Anyone else "skinny fat"?
paradi3s
Posts: 343 Member
I'm 5'4 and my weight fluctuates from 114-119. It's usually 115 lbs. But even then, my midsection's flabby, along with my upper arms! I just started eating at my maintenance level (1,800 calories), and doing cardio 3x a week. I'm trying to add in resistance training but have no idea where to start. I'm wondering if I'll still lose the fat and inches with just exercise or will I have to eat a bit less?
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Replies
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used to be.. now just fat fat
you are looking for body recomp which is achieved by lifting weights... many programs out there: StrongLifts, Starting Strength or New Rules of Lifting for Women...0 -
Weight room is your new friend.0
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thank you! i'm gonna check out some of those programs! :-)0
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good luck! There is a large group of women that lift weights on these forums... I recommend the group Eat, Train, Progress to aid you in the process between food and lifting 0
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You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
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WalkingAlong wrote: »You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
I guess it's really what I see in others that makes me more conscious with the way my body looks, which is one thing I would so love to change about myself. I'll just start resistance training and hopefully I get to firm up a bit, and lower my expectations because I know for sure I won't look like the girls in the magazine!0 -
You look terrific. Be nice to yourself! I have a teen daughter your height, about 10 lbs. heavier and she's tiny. I would be concerned if she was your weight and trying to get smaller but we're all different, and strength training is always a good thing, too! We all judge ourselves compared to others, too. It gets easier to focus on other things the older you get, and to be grateful for all we have physically and not always looking for what we lack. Good luck!0
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At this point you should be looking to gain muscle. That means the number on the scale will (gasp!) go up, but that's okay -- in fact, it's probably a good thing at your height and weight. You'll be healthier, stronger, more toned, and probably happier with what's in the mirror. Though be careful about holding yourself up to unrealistic or airbrushed standards of beauty, too -- what you see on others is always going to be different from the harsh light in which you view yourself.0
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I was much like you...for most of my life I was 5'6" and a steady 115-120 pounds at most. Then, in my late 30s and after my third baby, I got stuck in a tailspin of depression and dropped to only 100-105 of pure....not muscle. I was scary thin and still had a saggy, baggy tummy. (mostly skin that hadn't bounced back after pregnancies) Then, in 2 months time I weaned my youngest child, turned 40, and went on antidepressants. Gained almost 40 pounds in 8 weeks. Still not muscle.
I'm 45 now and have lost 10 pounds of fat and then started on New Rules of Lifting for Women. I love the way lifting heavy has made me feel and look (It's only been a few weeks, but one of the benefits of skinny fat is that results are visible at a very small level!) so much better. Want to lose another 10 pounds of fat, but I don't care if the numbers on the scale stay put, so long as the fat goes away and the muscle hangs around!
Lifting heavy will give you some of the aesthetic results you want, but more importantly, it will protect you from a very real future health risk that you face being a small-framed woman. Women with a slight bone structure and Asian or European ethnicity are at higher risk for bone loss as we age. I know it seems a long way off, but believe me, it sneaks up on you. Lifting weights is the best thing you can do for your future bone health!!!!0 -
I was much like you...for most of my life I was 5'6" and a steady 115-120 pounds at most. Then, in my late 30s and after my third baby, I got stuck in a tailspin of depression and dropped to only 100-105 of pure....not muscle. I was scary thin and still had a saggy, baggy tummy. (mostly skin that hadn't bounced back after pregnancies) Then, in 2 months time I weaned my youngest child, turned 40, and went on antidepressants. Gained almost 40 pounds in 8 weeks. Still not muscle.
I'm 45 now and have lost 10 pounds of fat and then started on New Rules of Lifting for Women. I love the way lifting heavy has made me feel and look (It's only been a few weeks, but one of the benefits of skinny fat is that results are visible at a very small level!) so much better. Want to lose another 10 pounds of fat, but I don't care if the numbers on the scale stay put, so long as the fat goes away and the muscle hangs around!
Lifting heavy will give you some of the aesthetic results you want, but more importantly, it will protect you from a very real future health risk that you face being a small-framed woman. Women with a slight bone structure and Asian or European ethnicity are at higher risk for bone loss as we age. I know it seems a long way off, but believe me, it sneaks up on you. Lifting weights is the best thing you can do for your future bone health!!!!
where is the like button 0 -
Amen.WalkingAlong wrote: »You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
I get what people mean when that say "skinny fat" - they mean that they don't have a lot of muscle. They want to be more toned, more lean, less soft-looking.
