I am skinny fat. Please help.

SkinnyFatBGone
SkinnyFatBGone Posts: 59 Member
edited December 1 in Health and Weight Loss
So here are a few things about me.

Female
5'9
156 lbs
26.4 percent body fat

I want to lose 20 lbs, mostly fat hopefully, and then tone up.

I work out everyday doing 95 percent cardio. Should I start doing other exercises?

Btw, I can't cook so I eat out everyday. (Exactly why I'm skinny fat.)
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Replies

  • shank35l
    shank35l Posts: 102 Member
    Eat less calories than you burn in a day.

    Lift heavy (for you) weights.

    The end.

    ^^^ This right here ^^^

    Also, posters back is awesome.
  • Sarah_Shapes_Up
    Sarah_Shapes_Up Posts: 76 Member
    Try checking out BodyBuilding.com for plan to help you out with weight lifting. That and YouTube can be a great resource to see what the exercises look like. "Toning up" means building muscle and then shedding the fat to see the muscle. Like the other poster said, lift heavy, eat for your goals.
  • SkinnyFatBGone
    SkinnyFatBGone Posts: 59 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Even if somehow you got your body fat % right, 26% is not 'skinny fat'.

    Is it just fat fat then?
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Eat less calories than you burn in a day.

    Lift heavy (for you) weights.

    The end.

    This
  • SkinnyFatBGone
    SkinnyFatBGone Posts: 59 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Even if somehow you got your body fat % right, 26% is not 'skinny fat'.

    Is it just fat fat then?

    No, it's entirely normal

    I should be at 23.0 according to BMI.
  • luciroo
    luciroo Posts: 31 Member
    Can't cook and have to eat out as in don't know how to cook, or can't cook as in I have no access to a stove/microwave/refrigerator?
  • xjessicaxrx
    xjessicaxrx Posts: 144 Member
    That seems a bit odd, im only 5ft 4, 155lb and 25.5% body fat, my BMI is 26.8 and I am a size 12.
  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
    Heavy lifting or body weight exercises and reduce the cardio. Someone once said that cardio is for heart health yes but mostly just so you can eat more. Strength training is where you'll see the results.
  • SkinnyFatBGone
    SkinnyFatBGone Posts: 59 Member
    My BMI is 23.0 and my body fat is 26.4. This means that I need to lower my body fat percentage to 23, right?
  • xjessicaxrx
    xjessicaxrx Posts: 144 Member
    Correct me if I am wrong but I dont think your BMI number is related to your body fat % xx
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Even if somehow you got your body fat % right, 26% is not 'skinny fat'.

    Is it just fat fat then?

    No, it's entirely normal

    I should be at 23.0 according to BMI.

    BMI doesn't say anything about what your BF% should be.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    My BMI is 23.0 and my body fat is 26.4. This means that I need to lower my body fat percentage to 23, right?

    Not necessarily, it depends on your build, some ladies can carry more. BMI does not directly correlate to body fat percentage. At all. Do you look fat? Try just losing some weight first. Do you not look fat? Feel the right size but want to reshape some? Then train, train, lift weights, work out, let that define your shape.

    I am your height and was 20-21% bodyfat at 125lb, and am still 20-21% bodyfat at 136 after bulking up by eating more and doing heavier exercise. And there are women who are heavier than me at my height and still 20% bodyfat; and women who are my height and weight but fatter. Weight and composition are separate moving parts.

    If you are happy with how you look, then there is no problem, plenty of women are built in a way that carries 26% bodyfat beautifully.

  • aub6689
    aub6689 Posts: 351 Member
    BMI is supposed to approximate bodyfat, but it is very easily misclassified. It has high correlation for inactive adults in higher bmi range, but once someone lifts, bmi is unlikely to be a good representation of bodyfat.
  • ktwebb25
    ktwebb25 Posts: 135 Member
    your diet is going to be a lot of it as well.. you cant eat out everyday and expect to lose weight..
  • Kelly_Runs_NC
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
    So here are a few things about me.

