# Am I still fat?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 17, 2015, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057 "2015-01-17T08:20:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/21 "2015-01-17T17:44:49Z")
> [@Shakes](#):
>
> This is bull shit guys, these pics were lifted from another message board [here](http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=165634371). The pics are two years old.
That thread is not 2 years old. It’s from less than a month ago.
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### Author:  [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/22 "2015-01-17T17:54:10Z")
**IncognitoOne**. Not incognito at all.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/23 "2015-01-17T18:17:48Z")
You still have a nonzero amount of body fat. This, in itself, is not a bad thing, as it’s unhealthy to be completely without body fat. It’s also not a problem aesthetically, since some amount of fat is necessary for an attractive appearance, and breasts, for example, especially large ones, are composed largely of fat tissue.
The much better question is whether you’re fit. How long can you stand and/or walk comfortably? Are you winded when you go up stairs? Do you find yourself limited in your activities by tiring quickly? Excessive fat will generally decrease fitness, but it’s still possible to carry more fat than the standards say is ideal while still being fit, or to be skinny and unfit.
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### Author:  [@Knucklefunger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knucklefunger)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/24 "2015-01-17T18:32:17Z")
Assuming the images are legit and so is the concern. I have to ask:
IncognitoOne. Are YOU happy with yourself? You don’t need the validation of a bunch of strangers. But for what it’s worth, before and after images are just fine. I have friends who have what they consider a few extra lbs and they wear it well. So there.
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### Author:  [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/25 "2015-01-17T18:43:19Z")
Not fat. That is not the word I would use to describe that body. If your face is pretty and your insecurities aren’t an overwhelming part of your personality, I’m sure I would consider you quite beautiful. I question tying your self esteem to what other people think about your body though. If you feel healthy, strong and capable, you’re golden no matter what size you are. If not, you need to fix it regardless of what other people think of your torso.
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### Author:  [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/26 "2015-01-17T21:48:14Z")
Second picture - no fat there. First one? I’ve seen enough before/after to be leery. Slightly different clothes and lighting can make a lot of difference. Final call - if you feel proud, BE PROUD. And don’t put too much strength in what a lot of faceless folks like us have to say.
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### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/27 "2015-01-17T22:05:06Z")
> [@Shakes](#):
>
> This is bull shit guys, these pics were lifted from another message board [here](http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=165634371). The pics are two years old.
Man. Those douchebags are brutal.
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### Author:  [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/28 "2015-01-17T22:42:29Z")
Congrats on your incredible progress, but yes, you have about 15 to 20 more lbs to lose and some serious toning up to do.
BTW, you are quite pretty.
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/29 "2015-01-17T23:31:48Z")
Seriously you are going around to various online message boards to get random strangers to tell you from a few pictures whether or not you have lost enough weight to meet whatever their arbitrary image of ideal is?
Seriously?
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### Author:  [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/30 "2015-01-17T23:44:43Z")
I wonder if we will ever see “Incognito” (heh) again? I’m guessing not. Even though we were, as a group, much gentler than that other board.
Not fat at all, but also far from toned or fit-looking. (It’s a distinction I make.) I’d personally feel fat at that shape but I’m hard on myself that way. I also think that soliciting opinions from strangers is really unhealthy and an indication of extreme attention seeking or insecurity (or, I suppose, both.)
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2015, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/31 "2015-01-18T00:18:52Z")
> [@DSeid](#):
>
> Seriously you are going around to various online message boards to get random strangers to tell you from a few pictures whether or not you have lost enough weight to meet whatever their arbitrary image of ideal is?
>
> Seriously?
She seems pretty active on the other board linked. So it might not be a matter of “going around to various message boards” so much as wanting a non-muscleman board’s opinion.
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### Author:  [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2015, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/32 "2015-01-18T12:14:28Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#):
>
> **DISCLAIMER:** For the purpose of this exercise I will assume that we aren’t being trolled, that the OP is actually the woman in the photographs, and that she is genuinely interested in brutal honesty about her appearance.
I agree this is doubtful, but I’m working from that,too. Or we can argue for the benefit of people with similar concerns who might be reading.
Like the others, I wouldn’t consider her fat. I think she looks fine.
> [@](#):
>
> That said, in the first photo, she does appear to still have some belly fat and would probably be considered slightly overweight on the BMI or body-fat percentage scale. So if that’s that’s the goal, or the OP is trying for an “athletic” figure, I’d say **Lucretia** is not incorrect.
I sincerely doubt she is overweight on a BMI scale. BMI leaves quite a lot more leeway than people assume - you can totally have some flab and be well in the middle to upper range of BMI. What she is, is “too fat for fashion”, i.e. to fat to fit the standard beauty ideal. But it’s **Lucretia** who decided the goal was a fashionable athletic figure. The OP stated no such thing.
> [@](#):
>
> I agree, although if she were already fully comfortable I don’t think she’d have started this thread.
And I agree with what you say about her being comfortable. But people arguing, no, you’re still not good enough is not exactly helping, is it? Her life-style and genes might not at all be amenable to achieving this so called “ideal body” and she will spend ages dieting and struggling for what? Is she unattractive as she is? Various respondents in the tread say otherwise.
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### Author:  [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/33 "2015-01-18T14:12:49Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#):
>
> **DISCLAIMER:** For the purpose of this exercise I will assume that we aren’t being trolled…
Heh.
> [@Shakes](#):
>
> This is bull shit guys, these pics were lifted from another message board [here](http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=165634371).
So now that you’ve stated the obvious, and with proof, my initial thought was “It took you **three years** to lose like 10 lbs of belly fat? What a lazy ass.”
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/34 "2015-01-18T17:07:42Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#):
>
> Heh.
>
> So now that you’ve stated the obvious, and with proof, my initial thought was “It took you **three years** to lose like 10 lbs of belly fat? What a lazy ass.”
Where are you getting 3 years from?
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### Author:  [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-still-fat/710057/35 "2015-01-18T17:18:02Z")
There are dates on two of the pictures.
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