Are there any other thin girls who have an insanely high BF%?

katiem555

I'm 20 years old, 110lbs (naturally - I've tried gaining weight and I do eat pretty healthily) and have an incredibly high BF%. I don't have the figures at hand, but I literally am all fat, there mustn't be a single pound of muscle on my body and I look at least 10lbs larger than I am because of it. My diet is probably disproportionately high in carbs and low in protein, and this is likely to be a huge contributor. There are, however, girls my age who binge drink 3 and 4 times a week, eat like *kitten*, and still have a lower BF% than me. I know what I need to do to reduce my BF% (more strength training, cardio, and protein), and I know that my BF% is exacerbated by my diet, but what I'm asking is are there any other thin girls on MFP who also have a naturally very high BF%? Just wanna know that I'm not alone...

I'm what you'd call "skinny fat" (muscle-less weed), and I've no doubt that with the right diet and exercise I can rectify this, but I'll definitely have to work harder than most to do so - my body just seems to love storing every last pound of my weight as fat. I'm considering a month or so of ketosis as an experiment.

malibu927

Lift heavy and eat at maintenance or even a slight surplus. How tall are you?

crazyjerseygirl

Try lifting instead?
What do you consider a high percentage?

lemurcat12

How are you measuring your body fat?

Also, how tall are you?

katiem555

malibu927 wrote: »

Lift heavy and eat at maintenance or even a slight surplus. How tall are you?

Thanks, you're right and I'll try that out. I'm not really concerned about how to lower my BF% though, I was just wanting to know if there are any other people who have the same body type as me. Seems unfair :-(

I'm 5'5"

TavistockToad

katiem555 wrote: »

I'm 20 years old, 110lbs (naturally - I've tried gaining weight and I do eat pretty healthily) and have an incredibly high BF%. I don't have the figures at hand, but I literally am all fat, there mustn't be a single pound of muscle on my body and I look at least 10lbs larger than I am because of it. My diet is probably disproportionately high in carbs and low in protein, and this is likely to be a huge contributor. There are, however, girls my age who binge drink 3 and 4 times a week, eat like *kitten*, and still have a lower BF% than me. I know what I need to do to reduce my BF% (more strength training, cardio, and protein), and I know that my BF% is exacerbated by my diet, but what I'm asking is are there any other thin girls on MFP who also have a naturally very high BF%? Just wanna know that I'm not alone...

I'm what you'd call "skinny fat" (muscle-less weed), and I've no doubt that with the right diet and exercise I can rectify this, but I'll definitely have to work harder than most to do so - my body just seems to love storing every last pound of my weight as fat. I'm considering a month or so of ketosis as an experiment.

Your actual bodyfat % would be useful... You are not LITERALLY all fat.

katiem555

crazyjerseygirl wrote: »

Try lifting instead?
What do you consider a high percentage?

lemurcat12 wrote: »

How are you measuring your body fat?

Also, how tall are you?

I haven't measured my BF%, scales and calculators are too inefficient to bother with and I don't have the money or means to be tested professionally. I could try calipers but I haven't gotten round to that yet. I'm not going so much on percentages as I am just looks. My body is ridiculously soft and my stomach has never been remotely flat, I've got friends who eat terribly and weigh a lot more than me who are much, much leaner and have relatively flat stomachs.

Ttresnjak

A friend of mine from college was in that same situation. It's not uncommon at all, but I think a lot of people are unaware of it since they're light enough so they don't think about it. She spent a few years struggling with it and doing excessive cardio which actually seemed to make things worse before she tried the diet and training routine from The New Rules of Lifting for Women. That seemed to work for her pretty well.

katiem555

@TavistockToad No, I'm not literally all fat, I was using literally figuratively for effect. I suppose there isn't much stock in my claims without a measurement, but I don't have one because I don't know how to use calipers and I'm far too self conscious to get measured at a gym. I suppose you'll have to take my word, I'm just going on what I look like really.

I_Will_End_You

I highly doubt that at 5'5 110lbs you have a high body fat percentage, much less "insanely high".

katiem555

@Ttresnjak Thank you! You may have just deterred me from going the cardio route, I'll definitely look into that.

maidentl

I think it's unlikely that you have an underweight BMI but a high body fat percentage.

katiem555

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

I highly doubt that at 5'5 110lbs you have a high body fat percentage, much less "insanely high".

