# Being small in America



## Argus (Oct 8, 2014)

Anyone else have issues with this?

I'm a guy. Caucasian, 26 years old. 5'8 or so - maybe 5'9. I exercise, I eat well, yet I maintain a weight of only about 125-130lbs. I'm just not built large. But, apparently, according to the clothing industry, I should have another 5-10 inches on my stomach and another 30 or 40 pounds to fit into a small anything.

I can occasionally find pants that fit, but shirts are ridiculous. It's hard enough to find "smalls" in the first place, and they're still much too big. Children's clothes, on the other hand, are too small, and not really what I want to be buying. And, I shouldn't even mention underwear, which are obviously made for people with giant thighs, which, if you don't happen to have, results in large gaps that can lead to rather awkward and uncomfortable issues for men...

I know I'm not alone here. I have a friend built the same as me, who has these problems, and many of my foreign friends do as well. Why does the market seemingly have no room for people our size? Are we just supposed to buy all of our clothing online from Europe? 

I mean, even a European medium fits me!

This is just one example, but geez. I just don't seem to fit the local market, in most cases. I could extend this to my taste in coffee, ethnic cuisine, or martial arts. But even just phyiscally, I don't fit! It seems there is just an ever increasing trend towards a "one size fits all" approach, often catering to the "lowest common denominator" in society, cutting down on diversity and quality in general.

I guess that's not so bad if it's what the _majority_ of people want, but it does make things difficult for the rest of us. And, ultimately, I don't think better for the whole.


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## K-man (Oct 8, 2014)

Forget the clothes. Try to find a small meal in America. When we were there it seemed that everything was super size. If the meals are like that the clothes just need to be bigger too. 
:asian:


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## Tez3 (Oct 8, 2014)

K-man said:


> Forget the clothes. Try to find a small meal in America. When we were there it seemed that everything was super size. If the meals are like that the clothes just need to be bigger too.
> :asian:



My daughter and her fiancé went to America last year, they said the meals were enormous! She has a photo of her with a starter which was the size of a main meal.  On an almost unrelated point why do Americans call the main course the 'entree' when that's actually supposed to be the start, as in 'entrée, French for entry ie the start of the meal?


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## donald1 (Oct 8, 2014)

Not all meals are huge,  I can't afford to eat big often,  that's a treat,  usually 2 or 3 times a month   (not including holidays...) 

I remember going to a steakhouse,  and I had this steak that touched both sides of the plate,  it was awesome. (during football season,  it was state championships quarter finals won that game and coach bough everyone steak...)  everyone had to dress up too.


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## jezr74 (Oct 8, 2014)

Having lived there for two years. I can say the main meals were consistently big by Australian standards. We started ordering just the starter size meals instead. Took us a meal or two to work out that Entree is the main meal.


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## Mephisto (Oct 8, 2014)

Argus, do you work out at all? 125 is pretty small for a guy, but there's nothing wrong with that. You just have to accept the fact what you are is outside of average. You can complain about it, accept it and move on, or do your best to change it. 5'8"-9" isn't terribly short at all but if you weigh 125 at that height it sounds like you're pretty thin. I have some shorter friends but they also tend to have more muscle comparatively for their size. I've always thought that for my size I have a pretty small bone structure, I have small girly wrists but at 5'10.5" I weigh around 170 give or take a little on any given day. I'm still pretty small compared to a lot of guys but i'm probably just big enough to not be considered a short or small guy. I've also done a lot of work to get where i'm at lifting weights. You can't do anything about your height but you can put on muscle. Stronglifts 5x5 is a good workout to start with, if you're pretty active with martial arts training you may have to switch up the workout once you plateau but follow it to the "tee" to start. Squatting three days a week and also doing FMA and boxing was too much for me, now that i've switched it up I find myself making more progress but I've been doing it for a while. Quit complaining about being small and eat some protein and lift some weights.


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## Carol (Oct 8, 2014)

I am 5' 1" and built like a muscular Dolly Parton.   Nothing fits me.


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## Tez3 (Oct 8, 2014)

I know loads of blokes around that weight and height, perhaps you should get mail order British clothes! We have cutting edge fashion as well as well tailored clothes, there's enormous choice.

