Young and Confused

marcuss355
marcuss355 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey! I'm new. I'm almost 19, 5'8" and around 170-175 lbs. most people I see with those measurements are a size 12-14 but I'm a size 6-8. I doubt something is wrong with my scale, and I have gained weight post freshman year after not being as active as I was in high school, so because of the size difference I can only assume most of my weight is muscle.

Anyone have an alternate theory? Or suggestions on how to lose fat without losing muscle?

Replies

  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    Bumping this so maybe you'll get some comments.
  • TakingBackForever
    TakingBackForever Posts: 564 Member
    I think it's just the way your body hold weight.

    I'm 170 pounds, down from 235, and I'm in a size 6/8 pants (US) now. I don't think mine is all muscle but I lift weights to preserve as much lean mass as I can while I lose body fat.

    But I'll be interested to see what others have to say.
  • honeysuckletea
    honeysuckletea Posts: 10 Member
    Hi I'm 18 (just finished freshman year in college) and am also 5'8"! I'd love to be friends/accountability buddies!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,937 Member
    Body build possibly. I'm 125lbs and wear pants size US 10- rarely 8. Can't help it.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    marcuss355 wrote: »
    Hey! I'm new. I'm almost 19, 5'8" and around 170-175 lbs. most people I see with those measurements are a size 12-14 but I'm a size 6-8. I doubt something is wrong with my scale, and I have gained weight post freshman year after not being as active as I was in high school, so because of the size difference I can only assume most of my weight is muscle.

    Anyone have an alternate theory? Or suggestions on how to lose fat without losing muscle?

    Maybe you have grown taller? Have someone measure you. I continued growing taller even into my early 20s.

    I think some people are able to wear clothes tighter to the body and smaller sizes when they have a good body shape. I wear a size larger currently to hide a bit of a muffin top but used to wear body conscious clothing when I was in my 20s. But if I lost my last 10 pounds I'd wear clothes that touched my midsection again.

    Count yourself fortunate that you carry your weight well and that you have a compact body!
  • cecsav1
    cecsav1 Posts: 714 Member
    A lot of it's just differing body shapes. Could also be that you're a size 8 in one brand, but a size 12 in another. Oftentimes, sizes vary widely from one brand to the next.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Body shape, more muscle, youth (I have definitely loosened up a little in my 30s), frame size, all contribute.

    I'm heavy too compared to people the same size and height. I don't worry about it, just means I have less to lose to get to goal!
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited June 2016
    OP did you actually do something to put on muscle to be at this "size" you say you are. You think yours is all muscle compared to others so I needed to ask..

    You just don''t growth extra muscle without a purpose. You can conduct muscle toning of the muscles you already have..

    So as for the "size" difference, that is genetics, the shape of your body in general. If I compared what I looked like to other people my height and weight, well I would walk around with a sad face.

    If you want to loose fat, then loose fat by eating a calorie deficit. If you want to put on muscle and lose some fat, do a recomp... this eating maintenance calories with a very slight deficit. this takes forever and day to do.

    If you want to put on muscle and then cut fat later, do a clean bulk or dirty bulk. clean is maint plus 200-250 and dirty is increase upwards to 500 calories.. you cut fat later after your bulking phases is completed.

    Your choice... but if you loose fat first then you will want to maintain your current muscle mass by doing a strength training program which will allow you to conduct toning of your current muscle mass. You can grow a wee bit as a beginner lifter (called newbie gainz) but these taper off quickly and if you want more, then you have do a different plan to do that.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    This seems to be a good "problem". I would love to look smaller and to wear a smaller size than my weight indicates.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Body build possibly. I'm 125lbs and wear pants size US 10- rarely 8. Can't help it.

    Listing which country is important. Sizing isn't always standardized. Plus certain designers/brands are notorious for "vanity" sizing.
  • marcuss355
    marcuss355 Posts: 3 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    OP did you actually do something to put on muscle to be at this "size" you say you are. You think yours is all muscle compared to others so I needed to ask..

    You just don''t growth extra muscle without a purpose. You can conduct muscle toning of the muscles you already have..

    So as for the "size" difference, that is genetics, the shape of your body in general. If I compared what I looked like to other people my height and weight, well I would walk around with a sad face.

    If you want to loose fat, then loose fat by eating a calorie deficit. If you want to put on muscle and lose some fat, do a recomp... this eating maintenance calories with a very slight deficit. this takes forever and day to do.

    If you want to put on muscle and then cut fat later, do a clean bulk or dirty bulk. clean is maint plus 200-250 and dirty is increase upwards to 500 calories.. you cut fat later after your bulking phases is completed.

    Your choice... but if you loose fat first then you will want to maintain your current muscle mass by doing a strength training program which will allow you to conduct toning of your current muscle mass. You can grow a wee bit as a beginner lifter (called newbie gainz) but these taper off quickly and if you want more, then you have do a different plan to do that.

    I started dancing again second semester which put muscle on my thighs
  • marcuss355
    marcuss355 Posts: 3 Member
    And @roxiedawn my whole life I've weighed more than I've looked you could say because of my activity level. I competed on a national level for dance since I was 12.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    I'm 5'7" 142lbs and a size 6/8 (US). At 170 I was a size 12. It could be muscle mass, it could just be your frame, it could be vanity sizing. If you don't mind sharing, what are your actual measurements? That is more reliable than clothing size, which can vary tremendously from one designer to the next, or even from one style to the next within a brand (heck, I've even had clothing be different sizes when it was the same brand, same style, just a different color!). I'm 36-27-36 (roughly).
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Genetics play a role. Body shape. Don't put too much thought into clothes sizes.

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