Too Skinny?

[Muvesz]

I wasn't sure where to put this, so I am sorry if it's in the wrong forum.
Since going vegan (about a year ago, give or take a couple months), I have had a few people tell me I look 'really skinny'.
Once in a while, I think it's supposed to be a compliment, but for the most part, they seem to mean it critically.

I feel completely healthy. I have a physically taxing job that requires I am in very good condition. I know that I am not unhealthy, but I did lose 25 pounds pretty rapidly. It doesn't bother me, but I feel like others are concerned or offended by it.

Has anyone else gone through something similar? What do you say to those people?

[Terran]

You might want to read this thread if you haven't already.

Anyway, I have never lost 25 pounds, but people tell me I'm too skinny all the time. I don't say anything to them really, and you don't have to either if you don't want to. Your weight is none of their business.

[Kat_90]

You should just say - yeah it's great I get to eat all I want and still stay slim!

[Robinwomb]

I've been told I'm too thin for most of my lifetime (long before I was vegan), and at times I was way too deathly thin due to health issues, but other times I was very healthy. I have a terribly distorted body image and do not see myself as "too thin" at all but that is a whole other discussion. I have given up going by how I look or what a scale says (or anyone else) and just try to gauge how I am doing by how I feel (energy level, eating well enough, strength and endurance etc). But I understand that others comments can have an influence on how I see myself.

I actually had an opposite situation not too long ago. I originally lost six pounds unintentionally when going vegan which is a big deal for me because I was underweight to begin with. I did not want to get sick again so I ate a lot more to keep from losing more weight and included higher fat foods etc. I have slowly gained back to where I started before going vegan over a year ago (still in the underweight category but much healthier and closer to normal). I work out at a particular fitness center and have for almost five years. An older guy I see all the time came up to me one day and asked how much I weighed and then before I could provide a reply he guessed my weight within one pound. He said I looked really good and shouldnt try to gain any more. I really wanted to belt him. Seriously, what gives people the right to ask another person how much they weigh and then critique their body or offer "advice"? If someone were fair skinned it would be like walking up to them and asking if they were anemic. No one is completely perfect. I was so dumbfounded by that guy's comments I just stupidly didnt say anything at all. But I really wanted to tell him my weight is my business and I will leave my health up to the experts. I do notice often that people like to look you up and down and some don't even try to hide that they are doing it. People are so appearance and weight focused nowadays. And they also like to use any excuse to bash veganism. If you gain or lose weight (in a way that is perveived as unhealthy by others whether it is or not) then the vegan diet is the blame.

I wish I had words of wisdom on a good answer for the comments but I can understand how frustrating it is.

[sandra]

You should just say - yeah it's great I get to eat all I want and still stay slim!

That's what I say too.

[Muvesz]

Mostly, I don't care, but a lot of the time it's family, and it just gets so frustrating.

[Jeorjette92]

I wish I was too skinny..
I eat really healthily and exercise regularly but I am at the top of my healthy weight range.
I'd like to see someone blame Veganism for being fat haha..
Besides people can be skinny no matter what they eat.
If you eat only a slice of cake for food a day you would be skinny so it has nothing to do with Veganism haha.

You should tell people to mind their own business, explain that you feel lot healthier now and that is all that should matter to them!!

[Daffodil]

I long for the day someone tells me i am too skinny!

[Muvesz]

Healthy is better than 'skinny'

[Jeorjette92]

It's proven that it is better to be underweight than overweight.
Do you feel healthy?

[Muvesz]

I think 'underweight' and 'overweight' are subjective terms.

I do feel healthy. I never really get sick. My energy is better than most people I know. I get irritable easily, but I think that's just a personality trait that has been refined in recent years.

[Jeorjette92]

Well then don't worry about what other people say, you're fine.

I think I have also refined that trait, haha.

