Skinny Fat

bex1086
bex1086 Posts: 85 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have no idea how to shed the fat because I'm doing all the right things. I've lost 12kg of weight since last year making my BMI around 21. I wouldn't still like to lose a little more though.

I'm following a progressive lifting programme although I have chunks of time where I just lift a set weight and don't get heavier. My protein is at least 100g (I weigh 52kg)

I will say that I do drink alcohol which usually fits in my calories and I eat carbs.

I also have periods where I am not sticking religiously to my diet but I put on a kg over x periods usually and lose it in a couple of weeks. I'll have a strict 6 week sticking to plan then I might deviate or I might go way over my calories for a day in that period because I've gone out for dinner. I eat out maybe once every 3 months so I like to choose what I want instead of having a salad or something.

My weight loss shows that I'm not eating too much and aside from the 3x a week lifting I also do couch to 5K 3x a week. My NEAT is as high as it can be, I walk where possible, have 2 kids that I'm still tidying up after every 5 seconds and my job is something where I'm on my feet for 6 hours. It's not flat out but it's steady movement, walking, carrying trays, plates etc.

Also I started lifting in early 2020 and whilst I stuck to it as much as I could with all the closures, in early 2021 because of all the comfort eating and drinking I did and a lack of exercise I was overweight until the last few months. Could that be the issue?

Replies

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I certainly have flab around the waist no matter how fit and light I've gotten. This is pretty common among 60+ people: we're flabby! Where is that 20-year-old body I once had? Even then, I felt flabby.

    I try to remember that bodyfat is the miracle that allowed humanity to survive hard times. It is our superpower. It is certainly not healthy to be very heavy, but why do we criticize ourselves for having even a bit of fat? If we are a healthy weight, why aren't we satisfied? I struggle with this, too.

    I try to remember that the ideal bodies shown to us in media are 1) often very young people, 2) selective examples (chosen due to unusual slimness), and 3) often medically enhanced. Great for them! I want to live a healthy and natural life. I try to focus on what I can do more than how I look.

    Best of luck!
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Congratulations on your weight loss. I would say that it's just going to take time. Look into recomp. There was a long thread running on it for years. It sounds like that's what you want.
  • bex1086
    bex1086 Posts: 85 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Congratulations on your weight loss. I would say that it's just going to take time. Look into recomp. There was a long thread running on it for years. It sounds like that's what you want.

    It will be but I'm not at my goal weight yet so trying to drop the last few kgs before being able to eat at maintenance.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    bex1086 wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Congratulations on your weight loss. I would say that it's just going to take time. Look into recomp. There was a long thread running on it for years. It sounds like that's what you want.

    It will be but I'm not at my goal weight yet so trying to drop the last few kgs before being able to eat at maintenance.

    How tall are you and what is your final goal weight?
  • bex1086
    bex1086 Posts: 85 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    bex1086 wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Congratulations on your weight loss. I would say that it's just going to take time. Look into recomp. There was a long thread running on it for years. It sounds like that's what you want.

    It will be but I'm not at my goal weight yet so trying to drop the last few kgs before being able to eat at maintenance.

    How tall are you and what is your final goal weight?

    I'm 5'1 (155cm) and my final goal is something along the lines of 50kg (110lbs) or a bit less.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    What does your lifting program look like? Re-comp (getting in shape) takes a good bit of time and really happens on a continuum of months and years and just being consistent in your fitness regimen into perpetuity. I went into maintenance in the Spring of 2013 and continued to eat well, hit the weight room, and cycled for cardio. My physique changed considerably over the years even though I maintained a similar weight. I looked quite different, for example, in 2017 than I did in 2013. In 2013 when I went to maintenance I looked more or less like an average guy at a healthy weight...in 2017 I looked much more athletic with good muscle development and definition. Even the jaw line of my face looked different.
  • bex1086
    bex1086 Posts: 85 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    What does your lifting program look like? Re-comp (getting in shape) takes a good bit of time and really happens on a continuum of months and years and just being consistent in your fitness regimen into perpetuity. I went into maintenance in the Spring of 2013 and continued to eat well, hit the weight room, and cycled for cardio. My physique changed considerably over the years even though I maintained a similar weight. I looked quite different, for example, in 2017 than I did in 2013. In 2013 when I went to maintenance I looked more or less like an average guy at a healthy weight...in 2017 I looked much more athletic with good muscle development and definition. Even the jaw line of my face looked different.