But the oxymoron is kind of disturbing, like if you're skinny without lots of muscle, "you're fat!" I'm sure that people who use it don't mean that, but it's kind of how it sounds.
It's baloney. You cannot be skinny and fat. Trust me! I wish! I can't be skinny while I'm fat and YOU can't be fat while you're skinny.
It's just a way for women who are thin to obsess more and convince themselves that they aren't good enough. Who started this crap?
If it's said by someone who says it to make you feel insecure so that you'll give them your money, let them find some other way to get money. Be smarter than them. You don't need to buy whatever they're selling. "Skinny is good enough. I don't need what you're selling. Bite me."
If it is said by someone who is just mean and trying to make you feel insecure, be smarter than them and leave them to their misery. "If I feel badly about myself, it won't make you feel better about yourself. You'll still be unhappy and have to go insult someone else and you'll still be unhappy with yourself. Bite me."
The general response to this skinny-fat business should be "Bite me" and not "Oh, no! I'm not good enough!"0 -
Amen.WalkingAlong wrote: »You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
I get what people mean when that say "skinny fat" - they mean that they don't have a lot of muscle. They want to be more toned, more lean, less soft-looking.
But the oxymoron is kind of disturbing, like if you're skinny without lots of muscle, "you're fat!" I'm sure that people who use it don't mean that, but it's kind of how it sounds.
It's baloney. You cannot be skinny and fat. Trust me! I wish! I can't be skinny while I'm fat and YOU can't be fat while you're skinny.
It's just a way for women who are thin to obsess more and convince themselves that they aren't good enough. Who started this crap?
If it's said by someone who says it to make you feel insecure so that you'll give them your money, let them find some other way to get money. Be smarter than them. You don't need to buy whatever they're selling. "Skinny is good enough. I don't need what you're selling. Bite me."
If it is said by someone who is just mean and trying to make you feel insecure, be smarter than them. "If I feel badly about myself, it won't make you feel better about yourself. You'll still be unhappy and have to go insult someone else and you'll still be unhappy with yourself. Bite me."
The general response to this skinny-fat business should be "Bite me" and not "Oh, no! I'm not good enough!"
Absolutely. Having the goal of putting on more muscle is an absolutely fine one, if that's what you want, do it! More power to you - lots of people here can give you very good advice. But I feel a bit like 'skinny fat' has become another way to make women feel bad about their bodies. Not every inch of you has to be firm as a rock. It's normal to have a bit of cellulite or some stretch marks. I'm not even going to say 'it's OK, everybody has flaws', because these are NORMAL features of a healthy body. They are not something to feel bad about in any way.
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I get what you're saying about the body-image thing, but the skinny-fat descriptor is actually very useful for those of us who need to reduce body fat but look small to the passing eye. Most thin women are no stranger to rude comments about their size, the "you don't need to eat light/work out/etc" comments, the "you must have an ED if you are small" comments the out and out "skinny *kitten*" bombs. Women in general are so conditioned to think that fat is the biggest evil ever and the one true reason to take care of ourselves. What's the main reason women don't lift heavy? "I don't want to get buuuuulky!" (Helpful hint, avoid illegal steroids. That's the only thing that's going to make you in to She-Hulk!)
And, I really disagree with this: "Skinny is good enough. I don't need what you're selling. Bite me."
Because "skinny" is not the be all and end all. Lots of skinny people want to build muscle, and women in particular are terrified of the dreaded "bulking up." Moving from "skinny-fat" to "skinny-strong" is just as worthy and valid a goal as "Fit at any size," which is also totally cool if that's how you choose to rock on with your own bad self.0 -
You should consider looking for an interval-style class. Many gyms have them. Some use free weights, other focus on exercises with only body weight. It can be a great way to learn some strength training basics and exercises. Plus its fun provided the instructor is a good fit for you.0
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Skinny-fat is a term that I hear more attached to men
Amen.WalkingAlong wrote: »You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
I get what people mean when that say "skinny fat" - they mean that they don't have a lot of muscle. They want to be more toned, more lean, less soft-looking.
But the oxymoron is kind of disturbing, like if you're skinny without lots of muscle, "you're fat!" I'm sure that people who use it don't mean that, but it's kind of how it sounds.
