Body Descriptions

[MulanUSAF]

My friend was filling out an online dating site's profile since it's free weekend, so I decided to do one too since I've never tried online dating and I just want to look around. On the part where it asks you to describe your body type, it has the following choices:

Slender
About Average
Athletic/Toned
Heavyset
A few extra pounds
Big and Beautiful
Full figured
Curvy
Stocky
Others

Not to make anyone feel bad... but what's the difference between "big and beautiful" or "a few extra pounds"? How would you differentiate between these descriptions? I'm totally confused So I put down average since my Wii Fit tells me I'm normal

 

[autumnpalm]

In my head:

Slender: thin but healthy
Normal: normal BMI range
Athletic/toned: more muscular/fit body
A Few Extra Pounds: slightly overweight but not significantly so, a few pounds over normal BMI
Big and Beautiful: overweight/obese according to BMI
Curvy: normal weight but with curves
Stocky: short and thicker

Just what springs to mind for me though, I'm sure there are no hard and fast rules for these kinds of thing!

 

[mtemm]

wow! that is hard! here is what I think when I hear them:

Slender....thin, not necessarily toned

About Average...this one is tough. they say average for a woman is a size 12 now, right? so I would guess some people would say that, but honestly I would only say it myself when I am a healthy bmi/weight standard

Athletic/Toned...trim and toned/athletic looking

Heavyset...needs to lose some weight (30lbs?), stocky build

A few extra pounds...10-15lbs overweight maybe?

Big and Beautiful...fat but happy about it and not interested in changing size

Full figured...fat and not as happy about it, but accepting of it, might still be interested in changing size

Curvy...10-20lbs overweight, not athletic looking but could be fit

Stocky...not as heavy as heavyset, probably similar to curvy but different body shape (less defined waist, for instance)

 

[DisneyFirefly]

As someone who's plus size and usually resorts to online dating (I'm quite shy offline and also work an insane schedule and don't like the bar scene), I HATE those descriptions. I noticed that 90% of the men who showed up in my matches would screen anyone who wasn't "slender, athletic/toned, average". Anyway, I tend to visualize them in terms of actresses.

Slender - Angelina Jolie (very thin, but not so thin you can see bones)
About Average - Hilary Duff, Jennifer Garner, Courtney Cox
Athletic/Toned - Hilary Swank
Heavyset - Probably size 18-20
A few extra pounds - Borderline overweight
Big and Beautiful - Me! teeth Seriously, best description I can think of is Camryn Manheim
Full figured - Same as big and beautiful.
Curvy - Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba in her Dark Angel Days
Stocky - Rosie O'Donnell
Others - Nicole Richie, before she gained some weight and actually looked healthy

 

[kimblebee]

As someone who's plus size and usually resorts to online dating (I'm quite shy offline and also work an insane schedule and don't like the bar scene), I HATE those descriptions. I noticed that 90% of the men who showed up in my matches would screen anyone who wasn't "slender, athletic/toned, average". Anyway, I tend to visualize them in terms of actresses.

Slender - Angelina Jolie (very thin, but not so thin you can see bones)
About Average - Hilary Duff, Jennifer Garner, Courtney Cox
Athletic/Toned - Hilary Swank
Heavyset - Probably size 18-20
A few extra pounds - Borderline overweight
Big and Beautiful - Me! teeth Seriously, best description I can think of is Camryn Manheim
Full figured - Same as big and beautiful.
Curvy - Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba in her Dark Angel Days
Stocky - Rosie O'Donnell
Others - Nicole Richie, before she gained some weight and actually looked healthy

I'm wondering why you classified Rosie O'Donnell as stocky and not as full figured or big and beautiful. I have a guess and I have to say that's not a very nice generalization.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

A few of these seem to overlap and people can choose based on their personality/gender. Down on your looks or a guy? Heavyset. Confident or a woman? Big and beautiful.

As for the difference between big and beautiful and a few extra pounds... I kind of feel like big and beautiful is you're larger than the average, but comfortable in your own body. A few extra pounds would be like for the most part I'm okay with my body, but I could afford to lose a few/tone up.

 

[AshleyW]

I'm wondering why you classified Rosie O'Donnell as stocky and not as full figured or big and beautiful. I have a guess and I have to say that's not a very nice generalization.

Before you jump all over her, I would say the same thing she did. I think of 'full figured' or 'big and beautiful' as being heavy but still having a feminine form. The PP used Camryn Manheim as an example:

She's a bigger lady, but still has some defined curves. Whereas Rosie O'Donnell has kind of a square figure, which is what I would consider 'stocky'.

 

[hentob]

Not to make anyone feel bad... but what's the difference between "big and beautiful" or "a few extra pounds"? How would you differentiate between these descriptions? I'm totally confused So I put down average since my Wii Fit tells me I'm normal

Big and beautiful = Ladies that know they are bigger and don't care one bit They are confident and keep their hair, nails and clothing sharp. They are polished and can make many "skinny girls" look ratty. They may be bigger than your average gal, but they have NOT given up!

 

[hentob]

I'm wondering why you classified Rosie O'Donnell as stocky and not as full figured or big and beautiful. I have a guess and I have to say that's not a very nice generalization.