@I_Will_End_You Why? If I don't have much muscle then it follows that I must have a disproportionate amount of fat. My body has to be made of up something, and it isn't muscle.

katiem555

@maidentl As above.

branflakes1980

katiem555 wrote: »

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

I highly doubt that at 5'5 110lbs you have a high body fat percentage, much less "insanely high".

@I_Will_End_You Why? If I don't have much muscle then it follows that I must have a disproportionate amount of fat. My body has to be made of up something, and it isn't muscle.

Bones, tissue, water, there are an abundant amount of things your body is made up of. Did I miss is where you said what this "insanely high" body fat percentage is?

more_productive

branflakes1980 wrote: »

katiem555 wrote: »

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

I highly doubt that at 5'5 110lbs you have a high body fat percentage, much less "insanely high".

@I_Will_End_You Why? If I don't have much muscle then it follows that I must have a disproportionate amount of fat. My body has to be made of up something, and it isn't muscle.

Bones, tissue, water, there are an abundant amount of things your body is made up of. Did I miss is where you said what this "insanely high" body fat percentage is?

Is there really any need to be so arsey? You really don't need to talk to her like an idiot, she's just trying to ask a question.
I'm fairly certain she's not mistaking any of her fat/muscle for fat or water.

And I'm pretty sure 'tissue' is made up of fat and muscle

katiem555

@branflakes1980 water, sinew, muscle, and bone can't really be mistaken for fat. I'm not looking at a bloated stomach and complaining that it's fatty, I can grab said fat. And if there is any muscle underneath it, it's well hidden. I understand that it's not common to have a high Bf% at my weight, but I do.
As I said, I haven't measured it so you'll have to take my word, I suppose.

noaddedsugarx

I know what you're saying. My BMI is more towards the lower end of the healthy range for my height and I am ridiculously flabby around my middle section. I have a buddha belly haha.. It's a nightmare to shift and I think I'm having to work harder than I think others would. I've seen people the same height as me who are 10lbs+ heavier and they look much slimmer. Some of it is down to genetics though as every woman in my family is prone to carrying weight in their belly area with skinny arms and legs!

BWBTrish

more_productive wrote: »

branflakes1980 wrote: »

katiem555 wrote: »

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

I highly doubt that at 5'5 110lbs you have a high body fat percentage, much less "insanely high".

@I_Will_End_You Why? If I don't have much muscle then it follows that I must have a disproportionate amount of fat. My body has to be made of up something, and it isn't muscle.

Bones, tissue, water, there are an abundant amount of things your body is made up of. Did I miss is where you said what this "insanely high" body fat percentage is?

Is there really any need to be so arsey? You really don't need to talk to her like an idiot, she's just trying to ask a question.
I'm fairly certain she's not mistaking any of her fat/muscle for fat or water.

And I'm pretty sure 'tissue' is made up of fat and muscle

well to be honest 5.5" and 110 pounds ( which is underweight and no, i am not attack the OP she says after all she tries to eat as much as she can) but yeah it rings some bells
Specially when she says insanely much BF%

When underweight i ask myself were that fat is.

Timorous_Beastie

At your age, height and weight, I had very low lean mass, but I was still really tiny, because ... 5'5 and 110 pounds IS tiny.

Are you sure you're actually seeing yourself the way you really look?

lemurcat12

katiem555 wrote: »

@TavistockToad No, I'm not literally all fat, I was using literally figuratively for effect. I suppose there isn't much stock in my claims without a measurement, but I don't have one because I don't know how to use calipers and I'm far too self conscious to get measured at a gym. I suppose you'll have to take my word, I'm just going on what I look like really.

It sounds like you may have a distorted image of yourself, which is not uncommon.

Working on building some muscle isn't a bad idea and might result in you feeling better about your body, although I think it's extremely unlikely your BF% is high at 110 and 5'5, so you might want to consider getting measured or talking to someone.

Hornsby

Could the OP post a picture?

Francl27

Post a picture? It sounds to me like you have some self image issues, I can't imagine how you would have any fat being 110 pounds at 5'5".

I suggest getting help.

jemhh

You are undermuscled for sure but whether or not you are overfat is yet to be determined since you don't know your body fat percentage.

