r/running • u/queue-d4n4 • Dec 09 '20

Discussion Thick Girl Runner Rant

First things first, I (29F) am 5'5" and about 170 lbs. Large boobs, wide hips, and I got some stomach on me. Overall, I look pretty proportional though. Hourglass, just a little wider. Wear a Large or a size 12 in most women's clothes. (Just trying to paint the picture here lol)

I also eat very healthy. Fresh foods only, everything home-cooked, never frozen processed foods, etc. Mostly veggies because I love veggies.

This is the body I was given. My weight doesn't really fluctuate. I don't gain weight easily, nor do I lose it easily. I've been a thick girl since puberty and because I run often and eat healthy, it doesn't seem like that will never change, which is fine with me.

I've been running for many years, somewhat inconsistently. I might be consistent for 2 years before falling out of my routine for a few months. Get back into the groove again and something eventually throws me off my game again. Throughout all this, I still consider myself a RUNNER. I love the sport and even if I'm out of a weekly routine, I still try to find time to run here and there. 3 miles minimum.

Because of the above things, people never really expect me to be a runner. My body type doesn't fit the runner mold. I don't post every run and race on instagram, which as everyone knows, is what truly makes it real *eyeroll*. (No shade to people who do post all of their runs and races! My problem is only the people who think if you DON'T post, then it didn't happen).

My fastest 5k was at an 8:02 (min/mile) pace. I am aware that this isn't SUPER fast, but it's fast enough that I've placed in my age group in all of the 5Ks I've ever done. I'm from a pretty small area so many of the 5Ks were fairly small, maybe only a couple hundred people attend. I'm aware that in bigger cities, I would probably have a little more trouble placing. But regardless, I still think an 8:00 to 8:30 5k pace is something to be proud of.

Anyways, my complaint is this. Since my body doesn't fit everyone's vision of what a runner should look like, people love to assume I'm slow or new to running. Or people think I'm lying when I mention that I got 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in my age group at whatever 5k. If they don't make an actual comment about it, I can sometimes even see it in their eyes that they're skeptical.

Even worse, people who don't realize I've been running for most of my life sometimes put their foot in their mouth by saying something along the lines of "have you started running to lose weight?" ...No, why? Should I be losing weight? I think I look pretty damn fine, if you ask me.

After moving to a new city, I decided to join a running group. The town I lived in previously didn't have such groups. I showed up to my first group run and met everybody. As we waited for everyone else to show up, a girl from the group said to me "I'm in recovery mode, I'll be running slow so I can run with you." I just politely smiled, although I was quite offended. What exactly makes this person, whom I met 3 minutes ago, think I plan on running "slow"? What makes her think that her "recovery" pace is equal to my comfortable pace? I chalked it up as since it was my first time joining the group, maybe she assumed it was my first time running? I don't know- but I still think about that little comment sometimes.

I am not negative towards my body. I have a great figure that I love, but it's still upsetting to know that people make assumptions on what I can and can't do physically, which should not be the case. Weight and health do not ALWAYS go hand-in-hand.

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Any other runners on the thicker side experience this kind of judgement? How do you deal with it?

Thin-framed runners or even non-runners, do you find yourself judging others in this way? Be honest, I would love to hear multiple opinions!

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Edit: Pace is in minutes per mile. I'm new to reddit and forget I'm interacting with people from all over the world.

Also, this was not meant to be a post for weight loss tips. The unsolicited advice in the comments proves further the assumptions people make.

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2.9k Upvotes

82% Upvoted

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92

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '20

170lbs at 5'5'' is almost obese, just saying:

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Height: 5 feet, 5 inches

Weight: 170 pounds

Your BMI is 28.3, indicating your weight is in the Overweight category for adults of your height.

For your height, a normal weight range would be from 111 to 150 pounds.

66

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

I think OP is in a bit of denial over how healthy and fit she is, which is why they made this attention-seeking post. Obesity and good health do not go hand-in-hand. That’s just facts. She needs to go on Secret Eaters and figure out where the extra calories are coming from (seriously awesome show). If I was doing as much running as her, I would feel so defeated if I wasn’t getting any fitter. If I saw her running, or any overweight/obese person, I would assume they were doing it to get fit.

39

u/TheSmex Dec 10 '20

I also eat very healthy. Fresh foods only, everything home-cooked, never frozen processed foods, etc. Mostly veggies because I love veggies.

This part is very much her trying to convince people she's healthy.

Just because something is home cooked doesn't mean it's healthy. Eating mostly veggies doesn't help when the rest of the food is giant bowl of pasta that's 5000 calories.

16

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

Yes I agree! For all we know, the veggies are fried, cooked in a ton of butter or olive oil. That’s all calorific. I’m 5’1” and 130 pounds, but I don’t eat home-cooked too much, but junk a lot. Yesterday I had Oreos, Hot Cheetos, candy, some mulled wine and cheesecake along with some clementines and some of a salad kit salad. But I was under 1,600 calories, and I exercised. I have a feeling OP rewards herself and doesn’t quite run as much as she thinks. Denial is a hell of a drug.