If you have small _girly_ wrists then they will be damn strong :boing2:

NEXT size guide and they deliver to the US. http://help.next.co.uk/Section.aspx?ItemId=17851


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## Steve (Oct 8, 2014)

We call them entrees because when we were learning English as toddlers, our parents called them entrees.   I don't think it's a conspiracy 

Regarding portion sizes, you will often find the chains are interested in appearing to give a good value.   If you go to a nicer restaurant, the portions are more reasonable.  In chains, ask if you can order a lunch portion or off of the lunch menu.  They are smaller (and usually less expensive).  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jezr74 (Oct 8, 2014)

Steve said:


> We call them entrees because when we were learning English as toddlers, our parents called them entrees.   I don't think it's a conspiracy
> 
> Regarding portion sizes, you will often find the chains are interested in appearing to give a good value.   If you go to a nicer restaurant, the portions are more reasonable.  In chains, ask if you can order a lunch portion or off of the lunch menu.  They are smaller (and usually less expensive).
> 
> ...




I should add that the idea of doggy bags is big in the US as well. Order a meal, and take half of it home with you.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Oct 8, 2014)

America = Big!  Big food, big fun, big everything.  That's just the way it is on many levels.

Argus do not worry about height and weight.  I am a little taller than you and filled out through the years.  Your time will come in that department rest assured.  Even if you stay super fit like I do you will pack on some muscle every year and walla you will be your size wearing a large in no time.  In the mean time enjoy leg room on a flight, in a car, etc.  I certainly do!  

One thing to remember is your height also depends on where you are living and who is around.  Back in Michigan I felt average height.  Out here in the South West I feel taller based on who is around me.


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## donald1 (Oct 8, 2014)

Tez3 said:


> I know loads of blokes around that weight and height, perhaps you should get mail order British clothes! We have cutting edge fashion as well as well tailored clothes, there's enormous choice.
> 
> If you have small _girly_ wrists then they will be damn strong :boing2:
> 
> NEXT size guide and they deliver to the US. http://help.next.co.uk/Section.aspx?ItemId=17851




What's a bloke...


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## jezr74 (Oct 8, 2014)

donald1 said:


> What's a bloke...



a guy.


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## Argus (Oct 8, 2014)

Mephisto said:


> Argus, do you work out at all? 125 is pretty small for a guy, but there's nothing wrong with that. You just have to accept the fact what you are is outside of average. You can complain about it, accept it and move on, or do your best to change it. 5'8"-9" isn't terribly short at all but if you weigh 125 at that height it sounds like you're pretty thin. I have some shorter friends but they also tend to have more muscle comparatively for their size. I've always thought that for my size I have a pretty small bone structure, I have small girly wrists but at 5'10.5" I weigh around 170 give or take a little on any given day. I'm still pretty small compared to a lot of guys but i'm probably just big enough to not be considered a short or small guy. I've also done a lot of work to get where i'm at lifting weights. You can't do anything about your height but you can put on muscle. Stronglifts 5x5 is a good workout to start with, if you're pretty active with martial arts training you may have to switch up the workout once you plateau but follow it to the "tee" to start. Squatting three days a week and also doing FMA and boxing was too much for me, now that i've switched it up I find myself making more progress but I've been doing it for a while. Quit complaining about being small and eat some protein and lift some weights.



I'm actually fairly strong (relatively speaking) in my upper body, but could certainly develop my legs more. The low 130's is the best I've been able to manage thus far. I find it extremely hard to put on muscle and weight -- not really sure why. Perhaps I just need more protein intake. But, in any case, I'm fairly happy about where I'm at. My current goal is just to work on my legs / lower body.




Brian R. VanCise said:


> America = Big! Big food, big fun, big everything. That's just the way it is on many levels.





Brian R. VanCise said:


> Argus do not worry about height and weight. I am a little taller than you and filled out through the years. Your time will come in that department rest assured. Even if you stay super fit like I do you will pack on some muscle every year and walla you will be your size wearing a large in no time. In the mean time enjoy leg room on a flight, in a car, etc. I certainly do!
> 
> One thing to remember is your height also depends on where you are living and who is around. Back in Michigan I felt average height. Out here in the South West I feel taller based on who is around me.




Haha, indeed!

I'll admit, I probably don't eat as much as most people do. Yet, I still eat until I'm full, so...

I'm sure in 10 or 15 years I'll miss being so small


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## Argus (Oct 8, 2014)

Tez3 said:


> If you have small _girly_ wrists then they will be damn strong :boing2:



My training partners do have to work extra hard to put me in wrist locks and the like


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## jezr74 (Oct 8, 2014)

donald1 said:


> What's a bloke...



And a women is called a sheila. (Sheel-ah)


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## Buka (Oct 8, 2014)

I'm 5'9", 143 lbs.  I've been 143 lbs since I was 17, but I used to  be 5'11" so I feel all hulkish in my old age.   
I've had the opposite  problem with clothes. I'm real skinny from back to front, but oddly wide across the shoulders. If I was to wear a size medium  t-shirt I'd be strangled within an hour. So I wear a large, which is too  big but comfortable. I've always been about loose, comfortable clothes,  ain't about to change now - much to my wife's chagrin. 

