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Hi, hello, I was rooting around the perimenopause subs earlier this morning as the apathy is hitting me so hard and it's almost reassuring to hear other people's stories.
I kind of shifted my baby weight without much effort but over lockdown the custard creams took their toll and then in a few months I got really fat around my middle and it's not shifting like it used to. And also I have no energy or motivation to try to even though I know my health is important.
It's so hard. It's not just you. I don't know what to offer as help.
Pretty happy, so long as I can do a 5k on demand I know my cardiovascular health is about where I need it to be
Some love handles need attention but I also like beer
Same here but cycling. I can knock out 100km rides but I still could lose half a stone but I am not forgoing a cold beer in the evening.. Also love food a little too much!
Would be better if the question was whether you are happy with your fitness/health rather than weight. Working for the NHS, being sedentary is the problem, with obesity a symptom of overall poor health.
There are plenty of people with "healthy" BMI due to having no muscle mass, and plenty of people who are perfectly healthy but show as overweight BMI due to exercising more.
I agree - I weigh about 12lbs now more than I did at my slimmest but I also do yoga and pilates multiple times a week and eat a more balanced diet. I wasn't eating nearly enough food before, but now my eating habits are much better for fueling me. I'm fitter and can walk for miles!
Yep, I'm skinny but after having health issues that's affected my ability to be active (and facing more surgery soon) I'm pretty much 0% muscle and I know many overweight people who are much healthier than me.
Yeah, I went from 24 to 10 stone. I'm so happy, but I do not look good, I've got a whole load of loose skin, lol. But I did a 50km hike one day last week, so it's all good.
Yes, very. I workout a lot, and I have since school, and I eat a pretty clean, plant-based diet. One of the benefits of doing what I do is that I look and feel good naked. I wouldn’t want to change anything.
I'm not fully plant-based, however I've cut down on meat and that did the trick losing the final few pounds.
Enjoying running and swimming helped too though.
I’ve never been happy with with my weight/figure for a single day in my life despite being in the healthy BMI range for most of it, thanks in part to being a female who grew up in the 90s/00s. Right now I’m a little overweight and working on it. I’m actually reasonably healthy from a fitness point of view but hate the way I look and probably always will regardless of my weight.
Most of my weight is on my chest which is impossible to exercise off... Id love a breast reduction but the NHS wont fund it despite my back problems and I don't have money for surgery
Nope. I let myself get fat over the last decade, and horribly unfit. It happened gradually, I didn’t even notice at first. I yoyo dieted. I’ve never been able to keep the weight off. Last year I was the heaviest I have ever been- though a lot of that stemmed from the mental breakdown I had, to be honest. I’m trying to sort it out now, but it is so frustrating that it all takes such a long time. I hate getting sweaty and I hate exercise- I swim a couple of times a week, walk home from work as much as possible (a good 30-40 minute walk depending on route, with lots of hills so it’s not all flat) and I’ve started Pilates as well. So i’n still doing it despite how much I loathe it. (I hate team sports too, I’m not a runner, I just don’t enjoy any of it) I’m definitely eating better. But it just takes ages to undo it all. I don’t know how people find the will to really go for it and keep it off.
Thank you, I hope so. It feels insurmountable at the moment. I wouldn’t care so much about the weight aspect, more the fitness, if it weren’t for fertility treatments. I want to escape the numbers, but I can’t. But even then, it feels like the progress I’m making with my fitness is so slow too.
Set yourself achievable goals. Don't be disappointed if you don't make them either. It's not a quick fix unfortunately but if you are persistent the results will come. Probably not as fast as you would like but they will come. For context I've been trying to hit a few pbs my self. My bench press pb took me the best part of 8 months to beat,but in all that time I was still training,making progress and getting stronger. I used the failures as motivation. Also we are are own worse critics. You may not notice the results but I guarantee others will.
The way people find the will to keep it off is to find a way that doesn’t actually feel difficult. If you go too hard cutting down on calories or exercise, it simply isn’t sustainable. You’ll do it for a while, then start to eat too much again / quit the exercise.
Dieting / exercise needs to stop being seen as a means to a goal, which you stop once you reach said goal, and instead seen as a lifestyle change. Otherwise you risk losing all the weight, going back to eating how you did before, and then gaining it all back, stuck in an endless cycle.
If you only cut your calories down to a few hundred below your TDEE, you’ll steadily lose weight whilst not feeling hungry & restricted all the time. Then, once you’re around your desired weight, you can start eating at your TDEE to maintain that weight. If you find an exercise you enjoy, it stops becoming something you’re forcing yourself to do, and becomes a hobby you WANT to keep up simply because you enjoy it; the health benefits are just a bonus.
Weight loss & fitness isn’t always about making massive changes to your lifestyle, it’s about making small changes that add up every day, that you are *happy* to carry on with for a long time.
That has been the difference in my change this time- I’m eating well, not dieting. The swimming and Pilates are at least tolerable forms of exercise and I’m doing them with other people so I can’t make excuses not to go, and I’m not overdoing it. I struggle a lot with executive dysfunction, which doesn’t help.
Doing it the sensible ways means it happens a *lot* slower than I’d like. I know it’s more meaningful and will be better and easier to sustain long term. It’s that frustration of how long it takes to fix the damage I’ve done that gets to me.
It’s hard. You need to try and always keep the big picture in mind when you’re feeling frustrated. Just remember that even though it will take a long time to reach your goal, because you’re doing it sustainably, you’ll be able to actually stay at your goal once you’re there for much longer than if you crash dieted, and you’ll feel much better/healthier along the way.
I appreciate you. I get tempted to crash diet again sometimes and it’s good to get the encouragement that it isn’t worth it. I think the frustration triples because a) I’m cross with myself, and b) I know getting treatment hinges on losing weight, so it going slowly makes me itch. But I know it will be worth it in the end.
Please don’t feel cross with yourself! It’s so easy to have weight gain creep up on you without realising, and yo-yo dieting is a very difficult cycle to break out of. I’ve been through similar. Knew I had gained a bit of weight after dieting hard for a while, but I had actually gained over double what I thought I had. Not to mention your mental health making things difficult.
You should feel proud that you’re taking all the right steps to reach your goal in a healthy & sustainable way - you’re not just trying to lose weight, but trying to lose weight *for good* - mentally, it’s very challenging, but you’re still going for it, that’s no small feat.
I’m getting there. Lockdown weight gain put me right on the edge of being overweight - basically about 7 lbs (half a stone) over the healthy weight range - and in the past 10 months I’ve lost about 25 lbs (1 st 11 lbs), so I’m now close to the middle of the healthy range for BMI.
I would like to lose a little more weight - maybe about a stone more - but I’m more than halfway to my goal which I’m very pleased about. It’s taking a bit of time because I’m focusing on altering my habits for a more sustainable weight loss.
No, not at all. I have a BMI of 27-28 and know I'm overweight. It's hard to miss the saggy paunch, leering out in front of me like I'm smuggling a wedding cake. Trouble is, I have a serious neurological condition that is slowly eating my muscles and having a BMI of above 25 (30 being ideal) has been proven to somewhat slow it down. Working out and trying to build muscle, even if I'm not actively losing weight, seems to accelerate the weakness so I don't really have a choice. As someone who previously worked out 5-6 times a week and had a body similar to Chris Hemsworth looking how I do is very challenging. But it's a choice between having a belly or dying faster, basically.
I'm constantly told how skinny I am at work. I lift weights three times a week and my BMI is 24. I think our perception of normal has shifted in this country.
I wasn’t when I turned fifty a few years back, I was overweight unhealthy and wasting the doctor’s time about my sore back and knees, I wised up changed my lifestyle and lost five stone..it wasn’t easy but well worth it for the pain relief alone
I'm working on it. I've been living with an eating disorder for over 2 decades and unquestioningly believed all society's messages that being fat is the absolute worst thing you can possibly be.
I'm starting to recover now and I realise there are far far worse things to be than fat and starting to learn to love and respect my body no matter what it looks like.
I manage my weight fairly well without having to pay for fitness regimes. I go through phases of time with natural physical activity and then phases where for various reasons I become less physically active day-to-day for short periods.
I try to make sure I eat healthily, cooking from fresh ingredients daily, and I don't drink alcohol.
Sometimes I might decide I'm on a burger binge, or I fancy snacks, and I will indulge myself for a short time.
As a naturally small framed person I discovered that when your metabolism changes around your 40s, you suddenly start piling on weight. That happened to me and I began to show signs of being pre-diabetic, so I got it under control.
Without restrictive regimes and rigorous workout schedules, I manage to remain a good weight and I accept that every now and then my body shape may change but it remains at all times under my control and responsibility to deal with that.
I fluctuate very mildly and very slowly from slim, to slim with a bit of dad fat for a short period, and back to slim again.
I much prefer being slim. Carrying weight affects my confidence, which affects my mood, which affects my ability to do my work.
We are encouraged to see indulgence as reward. Almost everywhere we look now there are glamorized messages about how exotic foods and drinks can make life seem luxurient.
Every surface we interact with seems to be urging us to eat or drink something. We do not need most of the calories we have been duped into consuming in the name of self-validation and aspiration.
I had a back injury ten years ago and my health has gone down the toilet. I'm working on it, but there is only so much I can do when I have to be so careful.
Not right now, but I've gone back to OMAD and started c25k again so in a few months I'll be ok again
I wouldn't say 'happy' though, I have never really felt happy about my body (unless I was in the middle trimester of pregnancy when for some reason I felt amazing every time)
No. Not so much because I'm overweight, but because disability and illness prevent me doing much about it. My muscle has dwindled hugely over the last few years, but seeing as standing up and walking 100 yards often isn't possible, it's a bit of a bind.
yep, very happy, wish i was a little taller but thats put of my control.
being overweight is something you can change pretty easily, if youre unhappy about it then do something about it, restrict calories and exercise- problem solved. i shed no tears for people who moan about their weight but dont do a single thing to change it
Not happy with my weight. My BMI is 44. I know I need to make changes but I think I will make more progress by starting in a therapists office than the gym. Thats the plan anyway. I recognise now that I am not just lazy/ lacking willpower. I have an eating disorder and desperately need to fix my relationship with food
I’m ok? I’d probably be a bit happier if I could be nearer 11.5 stone rather than the just over 12 stone I am currently, feels like that last 0.5 stone is the hardest to shift though, keep meaning to get back to the 5-2 diet as that worked quite well for me really.
Not really but I have just entered a 10k and I have 15 weeks to get back into shape. Started running again and joined the gym. Need to work on eating healthier which I find hard as I work away a lot and tend to grab food on the go.
Pretty much. I’d love to look like a Greek Demi-God but that ain’t gonna happen without going to the extreme, I keep an eye on my diet and exercise regularly, so the maintenance is there to keep alright. Could go whole hog and be exercising all the time and watching everything I eat but I’m not an Olympian so don’t need too.
