I'm skinny, with high body fat %
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Ps-sorry, I didn't mean to quote. I'm still getting the hang of this app.0
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hmm honestly I would just stay at maintenance or ~200cals below, get ur macros in order and do something like p90x or insanity at this point. Think you'll get the best results since u probably have low muscle mass. A program like one of those will wake things up in ur body and give u some muscle "tone" and initial definition. Then based on your goals u can move from there. Good luck!!0
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Folks, PLEASE stay on topic in a thread. You are more than welcome to start your own thread to discuss the merits of whatever. But in THIS thread, lets try to answer OPs question and discuss her options.
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davis_em0 -
Yeah OP, dexascan or Bod Pod are really the only way to get an accurate BF% reading, and even those only promise accuracy within 1%. Don't get too discouraged.
Its typically more productive to lose fat at higher BF%, and to try to build muscle in a lower BF% (this is called the P-ratio). I would say you should try to shred some weight since that is always faster than building muscle, it will help you with the motivation aspect of your training. You will see changes in just a couple weeks vs the months it takes to build muscle. Get down to an optimal BF zone for building muscle (for women, this would be sub 20% BF) and then start eating at a small surplus to gain muscle. That would help maximize the effectiveness of your time.0 -
You want to lose belly fat and have a nice flat toned mid section? We see that a lot on this site. Hell, that was my goal for my birthday last year. We all want to be able to take our shirt off at the pool or beach and look great, but how do we do it?
1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.
2. Strength training. If you want that toned mid section look you have to put some muscle there. If you just want a nice flat stomach muscle will still help it look tight. You can begin with Strong Lifts, a hypertrophy routine or a strength program from bodybuilding.com (free!). One that includes compound lifts like deadlift, squat, bench press and pull ups will help. Work on increasing the amount of weight you use. When the weight gets heavier you engage your core more and it builds the muscle.
3. Muscle insurance. There are a variety of studies done on the amount of protein the body needs. I like to think of higher protein as muscle insurance. My suggestion is about 1gram of protein per pound of lean mass. Make sure to get fat in your diet to help joints and metabolic processes. Make sure to get carbs in your diet to fuel workouts.
4. Cardio. I like cardio once or twice a week for 30 minutes. It's good for the heart and lungs. It doesn't add much to the calorie burn for the week, but it helps even things out in case you haven't been completely accurate weighing food.
5. Patience! It is not going to happen overnight. If you stick with it you could lose around 1% body fat a month. We aren't going to be perfect all the time. Enjoy birthdays and holidays. It is life and things will happen. Don't stress, learn to love the process.
FINALLY: Losing fat is like trying to dry out a sponge. You can't dry a corner while the rest of it is still wet. You won't magically lose belly fat or thigh fat or any other fat. It will come off where it wants to. Keep working at it! It is possible!
^this0 -
Don't worry about what others think of you on this forum. What matters is what you think of yourself and it sounds like a diet and daily exercise would be good for you. Most people would suggest lifting, but do what you enjoy whether that's running, basketball, soccer,... Some lifting would help. Don't worry about "skinny fat."0
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feminist42 wrote: »Don't worry about what others think of you on this forum. What matters is what you think of yourself and it sounds like a diet and daily exercise would be good for you. Most people would suggest lifting, but do what you enjoy whether that's running, basketball, soccer,... Some lifting would help. Don't worry about "skinny fat."
OP is calling herself skinny fat.
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yopeeps025 wrote: »feminist42 wrote: »Don't worry about what others think of you on this forum. What matters is what you think of yourself and it sounds like a diet and daily exercise would be good for you. Most people would suggest lifting, but do what you enjoy whether that's running, basketball, soccer,... Some lifting would help. Don't worry about "skinny fat."
OP is calling herself skinny fat.
OP can call herself what she wants. It doesn't make it okay for others. She sounds like she is in fine shape and should just find an activity she enjoys. Motivation only lasts a limited time when you don't enjoy what you do.0 -
Can we please keep this on topic. If people dont like a phrase start a thread about it elsewhere.0
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jenglish712 wrote: »Can we please keep this on topic. If people dont like a phrase start a thread about it elsewhere.
That works Jenglish. Thanks for the heads up. MrM27, she asked to take it somewhere else so feel free to make a thread about it.0 -
feminist42 wrote: »jenglish712 wrote: »Can we please keep this on topic. If people dont like a phrase start a thread about it elsewhere.
That works Jenglish. Thanks for the heads up. MrM27, she asked to take it somewhere else so feel free to make a thread about it.
yea MR..make a thread about it…do it, do it, DO IT!!!!!0 -
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feminist42 wrote: »jenglish712 wrote: »Can we please keep this on topic. If people dont like a phrase start a thread about it elsewhere.
