What do you consider "fat?"

[James]

What an awesome topic for a guy to touch on . . . I wasn't going to comment . . . but what the hell.

First: weight is not the most important factor. As Aephi Alum said, fat percentage can give a more accurate picture, and even that can be misleading because some people's frames/genetic distribution will allow some to carry more fat and not be noticeable and some can have relatively low percentages and still look pudgy as hell.

For example: There are guys with 15 percent body fat (by caliper) that have visible abs, but most guys need to be under 10 percent. I won't show abs if I let my body fat get to be 12 or 13 percent.

Ok the real tests are: How do you think you look in clothes and how do you think you look naked. There should be congruencey between the two self images in regards to fat.

These are tests of self image.

If you are unable to wear what you want, or feel at a disadvantage socially because of extra body fat- then you are fat to yourself.

Same with taking off the clothes that you bought to disguise the extra body fat. If you can visibly see sagging flesh and cellulite, and it bothers you, then you are fat to yourself.

I am also talking in cases where you don't have a serious body-image problem.

Now I realize that much of this is going to be socially influenced, but oh well, unhappy is unhappy, dissatisfied is dissatisfied.

In a perfect world we wouldn't care about this stuff. In this world we do.

I'll tell you a secret, its much easier to lose unwanted body fat, than it is to totally reconstruct your unconscious to be non-reponsive to social norms, and less expensive and time consuming than getting that much therapy.

So lose it rather than complain, hide, or rationalize it.

Twinstars, actually the opposite is true, men are more conscious of a girl's appearance in terms of body size than you might believe. Its a frequent topic of discussion and commentary. Although I don't think we are maliscious about it, just observing.

And the more socially savvy the guy is, the more he is likely to hold body appearance as a factor in dating potential.

Just keeping it real folks . . .