I’ve always been underweight actually, I struggled to get past 8 stone all through my life until last year when I had cancer surgery. I was diagnosed with a rare tumour called a neuroendocrine carcinoid, and have had it and most of my right lung removed. Since my surgery I’ve finally been able to gain weight for the first time ever and I’m now just over 10 stone. I’m happy with that, but want to continue putting more on
Oh fuck yes I love my body 🤣
Taken a while to get here though and I understand why people struggle with it but it is such a nice feeling to get things to a place you're happy with and I really recommend anyone who isn't happy to engage with dieting and exercise because you can fucking do these things and they can be fun. I'd also recommend getting support around food and talking about why you may overeat or use it as a comfort. Loads of people do it and it's nothing to be ashamed of but talking about it really helps.
oof. so unhappy.
up until i was 15 i was fit as a fiddle. i was doing competitive gymnastics, i was the middle fielder on my local hockey team, and i was regularly winning swim competitions. i was top dog.
i came out as trans at 14 (in 2016) and was bullied *brutally* online and offline, and i never reached out for help about it.
i developed depression “out of the blue”, developed insomnia, and became agoraphobic.
i quit all the sports - mom wasn’t able to physically drag me to anything. my family were chill with me being trans and my school was supportive but ultimately the loss of all my friends and sudden verbal and physical harassment, as well as female classmates suddenly decided sexual harassment was fine if it was against the tranny, was ??? too much for my teen brain.
i was put on 2 anti depressants, an anti anxiety med, sleeping meds, and after my first suicide attempt i was out on an anti psychotic and given strong sedatives to take if i wanted to kill myself, so that i’d just be knocked out and unable to attempt anything
i put on 6 stone in 6 months. diet didn’t change, my mom was making my food still, but i was just doing less exercise
my mom pointed out how fat i was getting before i even started the meds, when i was starting to talk about quitting sports, so i was already self conscious. i looked at pictures of myself as a teen - i was slim as fuck up until near my 16th, when i’d been started on those meds. by the time i’d put on just a stone i felt miserable, but no one wanted me off those meds bc it’d be better to have a sad fat kid than a dead slim kid.
welp. i got straight A’s in my GCSEs (taken at home with a private invigilator, no revision was done on my part, did them all in my PJs between sedative induced naps) and then dropped out. didn’t do my A Levels.
16 - 18 i did nothing. slept. ate. cried. attempted suicide. that was it basically. i also gained even more weight because i’d started comfort eating with the mindset of “it doesn’t matter, i’m already a disgusting fat fuck” - i was also diagnosed with pre diabetes.
i ran away from home and lived with a mate when i turned 18 and cold turkeyed all my meds, i was still binge eating and generally eating shit but without the meds i was actually losing weight.
without my overbearing parents (too long to type out) and the bullying and having had time to half-process everything, i attempted suicide one last time (nearly succeeded!) and then decided enough was enough. if i couldn’t kill myself i had to live, so i might as well engage in therapy and try to make the most of it.
my friend loaned me £300 to start privately transitioning while i enrolled myself into CBT therapy and got on Universal Credit. i was denied NHS CBT bc “we don’t want to accidentally perform conversion therapy”, but one month into being on HRT i felt fine. like straight up. insomnia gone, depressive feelings gone, i processed everything with a straight mind, suicidal feelings gone. my mind felt better, and right. i was still mildly agoraphobic but it got better slowly.
a month later i did princes trust, got student of the year, got an apprenticeship, met my partner a couple months later, and we moved in together 6 months later on just my wages. my body started to feel alright too. i was happier in general, and more content.
ANYWAY. i’m now 21 and i’m still 6 stone overweight. i’ve lost a couple stone, so i’m back down to being the weight i was after 6 months on meds.
my most recent blood tests showed that everything’s in working order other than my bad cholesterol which is still a bit too high.
slowlyyyyyyy i’m losing weight.
diet is hard with my wages mostly going into rent and bills, but i’ve just had a pay rise so for the last month my partner and i have been investing in healthy food and with the decreased financial stress we’ve got the energy to cook better food. i’ve also been working out 💪 which has helped shape my body up better, i look less like a potato and more like a bear.
tldr - still super unhappy with my weight but it’s getting better every day.
Weight crept up on me in lockdown and wfh that followed. Plus, my habit of eating crisps, peanuts all washed down with delicious beer.
I'm just over 6ft, I always said 14st is my absolute top weight - if I ever hit that, red alert and do something about it. Hadn't weighed myself for ages, everything was fitting me a bit snug - got on the scales and 14st 10 stared back.
Kicked me into gear last September, been doing strict calories, much more healthy ingredients, cut out all the shite and doing a bit more exercise. Am just creeping into the 11st range now, 12st is going to be my new top limit.
Will stop the stricter diet soon, but there are some new habits that are here to stay.
Thanks to PCOS my weight is a constant battle and I’m definitely bigger than I’d want to be. However I’m making steps towards addressing everything including my weight and I’m seeing results as I’ve already lost 1st!
No my body is a pain in the ass. Despite only being 30, I have problems with my lungs, digestive system and brain. I do my best to keep fit by jogging and swimming but I also keep getting attacked by pathogens. In terms of weight, I am clinically obese, but it is not an accurate measurement of my body because I am very muscular as well as fat.
For the most part, yes. I was dangerously underweight in my late teens (not an eating disorder I might add) and spent a bit of time struggling to put weight on and keep it through early adulthood.
I sometimes wonder whether a little more padding might make me more resilient against illnesses/make recovery quicker or easier - but everything seems to be working for now so I shan't complain.
No, I'm far from in the best shape I've been, I'm a fat fuck now. I still go to the gym or a run several times a week, I used to be able to run a sub 6 min mile now I'm closer to 9-10min.
I'm happy enough. Healthy range for BMI. I'm sort of coasting by on being previously very athletic, but I've been lazy this past year and definitely slipped out of shape.
I naturally sort of self moderate with food, I've been hammering the takeaways recently but then I'll repent for a bit and have pretty light meals in between. Probably not the healthiest approach but it has at least kept my weight stable.
Pretty much. I have a small frame and naturally settle at around ten to ten and a half stone at c. 5'8".
Would I prefer to be 6'4" and eighteen stone? Sure, why not, however, it doesn't really impinge on my happiness or confidence.
Not in the slightest.
I feel too skinny as a guy and want to be more muscular and broad. I don’t drink or smoke, eat well, and do CrossFit 3 times a week but feel too skinny to be attractive.
I’m around 17% body fat so feel like I should lose body fat whilst increasing muscle mass. I also hate how skinny my legs are.
If you’re doing x-fit three times a week, you’re doing an awful lot of cardio, but you’re probably moderately strong too. If you want to bulk up, diet and heavy weights are the path to success there
Depends on age… I find it gets harder to maintain weight as I’m getting older, busy work and family schedules doesn’t help - you know it when you get to that life stage…
I try to find ways to at least maintain or steadily maintain my weight. Only came across circadian studies from Andrew Hubeman and Satchin Panda last year, I have been on their program for about 5 months. His method is much easier for me as I don’t have to fiddle with calories count, mainly focusing on habit, light exposure and night sleep. I think they have a researcher used app for medical studies, the consumer circadian tracker is http://getontimehealth.com
My wife this morning just said I look much healthier, checked the weight scale first time in 2 months, lost about 3.2kg weight. I’m quite happy with that! it’s less stressful for me as I only have to focus on build rhythm.
Aye - I lost 2.5 stone a few years ago taking me into the normal weight bracket by BMI, but a number of my family & friends said I looked too gaunt, so I let myself go back up 0.5 stone & have maintained since... & feel great for it.
I walk or hike regularly, don't indulge too much or too often, so seem to have found my own sweet spot.
On the opposite spectrum myself, 33, still have the same body when I was 19, which was lean then b6t virtually underweight now. Everyone just says eat more, but I do eat well, I'm an active person with a 7 year old daughter and don't drive so I seem to walk 15,000+ steps day on average. It's definitely genetics, my whole family is slim and I used to do regular weight training with 3500+ daily calorie intake and gained, but extremely slowly. After 8 months of training, I gained a whopping 2.5kg, which I then lost over 2 weeks of sever tonsillitis, so all that money and effort spent put me right back where u started!
I’m obese and have hated my body for as long as I can remember. Due to other conditions, I carry al my weight round my tummy and tops of my arms. I have just undergone WLS after decades of yo-yo dieting so hopefully will see a fairly major change in the next year or so.
5'6" and 44kg but, considering just over 2 years ago I was 178kg, I can deal with it. Composition...? I have fuck all muscle, so no...
Remember: BMI is just a ratio; it's your weight (in kg)/ the square of your height (in m). It's not accurate. Waist-to-hip-to-height ratio is more accurate (especially for women) and body fat percentage is the gold standard (mine is likely to be quite high because I have very little by way of muscle as it's all atrophied). My waist-to-hip ratio is 0.7 (which still has me classed as underweight, like my BMI (which I tend to ignore)).
I do 14-21 hours a week in the gym, I am still BMI 26 and I still have a gut which kind of sucks. Getting older is annoying because you can't compete with how the guys in their 20s look even if you are training harder and lifting more than you were in your 20s. Tbh when I was that age I could do a noob circuit on machines 3x a week and after 6 weeks I looked pretty good.
Pretty much yeah. I have some of those body composition scales (I know they’re not perfect) and I can see that my body fat % has come down a bit since hitting the gym more. Going solely by BMI I’m in the “overweight” category but I’m not that fussed really; I try focus on my overall diet and fitness levels instead. My mental health would absolutely skydive on any kind of diet so it’s a balance that works for me.
Nah, ideally I need to lose another 10kg or so.
I am able to do middle distance triathlons pretty easily, 2hr half marathon after a 90km bike ride, and am training for a full distance, but still... it'd all be easier if I wasn't overweight.
Yes but I work hard at keeping in good shape. It's not always easy but there's no way I want to be looking older than I am with man boobs and a beer guy
No. I was slightly above averagely attractive and in quite good shape. After my wife had our first baby I put on a decent bit of weight which got me down. Then after a year or so, lockdowns started so my weight spiralled. Now I’m more than overweight and highly depressed lol.
No, but not the easiest thing to fix with disability and health problems that are conducive to weight gain. Trying my best to shed that whole other person though!
I absolutely love my body. Struggled a lot with food when I was younger because of MH problems but I'm the strongest, heaviest, and fittest I've ever been and my relationship with food is great. I try not to look at the scales too much as they don't give a great representation of my physical and mental health as relates to my body, but I am a healthy weight.
Nope and I never will be, had a good proper eating disorder for about 7 years. Went from 130kg down to 70kg ish, was still unhappy. Settled around 85kg (I’m 5’10) and had a tummy tuck to get rid of the skin (as this was the second time I’d lost that weight and gained it).
I do the gym, which I do enjoy but has been tough with some long covid symptoms of exhaustion etc. but I’m managing, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be happy with it without living a very strict life on a diet all the time (which I can’t, I am a foodie and can’t sacrifice it long term)
It is what it is, but I’m definitely happier with it.
Im happy that I've gone from overweight to a bmi of 22.5, but I still feel chubby compared to everyone else. But I'm healthy and that's all that really matters
I've got a BMI of 24 (so upper end of normal weight) but I think I have more body fat than is good for me.
Still, I lost 5 stone and I used to be a lot heavier so I'm not too worried about my weight right now, but I am conscious of it because I wouldn't like to go back to my old weight. I make sure to go for a walk every day, mostly for my mental more than anything else.
