No. I will not agree to disagree. We obviously are privy to different populations of folks in both the US and EU. Bad eating habits can make you either overweight, or undernourished. The pattern you are describing is what I see more often in EU, all my friends here make it a point not to eat until lunch, in order to ‘save’ calories. Folks back home eat the breakfast, AND the dinner 
We’re both making wide sweeping generalizations, you realize that.
6’1", 160lbs
155lbs is ideal race weight. Anything below that, and I get sick a lot for long periods. I don’t train enough to get down to race weight, and I refuse to diet it off. 160-165 is what I weigh when not training much, for the last 28 years…
There’s a big difference between skinny and lean. I like to think of myself as lean… hah!
Just tell them that - “I’m getting lean and mean for racing”.
The power you loose on the bike, is mainly caused by the muscle mass you “burn” when you are on a very restrictive diet. So as long as you eat properly (at least, the same calories you just cosumed) after each workout, you will be just fine. Meaning… every pound you loose this way, it’s 99% of fat.
This is absolutely incorrect. When you chew up muscle by training, and then eat afterward, it is too late. You can’t “eat” your muscle back on. Once it’s gone, it’s gone unless/until your body decides there’s a need for more muscle.
Example… I have lost about 12 lbs in the last 1.5 years. My bodyfat % is likely higher today than when I started (~12% now). Why? Because I burn muscle training – muscle I didn’t really “need” and what was used for fuel. And then by eating more to “maintain” weight, I replaced said muscle loss w/ fat.
Solution… Eat more BEFORE and DURING training so you aren’t smoking muscle as much. NEVER train on an empty tank IF you are trying to hold muscle. And if you must – as I do for purely vanity purposes – lift some weights to try to give your body a reason to keep muscle on (or to replace what has been burned by training).
I’m getting the same thing as you. I’m 5’11 at 170 @7% and shrinking by the day. Less than a month and a helf ago I was at 182 with the same body fat, it seems i’ve been losing more muscle than fat. At 182 7% I felt fit but not fast (on the run), now I feel fast but not quite as fit (fit being my subjective opinion). People are telling me that my shoulders and chest have definatly gotten smaller, as well as my arms, back, neck, forearms, ect. but who needs those things anyway…my swim times are about the same, ALL IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS!!!
I’m 5’6" and 145 lbs in the winter. This summer I actually dipped under 140 for Ironman LP and according to the Tanita machine, down to 5% bodyfat.
Early Season (around 144)
End of season (around 138):
I don’t want to post the pics from Boston Marathon in April cause I looked like a defensive back with a whole whack of extra upper body bulk from lifting and XC skiing in the winter (thus the blowup 3:18 time).
i think your scale is off. MOST triathletes underestimate their bodyfat percentage.
i’m 5’10". 158lbs.
i’m also solid muscle - you can even see the veins in my abs, i’m that lean.
and , i’m around 13% bodyfat - based on scientific methods (hydrostatic / bod pod).
I’m 5’11 and 138, and nobody tells me that except my wife. And that’s not because I LOOK too skinny, it’s because my pants always fall down and show my boxers.
5’11 and 138!? Now that’s SKINNY! 
5’11" usually weigh 160-165 during the racing season, about 170 in the winter.
im 5ft11, 179cms and 165 lbs (147 for racing), 75 kgs (67 kgs for racing)…yet people think i am skinny at the weight i am at now?
I freak people out with my size…105, 5’4" about 13% body fat (for a female that’s pretty low). I get remarks ALL the time and it sometimes takes all I got not to make smart retort back, especially to my fat, sedentary and unhealthy in laws.
Could you imagine if we told a fat guy, “geez you’re too heavy?” And it’s almost always these kinds of people that point out our body types to us. Man, don’t get me started…
But what does all this leanness (if there is such a word) get us?? Have you noticed a mark improvement in your times with the any decrease in weight? I have always heard the old rule “1lb = 1 second” as far as a marathon is concerned but is there a tri equivalent? Let me be honest I want to be fit but I want to improve. Heck I’ll say it I hope a combo of better fitness, less weight and a little better bike will get me to Hawaii!
I remember reading in a running book long ago that if people aren’t saying you look too skinny then you need to lose weight. From a strictly runner performance standpoint, maybe not as applicable to us buff triathletes.
6’1" 155lbs 10" arms, but I can run fast
Keith
“if people aren’t saying you look too skinny then you need to lose weight”
That’s interesting and probably true. Funny you mention us “buff” triathletes- sometimes I feel funny when I’m cycling or running; I feel like I’m too muscular in the upper body compared to “true” runners and cyclists. But then I go to the gym to strength train and I feel like the skinniest guy in the whole place. It’s all a matter of perspective.
Same thing with me, i have problems in the bike when my weight is too low. i feel absolutely miserable but then i can run really fast (for me). now i’m about 67kg 175cm tall, i believe that i cant go lower than this without losing bike power.
6’2" and 168lbs. I can fly if I’m at 165.
F#&* - It happened again today. Hunny Bunny said a lady came up to him at the club pool and asked him (in a not so friendly tone) “Why are you so skinny?” You all probably know how hard it was for him not to bark back “Why are you so Dumb? or Fat?”. Sheeeesh. I think he just turned and walked away from her.
Perhaps we as the ST forum should perform an interesting social experiment… for everytime one of us is asked why we are “skinny” we should ask why are you so fat? to the individual asking us. Sound good?
Report back with your findings.
6’1"/150 lbs/4.2% body fat/and a mean boner
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Shut up Mark, skinny guys like you get on my nerves…