[MoonDance]

As it's been said before, I don't see why it's anyone's business if you're too skinny or whatever. If you're healthy and feel healthy and feel happy with yourself, then that's all that should matter. People always tell me I'm too skinny (5'4", 47.7kg) but I feel like I've never had more energy than I do now. It's all about perspective I think

[Terran]

It's proven that it is better to be underweight than overweight.

There are studies that 'prove' the exact opposite. Being underweight has just as many health risks as being overweight. It's not better.
(And by under/overweight I mean weighing less/more than is healthy for you, not whatever that BMI thing classifies as under/overweight.)

[Jeorjette92]

Well most the studies I've read seem to state what I said.
But I'm not a scientist so I suppose I can't say for sure either way.
=]

[Daffodil]

i think that with this "obesity epidemic" sweeping the nation that anyone of a healthy weight looks too skinny as we are programmed to be used to seeing overweight people. I got to 9.5 stone once (ah those were the days lol) and was fed up of people telling me to stop losing weight coz i was too skinny when my ideal weight is 8stone 4 so i was still technically overweight!

[Robinwomb]

There are studies that 'prove' the exact opposite. Being underweight has just as many health risks as being overweight. It's not better.
(And by under/overweight I mean weighing less/more than is healthy for you, not whatever that BMI thing classifies as under/overweight.)

I'm glad you mentioned this! I think because obesity has grown to be such a problem that so many people are focused on all the health problems related to that and the epidemic of obesity. But being underweight (while nowhere near as common in the western world) is indeed just as deadly. I was a bmi of 14 for a while and in the 16 range for even longer but I could exercise an hour a day, work, and run around doing stuff and I lived in denial of my situation thinking I was fine, even chubby. I was forced into treatment and I had to go through many physical exams. I had an EKG and related heart studies done to find out I had heart arrythmias and severe sinus bradycardia (totally invisible to me until the tests pointed it out). I have since read of and heard from women in person who had heart attacks because they lost heart muscle along with other muscle and body fat from being underweight (and not necessarily severely underweight either). I also had vitamin deficiencies due to lack of body fat which vitamins need to be absorbed properly. I had strange bruisues and non itching bumps that developed all over my torso. My bone density took a hit too and I have osteoporosis (but to be fair I had that before I became ill due to a hysterectomy/surgical menopause and years of being on thyroid meds for hypothyroidism; it just became worse according to my dexa scans). Lack of body fat means lack of periods and/or sex hormones which are needed for proper bone turnover (bone density involves so much more than just calcium and vitamin D). Also, when you are more underweight than your body is happy with, it stresses your immune system. You may not get sick that much (I rarely got sick when I was a very low weight) but it's like playing russian roulette because when you DO get sick your body has less reserves to cope.

I'm not saying being a few lbs or kg or whatever underweight or overweight is unhealthy or anything as bmi charts don't tell the whole story etc. Just that being underweight in the same sense of being overweight is just as risky and unhealthy in general if taken too far.

[hangle]

i became a vegan for health reasons. it was not my intentions to lose weight, however, i lost 35 pounds.
my current waist size is the same as that when i graduated from high school. I was never muscular
and have lost a good percentage of muscle due to age (76 years old). my wife complains
about my appearance saying that i am too thin. friends commented on my weight lost, asking
whether i was sick or not. in a way i found it strange that my wife and friends would inquire about
my appearance. i never comment on the fact they were all overweight. most would probably
be offended. i am happy and proud to be singled out as being thin.

[Ontheverge]

Yep, I get comments all the time and I'm not even as thin as I'd like to be (or used to be when I was younger). I'd consider myself a normal weight and yet when I'm in class at university, most often I'm the thinnest one in class. And it's not because I'm "sooo skinny", it's because most of the other girls are overweight! When I'm with my vegan friends, I'm one of the 'heavier' ones but in general population, I'm considered skinny.

I was out visiting my grandma and she commented on how much weight I lost and warned me not to lose much more or I'd lose my 'girlish figure'. When I'm out with my boyfriend's friends, the girls tend to comment on how I only eat salads and make comments about me already being too skinny, etc. I'd love to eat something else besides salad but when we're at a rib joint, it's the only thing I can eat!!