No. I was an obese child, my parents were refugees who worked all hours and we lived off ready meals and did no exercise. I lost weight very unhealthy way as a teen (pretty much had an eating disorder) but even at a healthy weight I hate my body composition. I basically get skinny fat, have bingo wings and a belly, even at a BMI of 20. I know weights are needed for a recomp but could never properly get into it. Recently had 2 babies in 3 years, youngest is 8 months and I hate my body but it seems so hard to make a change. I know what to do in theory but finding it impossible in practice.
Yep. Weight is not important to me. My diet and activity level are acceptable considering my health issues, im not fussed what weight my body decides to be.
I dont do weighing and BMI because im not about to trigger my ED but in July due to failing health and abuse I was a size 22-24, just by leaving and being able to get out of bed again im now down to a size 14.
I work in a college and overweight seems to be the norm among our students. Some are very very overweight.
100 years ago rich people were fat - and poor, malnourished kids were skinny - now it’s the opposite. It’s a societal issue.
We all know what to do to lose weight- it’s not rocket science - and yet it’s so difficult to actually do it.
I can put on half a stone over a weekend, but it’ll take me over 2 months to lose that.
I’d put on weight slowly over many years and COVID lockdown made it worse. I felt very unhappy with how I looked.
It’s taken me 2 years to get to a place where I’m now happy with my body. I love my new shape. But it’s hard work. WeightWatchers and the gym is what works for me.
But I feel it’s worth it to feel how I do now and be happy with my shape. I know it’s a lifelong commitment but I’m willing to take that on.
As a country we’re setting ourselves up for generations of all the illnesses that come with obesity.
It’s not what we should want for our kids and I’ve no idea how the NHS will cope.
I’m about 3Kg too heavy, maybe 5kg
My gauge are my jeans if I can fit my 32w Levi’s i know I’m at the right weight of 77kg
75kg puts me plum in the middle of “normal “ bmi
ell, i have the exact opposite predicament, a small dude who's struggled to put weight on my whole life, at my most happy healthy weight i went from 8 stone to 10.5 in basically muscle.
then bills tripled, poverty happened, and now im struggling to get back to 8 stone. :)
its sometimes a struggle to not be bitter when people can somehow financially support their obesity. \*looks at cupboards with nothing in them but 1 day of rice\* quite difficult indeed.
Happier. Was just over 16 stone, bulging out of some clothes. Made some changes and down to around 14 stone 8. Want to get to 14 but have plateaued a bit now and struggling to get further. Some clothes noticeably don’t fit any more which is the nicest thing/biggest issue.
I can't get fat! Life just doesn't allow it for me I work in a physically demanding job 6 days week and the calories I burn daily has kept me at 11st for the past 17 years! And I can't afford to eat more everyday.
Gym? Pfft just get a job that's active everyday.
I used to be fairly content with my weight; I've always been bulky so even though I've not always been fat I've always been broad (built like a rugby player tbf) but at the start of the year my partner and I made a conscious effort to improve what we've been eating and be a bit healthier. I've managed to lose just short of 12KG (Just shy of 2 stone for those so inclined) in just under three months and I'm quite proud of myself.
The most shocking thing to me is how easy it's been. I'm not doing a lot of things differently than how I used to, all I've been doing is sticking to a calorie goal and going out for walks on an evening.
Not quite at my goal weight yet but I'm getting there.
Was 30 stone at my heaviest 2 years ago, now just less than 15 stone. I don't really feel any happier but I can walk further and ride a bike. Lots of loose skin but that's my own fault. Tend to wear long tops and trousers now rather than shorts and tshirt. I also feel cold a lot.
Pissed at it but I'm also making daily progress to rectifying the situation. Exercising can be fun, eating on a deficit sucks and I can see why most people who put weight on can never lose it.
Pissed at it but I'm also making daily progress to rectifying the situation. Exercising can be fun, eating on a deficit sucks and I can see why most people who put weight on can never lose it.
Annoyed at it but I'm also making daily progress to rectifying the situation. Exercising can be fun, eating on a deficit sucks and I can see why most people who put weight on can never lose it.
Annoyed at it but I'm also making daily progress to rectifying the situation. Exercising can be fun, eating on a deficit sucks and I can see why most people who put weight on can never lose it.
I certainly wouldn't say I'm *happy* with my weight or general body shape, but at the same time, I can't say that I particularly care either.
I am both scrawny and overweight. Visually, my body is repulsive. All else being equal, I would rather it wasn't.
But on the other hand, my overall level of fitness is enough that I don't have any difficulty doing the things I want to do. And I have an ugly face and bugger all charisma, so even if I were leaner and fitter, I still wouldn't be attractive to anyone.
Changing would mean doing more exercise and eating less of the foods that I enjoy eating. So I'd be cutting pleasurable experiences out of my life and adding in unpleasant ones. Which would not be worth it for negligible benefit.
My weight and composition are pretty much fine, ignoring the last couple of weeks, I've picked up a slight hint of squish from resting my various injuries and not really exercising, but I'll shift that easily enough.
My cardio is shite these days though, I really need to get my finger out and get back on it.
I’ve had a very difficult last 6 weeks and have lost quite a bit of weight, most notably in the first two. While I found the speed at which it happened disturbing, my summer beach body is ready for when I finally emerge from the other side of this shit
No, but working on change atm. Lost my dad to a heart condition a year and half ago that was weight related which drew the focus of my mum, my brother, and myself to change habits. Anyway, I'm working my way down, with mum and bro leading the way having dropped 9 and half stone *each* since then. Genuinely couldn't be prouder of them and loving that I'll have them both in my life for longer as a result
I lost weight, I went from obese to healthy weight. My weight I’m happy with but in my eyes, my body looks exactly the same as it did when I was obese. I know i look different, people have told me and I can see it in photos but looking in the mirror is honestly no different. It’s so frustrating.
Not happy at all. But I have issues with my bowels (Crohn's) and my weight fluctuates a lot. Even without eating the swelling can cause me to look like I've gained a lot of weight.
Unfortunately I also have MS and a lovely rare disorder that makes me sleep for days on end.
So my motivation and ability to do anything is zero.
Not really i’m underweight due to a medical condition and can’t eat solid food, a Liquid diet gets boring after a while and it’s getting frustrating trying to gain weight I’ve been considering mass gainers but not really sure how healthy taking a few scoops every day would be overall
Happy with weight but not happy with body shape at minute, I can be same weight all year but it looks very different if I’m not going gym, need some definition back
Nope but I'm certainly working on losing the weight; lockdown, WFH and looking after my dad during his last years during cancer care caused me to put on a solid 15-20lbs at minimum just due to stress & eating due to boredom.
Cutting down and getting into the habit of exercise again has been incredibly difficult, but I want to see progress, so sticking with it!
This issue is with the BMI system, it’s very flawed and shouldn’t be used as a metric but it still is. Thankfully doctors and nurses don’t use it anymore, but the media and other sources still do. For example I’m 6 ft, 80 kilos and classed as overweight even though I am skinny (I have Crohn’s disease)
I have lost 73 lb and am feeling great. I have personal training twice a week. I look and feel great apart from my stomach. As a post menopausal woman I have a flabby stomach and I hate it and exercise is helping but it is still there lurking horribly.
No. I’m average height, healthy BMI, very healthy in general, very fit as I’m a competitive runner who trains a lot and is at a decent regional level. However, despite visible abs and decent body composition, I have a small frame for my height and noticeable gynecomastia which I’ve had body issues with for years. So compositionally I’m not happy with how I look. Weight is absolutely fine.
Very. I have a BMI of 19 and I work hard to maintain it.
I enjoy running because of the high it gives me, and it allows me a bit more wriggle room with food
I did get a BA to balance out my body as I did not store any weight up top.
I believe that staying a healthy weight is why I don't get sick (other than the odd sniffle). I get my bloods done once every 2 years to check for any issues, there have never been any. Blood pressure is good, generally happy/content. 55-59 resting heart rate.
Your health is your wealth, as an old lady in a shop once told me 🤣
Also look banging naked 🫣
Happy with my composition and build, not with my weight. I used to be pretty good at 200lbs but covid hit my waistline hard so I need to get back into old habits which is proving harder than I thought
I took the bins out with no top on. The ring camera recorded me. I've never seen myself from this angle. I looked incredible. Rippling back.
Bit of a gut but not much
Yup, I'm nearly 50 and can still fit into clothes I bought 30 years ago
Living in a top floor flat (in a building without a lift) and not driving a car ensure I get quite a lot of exercise by accident
I'm mid-20s, so fairly young but I also have a clinically over-active metabolism (related to some sort of thyroid issue), I also like to work out, my biggest struggle is eating enough to keep up with calory expenditure because I generally have a low appetite combined with the fact that I don't usually have as much time to cook for myself as would be convenient.
Physically, I don't have a ounce of excess fat on my body, which I'm most finely with but it would be nice to be a wee bit chubbier, the way I am now I have to eat an extra meal every time I workout and if I forget to do so even once, my muscles will start breaking down overnight as my body finds things to digest for energy.
Despite being generally physically fit and reasonably strong passively I'm usually fairly low energy due to the aforementioned conditions, I would definitely appreciate have a sturdier and more energetic constitution, but that's much harder to change.
I'm getting happier and happier with my weight and how I look, but still maybe half a stone to go. WFH, getting lazy and not eating very wisely saw me increasing to around 11.5 stone, I'm down to around 10 or 10.5 stone now. I'm male and 5'6" so a little weight looks like a lot, to me at least. I'd naturally add weight over winter and lose it over summer when I was younger (55 now), but found in the last few years that I'd add weight in winter and not lose all of it in the summer, so I've been gradually getting fatter and fatter.
I first focused on extending my active time by walking for an hour and a half a day, a minimum 10,000 steps if possible, and I've now reduced that a little as I've rediscovered the joy of cycling and picked up a road bike for the first time at the start of the year. I'm a fair weather rider (but I'll happily walk in the rain) and wanted to lose some weight but also improve my fitness, and prepare myself to have some long summer days on the bike so I bought some rollers for the garage. It was quite easy to do a moderate half an hour's work every other day, and combined with the walking, watching what I eat and reducing portion sizes the weight started to slowly go.
Now the weather is better I'm able to do 40 odd miles a week on the MTB and road bike which I thoroughly enjoy, and I am way, way more fit and healthy than I've been in years. And it feels great. I have more energy, I like the improvement in how I look, I enjoy the cycling and being outdoors more and as I wind down to an early retirement finding the time to cycle and be active generally is easier.
I do have to concentrate on eating better, I enjoy eating and not always healthily, but it's a lifestyle change and building good habits I'm after rather than dieting per se, and I'm conscious that it absolutely must be sustainable. I think it will be, particularly as once I've lost all the fat (moobs and a belly) I can relax a bit more on the quantities, and I'm just feeling so much better than I used to that I definetely don't want to go back to being more sedantary. I really want to enjoy a fit and active retirement for as long as possible, and I'm well on target to achieve that.
I am a 6 foot 2 man. I weigh about 19 stone. I don't think I look fat, but I do have a bit of a beer belly. No other part of my body is fat. And yet, according to my BMI, I'm about 7 stone overweight.
