Are You Really Too Skinny…Or Do You Just Need New Clothes?

Is There a Too Skinny?

I know some of you out there might be thinking, “uhm…No! I mean unless your sickly looking, you can’t be too skinny.”

Well my friends, I for one, completely disagree.

I personally like a little cushion for the…well, you know the saying.

But seriously, be it men or women, being too skinny can be first and foremost a health risk and secondly, visually unappealing…I learned this the hard way.

After losing my initial 75 lbs. via P90X and LeanGains I spent the next few weeks feeling pretty proud of myself, knowing I felt better than I had ever felt in my life, and thinking I looked better too.

Well, it just so happened I started hearing quite the contrary. About two weeks after reaching my target weight of 170 lbs. I started hearing a lot of people tell me that I was looking too skinny…and by the tone of their voices I could tell they didn’t mean it as a compliment.

Now, just so we are clear, I come from a Cuban family that pretty much tells it how it is and will let you know what they think of you…your hair…your clothes…your shoes…your face…your kids…your weight…your…you get the picture. This being said, Cubans tend to think “just right” is too skinny. I mean we come from a culture that drinks condensed milk straight out the can…which is pure heaven if you ever decide to give it a go.

Don’t Look Emaciated and/or Don’t Lose The Rump

After hearing that I just looked too skinny from my mom and brothers for a few weeks I finally decided to do something about it when a dear friend of mine actually told me I looked emaciated – something I don’t think anyone should take as a compliment. That same night I went home and asked my wife what she thought.

“Well, you pretty much lost all your rump….”

That wasn’t the response I was hoping for.

So, I got on the scale just to make sure I was still at my target weight and, much to my surprise, it turned out I wasn’t. I had lost 8 more lbs. without even trying. As I have shared on this site before, during my first round of P90X2 + LeanGains + Running I was literally losing weight no matter how much I ate.

The danger was that I didn’t initially realize I was continuing to lose weight. It took me hearing it from others before I actually took a step back to see where I was instead of just relying on my mental self image.

I immediately switched my workout regiment. The very next day I stopped running completely to try and gain some weight back. Longer story shorter, I gained back about 6 lbs. of mass while maintaining the same body fat…

…AND….drum roll please….everyone still thought I looked too skinny.

“I Look Like A What?”

So, there I was, back at my target weight and still hearing people tell me I just looked too skinny. The final straw was the day my wife and little brother told me I looked like a runner.

Now, before we continue lets get one thing straight, I do not think healthy runners look too skinny. Yeah, my opinion of the “runners’ look” is that of a slim healthy looking person with very nice legs and toned, but slim, arms. This look is okay and looks good on a lot of people…but it’s just not the look I wanted or was going for…I mean I had been lifting weights for over 18 years and had always considered myself a bit more stocky than the standard “runner.”

“A runner?” I asked.

“Yeah, a runner,” they replied.

At which point I went straight to my phone and looked up marathon runners. I mean, again, no offense AT ALL to the runners out there but I was hoping to look a bit more muscular than a marathon runner.

So, after finding a few examples I turned to my wife and little brother and asked, “So you think I look like this guy?”

“Yeah,” they both replied.

This prompted me to immediately take off my shirt, which prompted one of my sister-in-laws to sigh, “Here we go again,” as my little brother started taking his shirt off too…which he does often for comparision.

So, I asked again, this time with my shirt off, “Do I really look like this guy,” as a handed the phone to my wife and little brother.

“Well, not with your shirt off,” they agreed.

AND SO IT HIT ME!

IT’S All ABOUT THE CLOTHES

I was still wearing my big-boy clothes.

“So what,” you may be asking?

Well, if you are a medium wearing an XL or L shirt then you are going to look a lot smaller than you actually are. And, when you’re a medium you’re really not that “big” anyways so any extra fabric makes you look that much smaller. That same weekend I took a trip to the store and bought some clothes that actually fit me. And, the next time my little brother saw me he said I actually looked like I had put on a few pounds…it was magic!

You see, most people don’t see you with your shirt off as often as you probably see yourself. So, your self image may not be what others are seeing…or what you actually look like…more on this important topic later, but for now lets stick to the point of this post.

GET IN WHERE YOU FIT IN…SERIOUSLY

It is important to note that, though you may spend hours, days, months, or even years of effort trying to make your body feel and look the way you want it too, just because you think you’re feeling and looking your best doesn’t necessarily mean others will see the same thing. This is especially true if you don’t update your wardrobe the same way you updated your body. Though you may feel like never before in your loose “big-boy” clothes, it doesn’t mean others will be able to see your hard work through your comfy “big-boy or girl” clothes. It took me a while to figure this out.

I mean, I felt better than ever and my clothes FINALLY felt loose! But the clothes were too loose!

So What’s The Moral Of This Story?

As comfy as your “big-boy” or “big-girl” clothes may feel once you’ve lost a bit of weight, be sure to treat yourself to some new form-fitting clothes which will help show others your hard work and might help stop the“your too skinny” comments.

I mean if you’re putting in the work to reform your body don’t let fabric get in the way of letting others see what you’ve actually accomplished….the King didn’t when he went around flaunting his new clothes.

Left – Medium Shirt, Right – XL shirt..too big.

Left – 39S Suit Jacket, Right – 42R Suit Jacket…notice the jacket’s shoulder and arms…too big making my head even look small.