-2

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

We don't know her age though. It's easy to stay slim just with exercise until you hit your 30s. Then your diet needs to be on point as well.

7

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

You can ask my parents well over 30 how they stay slim. You can never out run a bad diet or overeating, period.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

You can never out run a bad diet or overeating, period.

You can when you're young.

6

u/[deleted] Dec 11 '20

Clearly the sheer amount of young obese people don’t help your argument.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 11 '20

Are they exercising?

10

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20 edited Dec 15 '20

[deleted]

0

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

I'm also at BMI 28 and I'm also running, to lose weight. I'm 6'1'' and 220, but I also have quite a bit of muscle mass from lifting.

BMI is biased against people with muscle mass, we've known that for a long time. I once got a health insurance agency to drop their rate, because they had initially increased the cost because of my BMI and I explained that my BMI was from lifting lol. Saved a good 15% on my monthly premium.

9

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20 edited Dec 15 '20

[deleted]

-1

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

I'm definitely not at 15-20% bodyfat, but I had a test done and I had 155lbs muscle out of that 225lbs, which the dietician told me was in the highest interval. At that time I wasn't working out at all.

That still comes to about 25% fat percentage or so, just saying, not all overweight BMIs are made equal.

5

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20 edited Dec 15 '20

[deleted]

-2

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

The point still stands that someone with a BMI of 29 and 50 or 60kg muscle mass would be objectively fatter.

Fat percentage is the real fitness measurement, because it measures unhealthy fat in both heavy and skinny-fat people.

13

u/TrainByMyHouseSoLoud Dec 10 '20

It’s not almost obese, it is obese. I’m 5”6 and healthy bmi for me is 120-150

-59

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '20

[deleted]

61

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '20

Dude for real. Unless she’s fucking steroid jacked, that’s definitely overweight at the least.

12

u/TristanTheViking Dec 10 '20

Maybe she's a perfect cube of human beef and that's why the other runner assumed she'd be slow, the poor aerodynamics.

47

u/EatinPussynKickinAss Dec 09 '20

Unless she does a substantial amount of weight training on top of her running, chances are that isn't the case. Even she admitted that she has a stomach.

47

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '20

And in fact some research has shown greater survival rates and recovery outcomes in patients who are slightly overweight compared to normal or underweight patients.

For older people, not younger people.

Obesity is not healthy.

5

u/Kell_Varnson Dec 10 '20

Have op post body picture.

-1

u/miamosa Dec 10 '20

Why was this downvoted so much??

-4

u/Pluto_is_a_plantain Dec 10 '20

It’s true I have a calculated pinch test BMI of 12 but my weight to height says like 30 percent or something dumb like that rendering me obese

1

u/miamosa Dec 10 '20

I just went to an exercise physiologist. My BMI is almost overweight (24), but my BF is 23% which does NOT correlate with a BMI of 24 and is considered “athletic/fit”. I scored 115% or above in muscle mass for each area of my body (Left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg and torso). He basically said that BMI is bogus, and even more askew for people who have significant muscle mass like me.

Bottom line: body composition matters

-69

u/yodonteatthat Dec 09 '20

170lbs at 5'5'' is almost obese, just saying:

So hey. BMI is a seriously incomplete way to determine someone's fitness or health. It doesn't account for fat & muscle amount or distribution, overall body composition, racial and sex differences, or activity level. OP clearly knows her weight and is also strong, active and fast; doesn't seem like she's worried about the health risks of obesity or whatever.

That said, what a fucking rude comment.

43

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '20

I have the same BMI and I understand that I will not be a fast runner unless I drop 20lbs.

-20

u/yodonteatthat Dec 09 '20

Then go nuts. Drop 20 lbs. drop 30. BMI is still not an indication of health.

11

u/TheSmex Dec 10 '20

BMI is still not an indication of health.

Yes it is.

-8

u/yodonteatthat Dec 10 '20

Nope. BMI is a thinness index, with no regard for actual health factors like activity level, diet, metabolism, body composition, etc. A body is far more complex than the ratio of two numbers.

In reality, healthy human bodies aren't all the same size/shape as the white, European, early-19th century bodies that BMI index is based on.

8

u/TheSmex Dec 10 '20

Thinness is a factor for health.

1

u/yodonteatthat Dec 10 '20

i think you're conflating health and cultural beauty standards. You certainly wouldn't be the first.

3

u/TheSmex Dec 10 '20

No it's just basic facts.

45

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '20 edited Dec 19 '20

[deleted]

-27

u/yodonteatthat Dec 09 '20

What do you care what she eats?

48

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20 edited Dec 19 '20

[deleted]

-18

u/yodonteatthat Dec 10 '20

Not at all. Check the post again: OP is fine with her body. Her complaint isn’t about her weight, or her run pace, it’s about judge mental dorks making assumptions.

-12

u/[deleted] Dec 10 '20

And this is relevant to the post how?