How to Talk About Weight in English

Talking about weight in English can be a very tricky (complicated) issue. Some people really struggle with their weight, so they may not want to talk about it. However, it’s good to know the vocabulary involved and how to talk about weight in English in case it comes up. This week on the Bespeaking blog, we’ll be giving you the vocabulary you need to talk about weight in English. Plus, if you want some extra gym vocabulary, you can find that on our blog as well!

To weigh/weight

How do find out how heavy you are? To do that, you would have to weigh yourself. To weigh is a verb that is used to find out how heavy something is, and you do that by using a scale. The amount that is shown on the scale is called your weight.

I only weigh myself about once a week, because I know that weight fluctuates (changes) every day. Some days you weigh more, others less. Plus, if I’m feeling sad about how much I weigh, I try to think of it scientifically (in a science oriented way): weight is just how much gravity pulls on your body. So if you were on a planet with less gravity, you would weigh less. It really is just a number!

For example:

• She hasn’t weighed herself this week yet, but that’s ok, because she’s happy with the way she looks.
• He stopped weighing himself so much when he started going to the gym. He knew he had a heavier weight, because muscle is heavier than fat.
• I’m not happy with my weight at the moment, but I’m starting to exercise more, so that should make me feel much stronger.

Reduce calories

If you’re looking to lose weight, you have to reduce calories. Reducing calories means to eat less and eat better quality food. The rule of thumb (standard) for losing weight is to reduce the number of calories you eat, while burning more calories through exercise. To reduce calories, try cooking dinner at home instead of eating in a restaurant. Eat more vegetables and high quality protein.

The hardest thing for me when I’m trying to reduce calories is to stop snacking! I do love a good snack throughout the day.

For example:

• When I started getting in shape, I started with reducing calories. When I ate healthier, I lost a lot of weight quickly.
• Whenever she’s on vacation, she stops caring about reducing calories and eats however she wants. She just starts eating healthily again when she gets home.

Exercise

When talking about weight in English, you should definitely be able to talk about exercise. Exercise is any physical activity that you do to stay healthy. Exercise can be all different types of things, from pickleball to swimming to walking to running. I love exercise and try to do a little bit every day. I do a lot of different types of exercise to work different muscles and be fit all around. Two of my favorite types of exercise are swimming and yoga.

What kinds of exercise do you do in your daily life?

For example:

• He was on vacation for a few weeks, and when he got home, was looking forward to starting to exercise again.
• She tries to exercise six days a week, and relaxes on Sundays. She loves staying active!

To gain/lose weight

Like I said above, weight tends to change a lot. Some days you’ve gained weight (are heavier than before) and other days you’ve lost weight (are lighter than before). The crazy thing about weight is that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you’ve gotten more muscular (added muscle), you may weigh more than you did before! Gaining and losing weight is natural and a part of everyday life. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable in your own body. Some people need to gain weight to be healthier, and others need to lose weight to be healthier. Still others need to stay just as they are!

For example:

• I lost a lot of weight when I was sick, so I need to gain some of it back.
• He gained some weight in the past few weeks, but once he starts exercising again, he’ll go back to his regular weight.

Do you talk about weight in your daily life? What does living healthily look like for you? Let us know how you talk about weight in English in the comments below!