Funny enough, it's never thin people who comment on my weight, only the heavy ones. I think there is such a thing as 'too skinny' but I'm definitely not there, despite what the general population may think!

[Muvesz]

i became a vegan for health reasons. it was not my intentions to lose weight, however, i lost 35 pounds.
my current waist size is the same as that when i graduated from high school. I was never muscular
and have lost a good percentage of muscle due to age (76 years old). my wife complains
about my appearance saying that i am too thin. friends commented on my weight lost, asking
whether i was sick or not. in a way i found it strange that my wife and friends would inquire about
my appearance. i never comment on the fact they were all overweight. most would probably
be offended. i am happy and proud to be singled out as being thin.

Good for you!
I think it's really important to focus more on your health as you get older. I see so many people just stop caring after a while.

Yep, I get comments all the time and I'm not even as thin as I'd like to be (or used to be when I was younger). I'd consider myself a normal weight and yet when I'm in class at university, most often I'm the thinnest one in class. And it's not because I'm "sooo skinny", it's because most of the other girls are overweight! When I'm with my vegan friends, I'm one of the 'heavier' ones but in general population, I'm considered skinny.

I was out visiting my grandma and she commented on how much weight I lost and warned me not to lose much more or I'd lose my 'girlish figure'. When I'm out with my boyfriend's friends, the girls tend to comment on how I only eat salads and make comments about me already being too skinny, etc. I'd love to eat something else besides salad but when we're at a rib joint, it's the only thing I can eat!!

Funny enough, it's never thin people who comment on my weight, only the heavy ones. I think there is such a thing as 'too skinny' but I'm definitely not there, despite what the general population may think!

I've noticed that too.
It always makes me want to reply with 'I don't tell you to eat less because you're overweight, why would you tell me to eat more?', but I am very into being body positive for all body types, and I would never want to make someone feel negative about their body.

[MagicMegyn]

Mostly, I don't care, but a lot of the time it's family, and it just gets so frustrating.

I owuldnt worry about what other people think of your weight, and also family are a nightmare like that, my nan says im too skinny and I need to put meat on my bones, and im borderline fat!!! AHAHAHAHA, family worry far to much!!!

Be happy that you are healthy and skinny!! :-D

[TarekF]

It is possible that you are eating less calories since going vegan, it tends to happen since meat is more calorie dense than some stuff in the vegan diet. 25 pounds may be a bit rapid too, so make sure you do have a steady weight and are eating enough, losing weight too fast could be a sign of a big calorie deficit. I have seen vegans go back to eating meat cause they only eat veggies and a bit of rice or something and start to lose weight fast and begin to see other problems like low energy, fainting and headaches. It mostly is just that they don't realize how many fewer calories they have been eating so didn't add anything into their diet that is high energy like nuts, oils, seeds, etc.

I think it is possible they are just concerned whether its right or wrong (sometimes rapid weight loss can be a symptom of health issues) and the silver lining is that at least that they care enough about you to voice their concerns whether warranted or not (unless its just an excuse to tirade against veganism).

[Muvesz]

I feel completely healthy. I have a physically taxing job that requires I am in very good condition. I know that I am not unhealthy, but I did lose 25 pounds pretty rapidly. It doesn't bother me, but I feel like others are concerned or offended by it.

^^
Thanks, but I know my body.
I'm also extremely aware of what I put into it, eat every two hours (almost like clockwork), and make sure at least two of my meals have a high fat content.

Also, I hadn't eaten meat in about 7 years before going vegan.

[TarekF]

I definitely didn't mean any offense and as long as you stay healthy and happy (and vegan), im happy

I was just offering an experience ive had with a few people that related to the topic of this thread, for every person that focuses on their health like you do there is someone who does not do it well which often can lead to health problems. And i think it is good to represent both sides of the issue. For some its not indicative of bad health to lose a lot of weight, but for others it can mean they are headed for a health problem.

Also i didn't mean to come across being anti any body type