator.

You do have a lovely figure though. Properly ‘curvy’ where is us usually a euphemism for ‘fat’.

Not sure why you think BMI is a load of rubbish that we should take no notice of. For the vast majority of us it’s a good indicator.

I’m 5’7 and 9 stone-ish and think I look a good weight, so imo you perhaps should lose about 4 stone?

I only eat between 12-4 and non-UPF. You could try this as it will help with your snacking. It’s really hard for a couple of days then gets much easier! ☺️

2 or 3 - you have large boobs which these things don't take into account

You have an enviably great shape and I think you would look really fantastic at BMI 25 and with a bit more muscle.

I echo pp saying it’s so much easier to lose before you get perimenopausal - I am teetering on the edge of overweight and can’t just drop a few pounds like i used to be able to just by cutting back a bit for a few days. It does take discipline but you don’t have to go mad. A healthy baseline weight will serve you well in years to come - gently lose the weight now and your future self will thank you! And please, make sure you eat plenty of protein and do weight bearing exercise to support your bones.

Large boobs are just fat really mine were also huge when I gained a lot of weight, but they shrunk back to normal with the weight loss. I suspect a side view of the op maybe less flattering to be honest, straight on I liked quite narrow with big boobs, side ways told the truth of it.

Yes, fatty deposits in boob and bum are where women store fat.
My point is that they are the extra weight she can't see around her legs and tummy, which is why the suggestion to lose loads seems wrong or extreme. Yes the weight won't magically just come off the tummy but the boobs are why she is struggling to see the weight ratio I suspect.

OP, your lifestyle really doesn’t mean it has to be hard to lose weight.

Get your mindset into the value in nurturing your lovely body and being healthy.

Up fruit and veg (especially veg) and where possible lean protein, and eat modest / smaller carb portions. Equip yourself with healthy snacks. When you spend time with the kids play energetic games with them,

Modelling healthy eating and lifestyle to them too. Enjoy it, don’t make it a miserable calorie counting chore. Just use common sense and cut down on necessary / unhealthy stuff.

I looked very similar (though I'm a lot taller) at the start of this year.

I'm now 3.5 stone lighter having gone from a BMI of 30+ to 24. There's still more fat to lose.

I've kept my shape and curves btw, just a lot slimmer and more toned from working out.

Yes they do: they account for the range of ‘healthy weight’. I doubt the OP’s boobs weigh 2 stone!

Yes, I think you do look 3+ stone overweight. I think some people may think less because you carry it evenly and you a waist that goes in, your fat is quite evenly distributed so it’s deceiving. Look at photos of women with a health BMI at your height and you’ll see the extra stones you’re carrying much easier. BMI isn’t a load of rubbish for the vast majority of people, that is something people try to convince themselves of.

Good luck with the weight loss. You have a good shape so you’ll look fab if you can lose the weight and tone up.

I would say 2-3 stone. Definitely not 5.

I would suggest that you don’t worry too much about losing weight and start easy weight training and floor exercises using YouTube videos. In the long run, you will be toned and your bones and muscles will be stronger.

I totally understand what being too close to fridge does to our willpower.

I am a similar size to you (I am assuming you are very short, like around 5ft) but a lot older. I could lose 4 stone and still not be underweight, but it would be impossible to maintain, let alone achieve in the first place. So now I am aiming to lose 2 stone, to get me to around 27 BMI. I think trying to lose anything more than that for me is unrealistic.

I can see that you could lose 3 stone but I really don't think 5 is necessary or realistic. What you have, that I would love but is long gone post menopause, is a waist!

I am 5'5 and currently weigh 13st - down from 15st 2lb last year. I am still on a weight loss journey to get to 11st 7lb - that'll happen when it happens as in my opinion slow and steady wins the race.

I am 47 currently - I decided last year I wanted to drop weight. Been around 0.5lb per week.

The NHS BMI calculator says I should be 10st 10lb maximum but my attitude is if I am strong and healthy that is all that matters, and I weight lift and eat well (1550 cals per day - high protein diet).

I’m 5’ and thought I needed to lose 3 but now I have there’s easily a stone of flab around my belly. If you’re just losing weight then I’d say 3-4 but if you work out and gain muscle then 2-3 maybe?

Bars mainly.. cereal bars, the odd kitkat. All really high sugar crap that I don’t need. It’s stuff that’s meant to be the kids treats but I end up reaching for them more times in a day than I should. I’m also partial to ice cream, sugar in my tea.. I’ve basically just got a mega sweet tooth😩

I would edge towards the 5 stone rather than 3 stone. I am 5’7” and topped 91kg just before Xmas. I am post menopausal and on hormone blockers but had put on weight very gradually since having breast cancer.

I was asked to take part in a sleep apnea trial, my BMI and health issues put me in the at risk group although I wasn’t aware of any symptoms, however I did have chronic reflux at night.

Anyway after the results came back I was diagnosed with moderate apnea so decided to address the excess weight. I was referred to the sleep clinic and by the time the appointment came through I was a stone+ down. After further sleep testing my sleep apnea had disappeared. My sleep is much better and I no longer have reflux. My BP is down and I’m now 79kg.

My thighs and upper stomach fat disappeared first. My boobs haven’t changed much though but now my lower abdomen is looking much trimmer. I have dropped from a big size 18 to a very comfortable 14. Even at my skinniest 9st5lb I was the equivalent of a modern 8-10 ( 1980’s 12 ) I have a broad skeleton and athletic muscular build underneath it all.

I did it all by calorie deficit combined with low carbs because I’m insulin resistant ( diagnosed years ago). I have been maintaining for the last month but still managed to lose a kg. I need to know what calories I will have to maintain on. Also DS is home over summer (uni break) so it’s a little harder to cook healthily while he’s at home. When I’m just cooking for DH and I it’s much easier.

Low carbing over a long period kills your craving for sugar. Although moderation is the real answer and I have the odd treat.

Exercise is limited because I have a chronic back problem and walking the dog is my thing. With such a warm summer it’s not been easy to regularly walk the dog. She too has a back injury so I have to be careful with her since she’s too big for me to carry any distance.

I invested in a good set of scales and weigh myself every 2-3 days to keep me motivated.

Snap. I was that kind of size in my early 20s but listed as underweight at the gym and not allowed to give blood.

I think it's fine to accept the scales are never going to start with a seven when you've got boobs like the OP.

I'm quite slim and well under nine stone but I don't think I'd ever get down to seven something again and I don't think I'd want to.

There's nothing to be gained from feeling bad about that and it doesn't mean you can't make huge improvement and feel much better in yourself. Setting an unrealistic goal will just make you feel disillusioned.

5 stone seems an awful lot to lose given your build/boobs - I can’t understand the posters suggesting this would be a good aim tbh. Why would you need to be at the bottom end of the BMI range for your height?

Sure it’s not healthy to be very overweight but we don’t all need to be just above underweight. I’ve fluctuated around a BMI of 24 for most of my adult life. I’m quite stocky and muscly (under some good padding). No health professional or doctor has ever suggested I need to lose weight, but according to the advice of several posters here I could do with losing two stone!

If you want to lose weight OP I’d suggest you aim for the top end of recommended BMI and give yourself a good year to get there. There’s more to life than the scales. Good luck!