According to a recent study that was circulating through several major news sources a few months ago, Men and Women have different perceptions of the perfectly sculpted male body.
The men interviewed thought they looked good (on average) at 20 to 30 pounds heavier than what the average female found attractive.
And while most men liked to have big biceps and or chests, they found that most women weren't attracted to those aspects of a man's physique as much as they were to buns and abs.
Not to say I haven't heard the "...you're getting too big" thing either. But it's just something to think about when you're letting your abs slide so that you can get concentrate on getting another plate on your maximum bench.