It's baloney. You cannot be skinny and fat. Trust me! I wish! I can't be skinny while I'm fat and YOU can't be fat while you're skinny.
It's just a way for women who are thin to obsess more and convince themselves that they aren't good enough. Who started this crap?
If it's said by someone who says it to make you feel insecure so that you'll give them your money, let them find some other way to get money. Be smarter than them. You don't need to buy whatever they're selling. "Skinny is good enough. I don't need what you're selling. Bite me."
If it is said by someone who is just mean and trying to make you feel insecure, be smarter than them. "If I feel badly about myself, it won't make you feel better about yourself. You'll still be unhappy and have to go insult someone else and you'll still be unhappy with yourself. Bite me."
The general response to this skinny-fat business should be "Bite me" and not "Oh, no! I'm not good enough!"
Absolutely. Having the goal of putting on more muscle is an absolutely fine one, if that's what you want, do it! More power to you - lots of people here can give you very good advice. But I feel a bit like 'skinny fat' has become another way to make women feel bad about their bodies. Not every inch of you has to be firm as a rock. It's normal to have a bit of cellulite or some stretch marks. I'm not even going to say 'it's OK, everybody has flaws', because these are NORMAL features of a healthy body. They are not something to feel bad about in any way.
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You look awesome!! You're already tiny so no need to eat less or lose weight by any means!! Love your body and don't expect it to look like a model's- a super model's OR a fitness model's.
In addition to getting to the gym for heavy lifting, any resistance/ strengthening exercises would help, including bodyweight exercises, or dumb bells.0 -
Skinny-fat is a term that I hear more attached to men
Amen.WalkingAlong wrote: »You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
I get what people mean when that say "skinny fat" - they mean that they don't have a lot of muscle. They want to be more toned, more lean, less soft-looking.
But the oxymoron is kind of disturbing, like if you're skinny without lots of muscle, "you're fat!" I'm sure that people who use it don't mean that, but it's kind of how it sounds.
It's baloney. You cannot be skinny and fat. Trust me! I wish! I can't be skinny while I'm fat and YOU can't be fat while you're skinny.
It's just a way for women who are thin to obsess more and convince themselves that they aren't good enough. Who started this crap?
If it's said by someone who says it to make you feel insecure so that you'll give them your money, let them find some other way to get money. Be smarter than them. You don't need to buy whatever they're selling. "Skinny is good enough. I don't need what you're selling. Bite me."
If it is said by someone who is just mean and trying to make you feel insecure, be smarter than them. "If I feel badly about myself, it won't make you feel better about yourself. You'll still be unhappy and have to go insult someone else and you'll still be unhappy with yourself. Bite me."
The general response to this skinny-fat business should be "Bite me" and not "Oh, no! I'm not good enough!"
Absolutely. Having the goal of putting on more muscle is an absolutely fine one, if that's what you want, do it! More power to you - lots of people here can give you very good advice. But I feel a bit like 'skinny fat' has become another way to make women feel bad about their bodies. Not every inch of you has to be firm as a rock. It's normal to have a bit of cellulite or some stretch marks. I'm not even going to say 'it's OK, everybody has flaws', because these are NORMAL features of a healthy body. They are not something to feel bad about in any way.
You might well be right there - I can only speak for my experience, and I'm probably a bit biased because I'm female 0 -
Skinny-fat is a term that I hear more attached to men
Amen.WalkingAlong wrote: »You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
I get what people mean when that say "skinny fat" - they mean that they don't have a lot of muscle. They want to be more toned, more lean, less soft-looking.
But the oxymoron is kind of disturbing, like if you're skinny without lots of muscle, "you're fat!" I'm sure that people who use it don't mean that, but it's kind of how it sounds.
It's baloney. You cannot be skinny and fat. Trust me! I wish! I can't be skinny while I'm fat and YOU can't be fat while you're skinny.
It's just a way for women who are thin to obsess more and convince themselves that they aren't good enough. Who started this crap?
If it's said by someone who says it to make you feel insecure so that you'll give them your money, let them find some other way to get money. Be smarter than them. You don't need to buy whatever they're selling. "Skinny is good enough. I don't need what you're selling. Bite me."
If it is said by someone who is just mean and trying to make you feel insecure, be smarter than them. "If I feel badly about myself, it won't make you feel better about yourself. You'll still be unhappy and have to go insult someone else and you'll still be unhappy with yourself. Bite me."
