Yes! I have your attention and i promise to make it worthwhile - take a deep breath and relax while i try my best to keep this post simple.

I see a lot of hate online, people condemning body fat like they are all dry bones and muscle. Truth is, not everybody will be lean no matter how much they exercise.


Is It Possible To Be Fat And Still Be Healthy?!

Well, yes! There is an amount of fat that a woman can pack on and still remain healthy. It is quite different from being obese or morbidly obese.


Does My Body Fat Really Matter?!

How your body looks should not determine how much you value yourself, fat, skinny or obese.

In a health context though, your body fat matters because too much of it can encourage diseases and so little can prove fatal.


DISCLAIMER:

I am a sucker for body positivity and will never shame anyone based on how they look. This post was intended to reveal the thin difference between a woman that isn't lean but healthy and a woman that is too fat that it becomes unhealthy.

You don't have to be lean or curvy to be healthy, we all have different bodies. Do endeavour to always keep yours in check anyway.


That being said, let's get right at it.


Continued in the comments

WHAT KIND OF BODY FAT IS HEALTHY FOR ME?!

If you're a woman, the standard range is 21-33% body fat.

How Can I Know My Body Fat Percent Then?!

Many methods of checking this is unreliable. Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most common, it uses your weight and height to make an estimate of whether you're lean, chubby, or very overweight.

Often it may be wrong.

I will be sharing some pictures to give an idea of healthy and unhealthy body fat on women that are not even lean.

1. Not Lean, But Her Body Fat Is In A Very Healthy Range!

2. Obese, With A Concerning Amount Of Fat Around Her Waistline.

Does this mean she should feel bad about her body?! She doesn't have to.

She just needs to lose some weight, and it starts with acceptance and love for herself.

nwaezeemmanuel:
2. Obese, with a concerning amount of fat around her waistline.

3. Still Within Healthy Range And She's Not Lean.

4. Not Within Healthy Range

In the case of obesity, what is a common marker is the excess body fat around the waist.

That alone has negative health risks.

nwaezeemmanuel:
4. Not Within Healthy Range

5. Again, Very Healthy Body Fat Range

She's on the chubby side and quite plump but there's nothing on the extreme here.

nwaezeemmanuel:
5. Again, Very Healthy Body Fat Range

Tell them to lose weight and they'll claim you're body-shaming them.

When Should I Be Concerned About My Body Fat As A Woman?!

This can be a long list. You would want to keep your body fat in check if:

- It Compromises Your Movement Or Severely Affects Your Daily Activities.

- You Have An Extreme Amount Of Fat Around Your Waistline.

- You May Be Having Prior Heart Diseases, Diabetes Or Hypertension.

The thing is people can get very sensitive.

If i want to advise anyone in this category, i will by default want to find out if they love themselves regardless.

A positive frame of mind is needed if anyone needs to lose weight and feel good about the whole journey.

thesicilian:
Tell them to lose weight and they'll claim you're body-shaming them.

Also, some people don't know what obesity looks like and want everyone to look lean.

If a person has to lose weight, the focus should be on health and not their shape. This is why some people may get triggered.

thesicilian:
Tell them to lose weight and they'll claim you're body-shaming them.

The list is longer than this.

nwaezeemmanuel:
When Should I Be Concerned About My Body Fat As A Woman?!

This can be a long list. You would want to keep your body fat in check if:

- It Compromises Your Movement Or Severely Affects Your Daily Activities.

- You Have An Extreme Amount Of Fat Around Your Waistline.

- You May Be Having Prior Heart Diseases, Diabetes Or Hypertension.

4. Not Within Healthy Range

nwaezeemmanuel:
1. Not Lean, But Her Body Fat Is In A Very Healthy Range!

She's even pretty

Extremely

Sawzer:



She's even pretty

I love the way you speak on this very sensitive topic of weight.
I'm underweight and it shames me sometimes.

Thanks, what makes you think you're underweight though?

Chii59:
I love the way you speak on this very sensitive topic of weight.
I'm underweight and it shames me sometimes.

nwaezeemmanuel:
Thanks, what makes you think you're underweight though?

My BMI is a bit lower than the average range.