    It's Stronglifts so squats, bench row then I added pull ups (assisted still) push ups (now weighted) then planks (body weight) and then squats, OHP, deadlift and I added triceps dips, hip thrusts and bicep curls. Do alternate workouts 3 times a week using the rest day as a running day with one total rest day a week.
  • herringboxes
    herringboxes Posts: 259 Member
    Wolfman, some great insights. I was wondering, though, would you expect someone to experience “skinny fat” unless they are doing intermediate or advanced work?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,160 Member
    herringboxes wrote: »
    Wolfman, some great insights. I was wondering, though, would you expect someone to experience “skinny fat” unless they are doing intermediate or advanced work?

    "Skinny fat", as most often seen on MFP, is one of those hard to pin down terms. Mostly, it seems to mean "I don't look the way I want to, yet". So . . . when you ask this, what do you (or OP) mean by "skinny fat"?

    (We see people post photos here sometimes, saying they're "skinny fat" . . . when they're actually still just a little bit "normal fat" . . . or reasonably thin, maybe undermuscled for their preferences, but not what others would usually call "skinny fat".)

    There's a technical thing called "metabolically obese normal weight (MONW)" which does have a more concrete definition, but it's not about looks:
    The term "metabolically obese normal weight" (MONW) refers to people with normal weight and body mass index (BMI), who display some metabolic characteristics which increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome in the same way as obesity.

    From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_weight_obesity

    If "skinny fat" had a real definition, it might be something like that, maybe.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,513 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Progressive overload doesn't necessarily just mean more weight for a particular lift...more volume, lest rest, increased time under tension, etc are all means of progressive overload.

    I put together a thread with a variety of ways to increase intensity.
  • bex1086
    bex1086 Posts: 85 Member
    For me skinny fat is appearing to look quite slim even skinny but still have an absolute shed load of wobbly bits and absolutely no definition in the muscles.

    My bum, hips and thighs still cling onto so much of my fat and my bingo wings are just awful yet fully clothed I look in pretty good shape. Plus as the weight has gone down on my scales my BF % hasn't followed. I know they aren't accurate but there should surely be a decrease as my overall weight decreases shouldn't there?

    Will check out that link.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    bex1086 wrote: »
    For me skinny fat is appearing to look quite slim even skinny but still have an absolute shed load of wobbly bits and absolutely no definition in the muscles.

    My bum, hips and thighs still cling onto so much of my fat and my bingo wings are just awful yet fully clothed I look in pretty good shape. Plus as the weight has gone down on my scales my BF % hasn't followed. I know they aren't accurate but there should surely be a decrease as my overall weight decreases shouldn't there?

    Will check out that link.

    Also keep in mind that SL isn't really a "physique" program, it is a strength program. That's not to say that there won't be any changes to one's physique, but physique isn't the end goal of the program, maximal linear strength gains is. This mostly comes from neural adaptation more so than muscle growth. It is one of the reasons that it can be such a beneficial beginner plan...it lays that foundation of strength...most strength training programs for high school freshmen in the first semester, for example will be very similar. It's also a decent introduction to powerlifting if that is one's jam because you are going to become functionally strong in the big three which are used in competition.

    When moving to a more intermediate program it's good to sit down and think about what you're actually trying to achieve now that you've established a base of strength, especially if you're more interested in aesthetics.

    Here's a chart that shows the different rep ranges and what they're generally geared to. I like this one because it also illustrates the overlap.

    maxresdefault.jpg

    Also keep in mind that if you're still cutting in a deficit you're not very likely to see much change in physique, particularly if you weren't overly fat to begin with. When you're dieting you are in a catabolic state and building muscle is an anabolic function that requires sufficient calorie consumption to support.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    @bex1086 : You've just lost some weight. Give your body a chance to catch up. Relax and have fun. Buy some clothes. Spring is here!