The general response to this skinny-fat business should be "Bite me" and not "Oh, no! I'm not good enough!"
Absolutely. Having the goal of putting on more muscle is an absolutely fine one, if that's what you want, do it! More power to you - lots of people here can give you very good advice. But I feel a bit like 'skinny fat' has become another way to make women feel bad about their bodies. Not every inch of you has to be firm as a rock. It's normal to have a bit of cellulite or some stretch marks. I'm not even going to say 'it's OK, everybody has flaws', because these are NORMAL features of a healthy body. They are not something to feel bad about in any way.
Nope I don't hear men use this.0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »
Skinny-fat is a term that I hear more attached to men
Amen.WalkingAlong wrote: »You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
I get what people mean when that say "skinny fat" - they mean that they don't have a lot of muscle. They want to be more toned, more lean, less soft-looking.
But the oxymoron is kind of disturbing, like if you're skinny without lots of muscle, "you're fat!" I'm sure that people who use it don't mean that, but it's kind of how it sounds.
It's baloney. You cannot be skinny and fat. Trust me! I wish! I can't be skinny while I'm fat and YOU can't be fat while you're skinny.
It's just a way for women who are thin to obsess more and convince themselves that they aren't good enough. Who started this crap?
If it's said by someone who says it to make you feel insecure so that you'll give them your money, let them find some other way to get money. Be smarter than them. You don't need to buy whatever they're selling. "Skinny is good enough. I don't need what you're selling. Bite me."
If it is said by someone who is just mean and trying to make you feel insecure, be smarter than them. "If I feel badly about myself, it won't make you feel better about yourself. You'll still be unhappy and have to go insult someone else and you'll still be unhappy with yourself. Bite me."
The general response to this skinny-fat business should be "Bite me" and not "Oh, no! I'm not good enough!"
Absolutely. Having the goal of putting on more muscle is an absolutely fine one, if that's what you want, do it! More power to you - lots of people here can give you very good advice. But I feel a bit like 'skinny fat' has become another way to make women feel bad about their bodies. Not every inch of you has to be firm as a rock. It's normal to have a bit of cellulite or some stretch marks. I'm not even going to say 'it's OK, everybody has flaws', because these are NORMAL features of a healthy body. They are not something to feel bad about in any way.
Nope I don't hear men use this.
Run a search on T-Nation or BB.com0 -
ckholland3 wrote: »You look awesome!! You're already tiny so no need to eat less or lose weight by any means!! Love your body and don't expect it to look like a model's- a super model's OR a fitness model's.
In addition to getting to the gym for heavy lifting, any resistance/ strengthening exercises would help, including bodyweight exercises, or dumb bells.
Just to add - I don't know why it is, but resistance work makes me FEEL better about my body, even though it may not have the same impact on how I look. I leave feeling pumped and strong and proud of myself. Other people might still see me as the same, but I feel super. This might help improve your body image before the physical results start to show.0 -
My stomach looks like a can of busted biscuits. Lol I'm focusing more on strength and less cardio. I still do cardio because I found I love running and want to get better at it.
I'm 5'2 and weigh 129-131
In time strength training will help pull it in and tone you up.0 -
Strength training.0
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yopeeps025 wrote: »
Skinny-fat is a term that I hear more attached to men
Amen.WalkingAlong wrote: »You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
I get what people mean when that say "skinny fat" - they mean that they don't have a lot of muscle. They want to be more toned, more lean, less soft-looking.
But the oxymoron is kind of disturbing, like if you're skinny without lots of muscle, "you're fat!" I'm sure that people who use it don't mean that, but it's kind of how it sounds.
It's baloney. You cannot be skinny and fat. Trust me! I wish! I can't be skinny while I'm fat and YOU can't be fat while you're skinny.
It's just a way for women who are thin to obsess more and convince themselves that they aren't good enough. Who started this crap?
If it's said by someone who says it to make you feel insecure so that you'll give them your money, let them find some other way to get money. Be smarter than them. You don't need to buy whatever they're selling. "Skinny is good enough. I don't need what you're selling. Bite me."
If it is said by someone who is just mean and trying to make you feel insecure, be smarter than them. "If I feel badly about myself, it won't make you feel better about yourself. You'll still be unhappy and have to go insult someone else and you'll still be unhappy with yourself. Bite me."
The general response to this skinny-fat business should be "Bite me" and not "Oh, no! I'm not good enough!"