BMI isn't always accurate. Most times, a person's judgement can be better than BMI.

For instance, someone can be 5ft 6", weigh 190+ pounds and be healthy - especially if they are pure muscle and less fat.

But BMI will just assume them to be obese from height and weight alone.

Chii59:

My BMI is a bit lower than the average range.

nwaezeemmanuel:
BMI isn't always accurate. Most times, a person's judgement can be better than BMI.

For instance, someone can be 5ft 6", weigh 190+ pounds and be healthy - especially if they are pure muscle and less fat.

But BMI will just assume them to be obese from height and weight alone.

Well I'm 6"1 and weigh about 60kg roughly.

Alright, i am not an expert but this readings are not terrible.

I will only have slight concerns because you're quite taller than i am and i still weigh more (trust me I'm not that big).

Check this picture, it explains height and weight differences well.

All women weigh about 68kg but still look way different.

Chii59:

Well I'm 6"1 and weigh about 60kg roughly.

If you feel alive and not fatigued easily, then you have nothing to worry about - you're probably just leaner than most women.

If you feel like you may have to put on more, it's also fine.

nwaezeemmanuel:
Alright, i am not an expert but this readings are not terrible.

I will only have slight concerns because you're quite taller than i am and i still weigh more (trust me I'm not that big).

Check this picture, it explains height and weight differences well.

All women weigh about 68kg but still look way different.

nwaezeemmanuel:
Alright, i am not an expert but this readings are not terrible.

I will only have slight concerns because you're quite taller than i am and i still weigh more (trust me I'm not that big).

Check this picture, it explains height and weight differences well.

All women weigh about 68kg but still look way different.

Wow. Well I'll blame bone mass for my weight. Them say when I born pikin, I go fat. Till then.

nwaezeemmanuel:
If you feel alive and not fatigued easily, then you have nothing to worry about - you're probably just leaner than most women.

If you feel like you may have to put on more, it's also fine.

How can I add weight, especially in the right places?

Thing is, our body is wired to add evenly. So it's not like you will have all of your weight gain in all those places alone.

A fitness coach i follow will advise to just increase your food intake steadily and just keep exercising to burn a decent amount of it.

Force feeding isn't healthy. And to be fair, everyone has a weight limit. You can't be as big as just anybody if your genetics don't support it.

Chii59:

How can I add weight, especially in the right places?

It won't happen like magic. And if you eat junk food to make adding easier, you may just end up gaining too much fat

I have been there at a point.

nwaezeemmanuel:
Thing is, our body is wired to add evenly. So it's not like you will have all of your weight gain in all those places alone.

A fitness coach i follow will advise to just increase your food intake steadily and just keep exercising to burn a decent amount of it.

Force feeding isn't healthy. And to be fair, everyone has a weight limit. You can't be as big as just anybody if your genetics don't support it.

nwaezeemmanuel:
Thing is, our body is wired to add evenly. So it's not like you will have all of your weight gain in all those places alone.

A fitness coach i follow will advise to just increase your food intake steadily and just keep exercising to burn a decent amount of it.

Force feeding isn't healthy. And to be fair, everyone has a weight limit. You can't be as big as just anybody if your genetics don't support it.

I used to do exercise to shrink my tummy. Wanted a smaller waist. It did shrink my tummy, as well as my breasts, my hips and butt. So I stopped.

Oh no, you shouldn't be shrinking.

You can add weight steadily and it will not affect your tummy. That's if you eat more healthy food at a steady pace (unlike junk that many take to bulk) and exercise moderately.

With your readings, i think you would be lean enough already.

Chii59:

I used to do exercise to shrink my tummy. Wanted a smaller waist. It did shrink my tummy, as well as my breasts, my hips and butt. So I stopped.

nwaezeemmanuel:
Oh no, you shouldn't be shrinking.

You can add weight steadily and it will not affect your tummy. That's if you eat more healthy food at a steady pace (unlike junk that many take to bulk) and exercise.

With your readings, i think you would be lean enough already.

I have a very irregular feeding pattern. Some days I want to eat till I can't stand up. Hehe . Other days, I can't stand the smell of food.
I love junks and sometimes my desire for non-food items (pica) kicks in strongly.