I'm 54 and my body fat percentage is around 10%, I don't think i'm too skinny. But my wife keeps saying that its not healthy to have that low of body fat at my age. What do you guys think?
Farrl
Fat is the new thin.
We live in a society of fat pigs and they have become the norm.
You're fine, carry on. You're wife has a tainted view of society.
We live in a society of fat pigs and they have become the norm.
You're fine, carry on. You're wife has a tainted view of society.
I agree with the above...society has just become acclimated to overweight and doesn't really know what healthy is or what normal SHOULD look like.
Healthy has a range. Too low body fat or too high is bad. Too skinny can be a sign your body too hard and not getting proper nutritional intake.
And too much, well that's self explainatory.
It's already been proven the BMI and such is BS. You can be skinny and though be in great shape yet keel over. And you can be "obese" by standards and live to be 100.
Don't worry about weight for fat percentage. Make sure your not straining your heart, getting proper nutrition and as we age, have the maintenance checks done to catch problems early (just like taking care of your bike).
If your doctor does the checks and tests, says your in perfect health, don't worry about it and enjoy the body many have trouble keeping over the years. Just don't push too hard, lost some highly regarded members of the cycling community, hate to see another one go at too young of an age.
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And too much, well that's self explainatory.
It's already been proven the BMI and such is BS. You can be skinny and though be in great shape yet keel over. And you can be "obese" by standards and live to be 100.
Don't worry about weight for fat percentage. Make sure your not straining your heart, getting proper nutrition and as we age, have the maintenance checks done to catch problems early (just like taking care of your bike).
If your doctor does the checks and tests, says your in perfect health, don't worry about it and enjoy the body many have trouble keeping over the years. Just don't push too hard, lost some highly regarded members of the cycling community, hate to see another one go at too young of an age.
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. eat well and get fast, bike racers are thin, does she come to bike races with you? How tall are you?, what do you weigh?
LOL! Speaking the truth!
Currently I am at 215 and my low two years ago was 183 (I am 6'2") People freaked when I told them I wanted to get to 175. So much easier to pedal your bike without the weight.
When it comes to health, listen to your doctor.
When it comes to looks, do whatever you feel like.
I've never understood this double standard when it comes to criticizing peoples' bodies. It's cool to accuse people of being too skinny but if you tell someone they're fat, then you're a bad person and they have to drown their sorrows in ice cream.
When it comes to looks, do whatever you feel like.
I've never understood this double standard when it comes to criticizing peoples' bodies. It's cool to accuse people of being too skinny but if you tell someone they're fat, then you're a bad person and they have to drown their sorrows in ice cream.
If you're newly lean she may just not be used to your new look. When I leaned down for road racing my wife would comment when I reached new levels ("I can see your ribs... on your back"). When I got to the same weight as her, she was miffed and started dieting (she's not fat, I'm thin). I'm 6' and 55 years old, race weight has varied from 138 to 142 lbs over the years.
Being too lean for a long time is somewhat unhealthy, but at 10% BF you are no where near that level. If you do go too far you'll just get slower and get sick easily.
Healthy lean bike racers do look a lot different from normal people.
Being too lean for a long time is somewhat unhealthy, but at 10% BF you are no where near that level. If you do go too far you'll just get slower and get sick easily.
Healthy lean bike racers do look a lot different from normal people.
All this talk doesn't override the cold hard fact that being married and the cliché "happy wife = happy life" means more than body fat, World Cup comparisons, etc. If your spouse wants to nag or think you're unhealthy then it doesn't matter ... never mind.
In my area we have many top 10 national pros. One is "normal" looking aka not skin and bones. He's a 6 time age group champion. When I take friends to races they always comment "wow, that racer is so skinny, is that healthy, how can they ride for 6 hours?" Maybe your wife's opinion and perspective is like my friends'.
I'm not paying the bills with racing so I choose not to lose that extra 10 pounds. My dating life would absolutely go to shitz if I was any thinner. Funny but it's true. I have proof not in the way of power meters or KOMs but headboard marks on the wall.
In my area we have many top 10 national pros. One is "normal" looking aka not skin and bones. He's a 6 time age group champion. When I take friends to races they always comment "wow, that racer is so skinny, is that healthy, how can they ride for 6 hours?" Maybe your wife's opinion and perspective is like my friends'.
I'm not paying the bills with racing so I choose not to lose that extra 10 pounds. My dating life would absolutely go to shitz if I was any thinner. Funny but it's true. I have proof not in the way of power meters or KOMs but headboard marks on the wall.
Wife may be suffering from a little bit of guilt? Misery loves company you know.
You guys are starting to make me feel self conscious, I'm 6'3 @ 160# and don't feel all that skinny.
You guys are starting to make me feel self conscious, I'm 6'3 @ 160# and don't feel all that skinny.
If you can figure out how to do it, I will gladly donate 5-10lbs of useless muscle to any of those whose wives feel they are too skinny.
