tatertot2003 is offline tatertot2003 Post #1  January 2,2012, 12:18pm
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I am struggling to decide what body type I should put down on the online dating sites.

Things I know for sure: I am not thin/slender, I am not curvy, I do not have a few extra pounds and I am not a BBW.

My struggle is between athletic and average. I personally consider myself average. My weight/BMI is average. I work out, ride horses, and lift weights so I do have muscle and a flat stomach. My measurements are 36-28-36 and I wear a size 4/6 pant/skirt and I am 5'7-5'8.

The problem is what other women perceive as being average is NOT what I perceive as being average. I know it is talked about ALL THE TIME on this site, but even though I know that I am the TRUE definition of average, I am not the DATING SITE definition of average.

So I have been toying with the possibility of putting my body type as athletic to avoid the preconceived notion of my pictures being old/I'm actually overweight because my body type says average.

The problem with putting that I am athletic is that I lost 100 lbs 10 years ago and the skin never totally shrunk back into place (you can see in the pic) so I don't want to say that either.

AHHH here is a pic, you tell me. please and thank you

tots2.jpg picture by Skydancer12182 - Photobucket
 
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eharmonyjc is offline eharmonyjc Post #2  January 2,2012, 12:57pm
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I would say put average but I'd wait for some guys to respond since they're your target audience anyway

Also, I think as long as you have good body shot pictures, what you put as your body type doesn't really matter. I know when I'm looking at guys I just look at the photos and don't even pay attention to the body type classification. I think the guys that complain about girls that put "average" when they are overweight, are because they are shocked on the first date, and the girl never had any body shots on her profile.
 
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Buck is offline Buck Post #3  January 2,2012, 1:15pm
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Very early in my on-line dating career, when I was still open to communicating with photo-less matches, I had possibly the worst ever first date with a match who claimed to have an "average" body type. I arrived at the lounge to discover she occupied two bar stools, easily more than twice my size. Crucify me if anyone must, but I instantly lost interest and never again relied on such self-evaluations. You could be "average". She might have been - on another planet.
 
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Wiseman2 is offline Wiseman2 Post #4  January 2,2012, 1:27pm
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Just make sure you have good quality, recent face and full length photos, maybe a few candid ones without a gang of people......Self descriptors are meaningless...a picture is worth a thousand words...Put athletic, if that's the case...Good Luck..
tatertot2003 wrote :
I am struggling to decide what body type I should put down on the online dating sites.
 
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Bethiegirl is offline Bethiegirl Post #5  January 2,2012, 1:29pm
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I'm not your target audience either, but I think that a picture is WAY more important than the label...that's why I include a full-body shot of me in shorts and a somewhat close-fitting t-shirt. Guys can look at my picture and call me what they want to. There are problems and misconceptions with every label.
 
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harnomygirl is offline harnomygirl Post #6  January 2,2012, 1:32pm
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If you work out you should put athletic and make sure there are a few clear body shots in your profile. Some men think that 'athletic' means fat too if there's no full length picture.
 
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Wonderwoman402 is offline Wonderwoman402 Post #7  January 2,2012, 1:58pm
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I work with a guy I would consider thin to average. He works out regularly, so could even be "athletic." He has a profile on match and calls himself "a few extra pounds."

I had one date with a guy who called himself "average." He took up half the booth at the restaurant... 350 lbs minimum.

I've seen profiles of guys who describe themselves as "very handsome" in the text of their profile, but the photos appealed to me on a far below average rating.

Self perceptions can be far off reality. I have never screened on those criteria when searching profiles. I prefer to see the photos.
 
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jov27 is online now jov27 Post #8  January 2,2012, 1:59pm
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I'd say put either slender or athletic and toned. The fact is, your measurements are slender - not skinny but definitely slender. There's no way on earth a size 4 is average in the US. And you didn't tell us your age, but if you're over 35 it's even more the case.

In the dating world, average seems to mean size 12. Of course, on EH it doesn't really matter, your photos are what counts, but on other sites like Match, you won't show up in the most typical search of a man who is looking for someone where a size 6 is fine.

I also say this personally knowing men who say that they are 'athletic and toned' when in fact they weigh 30 pounds over a healthy weight.
 
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DancingFool is offline DancingFool Post #9  January 2,2012, 2:03pm
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Put down athletic since that's what it sounds like you are. Average is often used by people who are overweight but not quite morbidly obese and so if you put average, you might get filtered out by quite a few matches. Also, what others said, let your photos speak for themselves.
 
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D_Lion is online now D_Lion Post #10  January 2,2012, 2:10pm
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These choices matter, because they impact your search results - and that's good and bad.

Choose average, and I think many fit guys will have excluded you from their search entirely. Choose athelitic, and you may miss the less "body-conscious" men.

Photos do not replace this choice, because the matches will never even see your photos if their search excludes you.

***

I tend to grant more leeway to use of "athelitic," since it is a functional descriptor in addition to an aesthetic one. If you go this route, I would take care that the photos are really good, and I would highlight your activities in your profile.

If you think you'd be better off with men who are likely to be comfortable with you any heavier than you are, then "average" is, I believe, a safer choice.
 
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