    Do whatever workout you like-- whatever you enjoy and feels right. @cwolfman13 points out that "progressive resistance training" is what's needed for building significant muscle, and that is definitely true. But, a basic workout such as you are doing is also fantastic-- and even better if you enjoy it with friends. It's also great to get outdoors and be active.

    Enjoy the spring!
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,386 Member
    I think that maybe our expectations need reeling in.

    What seems “skinny fat” to you may not appear that way at all to others. Read up on Body Dysmorphia. That’s where your face doesn’t recognize the you that’s in the mirror. It pastes an older version of you in the mirror. Ask someone to take photos of you and text or email them to you. There is something about seeing those that creates a “reset” for many of us.

    You may have extra skin left over from weight loss. My extra skin is still shrinking, four years into maintenance. Patience and continued exercise is your friend.

    As @AnnPT77 has faithfully preached here, what your eyes see as fat or “wobbles” may actually be necessary. Lots of ladies here bemoan bingo wings. I bet you have some wobble there right now. I do. But, bend your arm and flex. That wobble may tighten right up. What you perceive as wobble may simply be the extra “give” necessary for bending and flexing. Same for your calves, thighs and other parts of your body. I can wobble both but if I go to squat or do a leg press, that “extra” skin is in use.

    Posture is a big player. I have terrible posture and it emphasizes the skin around my belly. When I remember to stand up straight, throw my shoulders out, and have a “proud chest”, that hoop of skin virtually disappears. If I stretch on a mat and prepare for a workout, it’s taut. But if I’m relaxed, sitting, or curled up in crochet position with a kitty in my lap, it’s soft and pliable.

    Then there’s what my girls jokingly called Food Babies. Large meals, salty food and water retention are particularly visible on slimmer ladies. I cut loose on Coronation day, and had a distinct muffin top yesterday, which is gone today.

    Sometimes, when we are so “near” to our weight loss, and fear maintenance, a Food Baby is enough to scare the tar out of us and send us running for the scale, or second guessing everything we’ve done.

    Finally, are your expectations realistic? People expect to look ripped like bodybuilders at certain weights. My last DEXA scan had me in the low 20% fat range, but genetics, age, abusing my body for decades pretty much rules that out. Bodybuilders are in the teens. Looking like a bodybuilder is a huge commitment which most of us aren’t really prepared to commit to. And even bodybuilders will tell you that they look pretty normal until prepping for a show.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,160 Member
    Pretty much everyone has "bingo wings" when they hold their arm out straight from the shoulder.

    Do that. Tweak it with your fingers and watch it wobble, like many of us do when we want to feel bad about ourselves.

    Now, hold one arm out like that, and use the other arm to grab all of the floppy/blobby bit with the opposite hand, getting your fingertips as close to the upper arm bone as you can, and hold on. Next, flex your arm like a body builder: Elbow above shoulder, hand clenched tight, wrist bent to bring fist down near shoulder, upper arm maybe a little in front of your torso plane, and tighten-tighten-tighten everything (no, tighten everything harder that that! ;) ) . . . still holding onto the "bingo wing" with your opposite hand. Anything that tensed up in your hand isn't fat or loose skin, it's relaxed triceps muscles. Everyone's got 'em. On most people, including some pretty muscular people, they're slack when relaxed and will wobble.

    Am I saying you have no upper arm fat or loose skin? No, I'm not saying that. I have no idea. But I'd lay money that some of what you're calling "bingo wings" and hating is muscle, because that's been true of every single woman I've had do the above experiment in real life
    .
    Below, in the spoilder, is my personal photo demo, two photos taken mere seconds apart (BTW, I don't have zero fat or loose skin either).
    Photo 1: This is my li'l ol' lady post-weight-loss arm, relaxed:

    e8a9vc5na3vz.jpg

    Oh, NOooooezzzz! The floppy blobby!!

    Photo 2: This that very same arm, mere moments later, flexed good and hard:

    gylign1l8p56.jpg

    My personal verdict on myself, maybe biased: A lot of the hang-y, bloopy looking stuff was muscle the whole time.

    Make sure you're not hating your muscles. This is not the only instance where people - IME experience especially women - misidentify relaxed muscles as fat, and hate them. The "thigh widening" that happens when relaxed thighs press down gravitationally into a hard chair seat, and get broader - that's another one. There are others.

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