Famous quote from Dan Empfield, over at Slowtwitch:
the trick is to keep losing weight until your friends and family ask you if you've been sick. then you know you're within 10 pounds. if they start whispering to each other, wondering if you've got cancer or aids, you're within 5. when they actually do an intervention, you're at race weight.
the trick is to keep losing weight until your friends and family ask you if you've been sick. then you know you're within 10 pounds. if they start whispering to each other, wondering if you've got cancer or aids, you're within 5. when they actually do an intervention, you're at race weight.
Its funny when your wife is eating a Big Mac for takeout - with little ones you end up going to McDonald's more often than you would think - and all you're eating is a small bowl of Greek yogurt with a tiny sprinkle of granola.
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My youngest brother is my height but around 220lbs. His BF% is very low (maybe down around 10%). He's lean muscle from decades of weight training. My family says he looks sick.
Last time I saw my family they commented "OMG he looks just like Phillip...he looks sick!" and not in a positive way either. I'm 5' 11" and 177lbs. I can tell ya I have too much fat in the form of a spare tire around my mid section. I calculate around a 22% BF and a BMI that indicates I'm a couple pounds from being overweight. While I'm just getting back to weight training from this year's MTB crash bone repairs, my physique is more "solid" (I have some definition and getting at least my 4-pack back) than the vast majority in my mid-50s age group with a BF% that is dropping while my weight slowly increases.
Here's the thing, my family is a bunch of fat asses and anyone with fewer than 2 chins is considered underweight and sick. Being as lean of physical condition (muscle-wise) as my youngest brother is not exactly what I'm striving for and neither is "who gives a **** fat".
The last checkup the doc documented that I have the vascular system of a 40 yo (doppler checked) and my resting heart rate before surgery was 43bpm, (scared the crap outta me that my heart would slow down more and stop while under anesthesia!). We all have our views on it but I don't believe one could go wrong with "I don't want to be so skinny with cardio to run/ride forever but I also don't want to be so strong that I don't have any cardio to ride/run at all.". And there in lies the rub...
Last time I saw my family they commented "OMG he looks just like Phillip...he looks sick!" and not in a positive way either. I'm 5' 11" and 177lbs. I can tell ya I have too much fat in the form of a spare tire around my mid section. I calculate around a 22% BF and a BMI that indicates I'm a couple pounds from being overweight. While I'm just getting back to weight training from this year's MTB crash bone repairs, my physique is more "solid" (I have some definition and getting at least my 4-pack back) than the vast majority in my mid-50s age group with a BF% that is dropping while my weight slowly increases.
Here's the thing, my family is a bunch of fat asses and anyone with fewer than 2 chins is considered underweight and sick. Being as lean of physical condition (muscle-wise) as my youngest brother is not exactly what I'm striving for and neither is "who gives a **** fat".
The last checkup the doc documented that I have the vascular system of a 40 yo (doppler checked) and my resting heart rate before surgery was 43bpm, (scared the crap outta me that my heart would slow down more and stop while under anesthesia!). We all have our views on it but I don't believe one could go wrong with "I don't want to be so skinny with cardio to run/ride forever but I also don't want to be so strong that I don't have any cardio to ride/run at all.". And there in lies the rub...
I think it depends where you live too. I live on the Wasatch front in Utah and is one of the fitter areas in the nation. I'm 5'10" and usually between 155-160 with well defined small muscles and I get told all the time that I look "fit". I lift weights all year round 1-3 times a week per the weather/pollution.
But my wife thinks I'm too skinny and hates when people call me fit, hahahaha.
When I go back to Texas or Florida to visit family/friends they tell me that I look emaciated.
My wife's family from Texas came to visit one summer and they're pretty overweight. We had the AC on full blast and the house wouldn't cool down and they all complained that they were too hot (too much natural insulation). Then my brother-in-law had the idea to stain our two small balconies and deck. Wow, I couldn't believe how broken they all were after we were done. Carrying that extra hundred pounds while bending over and such takes huge energy. I went out and rode my bike 3 hours after that staining project no problem.
But my wife thinks I'm too skinny and hates when people call me fit, hahahaha.
When I go back to Texas or Florida to visit family/friends they tell me that I look emaciated.
My wife's family from Texas came to visit one summer and they're pretty overweight. We had the AC on full blast and the house wouldn't cool down and they all complained that they were too hot (too much natural insulation). Then my brother-in-law had the idea to stain our two small balconies and deck. Wow, I couldn't believe how broken they all were after we were done. Carrying that extra hundred pounds while bending over and such takes huge energy. I went out and rode my bike 3 hours after that staining project no problem.
6'4 and 190lbs. I don't get it all the time but people have asked me from time to time:
Don't you get tired of salads all the time?
You need to eat more.
Why are you so skinny?
How are you so skinny?
How do you eat so much and not get fat?
Don't you get tired of salads all the time?
You need to eat more.
Why are you so skinny?
How are you so skinny?
How do you eat so much and not get fat?
What passes for normal these days is pretty disgusting. It's common in the US but getting to be more so around the globe. People wonder why our "outcomes" in our health care aren't as good as some other countries. It's not so much our health care system that's at fault as our people who take no responsibility for their health. "I can just eat/ingest/inhale anything I want to and somebody else will/should take care of me." Rant over. For now.
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