Argus, are you wiry?  That's one of the toughest kind of guys to fight. But much more  important, what about your taste in coffee that you mentioned, or the  ethnic food? Size don't mean squat, but coffee and food.......now, that's a whole  different story.


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## Mephisto (Oct 8, 2014)

Argus said:


> I'm actually fairly strong (relatively speaking) in my upper body, but could certainly develop my legs more. The low 130's is the best I've been able to manage thus far. I find it extremely hard to put on muscle and weight -- not really sure why. Perhaps I just need more protein intake. But, in any case, I'm fairly happy about where I'm at. My current goal is just to work on my legs / lower body.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


strong is a relative term, how to you think you are fairly strong? a good baseline is a bench 1.5xbody weight and a squat and dead lift 2x body weight. If you can put up numbers like that you're not likely to be a skinny guy. What do you mean "I'm happy where I'm at"? Strength wise? Size? If so why start this thread? If you're strong enough than focus on hypertrophy. How old are you, age will certainly help you put on size. Your job may also be a factor, when I was in my early 20s I worked construction, trained very often, and lifted weights. I never seemed to gain much weight. A career change and age has helped quite a bit, of course I'm just breaking 30, so still pretty young.


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## Tony Dismukes (Oct 8, 2014)

Argus said:


> Anyone else have issues with this?
> 
> I'm a guy. Caucasian, 26 years old. 5'8 or so - maybe 5'9. I exercise, I eat well, yet I maintain a weight of only about 125-130lbs. I'm just not built large. But, apparently, according to the clothing industry, I should have another 5-10 inches on my stomach and another 30 or 40 pounds to fit into a small anything.
> 
> ...



I'm 6'4", and for most of my adult life (until almost age 40) I weighed about 160 pounds, which is proportionally skinnier than you are and probably harder to find clothes for. Fortunately I didn't mind baggy fitting clothes.

Once I got married (age 40), my wife managed to fatten me up to 185 pounds. Maybe you just need someone to cook for you.


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## granfire (Oct 8, 2014)

I don't think anybody can find decent fitting clothes. 
Not sure how they measure anymore. 
I mean, I don't have fat legs, and I can't find a pair of socks that doesn't leave a deep indentation on my leg...
I can't find pants that fit around the top, without looking like I expect a flood! I am average height - at least I thought I was, by German standards....

You might as well order from the UK. It's not like the stuff does not come from China...


but one more thing:
Aside from the fact that you just might be blessed with a really good metabolism, too skinny can be bad, just as too big. 'Healthy' is relative. There are so many ideas out there as to what constitutes a well rounded diet....
If you eat like crazy and can't gain weight, you might want to check in with a doctor and have your labs checked. 
Or with a nutrition specialist (one who does not peddle supplements), to make sure you do eat enough of the right things to fuel your body!
(of course, you can always become a jockey, too...)


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## donald1 (Oct 9, 2014)

I'm taller than most people I'm around,  5.9 until I go to the basketball game literally all the team looks anywhere from 6.8-7. 2 they make me feel short...


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## Transk53 (Oct 9, 2014)

Blimey, I envy all of you. Apparently in pounds, I am at 218. Better start eating boiled cabbage or something. To the OP, one of my colleagues is of the same build. In his sixties now and he is one of the fittest blokes I know.


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## Paul_D (Oct 9, 2014)

jezr74 said:


> And a women is called a sheila. (Sheel-ah)


Not in the UK.


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## donald1 (Oct 9, 2014)

Transk53 said:


> Blimey, I envy all of you. Apparently in pounds, I am at 218. Better start eating boiled cabbage or something. To the OP, one of my colleagues is of the same build. In his sixties now and he is one of the fittest blokes I know.



Muscle does way more than fat so if it's muscle than who cares


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## tshadowchaser (Oct 9, 2014)

when I was 18 I weight 180 lbs. (not sure what that is across the pound) and stood 5'6 . Had a 26 inch waist and 34 inch thighs and shoulders that required me to buy special made shirts if I wanted it to fit. Yes I was a body builder. After a stint in the military and with all the good food I got there I went down to 140 pounds, the weight I carried for the next 35+ years, with a 30 inch waist. 
I have never been able to buy "off the rack" and find clothes that fit me. Pants to long if the waist fit, shirts that had to be a half size to big or small. ETC.
I do not think American retailers want things to fit they just want to get close to a fit. They sell to the masses not to individuals. 
And YES over here every thing seems to be big.  Just look at the people here that are grossly overweight and  fat


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## Carol (Oct 9, 2014)

Tez3 said:


> My daughter and her fiancé went to America last year, they said the meals were enormous! She has a photo of her with a starter which was the size of a main meal.  On an almost unrelated point why do Americans call the main course the 'entree' when that's actually supposed to be the start, as in 'entrée, French for entry ie the start of the meal?



