For a guy, How skinny is too skinny?

I'm 18 and for my whole life I'm been skinny. The thing is, I'm 5"11 and weigh 126pounds. I have had people tell me I'm really skinny, but they don't seem to realise how much of a big issue this is for me simply because they don't understand that calling someone skinny is the same as calling someone fat. I know I'm skinny, I don't like being this way and even when I have gone on month long eating binges, I haven't gained a pound!
Is anyone else in the same boat?

Reply 1

Jelkin

17

I think a guy is only too skinny when it's unnatural, i.e. when he has an eating disorder of some kind. If you're meant to be that way then it probably suits you. I wouldn't worry too much - there are plenty of women who like skinny men. I used to be one of them, but then I met my current boyfriend and my interests expanded ...

Reply 2

la fille danse

17

I find skinniness unattractive on men, to be honest. I think men look best at an average or slightly above average weight.

Reply 3

yellow96

15

Men can never be too skinny. You sound juuuust right to me.

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

OP

Is there anything I can do? I don't particularly want to start bodybuilding because it is just not my thing, but I am going to uni in September and will most probably be taking up a sport like Tennis to maybe help me build up a bit. I can't do contact sports because of broken arm a few years ago, but I would've thought that intense exercise like this may help.

Reply 5

yellow96

15

If you're determined to gain substance, exercise seems your best bet. You don't want to end up all soft to the touch with a layer of flab, after all. Maybe do some weights?

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

OP

Thelfo

If you're determined to gain substance, exercise seems your best bet. You don't want to end up all soft to the touch with a layer of flab, after all. Maybe do some weights?

Well as I stated above doing weights isn't really what I'm after. I just see Sport as something that will work all of my body and in turn do a lot more for me Physically and mentally than weights can offer. I'm not aiming to look huge, I just want to be at an average ideal weight.

Reply 7

Wez

14

To be honest, guys' looks don't matter that much when it comes to getting girls, so it's not such a big issue. If you're really unhappy with your figure, go for weight training rather than binge eating.

Reply 8

Quinion

10

I'm in the same boat, with the added bonus of also being 5 foot 5 (ha) - put simply, I hate my body. My food intake is perfectly OK as far as I'm concerned and I always try to eat more not less, but it's just one of those things where I can't seem to put on weight - it's a far harder task than dropping weight as far as I can tell. But weight training is definitely a better bet than the binge-eating.

Reply 9

la fille danse

17

Thelfo

You don't want to end up all soft to the touch

What?!

I don't know about anybody else, but I like a man with a soft, huggable body - not a rock hard or bony one.

Reply 10

cutandpasteandtwisty

11

The best way to gain mass is simply to eat as much as possible. Gaining and refining muscle is a totally different story though...

Reply 11

shauny

Wez

To be honest, guys' looks don't matter that much when it comes to getting girls, so it's not such a big issue. If you're really unhappy with your figure, go for weight training rather than binge eating.

Wez is right - looks aren't the most important factor in a female's attraction to a male. Though they do play *some* part.

Mate, if you feel you're too skinny, your best bet *is* weight training. Now you say weight lifting isn't "your thing". Why? Are you never gonna try anything new, are you going to just sit in your comfort zone forever? And forget this notion of becoming 'huge'. You've got nothing to worry about there. You can't get huge accidently and it damn well doesn't happen overnight mate.

And by the way...weight lifting WILL tax you mentally and physically. The mental aspect can be very challenging when you're stepping under the bar for a set of heavy squats - and if you've never tried it you won't understand.

So, any particular reason you don't wanna take it up? The only other cure to being less skinny is adding bodyfat as well, which I don't suppose you'll enjoy too much... :biggrin:

..shauny

Reply 12

shauny

cutandpasteandtwisty

The best way to gain mass is simply to eat as much as possible. Gaining and refining muscle is a totally different story though...

Agreed about the first bit. But the second bit is incorrect. The only thing you can do as far as muscle is concerned is either lose it or gain it.

..shauny

Reply 13

Anonymous #1

OP

cutandpasteandtwisty

The best way to gain mass is simply to eat as much as possible.

It really isn't. I've have 'eat as much as possible' for months on end and just eventually given up after realizing that it was doing NOTHING for me. I can't just force feed myself constantly forever, especially when I know it is having no effect.

Reply 14

Erana

9

If you're naturally skinny, then don't sweat it. Lots of girls like skinny guys. :love:

Don't weight lift! There's no need!

Try not to take it as an insult.. a lot of people may be jealous of you cramming down whatever you choose to and not gaining a pound, and if they say it maliciously then they may just be a little green-eyed.

Reply 15

I_am_the_mob

1

As long as there's nothing wrong it's fine
Lot's of girls like skinny guys
You just need to be happy with yourself and have some confidence

Reply 16

Bluelight

13

Im in the same boat, im 5'11 and weigh 10 stone and have no fat on me anywhere. Im an natural greedy git , as ive just had my third bag of crisps for the day :p:

I dont really care though , people do make comments and i get annoyed because if i said anything about them being fat all hell would break loose. I know im too skinny for "society", and what women want, heck my own girlfriend doesnt really like skinny men but shes pursued me, and I don't give a flying **** if people think im too skinny, im perfectly happy.

Reply 17

Walrus Rider

Yeah, I'm the same.
I've tried eating loads, but I'm still the same weight I was 2 years ago, if not less. (I'm just turned 18, I'm about six foot, and I weight, on average, 123 pounds)

Sometimes I have trouble even maintaining my body-weight, let alone gain anything!

I would like to get membership at a gym when I go to uni in September, but it all depends on how busy I'm going to be with other things - and from past experience, doing excercise doesn't always help you gain weight...

Reply 18

DeeAppleDizzle

1

Red meat does the job mate!

Reply 19

cutandpasteandtwisty

11

shauny

Agreed about the first bit. But the second bit is incorrect. The only thing you can do as far as muscle is concerned is either lose it or gain it.

..shauny

What are you talking about? The second part of my statement explains that building muscle is very different to gaining mass. Only a moron would disagree with that.

For a guy, How skinny is too skinny?

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