New to maintenance - Need help w/ continued fat loss

ghartleroad1

Greetings all! Today is my 1 year anniversary on MFP! So to cut to the chase, here's where I am:

Female
5'7"
123lbs
BMI: 19.1
Body Fat: 27.5%
Daily calorie goal: 1250
Exercise: 3-5x/week consisting of alternating workouts of 1) self-developed walking/jogging &/or HIIT workouts and 2) Total Body Tone weight based class using 8-10lb free weights or the 15lb bar. Typically burn 300-400cals, but only eat back 100-200cal.

My plan was to get down to 117 (underweight BMI) just to see if I could do it and then come back to exactly where I am now. However, over the course of the last couple of weeks both my MD & dietitian told me to stop, or even gain! What?! I'm told <30% body fat starts to mess with monthly cycle, bone loss, etc. However, I see piles of women on here at 15-20% body fat. Help me understand how to do this and be healthy.

I've come to the fast conclusion I'm "skinny fat". Was always thin though college. Both parents are apple-shaped, so even now I have some "belly jelly". I HATE it. I know one of my problems is nutrition as my protein is always hovering around 15% while my carbs are 45-50% & fat 35-40%. Fearful of upping protein will up overall calories & fat. My BMR is 1206 and a website showed me TDEE is 2015?

So this morning I came to this forum and started reading all about body recomposition, upping my calories, and seriously weight training, but I honestly don't know where to start. I read about Stronglifts, but I doubt I can even lift the bar at this point! And yes, I'm one of those women afraid of going into the "gunting Hulk" section of the gym.

I know a guy who is a serious weightlifter (benches 400lbs), but am too embarrassed by my scrawny chicken arms to have him introduce all this to me, on top of which I'm scared of injuring myself.

Any/all nutrition & workout help is appreciated.

FitStrongHealthy

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat#latest

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308750/so-you-want-to-start-lifting-great/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1169757/i-am-the-woman-in-the-freeweights-section-of-the-gym/p1

If you haven't read these threads yet, you should. They are all good reads and very helpful.

Good Luck.

SezxyStef

Start with setting realistic calorie goals and logging accurately and consistently.

Get a food scale and start weighing solids and use measuring cups/spoons for liquids to find out how much you are really eating.

We are the same age and height.....I weigh 149 and eat gross 1800 calories a day and lose weight. I would never dream of going below 130 myself...but I do lift heavy.

As for how to get rid of "skinny fat". Start a progressive load lifting program such as Strong lifts or New rules of lifting for women. Find a "standard" bar that is 20lbs instead of an olympic one that is 45lbs.

get over your fear of the weight section of the gym, find a good PT to show you how to do the lifts.

I personally started with body weight exercises and moved to SL after 2months of progressing in strength with body weight (added dumb bells etc)

oh and read those links above.

belinda_73

I am not sure if you are for real on wanting to be thinner, you are very thin now if your numbers are correct. You may want to get your body percent checked again using an accurate method.

blankiefinder

I am 5'7 and 132 pounds, and I am definitely skinny fat, lots of fat around the mid section. I could easily lose quite a few pounds just from there. Unfortunately, that's not where my body wants to lose it from

I was attempting a recomposition, had to pause due to an injury. The way I worked around the too heavy Olympic bar was that our gym has pre-weighted bars in 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and up. I started with the 25 on my dead lifts, and worked my way up to the 40 before I had to stop due to an injury (an old injury that flared up).

Dead lift bars are normally raised up by the weights at the end, so if you are doing it with just a bar, or with smaller weights at the end, make a platform out of a couple step bases, so you don't hurt yourself.


(the outer ovals are the weights at end, the inner ovals are your hands)