A lot of young women seem to think that they are overly fat and when they post a picture of their pooched out stomach it's more a matter of having very little muscle than a lot of fat.

katiem555

noaddedsugarx wrote: »

I know what you're saying. My BMI is more towards the lower end of the healthy range for my height and I am ridiculously flabby around my middle section. I have a buddha belly haha.. It's a nightmare to shift and I think I'm having to work harder than I think others would. I've seen people the same height as me who are 10lbs+ heavier and they look much slimmer. Some of it is down to genetics though as every woman in my family is prone to carrying weight in their belly area with skinny arms and legs!

@noaddedsugarx Thank you! I'm exactly the same. My mother has the same kind of body as me, too. You've made me feel a bit better. It does feel unfair but I suppose the extra work will at least benefit our health. Still rather eat my weight in carbs and have a flat stomach though... We'll get there!

more_productive

TheOwlhouseDesigns wrote: »

more_productive wrote: »

branflakes1980 wrote: »

katiem555 wrote: »

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

I highly doubt that at 5'5 110lbs you have a high body fat percentage, much less "insanely high".

@I_Will_End_You Why? If I don't have much muscle then it follows that I must have a disproportionate amount of fat. My body has to be made of up something, and it isn't muscle.

Bones, tissue, water, there are an abundant amount of things your body is made up of. Did I miss is where you said what this "insanely high" body fat percentage is?

Is there really any need to be so arsey? You really don't need to talk to her like an idiot, she's just trying to ask a question.
I'm fairly certain she's not mistaking any of her fat/muscle for fat or water.

And I'm pretty sure 'tissue' is made up of fat and muscle

well to be honest 5.5" and 110 pounds ( which is underweight and no, i am not attack the OP she says after all she tries to eat as much as she can) but yeah it rings some bells
Specially when she says insanely much BF%

When underweight i ask myself were that fat is.

"When underweight I ask myself were that fat is"
That literally makes no sense, I think you need to have a little read up on body composition and come back when you can give an informed, helpful response.

katiem555

I don't think I have image issues... I'm pretty comfortable with my body and the way it looks. I'd like to be leaner and it's something I'm working towards, but I'm not trying to say that I'm fat, that I feel fat, or that I look fat. I'm just saying that I have very little muscle and as such, a high proportion of fat - relative to my weight. This really isn't unheard of or grounds to suggest I have a image issues (though I appreciate the concern), it's what happens to elderly people. Is it really that unbelievable that I could just be genetically prone to storing a lot more fat than I do muscle?

Even if it weren't, I could be 80 pounds and I'd have an insanely high Bf% if I did no exercise, ate next to no protein, and stuffed myself with carbs nightly. My weight really isn't that big a factor here

jemhh

katiem555 wrote: »

I don't think I have image issues... I'm pretty comfortable with my body and the way it looks. I'd like to be leaner and it's something I'm working towards, but I'm not trying to say that I'm fat, that I feel fat, or that I look fat. I'm just saying that I have very little muscle and as such, a high proportion of fat - relative to my weight. This really isn't unheard of or grounds to suggest I have a image issues (though I appreciate the concern), it's what happens to elderly people. Is it really that unbelievable that I could just be genetically prone to storing a lot more fat than I do muscle?

Even if it weren't, I could be 80 pounds and I'd have an insanely high Bf% if I did no exercise, ate next to no protein, and stuffed myself with carbs nightly. My weight really isn't that big a factor here

We all want to be special but it doesn't mean we are. The odds of you being genetically more prone to to storing more fat than muscle is low. The odds of you having little muscle because you've done nothing to build and maintain muscle are high.

katiem555

I understand that a picture would be useful, but I'm not really comfortable with posting pictures of myself to the internet. Thanks for trying to help though :-)

katiem555

@jemhh I don't think suggesting that I'm naturally flabby constitutes being a special snowflake

How do you know the odds of that particular genetic predisposition? Or are you just speculating? That's like saying "the odds of you being genetically prone to storing more fat on your stomach than on your thighs is low" - is it? Or is it just one of the many million things determined by one's genes?
You are right though, as I've already said (twice) diet and exercise would most definintely help. I recognise that. I still maintain that most of my friends are a good deal heavier than me with much poorer diets, and are leaner.

Hornsby

You could leave your face out of the photo...