Average body shape is not fat - and I mean the real definition of fat - not today's. It could hold a few extra pounds. It probably won't have the most defined abs, but could definitely participate in any sports event without the host being overwhelmed.

Average body type (to me) means the ideal body weight for your height and gender without having an althetic physique.

Boring. Nondescript. Hard to pick out in a crowd.

I think of it like that trick you do at raffles where you bend your ticket in half or -something- to make it different from all the rest and more likely to stand out from the "average" ones.

Pasta, I try that all the time and it never works for me!

I was reading about some goofball who lives off of raffles and he swears by it :P

HAHA, everyone does that to their tickets for the door prizes at the business meetings I attend, did you see that there too, Pasta?

I use average for my body description usually - to me it means not fat, but not little, not abso fit, but not without strength and flexibility. I would rather choose voluptous, but I keep reading somewhere that that says fat to some people.

Hell if I know - it's just little 'ol me.

I yam what I yam.

Well, my kids go to Catholic school, and raffles are our primary fundraiser at school and church. Maybe I need to mix in some positive thinking....

A body mass index between 20 and 30.

I am starting to really wonder where I fall now. I figured that when I was starting the divorce process I could be slightly above average, few extra pounds would be the term. Then I lost 32 pounds. I figured that I was average. I am 5'11" and 228 pounds but my shoulders are a size 50 in a sports jacket.

Now that I have been swimming every week I am toning up bigtime so I am thinking that I am now getting to be athletic and toned. I can swim a mile in 26 minutes, non stop, and swim a 1000 in 15:47 minutes.

Unfortunately I am not loosing a lot of weight now...my shoulders are getting even bigger, but I have lost almost all the fat was left. I have just a little bit of a love handle to burn and just a small part on the bottom of my stomac. I already have my top two abs back.

Who knows? I am surprised by some of the pictures of people that call themselves average because it is so varried!

Its not me, I know that much

guys are supposed to upgrade themselves by at least one grade. From your description, I'd check the 'athletic' build box. go for it!

Me either... I fall under big fat cow....

Learned my lesson before between exaggerating my physique. Noticed the sorrowful look of disappointment in one date. Ok so I am not exactly 6'3'' but I figured who would notice in a dark dinner theater?

" Learned my lesson before about exaggerating my physique. Noticed the sorrowful look of disappointment with one date. Ok so I am not exactly 6'3'' but I figured who would notice in a dark dinner theater? " *

*corrected for afternoon hunger pangs

I think average is not overweight, maybe a few extra pounds. Also, average height for a man or woamn--not a giant, not a dwarf.