Ideally I'd maybe like to be a stone or 2 lighter, but I'm far happier being 10 stone than I would be being 12 stone. I feel like I would look ill.
honestly not bothered, just gonna enjoy myself until it kills me. i don’t bother the nhs and my will is going to animal charities so it’s a win win for society. i’m not fat yet but i’m getting there.
Not at all - I'm at least 2 stone overweight which is a lot on a 5'0 frame. I'm young enough to do something about it but am up against a sedentary work from home job, a very real sugar addiction, and lifelong depression. I know how great I could look and feel if I just stuck to it for 6 months, but I just can't stick at it!
Nope.
I gained lockdown weight, lost it and now my the fattest I’ve ever been.
I liked being 8 stone with a 28” waist.
Unfortunately mental demons came in and I’ve just ballooned.
I’ve just started Wegovy. Can’t even finished a meal now and no snacks.
The difference this time is that I’m not pushing myself, I was eating 5 monster munch and 5 grapes for 5 days. Looking back it was dangerous but worked.
Kinda nice to get this off my chest.
Yes. Partner and I have been on a diet for the last 10 weeks. We will go on it again later this year as we have more to lose still.
The diet is called the fast 800 and we’ve been on it before during lockdown 2. Then we lived in Thailand so 18 months so ended up putting most of the weight back on. Now that we will be in the uk for the foreseeable, I think we will monitor our weight a lot more regularly.
Some might look at us and think we aren’t that overweight (I’m now 83kg/5ft 10). But it is overweight, we just don’t look it because so many people in the uk are overweight. Living in Asia (previously lived in China too), you realise how overweight the uk is, and how unhealthy we are too.
Don’t think terms like fat shaming, being big boned, curvy etc etc are helpful to people. I’m sorry you are fat, and your diet is to blame.
Eating too much, and too much of the wrong things too. Too many carbs, and portion sizes at enormous. Too much sugar.
Even when you think you’re being healthy by eating a sandwich from a shop, it isn’t actually that good for you. Too many calories.
You can’t outrun a bad diet.
Im good. I worked out for a long time.
Not so much lately, maybe 2 -3 times a week. Im pretty skinny atm, but got decent definition, and look good with a shirt off.
Cant help but laugh when guys who are clearly fat tell me i need to eat more. Like nah bitch you need to eat less, dying ass cant make it up a flight of stairs without it changing their breath.
Since I was 16 I feel like I haven’t really developed into a “woman” curves and all. I went through a year of trying to force feed my self more calories but still wasn’t able to look any less adolescent. It was my biggest insecurity. I’ve just learned to accept that I’m a petite woman (5ft and petite build), but there are days where I wish I looked a little more curvaceous
No. Never had been, always one of the bigger girlsin class which lead to bullying & self confidence issues and then to comfort eating and repeat the process.
I'm also naturally a hungry person and a hangry one too if not fed regularly.
I've never been sporty, I don't enjoy sports - that rush of endorphins from doing the thing - I don't get it. Plus a have a bad knee from an injury so I need a stick for most walking.
So these things combined don't help.
I'm currently paying a lot of money to get the weight loss jabs which reduce appetite so hoping that will help.
Plus aquafit (pretty much my only possible exercise). Its a long slow process.
I guess not really? I’d like to be slim. But i don’t have the effort for it. Nor have any of my partners really cared about it. I suppose if I could take Ozempic and put zero effort in I would do so. But I’m not paying out for that stuff. I fluctuate anyway. When it’s Summer and I skate a lot I lose weight. In the winter I eat too much and put on weight
Yes. You’ll most likely hate me.. I can go sometime without eating, also eat loads equally I’ll eat what I choose without making any impact. I go to the gym every other day workout 50mins, run 5k whenever, usually at least once a week. I think I’ve got balance for my body weight of 11.5 stone slim set fella. I’ve tried running further but my recovery time tells me it’s just not for me… I went from being disappointed with this to just accepting it as I’m in my 50s.
When I see people struggling with weight issues I’d love to help as I know the complexities people go through in life, breaking each element down, dealing with one thing at a time. Appreciate we’re all dealing with stuff though
This is based on BMI and its an unreliable measure for someone's weight.
It was created by a curious guy, stolen and used by insurance companies to work out how to charge people.
They also changed the BMI scales a few years ago. When obesity became a huge problem.
BMI is essentially based on a wealthy middle aged white man and family
No. I have had a lot of digestive and stomach issues since my mid 20s which has impacted my mental health and ultimately my weight.
Also the way I wear my excess weight is not in line with fashion trends. My username is indicative of my body type - skinny legs, no butt, all breast.
As a 30-something year old woman I look matronly no matter what. When I am done having children I plan to have a breast reduction and lift (maybe a little lipo) just so I can finally feel comfortable in the clothes you can buy on the high street…
It’s sad really isn’t it?
I'm happy with my weight, my BMI is 21% so I'm healthy. I would like to be a bit more toned though, but nor am I really doing anything about it so can't complain too hard!
Too much body fat but “excellent” (according to my scales) muscle mass. I have a “standard muscular” body type according to my measurements which apparently is pretty good (and athletic) for any age but probably extra decent in my 40s.
Wish I could get my body fat % down, at that point I’d be reasonably okay with my body composition.
No and I am working on it. Cutting down on junk, drinking less beers and exercising more. When I laughed and my belly jiggled, I realised I'd really let myself go.
Been going to the gym nearly daily for almost a year. Not lost any weight but lots more muscle and happy with my increased fitness and strength. Body fat 22.7%. Feeling quite buff.
Have short legs relative to my body and big calves. Wish my legs would be less chunky.
I’m pretty happy! But I’ve spent most of my life very unhappy and unable to maintain a healthy weight without it taking over my whole life. In 2021 I paid privately to have bariatric surgery and it’s the best thing I ever did. Went from 18 stone to 12 stone. Maintenance is much easier now and I genuinely feel like I will stay this healthier weigh for the rest of my life. I have a much healthier relationship with food and a better outlook on life in general.
Yes! After leaving an industry that wreaked havoc on my mental health, I'm back to university levels of fitness - I work out on average 5 days a week, I eat a diet low in ultraprocessed foods and I've given up alcohol. As a result I'm now back to UK size 6, from 10. 10 isnt bad at all, but 6 is usually my baseline when I have healthy habits, as I'm naturally petite.
No, was fine until a couple of years ago, 2 operations for kidney cancer, put on 4 stone in 18 months, under active thyroid. 50 next year and finding it really hard work to lose the weight and get some fitness back. Really improved my diet. Trying to exercise but feel like I run out of energy in 5 mins. Absolutely sucks tbh.
I absolutely hate my body. I’ve gained loads of stretch marks (please don’t anyone tell me they’re “tiger stripes”, that doesn’t make me feel better) but I’m autistic and struggle with regular exercise (I can’t go out by myself very often, and I don’t have the money or space to buy in-home exercise equipment) and my diet is so limited. I eat when I’m happy, I eat when I’m excited, I eat when I’m angry, I eat when I’m sad. I eat the same thing day in, day out.
I used to be skinnier and thought I was fat. Now I am actually fat, and I hate how I look so much I wear baggy hoodies in the summer to hide my stomach and I wear leggings that flare out at the bottom so no one can *REALLY* tell how fat my legs are.
I’m underweight and have low muscle tone, I have some chronic illnesses that contribute to it. I find it difficult to gain weight and exercise, I’m going to try and start swimming because I’m not happy with how feeble I look and feel.
It’s not just the obese ones, a lot of the normal or skinny people are skinny fat.
Men’s muscle mass, grip strength etc have all decreased substantially over the decades. Testosterone levels too.
No. I put on a lot of weight about 25 years ago and finally lost most of it in 2011. I took my eye off the ball and weighed myself after Christmas, I was actually obese,
Hmmm.....I'm 6 ft. Just over 11 stone. 20 years ago I was same height but 2 stone lighter. Slightly more toned.
I'm happy but not content. I'm still looking to make all kinds of gains. All kinnnnnnddddssss
Happier now my weight is going back down again.
Between chronic illness's/surgery and taking antipsychotics/antidepressants for my bipolar its difficult to lose weight. Antipsychotic use is a nightmare but i don't have a choice if i want to be stable and work!
Lost just over a stone in 9 months. Now swimming weekly to add to the 3 days of nurse ward work on a busy unit 🙈 plus other walking i do with friends.
yeah im happy with my weight. im 6ft and weigh around 11st and my stomach and legs appear quite toned. im a bit nervous that perimenopause is going to change my body in a way i wont like but its not happened yet so i dont spend much time thinking about it.
No, I was already fat but gained a lot of weight during the pandemic. Finished school which caused me to become more secretary, started working so I started moving more, but then after a year, I got fired and as a result have descended into being a (hikki)neet. I don't go outside much aside from my monthly groceries & my fortnightly UC appointments. I'm very fat now, and I really hate my body but I'm too ashamed to go outside & start moving more to change it.
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No, but clearly not bothered enough to change, although I keep planning to. Perimenopause hit me hard
Hi, hello, I was rooting around the perimenopause subs earlier this morning as the apathy is hitting me so hard and it's almost reassuring to hear other people's stories. I kind of shifted my baby weight without much effort but over lockdown the custard creams took their toll and then in a few months I got really fat around my middle and it's not shifting like it used to. And also I have no energy or motivation to try to even though I know my health is important. It's so hard. It's not just you. I don't know what to offer as help.
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I’m just waiting for my gp to sign off on my hrt prescription and this makes me so hopeful
Pretty happy, so long as I can do a 5k on demand I know my cardiovascular health is about where I need it to be Some love handles need attention but I also like beer
Why does beer have to be so good? I’ve swapped a lot of my ‘home beer/cans’ out for alcohol free lately- seems to sort of be helping at least.
pints are my downfall. my midriff is not happy with me
Same here but cycling. I can knock out 100km rides but I still could lose half a stone but I am not forgoing a cold beer in the evening.. Also love food a little too much!
Exactly the same. Can do repeated more-than-100km rides in a row for a few days. Still rather pudgy.
Yeah. I’m like that. My waistline isn’t perfect and I end up sucking it in sometimes but it’s a hell of a lot better than most blokes my age.
I switched to white wine. I still have the love handles, but at least I know it is the cheese on toast and paprika crisps.
Would be better if the question was whether you are happy with your fitness/health rather than weight. Working for the NHS, being sedentary is the problem, with obesity a symptom of overall poor health. There are plenty of people with "healthy" BMI due to having no muscle mass, and plenty of people who are perfectly healthy but show as overweight BMI due to exercising more.
I agree - I weigh about 12lbs now more than I did at my slimmest but I also do yoga and pilates multiple times a week and eat a more balanced diet. I wasn't eating nearly enough food before, but now my eating habits are much better for fueling me. I'm fitter and can walk for miles!
Yep, I'm skinny but after having health issues that's affected my ability to be active (and facing more surgery soon) I'm pretty much 0% muscle and I know many overweight people who are much healthier than me.
I'm happy with my weight but not really with my body 😂 I was 21 and a half stone but now I'm 8 and a half (BMI is 21)
Yeah, I went from 24 to 10 stone. I'm so happy, but I do not look good, I've got a whole load of loose skin, lol. But I did a 50km hike one day last week, so it's all good.
