Everyone is telling me I look too skinny ??

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Replies

  • ddddddddBatman
    ddddddddBatman Posts: 12 Member
    astrose00 wrote: »
    You're not going to get rid of your stomach (unless you are going for the emaciated look) without resitance training which will lower your bodyfat% and increase your lean muscle mass.

    Surely eventually I would lose the stomach if I carried on losing weight? If not why not? I don't get it. :-/
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
    At 6'5" and ~170 lbs I'm not too surprised that people seem concerned. It's important to remember that BMI is a RANGE, and your ideal could fall anywhere on that spectrum. I would be careful of getting too caught up in trying to be on the lower range because you think it's healthier. You likely have lost a decent amount of muscle mass and probably have a slightly higher fat % than you'd like, which would explain some of your concerns about your stomach. If I were you, I'd look in to switching to build some muscle. That will help tighten your core, give you some mass, and look more balanced. Adding muscle will also increase your BMR.

    My dad is 6'4" and his lowest weight following loss was also about 170. He definitely looked very thin, and found that doing some lifting helped him feel better rounded. He's put on about 10-15 lbs in muscle and some fat since and says he feels better too.

    While I definitely think people tend to project insecurities in their comments and don't always recognize a healthy weight when they see it, I wouldn't trust BMI as the end-all to your ideal.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    BMI is a guideline and totally does not take into consideration extra muscle mass. If you are on the low end of BMI, then you should definitely start to consider weight training and even gaining some additional muscle mass. Athletes with very low Body fat % but lots of lean muscle can be considered overweight by the BMI charts. So just take BMI charts with a grain of salt.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    ddddddddBatman wrote: »
    I tried weight lifting at the gym but it's not for me to be honest. It's too boring and I'm not the 'body builder' type....

    Well, I'm certainly not the "body builder" type, but lifting heavy has dramatically changed my body shape. It can be boring if you aren't challenging yourself, tracking your progress, and constantly setting new goals. Find a program or a trainer to help you get started. Be consistent and give it some time. I think that once you see the results you'll start loving it!

    This...some programs take all of 15mins (Wendler 5/3/1 esp at the start). I am not a bodybuilder either but still lift heavy things to ensure I don't lose muscle and maintain what I have.

    Here I am at 145lbs wearing a size 4...at 5 ft 7...people do not believe it.
  • astrose00
    astrose00 Posts: 754 Member
    edited January 2015
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    ddddddddBatman wrote: »
    I tried weight lifting at the gym but it's not for me to be honest. It's too boring and I'm not the 'body builder' type....

    Well, I'm certainly not the "body builder" type, but lifting heavy has dramatically changed my body shape. It can be boring if you aren't challenging yourself, tracking your progress, and constantly setting new goals. Find a program or a trainer to help you get started. Be consistent and give it some time. I think that once you see the results you'll start loving it!

    This...some programs take all of 15mins (Wendler 5/3/1 esp at the start). I am not a bodybuilder either but still lift heavy things to ensure I don't lose muscle and maintain what I have.

    Here I am at 145lbs wearing a size 4...at 5 ft 7...people do not believe it.

    I believe it. I have seen people at 145 (who don't lift weights) who look closer to 180lbs to me. At 155lbs (before I gained weight) I was in a size 8 and some size 6's. I also lift weights. I'm 5'8".
  • astrose00
    astrose00 Posts: 754 Member
    ddddddddBatman wrote: »
    astrose00 wrote: »
    You're not going to get rid of your stomach (unless you are going for the emaciated look) without resitance training which will lower your bodyfat% and increase your lean muscle mass.

    Surely eventually I would lose the stomach if I carried on losing weight? If not why not? I don't get it. :-/

    Are you reading what people are saying to you? Please research skinny fat and look at photos to understand what is being said to you. I'm done.
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    Here you go - a non-gym programme that should help as well: nerdfitness beginner bodyweight exercises
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    And p.s. I even had a tummy when I had my eating disorder - it's just the area where I keep my weight until the very end.
  • anorciia
    anorciia Posts: 4 Member
    I agree with adding muscle. Pull-up, learn to squat, deadlift, bench press of some kind, and over head press for your main lifts. Anything else is just accessory. If you have never lifted, you will get amazing results your first year if you eat enough, challenge yourself enough, and stay consistent. Getting broader shoulders, some lat spread, and muscular legs will go a long way to looking more "fit". Skinny fat sux.

    Definitely track your lifting program- that which is not measured is not improved.
    There are a bunch of programs for free online or for very low cost. Feel free to reach out for recommendations.
  • ddddddddBatman
    ddddddddBatman Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. It is hard for me because I'm having a lot of emotional problems at the moment and I don't feel really up to exercising much. I also feel very weak generally.
    Will cycling help on the stomach because once the weather gets a bit nicer I think I will get the bike out.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    Cycling is just another cardio exercise. Weights are resistance based, but can be body weight such as push ups, squats, pull ups.

    Weight training will not pump your heart rate especially high (maybe a little higher than resting), but you will definitely be sweating if you're doing it right.
  • mom3over40
    mom3over40 Posts: 253 Member
    ddddddddBatman wrote: »
    Surely eventually I would lose the stomach if I carried on losing weight? If not why not? I don't get it. :-/

    The thing is, you will continue to lose from other parts of your body too. I don't know about you, I want to lose weight to be healthy and look better. As I reached my goal weight, I still had an unhealthy waist-to-hip ratio. Then, I looked at the rate I was losing inches off my waist and hip, I figured that I would still have an unhealthy waist-to-hip ratio even after my weight dropped below healthy BMI. That's when I get more serious about strength training. If weight lifting is too boring for you, have you looked into body weight exercises like You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren? I have started Body By You, the women beginner version from the same author. There is more variations in terms of kinds of exercises. And you can do it at home.

    In the other replies you mentioned that you have emotion problems? The first thing I found out that exercising truly brings my mood up. I was a couch potatoes and moody. In the beginning, I was only using those 5-minute programs, 7-minutes programs. But now, I am running 3 times a week, following the Body By You another 3 days a week. Sometimes, I even fit in a swim or two. Just start small, you may be surprised by what you end up doing!

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