Well, as much as I like her, she is not glamorous. I wouldn't classify Rosie as "big and beautiful".

 

[MoneyNeverSleeps]

I noticed that 90% of the men who showed up in my matches would screen anyone who wasn't "slender, athletic/toned, average". Anyway, I tend to visualize them in terms of actresses.

The reason men screen out anyone who don't mark those descriptions is because women dating sites flat out lie and mislead about their body types. Women who are 25-50 lbs over mark a few lbs overweight (lie) and women 50lbs+ over mark curvy (lie, misleading).

 

[FireDancer]

I wouldn't classify Rosie as "big and beautiful".

Big maybe, not beautiful. Stocky is easily the best description for her of the ones provided.

The important thing is to be accurate. If one is built like Precious one shouldn't mark Athletic or (just because they look like a sumo wrestler doesn't mean they are athletic) or about average (they are talking average human, not some other species).

 

[pigletgirl]

Big maybe, not beautiful. Stocky is easily the best description for her of the ones provided.

The important thing is to be accurate. If one is built like Precious one shouldn't mark Athletic or (just because they look like a sumo wrestler doesn't mean they are athletic) or about average (they are talking average human, not some other species).

I would say Gabby Sidibe (or however you spell it! ) would be 'Big and Beautiful'...
Yes, she's obese, but not raggy looking. She always look put together.

 

[MoneyNeverSleeps]

I would say Gabby Sidibe (or however you spell it! ) would be 'Big and Beautiful'...
Yes, she's obese, but not raggy looking. She always look put together.

I guess she could but I just don't understand the term "big and beautiful." Why is there a big and beautiful category for women but there isn't a big and handsome category for men?

It really should just be "Big."

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

I'm wondering why you classified Rosie O'Donnell as stocky and not as full figured or big and beautiful. I have a guess and I have to say that's not a very nice generalization.

Rosie has tiny breasts and no defined waist so I wouldn't call her full figured.

I wouldn't call her big and beautiful because she's square looking which isn't beautiful. And she's really not that big, she just has a manly figure. To me she's stocky. Nothing against Rosie, though. I'm just an observer.

 

[kimblebee]

Rosie has tiny breasts and no defined waist so I wouldn't call her full figured.

I wouldn't call her big and beautiful because she's square looking which isn't beautiful. And she's really not that big, she just has a manly figure. To me she's stocky. Nothing against Rosie, though. I'm just an observer.

To you, you mean. I wonder.. what do you (collectively) call a slim person with small breasts and doesn't wear makeup or do her hair everyday?

 

[DisneyFirefly]

Wow, I didn't mean to start something by using examples of what I think meet those descriptions I really didn't.

I'm wondering why you classified Rosie O'Donnell as stocky and not as full figured or big and beautiful. I have a guess and I have to say that's not a very nice generalization.

I'm not sure what your guess is, but while I do think she can be beautiful, she does have a different frame than the other example I used, Camryn Manheim.

The reason men screen out anyone who don't mark those descriptions is because women dating sites flat out lie and mislead about their body types. Women who are 25-50 lbs over mark a few lbs overweight (lie) and women 50lbs+ over mark curvy (lie, misleading).

Men lie, too. I'd see profiles for men whose bodies looked similar to mine, weight-wise, but would have themselves marked as "average" or "a few extra pounds". I'm at least honest in my profiles, and if someone wants to say no to me based just on my honest weight, then so be it. They'll find whoever they're looking for and I'll hopefully find who I'm looking for.

Oh, and by the way, some sites DO have that "big and handsome" category for men that you referred to. Not all of them do, though, obviously.

 

[MoneyNeverSleeps]

Men lie, too. I'd see profiles for men whose bodies looked similar to mine, weight-wise, but would have themselves marked as "average" or "a few extra pounds".

Absolutely men lie! So feel free to check off the boxes next to studs and athletes and you should be all set.

 

[DisneyFirefly]

Absolutely men lie! So feel free to check off the boxes next to studs and athletes and you should be all set.

Yeah, but I don't like men with too many muscles Besides, I don't like people who lie. That's why I'm honest in my profiles, because I don't like liars and I don't want someone that I might potentially really enjoy talking with to think that I'm a liar (or, at minimum, very confused about what those descriptors mean).

But anyway Such is life in the world of online dating. If it weren't for my work schedule (7pm-7am) and my hatred of the bar scene, I wouldn't bother with it.

 

[disykat]

I'm not sure why people think "stocky" is so horrible a description. While I might prefer the sound of "curvy" it doesn't describe me at all, so I might choose stocky to describe myself. As others have said, I think it has to do with no defined curves - kind of straight, solid lines - but thick as opposed to willowy.

 

[kathie859]

I think how one answers this question may demonstrate her level of comfort with her own body.

Now I am a curvy, big, beautiful, active, healthy, overweight lady---but certainly my mood du jour may dictate whether I perceive myself as any ONE of the descriptions.

OP---I'd pick the one which you feel is most positive (I'll give you a hint: stocky and overweight aren't those!) and go with it.

Good luck!