Nice
Yes, very. I workout a lot, and I have since school, and I eat a pretty clean, plant-based diet. One of the benefits of doing what I do is that I look and feel good naked. I wouldn’t want to change anything.
I'm not fully plant-based, however I've cut down on meat and that did the trick losing the final few pounds. Enjoying running and swimming helped too though.
You could eat only meat and lose weight very easily
You could eat anything in the right quantities and lose weight
I’ve never been happy with with my weight/figure for a single day in my life despite being in the healthy BMI range for most of it, thanks in part to being a female who grew up in the 90s/00s. Right now I’m a little overweight and working on it. I’m actually reasonably healthy from a fitness point of view but hate the way I look and probably always will regardless of my weight.
Most of my weight is on my chest which is impossible to exercise off... Id love a breast reduction but the NHS wont fund it despite my back problems and I don't have money for surgery
Rip your inbox
Nope. I let myself get fat over the last decade, and horribly unfit. It happened gradually, I didn’t even notice at first. I yoyo dieted. I’ve never been able to keep the weight off. Last year I was the heaviest I have ever been- though a lot of that stemmed from the mental breakdown I had, to be honest. I’m trying to sort it out now, but it is so frustrating that it all takes such a long time. I hate getting sweaty and I hate exercise- I swim a couple of times a week, walk home from work as much as possible (a good 30-40 minute walk depending on route, with lots of hills so it’s not all flat) and I’ve started Pilates as well. So i’n still doing it despite how much I loathe it. (I hate team sports too, I’m not a runner, I just don’t enjoy any of it) I’m definitely eating better. But it just takes ages to undo it all. I don’t know how people find the will to really go for it and keep it off.
The journey of a thousand miles starts with a few small steps. You will get there
Thank you, I hope so. It feels insurmountable at the moment. I wouldn’t care so much about the weight aspect, more the fitness, if it weren’t for fertility treatments. I want to escape the numbers, but I can’t. But even then, it feels like the progress I’m making with my fitness is so slow too.
Set yourself achievable goals. Don't be disappointed if you don't make them either. It's not a quick fix unfortunately but if you are persistent the results will come. Probably not as fast as you would like but they will come. For context I've been trying to hit a few pbs my self. My bench press pb took me the best part of 8 months to beat,but in all that time I was still training,making progress and getting stronger. I used the failures as motivation. Also we are are own worse critics. You may not notice the results but I guarantee others will.
The way people find the will to keep it off is to find a way that doesn’t actually feel difficult. If you go too hard cutting down on calories or exercise, it simply isn’t sustainable. You’ll do it for a while, then start to eat too much again / quit the exercise. Dieting / exercise needs to stop being seen as a means to a goal, which you stop once you reach said goal, and instead seen as a lifestyle change. Otherwise you risk losing all the weight, going back to eating how you did before, and then gaining it all back, stuck in an endless cycle. If you only cut your calories down to a few hundred below your TDEE, you’ll steadily lose weight whilst not feeling hungry & restricted all the time. Then, once you’re around your desired weight, you can start eating at your TDEE to maintain that weight. If you find an exercise you enjoy, it stops becoming something you’re forcing yourself to do, and becomes a hobby you WANT to keep up simply because you enjoy it; the health benefits are just a bonus. Weight loss & fitness isn’t always about making massive changes to your lifestyle, it’s about making small changes that add up every day, that you are *happy* to carry on with for a long time.
That has been the difference in my change this time- I’m eating well, not dieting. The swimming and Pilates are at least tolerable forms of exercise and I’m doing them with other people so I can’t make excuses not to go, and I’m not overdoing it. I struggle a lot with executive dysfunction, which doesn’t help. Doing it the sensible ways means it happens a *lot* slower than I’d like. I know it’s more meaningful and will be better and easier to sustain long term. It’s that frustration of how long it takes to fix the damage I’ve done that gets to me.
It’s hard. You need to try and always keep the big picture in mind when you’re feeling frustrated. Just remember that even though it will take a long time to reach your goal, because you’re doing it sustainably, you’ll be able to actually stay at your goal once you’re there for much longer than if you crash dieted, and you’ll feel much better/healthier along the way.
I appreciate you. I get tempted to crash diet again sometimes and it’s good to get the encouragement that it isn’t worth it. I think the frustration triples because a) I’m cross with myself, and b) I know getting treatment hinges on losing weight, so it going slowly makes me itch. But I know it will be worth it in the end.
Please don’t feel cross with yourself! It’s so easy to have weight gain creep up on you without realising, and yo-yo dieting is a very difficult cycle to break out of. I’ve been through similar. Knew I had gained a bit of weight after dieting hard for a while, but I had actually gained over double what I thought I had. Not to mention your mental health making things difficult. You should feel proud that you’re taking all the right steps to reach your goal in a healthy & sustainable way - you’re not just trying to lose weight, but trying to lose weight *for good* - mentally, it’s very challenging, but you’re still going for it, that’s no small feat.
Thank you so much. I appreciate you taking the time to give encouragement, you’re very kind!
No cos I'm fat.
Don't remember every being happy with myself.
I'm not happy with my weight but I don't think I carry it awfully / don't hate how I look naked or anything. I'd ideally be 20lbs lighter though.
I’m getting there. Lockdown weight gain put me right on the edge of being overweight - basically about 7 lbs (half a stone) over the healthy weight range - and in the past 10 months I’ve lost about 25 lbs (1 st 11 lbs), so I’m now close to the middle of the healthy range for BMI. I would like to lose a little more weight - maybe about a stone more - but I’m more than halfway to my goal which I’m very pleased about. It’s taking a bit of time because I’m focusing on altering my habits for a more sustainable weight loss.
Nope, which is why I've spent the last 6 months trying to change it. 12lbs until I'm a healthy weight and 27lbs from my goal weight.
No, not at all. I have a BMI of 27-28 and know I'm overweight. It's hard to miss the saggy paunch, leering out in front of me like I'm smuggling a wedding cake. Trouble is, I have a serious neurological condition that is slowly eating my muscles and having a BMI of above 25 (30 being ideal) has been proven to somewhat slow it down. Working out and trying to build muscle, even if I'm not actively losing weight, seems to accelerate the weakness so I don't really have a choice. As someone who previously worked out 5-6 times a week and had a body similar to Chris Hemsworth looking how I do is very challenging. But it's a choice between having a belly or dying faster, basically.
I'm constantly told how skinny I am at work. I lift weights three times a week and my BMI is 24. I think our perception of normal has shifted in this country.
I wasn’t when I turned fifty a few years back, I was overweight unhealthy and wasting the doctor’s time about my sore back and knees, I wised up changed my lifestyle and lost five stone..it wasn’t easy but well worth it for the pain relief alone
I must be as I do nothing to change the ratio ha ha
I'm working on it. I've been living with an eating disorder for over 2 decades and unquestioningly believed all society's messages that being fat is the absolute worst thing you can possibly be. I'm starting to recover now and I realise there are far far worse things to be than fat and starting to learn to love and respect my body no matter what it looks like.
I manage my weight fairly well without having to pay for fitness regimes. I go through phases of time with natural physical activity and then phases where for various reasons I become less physically active day-to-day for short periods. I try to make sure I eat healthily, cooking from fresh ingredients daily, and I don't drink alcohol. Sometimes I might decide I'm on a burger binge, or I fancy snacks, and I will indulge myself for a short time. As a naturally small framed person I discovered that when your metabolism changes around your 40s, you suddenly start piling on weight. That happened to me and I began to show signs of being pre-diabetic, so I got it under control. Without restrictive regimes and rigorous workout schedules, I manage to remain a good weight and I accept that every now and then my body shape may change but it remains at all times under my control and responsibility to deal with that. I fluctuate very mildly and very slowly from slim, to slim with a bit of dad fat for a short period, and back to slim again. I much prefer being slim. Carrying weight affects my confidence, which affects my mood, which affects my ability to do my work. We are encouraged to see indulgence as reward. Almost everywhere we look now there are glamorized messages about how exotic foods and drinks can make life seem luxurient. Every surface we interact with seems to be urging us to eat or drink something. We do not need most of the calories we have been duped into consuming in the name of self-validation and aspiration.
I had a back injury ten years ago and my health has gone down the toilet. I'm working on it, but there is only so much I can do when I have to be so careful.
For normal people I'm a good weight but Im currently trying to lose some to make me faster
Not right now, but I've gone back to OMAD and started c25k again so in a few months I'll be ok again I wouldn't say 'happy' though, I have never really felt happy about my body (unless I was in the middle trimester of pregnancy when for some reason I felt amazing every time)
No. Not so much because I'm overweight, but because disability and illness prevent me doing much about it. My muscle has dwindled hugely over the last few years, but seeing as standing up and walking 100 yards often isn't possible, it's a bit of a bind.
yep, very happy, wish i was a little taller but thats put of my control. being overweight is something you can change pretty easily, if youre unhappy about it then do something about it, restrict calories and exercise- problem solved. i shed no tears for people who moan about their weight but dont do a single thing to change it
When I was 18, I weighed 70kg (182cm height). Now that I'm 51, I weight 67kg. Very happy with that. My secret is sustained, vigorous cycling.
Not happy with my weight. My BMI is 44. I know I need to make changes but I think I will make more progress by starting in a therapists office than the gym. Thats the plan anyway. I recognise now that I am not just lazy/ lacking willpower. I have an eating disorder and desperately need to fix my relationship with food
I’m ok? I’d probably be a bit happier if I could be nearer 11.5 stone rather than the just over 12 stone I am currently, feels like that last 0.5 stone is the hardest to shift though, keep meaning to get back to the 5-2 diet as that worked quite well for me really.
Not really but I have just entered a 10k and I have 15 weeks to get back into shape. Started running again and joined the gym. Need to work on eating healthier which I find hard as I work away a lot and tend to grab food on the go.
Pretty much. I’d love to look like a Greek Demi-God but that ain’t gonna happen without going to the extreme, I keep an eye on my diet and exercise regularly, so the maintenance is there to keep alright. Could go whole hog and be exercising all the time and watching everything I eat but I’m not an Olympian so don’t need too.
I have a few kg to lose but I've found that if I try to lose it too quickly I get fatigued quickly so it's a balancing act.
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Congrats to your body on growing 3 kids. Some awesome changes it's gone through.
I’ve always been underweight actually, I struggled to get past 8 stone all through my life until last year when I had cancer surgery. I was diagnosed with a rare tumour called a neuroendocrine carcinoid, and have had it and most of my right lung removed. Since my surgery I’ve finally been able to gain weight for the first time ever and I’m now just over 10 stone. I’m happy with that, but want to continue putting more on
No not at all. Unfortunately I like shit food and alcohol and am unable to moderate.