Oh!  Oh!  I know!  *waves hand wildly in the air*   Recently heard a talk in Old Sturbridge Village about this. 

It is a term distinct to North American English, but the history is kind of fascinating, as it shows how the term was actually retained while dining patterns changed over time.  At the time when a formal dinner was typically large communal roast, the entrée was a dish that was served before the heavy meat course.  Many of these dishes at the time could have been considered main courses today.

North American dining habits changed over time, and that impacted many ways of life. As Americans and Canadians spread across the continent, many formed smaller communities.  Ovens and cookstoves got smaller.  This changed how we prepared food.  In colonial days, the oven was the area to the back of a large cooking fireplace. Some of the popular pies, for example, fell out of favor as they would be baked in the oven while the rest of the food was prepared.  Smaller ovens and cooking fires meant less was cooking at once.   A formal dinner wasn't always a large communal feast anymore, and wasn't always a roast. 

The term "entrée", however, still stuck.  

entree AmE vs BrE


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## jezr74 (Oct 9, 2014)

Paul_D said:


> Not in the UK.



Sheila's come in all shapes and sizes, and all nationalities. We call them UK Sheilas.


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## seasoned (Oct 9, 2014)

We are getting fatter and fatter, this is fact. Too much fast food and busy busy, but that is for another thread. 

P.S. And no, I am considered skinny.


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## Transk53 (Oct 9, 2014)

donald1 said:


> Muscle does way more than fat so if it's muscle than who cares



Oh I love the "Grubbs" double mushroom on beef. Yep


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## Hong Kong Pooey (Oct 9, 2014)

Argus said:


> Anyone else have issues with this?
> 
> I'm a guy. Caucasian, 26 years old. 5'8 or so - maybe 5'9. I exercise, I eat well, yet I maintain a weight of only about 125-130lbs. I'm just not built large. But, apparently, according to the clothing industry, I should have another 5-10 inches on my stomach and another 30 or 40 pounds to fit into a small anything.
> 
> ...



Ever considered a shopping trip to Asia? It's full of dudes your size, although you may be considered a bit on the tall side. 

It's also cheap as heck when you get there (mostly), and you may even find the cuisine & martial arts are a good fit too!

As for the coffee, try switching to tea. It's a much more civilized drink


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## yak sao (Oct 9, 2014)

Tez3 said:


> On an almost unrelated point why do Americans call the main course the 'entree' when that's actually supposed to be the start, as in 'entrée, French for entry ie the start of the meal?




Because we're Americans Dammit and we do what we want...
But seriously, that made me curious as well. Apparently it's an older usage...found this Entrée - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Buka (Oct 10, 2014)

I've lived in the United States all my life. The only time you ever hear the word "entree" is on menus or cooking shows (and forums), nobody actually uses the word. We say dinner, supper, or "Is it ready yet, I'm hungry!?"

It's one of those colloquial quirks of language, similar to the use of the word "anus". Nobody says anus, we say politician.


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## Tez3 (Oct 10, 2014)

Buka said:


> I've lived in the United States all my life. The only time you ever hear the word "entree" is on menus or cooking shows (and forums), nobody actually uses the word. We say dinner, supper, or "Is it ready yet, I'm hungry!?"
> 
> It's one of those colloquial quirks of language, similar to the use of the word "anus". Nobody says anus, we say politician.




:lfao:  Oh I do like that!  :lfao:


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## donald1 (Oct 10, 2014)

Buka said:


> I've lived in the United States all my life. The only time you ever hear the word "entree" is on menus or cooking shows (and forums), nobody actually uses the word. We say dinner, supper, or "Is it ready yet, I'm hungry!?"
> 
> It's one of those colloquial quirks of language, similar to the use of the word "anus". Nobody says anus, we say politician.



I don't know about menus cause I only look at the pictures,  and never watch cooking shows...  Unless I'm at the dentist waiting room for an hour or more.  At restaurant they do mention appetizers lot "do you want any appetizers" and " breakfast" or atleast i say breakfast


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## Transk53 (Oct 10, 2014)

Paul_D said:


> Not in the UK.



In Essex that would be Bird or Burd.


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