That works Jenglish. Thanks for the heads up. MrM27, she asked to take it somewhere else so feel free to make a thread about it.
So is that the reason you flagged my post as abuse?
because feminist?0 -
feminist42 wrote: »jenglish712 wrote: »Can we please keep this on topic. If people dont like a phrase start a thread about it elsewhere.
That works Jenglish. Thanks for the heads up. MrM27, she asked to take it somewhere else so feel free to make a thread about it.
So is that the reason you flagged my post as abuse?
because feminist?
What?0 -
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holly55555 wrote: »Hi, I'm skinny fat, too! People don't realize that your bf % is what percentage of your current weight is fat. So while your weight may be low, you have too much fat content. I'm in the same boat! I'm about 25% body fat trying to get down to 18%, but I'm 5'8 and weigh 133. I started at 32% which is technically considered OBESE. My starting weight was 142. I'm definitely not obese, but my body fat was at an unhealthy level.
You should eat at a deficit because you are still losing fat. Not a huge deficit, because you don't have a lot to lose, so it will be slow runnings. 1 lb a week or even .5 lb. Mine is set to 1 lb, but I'm losing 1 lb maybe every 10 days. Up your protein intake. You also need to weight train to build muscle. So you may not lose #s on the scale, but your body comp will change. You may even gain weight from lifting. Go off your measurements instead of the scale! Again, body fat % is what percentage of your current weight is fat. The scale isn't really a factor here.
"You don't have a lot to lose." At a BMI of 18.9, this girl has nothing to lose. I would also question a body fat percentage of 28% for someone who is 112 lbs. and is physically active. I'm at 31%, 56 years old, weigh 121, and am 5'1.5". As you can see, I have a very curvy body. There's no way a very thin, taller, active young girl who weighs 10 lbs. less can have a BF% only 3 points below and less muscle mass than that of a mature, moderately active woman. As other posters have said, eat at maintenance or a little above, and do more lifting. She might even think about substituting lifting for one of the cardio days.
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jenglish712 wrote: »dakotababy wrote: »My plan will be to get down to about 10lbs below a weight I would be happy with, and then focus on lifting weights and increasing my calories to maintenance or more. I have a hunch this will end up being a lot of trail and error.
Don't wait to lift. It is far easier to preserve muscle than to build it. Many folks on here find at the end of a long diet and cardio regimen that they have a smaller version of their previous body not the body they thought was underneath the fat.
This!!!! I started at 140 lbs last year and through counting calories religiously and cardio (Insanity, T25, Jillian Michaels) I got to my goal of 115 lbs in less than a year. But I was skinny fat, and still not happy. I upped my calories and hired a personal trainer and am now lifting weights. I can see more difference in my body in 3 weeks of lifting than all of last year. I am not considering last year a waste b/c I was able to realize how I can control my eating habits and learn to love to exercise, but hit the weights. There is no avoiding it to let that lean look.0 -
PurpleYFronts wrote: »I mean where do you start with this? Go and speak to a doctor about where you are at, your weight and where you need to be. Then go and speak to a psychoanalyst about how sometimes a person's perception of themselves is so utterly skewed they destroy themselves in the pursuit of something they will never achieve because there's always 'just a bit further' to go.
I don't think that's necessary...This is common issue with "skinny" people, it's called skinny fat, it's a real thing that exists, so I wouldn't say this has to do with a Psych problem. OP, I sent you a private message to help answer your questions.
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I've met many skinny fat women. They look great in clothes but are not healthy on the inside. Some are blessed with genes to stay at a lower weight but with little or no activity they end up having a higher bodyfat %. Some just have bad eating habit.
The first step is strength training and only walking as cardio. Lower carb intake and increase healthy fat. Let the protein fall where it falls. I know a lot people will preach "eat X amount for your lean body mass" but unless you are doing some serious strength training you should focus on other aspect. Good luck. By the way if you are measure using BIA (where you hold the handles of a device) the reading will have a 2-6% fluctuations. The calipers is the more accurate but you need somebody who is good at it.
I recommend a DEXA that way you can check your bone density as well or hydrostatic. (you are suspended in water)
Where I'm at in Northern California, those services are very common. DEXA is $80-$90 and hydrostatic is $50-$60. I think they are worth it so you have an accurate starting point.0 -
Since your BMI is low, as well as your lbm, I would think that you need to eat slightly above maintenance and lift. This is really the only way to build any muscle. You can always cut after you gain some muscle, if there is too much fat gain for your liking. Keep your protein levels up, as well. Good luck. It is hard, mentally, to bulk, after trying to lose weight, but definitely worth it when you see your muscle gains:)0
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