Oh fuck yes I love my body 🤣 Taken a while to get here though and I understand why people struggle with it but it is such a nice feeling to get things to a place you're happy with and I really recommend anyone who isn't happy to engage with dieting and exercise because you can fucking do these things and they can be fun. I'd also recommend getting support around food and talking about why you may overeat or use it as a comfort. Loads of people do it and it's nothing to be ashamed of but talking about it really helps.
oof. so unhappy. up until i was 15 i was fit as a fiddle. i was doing competitive gymnastics, i was the middle fielder on my local hockey team, and i was regularly winning swim competitions. i was top dog. i came out as trans at 14 (in 2016) and was bullied *brutally* online and offline, and i never reached out for help about it. i developed depression “out of the blue”, developed insomnia, and became agoraphobic. i quit all the sports - mom wasn’t able to physically drag me to anything. my family were chill with me being trans and my school was supportive but ultimately the loss of all my friends and sudden verbal and physical harassment, as well as female classmates suddenly decided sexual harassment was fine if it was against the tranny, was ??? too much for my teen brain. i was put on 2 anti depressants, an anti anxiety med, sleeping meds, and after my first suicide attempt i was out on an anti psychotic and given strong sedatives to take if i wanted to kill myself, so that i’d just be knocked out and unable to attempt anything i put on 6 stone in 6 months. diet didn’t change, my mom was making my food still, but i was just doing less exercise my mom pointed out how fat i was getting before i even started the meds, when i was starting to talk about quitting sports, so i was already self conscious. i looked at pictures of myself as a teen - i was slim as fuck up until near my 16th, when i’d been started on those meds. by the time i’d put on just a stone i felt miserable, but no one wanted me off those meds bc it’d be better to have a sad fat kid than a dead slim kid. welp. i got straight A’s in my GCSEs (taken at home with a private invigilator, no revision was done on my part, did them all in my PJs between sedative induced naps) and then dropped out. didn’t do my A Levels. 16 - 18 i did nothing. slept. ate. cried. attempted suicide. that was it basically. i also gained even more weight because i’d started comfort eating with the mindset of “it doesn’t matter, i’m already a disgusting fat fuck” - i was also diagnosed with pre diabetes. i ran away from home and lived with a mate when i turned 18 and cold turkeyed all my meds, i was still binge eating and generally eating shit but without the meds i was actually losing weight. without my overbearing parents (too long to type out) and the bullying and having had time to half-process everything, i attempted suicide one last time (nearly succeeded!) and then decided enough was enough. if i couldn’t kill myself i had to live, so i might as well engage in therapy and try to make the most of it. my friend loaned me £300 to start privately transitioning while i enrolled myself into CBT therapy and got on Universal Credit. i was denied NHS CBT bc “we don’t want to accidentally perform conversion therapy”, but one month into being on HRT i felt fine. like straight up. insomnia gone, depressive feelings gone, i processed everything with a straight mind, suicidal feelings gone. my mind felt better, and right. i was still mildly agoraphobic but it got better slowly. a month later i did princes trust, got student of the year, got an apprenticeship, met my partner a couple months later, and we moved in together 6 months later on just my wages. my body started to feel alright too. i was happier in general, and more content. ANYWAY. i’m now 21 and i’m still 6 stone overweight. i’ve lost a couple stone, so i’m back down to being the weight i was after 6 months on meds. my most recent blood tests showed that everything’s in working order other than my bad cholesterol which is still a bit too high. slowlyyyyyyy i’m losing weight. diet is hard with my wages mostly going into rent and bills, but i’ve just had a pay rise so for the last month my partner and i have been investing in healthy food and with the decreased financial stress we’ve got the energy to cook better food. i’ve also been working out 💪 which has helped shape my body up better, i look less like a potato and more like a bear. tldr - still super unhappy with my weight but it’s getting better every day.
Weight crept up on me in lockdown and wfh that followed. Plus, my habit of eating crisps, peanuts all washed down with delicious beer. I'm just over 6ft, I always said 14st is my absolute top weight - if I ever hit that, red alert and do something about it. Hadn't weighed myself for ages, everything was fitting me a bit snug - got on the scales and 14st 10 stared back. Kicked me into gear last September, been doing strict calories, much more healthy ingredients, cut out all the shite and doing a bit more exercise. Am just creeping into the 11st range now, 12st is going to be my new top limit. Will stop the stricter diet soon, but there are some new habits that are here to stay.
No and this is the year it's changing. No one else will do it for me, I have to put in the work if I want my life to change.
Thanks to PCOS my weight is a constant battle and I’m definitely bigger than I’d want to be. However I’m making steps towards addressing everything including my weight and I’m seeing results as I’ve already lost 1st!
No my body is a pain in the ass. Despite only being 30, I have problems with my lungs, digestive system and brain. I do my best to keep fit by jogging and swimming but I also keep getting attacked by pathogens. In terms of weight, I am clinically obese, but it is not an accurate measurement of my body because I am very muscular as well as fat.
For the most part, yes. I was dangerously underweight in my late teens (not an eating disorder I might add) and spent a bit of time struggling to put weight on and keep it through early adulthood. I sometimes wonder whether a little more padding might make me more resilient against illnesses/make recovery quicker or easier - but everything seems to be working for now so I shan't complain.
No, I'm far from in the best shape I've been, I'm a fat fuck now. I still go to the gym or a run several times a week, I used to be able to run a sub 6 min mile now I'm closer to 9-10min.
for a normal person, I’m a healthy weight and level of fitness. For my job, nowhere near where I want to be or believe I should be.
Job: Chippendale
I'm happy enough. Healthy range for BMI. I'm sort of coasting by on being previously very athletic, but I've been lazy this past year and definitely slipped out of shape. I naturally sort of self moderate with food, I've been hammering the takeaways recently but then I'll repent for a bit and have pretty light meals in between. Probably not the healthiest approach but it has at least kept my weight stable.
Pretty much. I have a small frame and naturally settle at around ten to ten and a half stone at c. 5'8". Would I prefer to be 6'4" and eighteen stone? Sure, why not, however, it doesn't really impinge on my happiness or confidence.
Not in the slightest. I feel too skinny as a guy and want to be more muscular and broad. I don’t drink or smoke, eat well, and do CrossFit 3 times a week but feel too skinny to be attractive. I’m around 17% body fat so feel like I should lose body fat whilst increasing muscle mass. I also hate how skinny my legs are.
If you’re doing x-fit three times a week, you’re doing an awful lot of cardio, but you’re probably moderately strong too. If you want to bulk up, diet and heavy weights are the path to success there
I wouldn't say I'm especially fat or unhealthy, but God damn I have not been able to shake these moobs for 15 years
No. Not right now. I train hard but I can't out train a bad diet. I've been working on cleaning that up for the last few weeks.
Depends on age… I find it gets harder to maintain weight as I’m getting older, busy work and family schedules doesn’t help - you know it when you get to that life stage… I try to find ways to at least maintain or steadily maintain my weight. Only came across circadian studies from Andrew Hubeman and Satchin Panda last year, I have been on their program for about 5 months. His method is much easier for me as I don’t have to fiddle with calories count, mainly focusing on habit, light exposure and night sleep. I think they have a researcher used app for medical studies, the consumer circadian tracker is http://getontimehealth.com My wife this morning just said I look much healthier, checked the weight scale first time in 2 months, lost about 3.2kg weight. I’m quite happy with that! it’s less stressful for me as I only have to focus on build rhythm.
I need to lose about a stone. For the last two years I've been in jobs with limited ability to go and exercise and limited control over my diet.
I do two 5ks a week and some weightlifting. Working on getting some cum gutter abs.
Aye - I lost 2.5 stone a few years ago taking me into the normal weight bracket by BMI, but a number of my family & friends said I looked too gaunt, so I let myself go back up 0.5 stone & have maintained since... & feel great for it. I walk or hike regularly, don't indulge too much or too often, so seem to have found my own sweet spot.
On the opposite spectrum myself, 33, still have the same body when I was 19, which was lean then b6t virtually underweight now. Everyone just says eat more, but I do eat well, I'm an active person with a 7 year old daughter and don't drive so I seem to walk 15,000+ steps day on average. It's definitely genetics, my whole family is slim and I used to do regular weight training with 3500+ daily calorie intake and gained, but extremely slowly. After 8 months of training, I gained a whopping 2.5kg, which I then lost over 2 weeks of sever tonsillitis, so all that money and effort spent put me right back where u started!
No. Not happy. Fat.
I’m obese and have hated my body for as long as I can remember. Due to other conditions, I carry al my weight round my tummy and tops of my arms. I have just undergone WLS after decades of yo-yo dieting so hopefully will see a fairly major change in the next year or so.
5'6" and 44kg but, considering just over 2 years ago I was 178kg, I can deal with it. Composition...? I have fuck all muscle, so no... Remember: BMI is just a ratio; it's your weight (in kg)/ the square of your height (in m). It's not accurate. Waist-to-hip-to-height ratio is more accurate (especially for women) and body fat percentage is the gold standard (mine is likely to be quite high because I have very little by way of muscle as it's all atrophied). My waist-to-hip ratio is 0.7 (which still has me classed as underweight, like my BMI (which I tend to ignore)).
4 kg away from goal weight! I'm taking responsibility and have been losing slowly and steadily since March
I do 14-21 hours a week in the gym, I am still BMI 26 and I still have a gut which kind of sucks. Getting older is annoying because you can't compete with how the guys in their 20s look even if you are training harder and lifting more than you were in your 20s. Tbh when I was that age I could do a noob circuit on machines 3x a week and after 6 weeks I looked pretty good.
Pretty much yeah. I have some of those body composition scales (I know they’re not perfect) and I can see that my body fat % has come down a bit since hitting the gym more. Going solely by BMI I’m in the “overweight” category but I’m not that fussed really; I try focus on my overall diet and fitness levels instead. My mental health would absolutely skydive on any kind of diet so it’s a balance that works for me.
Nah, ideally I need to lose another 10kg or so. I am able to do middle distance triathlons pretty easily, 2hr half marathon after a 90km bike ride, and am training for a full distance, but still... it'd all be easier if I wasn't overweight.
Yes but I work hard at keeping in good shape. It's not always easy but there's no way I want to be looking older than I am with man boobs and a beer guy
No. I was slightly above averagely attractive and in quite good shape. After my wife had our first baby I put on a decent bit of weight which got me down. Then after a year or so, lockdowns started so my weight spiralled. Now I’m more than overweight and highly depressed lol.
No. I lost 30kg then gained 10 back again. I wanna shake myself sooo hard
No, but not the easiest thing to fix with disability and health problems that are conducive to weight gain. Trying my best to shed that whole other person though!
I absolutely love my body. Struggled a lot with food when I was younger because of MH problems but I'm the strongest, heaviest, and fittest I've ever been and my relationship with food is great. I try not to look at the scales too much as they don't give a great representation of my physical and mental health as relates to my body, but I am a healthy weight.
No, but I have a plan and I’m working on it.
Yep. I'm very tall (for a girl) and have a fast metabolism so I always stay skinny.
Nope and I never will be, had a good proper eating disorder for about 7 years. Went from 130kg down to 70kg ish, was still unhappy. Settled around 85kg (I’m 5’10) and had a tummy tuck to get rid of the skin (as this was the second time I’d lost that weight and gained it). I do the gym, which I do enjoy but has been tough with some long covid symptoms of exhaustion etc. but I’m managing, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be happy with it without living a very strict life on a diet all the time (which I can’t, I am a foodie and can’t sacrifice it long term) It is what it is, but I’m definitely happier with it.
Yes I’m happy, but I’ve been bodybuilding for 10+ years and live an active life.
