Losing the last 5-10 lbs

monikker

Not to rub it in anyone's face, but I'm pretty naturally skinny all over my body and just want to get rid of my muffin top. Also don't want to contribute to the skinny fat phenomenon, which I could easily do just eating whatever I want for the next few years. But, wanting to hear from anyone who has been overweight and successfully cut down, even losing those last few lbs which are supposed to be the hardest...so if you're really overweight, the first lbs are supposed to be the easiest to shed blah blah...then you get down to the last few and they're super stubborn. Anyone have success on LCHF/keto with getting rid of the muffin top/love handles & having a super cut ab section? Want to hear what you did. I guess you could say I'm in a permanent state of losing the last few lbs, unless I change to an unhealthy diet and gain a bunch of weight.

Apologies if this sounds vain or disrespectful to people struggling with a lot more weight - I'd like to shed the layer covering my abs and then work on building muscle, which is a very real struggle for me (being weak and female sucks, being strong is awesome).

P.S. I'm just under 5'8" and usually weigh between 130-132 lbs. Would be great to get down to 120-125, which is starting to lean towards being underweight for my height so can't get too low. It was seriously a goal of mine for about 5 yrs to gain up to 130 lbs (I would weigh myself as low as 116 in college). Def reached that in the last 2 yrs and will continue to go upward if eating sweets and carbs all the time. But, will probably shoot for 130+ again when building muscle.

auntstephie321

You're best bet for this is to start lifting now to build muscle. There are some threads in the main forums regarding recomp and getting a flat stomach. A cut mid section requires a low body fat percentage. So a recomp eating at maintenance or at a slight deficit while lifting to strengthen your muscles will get you there.

sweetteadrinker2

I'd try adding muscle first, and see how you look. I'm a good deal shorter than you (Just barely 5'2") and there is a dramatic difference between 135 but with a nice tight midsection and 135 without the nice tight midsection. If you're going for a six pack abs with major definition, you might need to go on a cut after the muscle is there to reveal it. If you just want flat and tight you may be better served to just build muscle. But losing all the fat won't give you nice abs if there's no definition under it to start with.

monikker

I do agree with the lifting now part. I just don't think I will be lifting for a month or so while I cut cals. Partly due to this being my first go at keto and I want to give my body some time before I push it much. Also, I don't seem to be at much risk of losing muscle mass - at least according to stuff I've read. That's supposed to be the biggest concern when cutting but I'm not worried about it. So my goal is kind of to cut to lose a few lbs and then begin to consume more cals. And then, basically, be in a sort of recomp diet where I mainly eat keto but perhaps consume excess cals and carbs on weight training days.

In regards to needing to build muscle to see my abs, from what I understand and have learned recently that's not exactly true. I've learned a lot about this from MFPers actually, there are many on here who do zero abwork and have carved, chiseled abs. The idea is that you have ab muscles underneath your fat layer and just can't see them. When the fat dissipates I will be able to see them (I can see them now, just not as much as I will be when more fat goes away), hopefully enough to be happy. At that point I will be in a perfect position to bulk or recomp and not get super fat. And perhaps my abwork at that point will just enhance my ab muscles and help keep the fat away due to the extra cals I'm burning by having more muscle.

KarlaYP

I've always considered the fact that to some people, the need to lose 10 pounds is a real struggle. I have been envious of that fact too, when I've always had so much more to lose. I know you have to work just as hard as I do to achieve the same results. This is one part of mfp that is great! Sharing our experiences with others, wherever we are in the process, helps many more than we ever realize

KnitOrMiss

Check out:

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

And the follow up:

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/09/26/an-update-with-staci-our-powerlifting-superhero-plus-academy-scholarships/

Remember, too, that that number on the scale really is irrelevant to how you look and feel. You can weigh more and look better, etc.

Reddit's Ketogains is a good resource, from what I've been told.

But honestly, I would not worry about not lifting for a month. If you body can handle workouts, I'd get started now. Building muscle will help you burn more, which will make cuts easier... Once you've been keto 3 weeks, I'd start working on developing your training regime...

Just remember that getting too strong forward ab muscles while underdeveloping the lower and back ones can lead to female problems down the line (pelvic floor, hip and back disorders, etc.). A certain amount of female curve is essential to feminine health, but getting a little ripped is good too...

Whole body lifts like stronglifts and stuff are probably what you want, as when you do the stabilization yourself and all that, you'll improve your whole body...

Good luck and look forward to following your progress... Oh, and thank you for your consideration of all of us with more of a struggle than 10 pounds, but we should never minimize your struggles either! (hugs)