    Female
    5'9
    156 lbs
    26.4 percent body fat

    I want to lose 20 lbs, mostly fat hopefully, and then tone up.

    I work out everyday doing 95 percent cardio. Should I start doing other exercises?

    Btw, I can't cook so I eat out everyday. (Exactly why I'm skinny fat.)

    I am also 5'9 but 145. You post reminds me of where I was at one point. Weights girl. Weights and patience and you will get there. Cardio alone will not get you there.

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    My BMI is 23.0 and my body fat is 26.4. This means that I need to lower my body fat percentage to 23, right?

    No.

    They're 2 separate things.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
    aub6689 wrote: »
    BMI is supposed to approximate bodyfat, but it is very easily misclassified. It has high correlation for inactive adults in higher bmi range, but once someone lifts, bmi is unlikely to be a good representation of bodyfat.

    It isn't supposed to approximate bodyfat at all. It is used instead of bodyfat because it is so easy to calculate (just need height and weight). BMI correlates fairly well with weight related issues. It isn't supposed to be an estimate of your bodyfat percentage.

    If you need proof that it isn't meant to approximate bodyfat just think it through. BMI is a ratio of weight to height. Body builders can have bodyfat percentages of 4-5%. A 6' person would have to weigh 37 pounds to have a BMI of 5.

    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Look into recomp.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited May 2016
    aub6689 wrote: »
    BMI is supposed to approximate bodyfat, but it is very easily misclassified. It has high correlation for inactive adults in higher bmi range, but once someone lifts, bmi is unlikely to be a good representation of bodyfat.

    BMI has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with bodyfat. There is no correlation between the two except perhaps by coincidence in the very obese. BMI is a simple number derived from one's height and weight. A 5'10, 160 lb. man would be at a BMI of 23 whether he was 7% BF or 30% BF. Obviously, the two would have a vastly different appearance and body composition.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Look into recomp.

    Too slow.
    Would not do.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    MityMax96 wrote: »
    Look into recomp.

    Too slow.
    Would not do.

    Why? It would get her where she wants to be--no skinny fat. And she's not really overweight.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    MityMax96 wrote: »
    Look into recomp.

    Too slow.
    Would not do.

    Why? It would get her where she wants to be--no skinny fat. And she's not really overweight.

    She's not really skinny fat either.

    If OP ate a small deficit and did some heavy lifting, losing 10lbs would make a massive difference.
  • aub6689
    aub6689 Posts: 351 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    aub6689 wrote: »
    BMI is supposed to approximate bodyfat, but it is very easily misclassified. It has high correlation for inactive adults in higher bmi range, but once someone lifts, bmi is unlikely to be a good representation of bodyfat.

    BMI has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with bodyfat. There is no correlation between the two except perhaps by coincidence in the very obese. BMI is a simple number derived from one's height and weight. A 5'10, 160 lb. man would be at a BMI of 23 whether he was 7% BF or 30% BF. Obviously, the two would have a vastly different appearance and body composition.

    Actually BMi is used to approximate body fat frequently in epidemiologic studies because the two are highly correlated in upper BMI categories on population level data. As an individual measurement this approximation does poorly, but the 7% bf individual is usually the exception not the rule.
  • SkinnyFatBGone
    SkinnyFatBGone Posts: 59 Member
    zimamax wrote: »
    So here are a few things about me.

    Female
    5'9
    156 lbs
    26.4 percent body fat

    I want to lose 20 lbs, mostly fat hopefully, and then tone up.

    I work out everyday doing 95 percent cardio. Should I start doing other exercises?

    Btw, I can't cook so I eat out everyday. (Exactly why I'm skinny fat.)

    I am also 5'9 but 145. You post reminds me of where I was at one point. Weights girl. Weights and patience and you will get there. Cardio alone will not get you there.

    You're where I want to be.... weight wise.

    The only problem I have with lifting weights is I heard that they make your boobs bigger. I want smaller boobies.
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