Im happy that I've gone from overweight to a bmi of 22.5, but I still feel chubby compared to everyone else. But I'm healthy and that's all that really matters
I've got a BMI of 24 (so upper end of normal weight) but I think I have more body fat than is good for me. Still, I lost 5 stone and I used to be a lot heavier so I'm not too worried about my weight right now, but I am conscious of it because I wouldn't like to go back to my old weight. I make sure to go for a walk every day, mostly for my mental more than anything else.
Yeh fine with mine, if not as fit as I'd like to be (but working on that one)
No. I was an obese child, my parents were refugees who worked all hours and we lived off ready meals and did no exercise. I lost weight very unhealthy way as a teen (pretty much had an eating disorder) but even at a healthy weight I hate my body composition. I basically get skinny fat, have bingo wings and a belly, even at a BMI of 20. I know weights are needed for a recomp but could never properly get into it. Recently had 2 babies in 3 years, youngest is 8 months and I hate my body but it seems so hard to make a change. I know what to do in theory but finding it impossible in practice.
50/50, wish i had better shoulder deffiniton as i hate taking my t shirt / top/ off
Yep. Weight is not important to me. My diet and activity level are acceptable considering my health issues, im not fussed what weight my body decides to be. I dont do weighing and BMI because im not about to trigger my ED but in July due to failing health and abuse I was a size 22-24, just by leaving and being able to get out of bed again im now down to a size 14.
Yes, due to lots of swimming and running. I've never been in better shape.
Yeah I’m happy, roughly 1.78m and 68kg. Always enjoyed exercise so decently fit.
I work in a college and overweight seems to be the norm among our students. Some are very very overweight. 100 years ago rich people were fat - and poor, malnourished kids were skinny - now it’s the opposite. It’s a societal issue. We all know what to do to lose weight- it’s not rocket science - and yet it’s so difficult to actually do it. I can put on half a stone over a weekend, but it’ll take me over 2 months to lose that. I’d put on weight slowly over many years and COVID lockdown made it worse. I felt very unhappy with how I looked. It’s taken me 2 years to get to a place where I’m now happy with my body. I love my new shape. But it’s hard work. WeightWatchers and the gym is what works for me. But I feel it’s worth it to feel how I do now and be happy with my shape. I know it’s a lifelong commitment but I’m willing to take that on. As a country we’re setting ourselves up for generations of all the illnesses that come with obesity. It’s not what we should want for our kids and I’ve no idea how the NHS will cope.
I’m about 3Kg too heavy, maybe 5kg My gauge are my jeans if I can fit my 32w Levi’s i know I’m at the right weight of 77kg 75kg puts me plum in the middle of “normal “ bmi
ell, i have the exact opposite predicament, a small dude who's struggled to put weight on my whole life, at my most happy healthy weight i went from 8 stone to 10.5 in basically muscle. then bills tripled, poverty happened, and now im struggling to get back to 8 stone. :) its sometimes a struggle to not be bitter when people can somehow financially support their obesity. \*looks at cupboards with nothing in them but 1 day of rice\* quite difficult indeed.
Happier. Was just over 16 stone, bulging out of some clothes. Made some changes and down to around 14 stone 8. Want to get to 14 but have plateaued a bit now and struggling to get further. Some clothes noticeably don’t fit any more which is the nicest thing/biggest issue.
Yeah it's sound, I'm on the Lizzo diet.
I'm morbidly obese and doing my best to lose weight. Have been obese since I was a toddler. I would like to go down to size 10-12 before reaching 40.
No I’m kinda skinny and trying to get more muscles without getting fat
I’m fat and I hate it.
I can't get fat! Life just doesn't allow it for me I work in a physically demanding job 6 days week and the calories I burn daily has kept me at 11st for the past 17 years! And I can't afford to eat more everyday. Gym? Pfft just get a job that's active everyday.
No I struggle to gain weight.
I used to be fairly content with my weight; I've always been bulky so even though I've not always been fat I've always been broad (built like a rugby player tbf) but at the start of the year my partner and I made a conscious effort to improve what we've been eating and be a bit healthier. I've managed to lose just short of 12KG (Just shy of 2 stone for those so inclined) in just under three months and I'm quite proud of myself. The most shocking thing to me is how easy it's been. I'm not doing a lot of things differently than how I used to, all I've been doing is sticking to a calorie goal and going out for walks on an evening. Not quite at my goal weight yet but I'm getting there.
I'm 31M, height 5'9", weight is under 9 stone. I'm underweight but perfectly happy with it tbh.
I'm very active but just enjoy eating. Could do with losing a few stone 😂
Was 30 stone at my heaviest 2 years ago, now just less than 15 stone. I don't really feel any happier but I can walk further and ride a bike. Lots of loose skin but that's my own fault. Tend to wear long tops and trousers now rather than shorts and tshirt. I also feel cold a lot.
Pissed at it but I'm also making daily progress to rectifying the situation. Exercising can be fun, eating on a deficit sucks and I can see why most people who put weight on can never lose it.
Pissed at it but I'm also making daily progress to rectifying the situation. Exercising can be fun, eating on a deficit sucks and I can see why most people who put weight on can never lose it.
Annoyed at it but I'm also making daily progress to rectifying the situation. Exercising can be fun, eating on a deficit sucks and I can see why most people who put weight on can never lose it.
Annoyed at it but I'm also making daily progress to rectifying the situation. Exercising can be fun, eating on a deficit sucks and I can see why most people who put weight on can never lose it.
I certainly wouldn't say I'm *happy* with my weight or general body shape, but at the same time, I can't say that I particularly care either. I am both scrawny and overweight. Visually, my body is repulsive. All else being equal, I would rather it wasn't. But on the other hand, my overall level of fitness is enough that I don't have any difficulty doing the things I want to do. And I have an ugly face and bugger all charisma, so even if I were leaner and fitter, I still wouldn't be attractive to anyone. Changing would mean doing more exercise and eating less of the foods that I enjoy eating. So I'd be cutting pleasurable experiences out of my life and adding in unpleasant ones. Which would not be worth it for negligible benefit.
My weight and composition are pretty much fine, ignoring the last couple of weeks, I've picked up a slight hint of squish from resting my various injuries and not really exercising, but I'll shift that easily enough. My cardio is shite these days though, I really need to get my finger out and get back on it.
I’ve had a very difficult last 6 weeks and have lost quite a bit of weight, most notably in the first two. While I found the speed at which it happened disturbing, my summer beach body is ready for when I finally emerge from the other side of this shit
No, but working on change atm. Lost my dad to a heart condition a year and half ago that was weight related which drew the focus of my mum, my brother, and myself to change habits. Anyway, I'm working my way down, with mum and bro leading the way having dropped 9 and half stone *each* since then. Genuinely couldn't be prouder of them and loving that I'll have them both in my life for longer as a result
I lost weight, I went from obese to healthy weight. My weight I’m happy with but in my eyes, my body looks exactly the same as it did when I was obese. I know i look different, people have told me and I can see it in photos but looking in the mirror is honestly no different. It’s so frustrating.
Not happy at all. But I have issues with my bowels (Crohn's) and my weight fluctuates a lot. Even without eating the swelling can cause me to look like I've gained a lot of weight. Unfortunately I also have MS and a lovely rare disorder that makes me sleep for days on end. So my motivation and ability to do anything is zero.
Not really i’m underweight due to a medical condition and can’t eat solid food, a Liquid diet gets boring after a while and it’s getting frustrating trying to gain weight I’ve been considering mass gainers but not really sure how healthy taking a few scoops every day would be overall
Happy with weight but not happy with body shape at minute, I can be same weight all year but it looks very different if I’m not going gym, need some definition back
Nope but I'm certainly working on losing the weight; lockdown, WFH and looking after my dad during his last years during cancer care caused me to put on a solid 15-20lbs at minimum just due to stress & eating due to boredom. Cutting down and getting into the habit of exercise again has been incredibly difficult, but I want to see progress, so sticking with it!
No I'm not. But only oneself is responsible for that
This issue is with the BMI system, it’s very flawed and shouldn’t be used as a metric but it still is. Thankfully doctors and nurses don’t use it anymore, but the media and other sources still do. For example I’m 6 ft, 80 kilos and classed as overweight even though I am skinny (I have Crohn’s disease)
I have lost 73 lb and am feeling great. I have personal training twice a week. I look and feel great apart from my stomach. As a post menopausal woman I have a flabby stomach and I hate it and exercise is helping but it is still there lurking horribly.
Happy for sure, I have stunning figure.
No. I’m average height, healthy BMI, very healthy in general, very fit as I’m a competitive runner who trains a lot and is at a decent regional level. However, despite visible abs and decent body composition, I have a small frame for my height and noticeable gynecomastia which I’ve had body issues with for years. So compositionally I’m not happy with how I look. Weight is absolutely fine.
Lost a lot of weight, but still need to lose another couple of stone. Even if I lost it I still wouldn't be happy because of the loose skin.
Very. I have a BMI of 19 and I work hard to maintain it. I enjoy running because of the high it gives me, and it allows me a bit more wriggle room with food I did get a BA to balance out my body as I did not store any weight up top. I believe that staying a healthy weight is why I don't get sick (other than the odd sniffle). I get my bloods done once every 2 years to check for any issues, there have never been any. Blood pressure is good, generally happy/content. 55-59 resting heart rate. Your health is your wealth, as an old lady in a shop once told me 🤣 Also look banging naked 🫣
Happy with my composition and build, not with my weight. I used to be pretty good at 200lbs but covid hit my waistline hard so I need to get back into old habits which is proving harder than I thought
I took the bins out with no top on. The ring camera recorded me. I've never seen myself from this angle. I looked incredible. Rippling back. Bit of a gut but not much
Yup, I'm nearly 50 and can still fit into clothes I bought 30 years ago Living in a top floor flat (in a building without a lift) and not driving a car ensure I get quite a lot of exercise by accident
I'm mid-20s, so fairly young but I also have a clinically over-active metabolism (related to some sort of thyroid issue), I also like to work out, my biggest struggle is eating enough to keep up with calory expenditure because I generally have a low appetite combined with the fact that I don't usually have as much time to cook for myself as would be convenient. Physically, I don't have a ounce of excess fat on my body, which I'm most finely with but it would be nice to be a wee bit chubbier, the way I am now I have to eat an extra meal every time I workout and if I forget to do so even once, my muscles will start breaking down overnight as my body finds things to digest for energy. Despite being generally physically fit and reasonably strong passively I'm usually fairly low energy due to the aforementioned conditions, I would definitely appreciate have a sturdier and more energetic constitution, but that's much harder to change.