Absolutely. Having the goal of putting on more muscle is an absolutely fine one, if that's what you want, do it! More power to you - lots of people here can give you very good advice. But I feel a bit like 'skinny fat' has become another way to make women feel bad about their bodies. Not every inch of you has to be firm as a rock. It's normal to have a bit of cellulite or some stretch marks. I'm not even going to say 'it's OK, everybody has flaws', because these are NORMAL features of a healthy body. They are not something to feel bad about in any way.
Nope I don't hear men use this.
Run a search on T-Nation or BB.com
I meant like I have never heard that said in real life.
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There is no possible way that you are skinny fat at 5'4" and 114 pounds.0
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The problem is that you can be at a low weight but have a high body fat % which means you have very little lean body mass. Which isn't good as we age.
My mother is only 100lbs- sometimes drops lower as she has a very small appetite. She did a full physical with body pod fat testing and she had 29% body fat.
She's been really making an effort to eat more and start weight training and has gained 2lbs since October.
I know this term is probably abused by some women but it is a legit corcern for many people who are thin but inactive. Lean body mass will help prevent osteoporosis and keep us mobile as we age.0 -
I'm 120, 5'6 with very little body fat to spare. Achieved through a combo of weights and cardio and good diet and lots and lots of patience.0
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if you have your settings to maintain, you may want to change them back to where you're losing a half a pound a week. Yes you should work out in the weight room to help tone up, but if you have the skinny fat issue that still means you have some fat to lose.0
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yopeeps025 wrote: »
Skinny-fat is a term that I hear more attached to men
Amen.WalkingAlong wrote: »You're very young and small. Please be aware that a healthy woman has some fat and doesn't look like the tv stars or models or have washboard abs. You just lost a lot of weight? Your skin is probably still catching up. I hate to see young girls paste that 'skinny fat' label on themselves and aim for sub-20 BMIs.
I get what people mean when that say "skinny fat" - they mean that they don't have a lot of muscle. They want to be more toned, more lean, less soft-looking.
But the oxymoron is kind of disturbing, like if you're skinny without lots of muscle, "you're fat!" I'm sure that people who use it don't mean that, but it's kind of how it sounds.
It's baloney. You cannot be skinny and fat. Trust me! I wish! I can't be skinny while I'm fat and YOU can't be fat while you're skinny.
It's just a way for women who are thin to obsess more and convince themselves that they aren't good enough. Who started this crap?
If it's said by someone who says it to make you feel insecure so that you'll give them your money, let them find some other way to get money. Be smarter than them. You don't need to buy whatever they're selling. "Skinny is good enough. I don't need what you're selling. Bite me."
If it is said by someone who is just mean and trying to make you feel insecure, be smarter than them. "If I feel badly about myself, it won't make you feel better about yourself. You'll still be unhappy and have to go insult someone else and you'll still be unhappy with yourself. Bite me."
The general response to this skinny-fat business should be "Bite me" and not "Oh, no! I'm not good enough!"
Absolutely. Having the goal of putting on more muscle is an absolutely fine one, if that's what you want, do it! More power to you - lots of people here can give you very good advice. But I feel a bit like 'skinny fat' has become another way to make women feel bad about their bodies. Not every inch of you has to be firm as a rock. It's normal to have a bit of cellulite or some stretch marks. I'm not even going to say 'it's OK, everybody has flaws', because these are NORMAL features of a healthy body. They are not something to feel bad about in any way.
Nope I don't hear men use this.
Not sure where you've been then. I remember when the whole idea of "skinny fat" was becoming popularized. It applied mainly to:
A. People who were normal weight but with high body fat percentages.
B. Men.
It was used heavily on bodybuilding circles to describe a body, typically male, who was not clinically obese or even overweight, but had a flabby, out of shape appearance.
Overtime it seems more women appropriated it and the definition has now expanded to include any "skinny" person who isn't ultra lean, with cut, visible muscle. So you now see it absurdly applied to people who don't even have a high BF percentage, but just don't have a lot of visible lean mass. I'm seeing just regular old "skinny" people calling themselves, or being labeled, as "skinny fat".
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Also, people on this thread appear to be confusing lean body mass and bone density, which are not the same thing at all.0
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Skinny-fat is a term that I hear more attached to menNope I don't hear men use this.
I used it because my doctor used it with me. He was right. My body fat wasn't where it was supposed to be even though I wasn't extremely heavy when compared to others.
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