Beergut on small frame, worrysome? - Weight Loss Message Board

barry_3 · 11-19-2003, 09:52 PM

Hello there. I'm a relatively small guy, and in the early years of my adult life i was only 145 pounds, but slowly since then have gained some weight although not so concerned about it. At worst I've been called a bit chubby, an assessment I more or less agree with. Currently the home scale reads 186 pounds, and over the span of about 20 years I've gone from a boyish 32" waist to a more mature 36" waist, which when looking around the age group still seems relatively thin.

There is however, the issue of the beergut. Seems most guys have em, and described in company as 'small', its nary a worry. However, when the occassional high-rise pant comes along I become a bit humbled and red in the face when nothing less than size 40 will do.

In short i am trying to decide whether my weight has become a problem. Common consensus from people around me is no, but i am not entirely sure about that. 186 pounds really doesn't seem all that heavy to me, but by the old standby 'pinch an inch' test and look in the mirror i get more like a handful. I certainly don't have a beach body anymore, but next to neighbor joe i'm still doing alright. How much weight gain is natural for aging i dont know...

Regards,
Barry

DonutsNCoffee · 11-20-2003, 08:29 AM

Barry,

I noticed that you keep comparing yourself to men around you to get an idea if you have a weight problem or not. If everyone around you was 300 pounds and had a 50 inch waist, and you were the one guy who was 250 and had a 42 inch waist, would you still think it's OK? I tend not to compare myself to other men cause I know that even though I'm thinner than them, that doesn't necessarily I don't have to worry about my weight. Like you, I have a small frame and a beer gut. It's a lot smaller than that of the average guy my age, but I don't let that influence my thinking. Even if other men had beer guts the size of a beach ball, I'd still say mine was too big. If you really want to figure out whether you have a weight problem, you need to determine your percent body fat. There are plenty of charts out there that tell what a man's percent body fat should be depending on his age. Also, the "pinch and inch" test is misleading cause it doesn't tell you about internal fat which is by far the more dangerous fat to have.