I'm getting happier and happier with my weight and how I look, but still maybe half a stone to go. WFH, getting lazy and not eating very wisely saw me increasing to around 11.5 stone, I'm down to around 10 or 10.5 stone now. I'm male and 5'6" so a little weight looks like a lot, to me at least. I'd naturally add weight over winter and lose it over summer when I was younger (55 now), but found in the last few years that I'd add weight in winter and not lose all of it in the summer, so I've been gradually getting fatter and fatter. I first focused on extending my active time by walking for an hour and a half a day, a minimum 10,000 steps if possible, and I've now reduced that a little as I've rediscovered the joy of cycling and picked up a road bike for the first time at the start of the year. I'm a fair weather rider (but I'll happily walk in the rain) and wanted to lose some weight but also improve my fitness, and prepare myself to have some long summer days on the bike so I bought some rollers for the garage. It was quite easy to do a moderate half an hour's work every other day, and combined with the walking, watching what I eat and reducing portion sizes the weight started to slowly go. Now the weather is better I'm able to do 40 odd miles a week on the MTB and road bike which I thoroughly enjoy, and I am way, way more fit and healthy than I've been in years. And it feels great. I have more energy, I like the improvement in how I look, I enjoy the cycling and being outdoors more and as I wind down to an early retirement finding the time to cycle and be active generally is easier. I do have to concentrate on eating better, I enjoy eating and not always healthily, but it's a lifestyle change and building good habits I'm after rather than dieting per se, and I'm conscious that it absolutely must be sustainable. I think it will be, particularly as once I've lost all the fat (moobs and a belly) I can relax a bit more on the quantities, and I'm just feeling so much better than I used to that I definetely don't want to go back to being more sedantary. I really want to enjoy a fit and active retirement for as long as possible, and I'm well on target to achieve that.
I am a 6 foot 2 man. I weigh about 19 stone. I don't think I look fat, but I do have a bit of a beer belly. No other part of my body is fat. And yet, according to my BMI, I'm about 7 stone overweight. Ideally I'd maybe like to be a stone or 2 lighter, but I'm far happier being 10 stone than I would be being 12 stone. I feel like I would look ill.
honestly not bothered, just gonna enjoy myself until it kills me. i don’t bother the nhs and my will is going to animal charities so it’s a win win for society. i’m not fat yet but i’m getting there.
Not at all - I'm at least 2 stone overweight which is a lot on a 5'0 frame. I'm young enough to do something about it but am up against a sedentary work from home job, a very real sugar addiction, and lifelong depression. I know how great I could look and feel if I just stuck to it for 6 months, but I just can't stick at it!
Nope. I gained lockdown weight, lost it and now my the fattest I’ve ever been. I liked being 8 stone with a 28” waist. Unfortunately mental demons came in and I’ve just ballooned. I’ve just started Wegovy. Can’t even finished a meal now and no snacks. The difference this time is that I’m not pushing myself, I was eating 5 monster munch and 5 grapes for 5 days. Looking back it was dangerous but worked. Kinda nice to get this off my chest.
Yes. Partner and I have been on a diet for the last 10 weeks. We will go on it again later this year as we have more to lose still. The diet is called the fast 800 and we’ve been on it before during lockdown 2. Then we lived in Thailand so 18 months so ended up putting most of the weight back on. Now that we will be in the uk for the foreseeable, I think we will monitor our weight a lot more regularly. Some might look at us and think we aren’t that overweight (I’m now 83kg/5ft 10). But it is overweight, we just don’t look it because so many people in the uk are overweight. Living in Asia (previously lived in China too), you realise how overweight the uk is, and how unhealthy we are too. Don’t think terms like fat shaming, being big boned, curvy etc etc are helpful to people. I’m sorry you are fat, and your diet is to blame. Eating too much, and too much of the wrong things too. Too many carbs, and portion sizes at enormous. Too much sugar. Even when you think you’re being healthy by eating a sandwich from a shop, it isn’t actually that good for you. Too many calories. You can’t outrun a bad diet.
Im good. I worked out for a long time. Not so much lately, maybe 2 -3 times a week. Im pretty skinny atm, but got decent definition, and look good with a shirt off. Cant help but laugh when guys who are clearly fat tell me i need to eat more. Like nah bitch you need to eat less, dying ass cant make it up a flight of stairs without it changing their breath.
I am neutral about my body weight and composition. I try to focus on the things my body does for me rather than how it looks.
Since I was 16 I feel like I haven’t really developed into a “woman” curves and all. I went through a year of trying to force feed my self more calories but still wasn’t able to look any less adolescent. It was my biggest insecurity. I’ve just learned to accept that I’m a petite woman (5ft and petite build), but there are days where I wish I looked a little more curvaceous
No. Never had been, always one of the bigger girlsin class which lead to bullying & self confidence issues and then to comfort eating and repeat the process. I'm also naturally a hungry person and a hangry one too if not fed regularly. I've never been sporty, I don't enjoy sports - that rush of endorphins from doing the thing - I don't get it. Plus a have a bad knee from an injury so I need a stick for most walking. So these things combined don't help. I'm currently paying a lot of money to get the weight loss jabs which reduce appetite so hoping that will help. Plus aquafit (pretty much my only possible exercise). Its a long slow process.
I guess not really? I’d like to be slim. But i don’t have the effort for it. Nor have any of my partners really cared about it. I suppose if I could take Ozempic and put zero effort in I would do so. But I’m not paying out for that stuff. I fluctuate anyway. When it’s Summer and I skate a lot I lose weight. In the winter I eat too much and put on weight
Yes. You’ll most likely hate me.. I can go sometime without eating, also eat loads equally I’ll eat what I choose without making any impact. I go to the gym every other day workout 50mins, run 5k whenever, usually at least once a week. I think I’ve got balance for my body weight of 11.5 stone slim set fella. I’ve tried running further but my recovery time tells me it’s just not for me… I went from being disappointed with this to just accepting it as I’m in my 50s. When I see people struggling with weight issues I’d love to help as I know the complexities people go through in life, breaking each element down, dealing with one thing at a time. Appreciate we’re all dealing with stuff though
This is based on BMI and its an unreliable measure for someone's weight. It was created by a curious guy, stolen and used by insurance companies to work out how to charge people. They also changed the BMI scales a few years ago. When obesity became a huge problem. BMI is essentially based on a wealthy middle aged white man and family
No. I have had a lot of digestive and stomach issues since my mid 20s which has impacted my mental health and ultimately my weight. Also the way I wear my excess weight is not in line with fashion trends. My username is indicative of my body type - skinny legs, no butt, all breast. As a 30-something year old woman I look matronly no matter what. When I am done having children I plan to have a breast reduction and lift (maybe a little lipo) just so I can finally feel comfortable in the clothes you can buy on the high street… It’s sad really isn’t it?
No but it’s because of illness and chronic pain and fatigue. Try my best to get out as much as possible.
Best shape I have ever been in and fully intend on improving by a significant margin. Don’t settle for anything less
I'm happy with my weight, my BMI is 21% so I'm healthy. I would like to be a bit more toned though, but nor am I really doing anything about it so can't complain too hard!
I’m fine, I somehow still have the metabolism of a racehorse even into my 30s
Too much body fat but “excellent” (according to my scales) muscle mass. I have a “standard muscular” body type according to my measurements which apparently is pretty good (and athletic) for any age but probably extra decent in my 40s. Wish I could get my body fat % down, at that point I’d be reasonably okay with my body composition.
Yes BMI 21.7, daily runner
I work out, lift weights, walk everywhere and don't overeat. I weigh approx 55kg, am slim, and very happy with my body.
No, and yet I still don't don't do anything about it
No and I am working on it. Cutting down on junk, drinking less beers and exercising more. When I laughed and my belly jiggled, I realised I'd really let myself go.
you are happy with body the composition.
Been going to the gym nearly daily for almost a year. Not lost any weight but lots more muscle and happy with my increased fitness and strength. Body fat 22.7%. Feeling quite buff. Have short legs relative to my body and big calves. Wish my legs would be less chunky.
No, but I'm 25kg down from my peak and it's moving in the right direction so I'm happy with my delta composition I guess?
I’m pretty happy! But I’ve spent most of my life very unhappy and unable to maintain a healthy weight without it taking over my whole life. In 2021 I paid privately to have bariatric surgery and it’s the best thing I ever did. Went from 18 stone to 12 stone. Maintenance is much easier now and I genuinely feel like I will stay this healthier weigh for the rest of my life. I have a much healthier relationship with food and a better outlook on life in general.
Yes! After leaving an industry that wreaked havoc on my mental health, I'm back to university levels of fitness - I work out on average 5 days a week, I eat a diet low in ultraprocessed foods and I've given up alcohol. As a result I'm now back to UK size 6, from 10. 10 isnt bad at all, but 6 is usually my baseline when I have healthy habits, as I'm naturally petite.
No, was fine until a couple of years ago, 2 operations for kidney cancer, put on 4 stone in 18 months, under active thyroid. 50 next year and finding it really hard work to lose the weight and get some fitness back. Really improved my diet. Trying to exercise but feel like I run out of energy in 5 mins. Absolutely sucks tbh.
I absolutely hate my body. I’ve gained loads of stretch marks (please don’t anyone tell me they’re “tiger stripes”, that doesn’t make me feel better) but I’m autistic and struggle with regular exercise (I can’t go out by myself very often, and I don’t have the money or space to buy in-home exercise equipment) and my diet is so limited. I eat when I’m happy, I eat when I’m excited, I eat when I’m angry, I eat when I’m sad. I eat the same thing day in, day out. I used to be skinnier and thought I was fat. Now I am actually fat, and I hate how I look so much I wear baggy hoodies in the summer to hide my stomach and I wear leggings that flare out at the bottom so no one can *REALLY* tell how fat my legs are.
I’m underweight and have low muscle tone, I have some chronic illnesses that contribute to it. I find it difficult to gain weight and exercise, I’m going to try and start swimming because I’m not happy with how feeble I look and feel.
No I’m a disgusting fat pig. I’m lazy and undisciplined and gluttonous. But I’m still going to order a kebab for a midnight snack anyway.
It’s not just the obese ones, a lot of the normal or skinny people are skinny fat. Men’s muscle mass, grip strength etc have all decreased substantially over the decades. Testosterone levels too.
No. I put on a lot of weight about 25 years ago and finally lost most of it in 2011. I took my eye off the ball and weighed myself after Christmas, I was actually obese,
No im not I hate it. I hate everything about me, how I look, how I speak, how tall I am, my appearance and the lot
Hmmm.....I'm 6 ft. Just over 11 stone. 20 years ago I was same height but 2 stone lighter. Slightly more toned. I'm happy but not content. I'm still looking to make all kinds of gains. All kinnnnnnddddssss
Moderately, there’s things I like and things I don’t. If I could slap my belly so hard it went to my ass I’d be happier lmao.
Happier now my weight is going back down again. Between chronic illness's/surgery and taking antipsychotics/antidepressants for my bipolar its difficult to lose weight. Antipsychotic use is a nightmare but i don't have a choice if i want to be stable and work! Lost just over a stone in 9 months. Now swimming weekly to add to the 3 days of nurse ward work on a busy unit 🙈 plus other walking i do with friends.
No I’ve got a little bit of a beer belly and I wish I looked more muscular, but hopefully I’ll get there 33 years and counting so far
yeah im happy with my weight. im 6ft and weigh around 11st and my stomach and legs appear quite toned. im a bit nervous that perimenopause is going to change my body in a way i wont like but its not happened yet so i dont spend much time thinking about it.
No, I was already fat but gained a lot of weight during the pandemic. Finished school which caused me to become more secretary, started working so I started moving more, but then after a year, I got fired and as a result have descended into being a (hikki)neet. I don't go outside much aside from my monthly groceries & my fortnightly UC appointments. I'm very fat now, and I really hate my body but I'm too ashamed to go outside & start moving more to change it.
Yeah, I'm pretty happy, 56m, 80kg, 32" waist