HELP!!!!! SKINNY FAT ISSUE!!!!!!

KatGetsFit55

Hi everyone,

I'm completely new to this whole forum thing, but I have a HUGE problem (at least I think it is) that I'm worried is not easily fixable

Basically, I'm extremely Skinny Fat. I became this way through a very innocent attempt to lose weight, lost far too much (I tend to lose very easily) and now am considered very underweight (BMI 15.8 I believe). I also have remained extremely sedentary for quite a long time (as in laying in bed every day) due to major stress and depression. When I lost weight, I was eating a largely unhealthy diet before, lots of fast foods, sweets, etc. and I didn't want to give those up then so I just cut down the portion size and ended up dropping weight. I'm still young, a 19 year old female, and my doctors are concerned about my weight. I understand this and I want to add about 15 lbs as healthily as I can. I have actually been told that it really doesn't matter as long as I gain weight, if I sit on my butt all day eating high calorie junk food and continue to be this sedentary. I just don't see that as a good thing, ESPECIALLY for my body composition!!!

I don't look at all like I weigh what I weigh, because I have what I would say is a decent amount of fat, at least for my weight. I had it tested by calipers and it came out in the early to mid 20's. I can believe it, especially because I have a belly pooch, my thighs are quite large, especially the upper thighs, both inner and outer, and my hips have seemingly grown wider. Everyone says I'm thin, and I am, but no one would believe me about all this unless they saw me without clothes, hence "Skinny Fat".

I'm incredibly concerned that I have ruined my body for life. To me, this seems like a lose-lose situation because It's inevitable I'm going to put SOME fat on regaining weight, and of course all that'll do is make this worse. I want to start getting into exercise but right now I have to go slow starting out because my heart is not used to much exercise as I've been basically bedridden for so long. I've also read about the whole "pound rebound" thing where if you lose weight and gain it back, it comes back even worse than before. I've also heard horror stories of people gaining weight that they needed to gain and ended up with a HUGE pot belly and skinny arms and legs, basically it came back on as visceral fat and went right to the belly! I do NOT want this to happen to me :,( I'm so scared of it!!! I wish there was some way I could gain the weight back healthfully, lose the "skinny fat", and avoid a huge pot belly in the process. I know the belly fat can be linked to some hormonal things like cortisol, so that's very interesting, especially since I've been very stressed and depressed, mostly over the state of my body.

I'm not saying I want to be rail thin or anything, just not Skinny Fat with a huge belly!!! I just want a body that is fit and that I can be happy with, but I feel like I've messed up everything :,( if anyone has a solution to all this, please let me know! I'm so sad and depressed because of it all...

TLei6h

gain muscle. it will put weight on you but not fat.

Mouse_Potato

I have what I would say is a decent amount of fat, at least for my weight. I had it tested by calipers and it came out in the early to mid 20's. I can believe it, especially because I have a belly pooch, my thighs are quite large, especially the upper thighs, both inner and outer, and my hips have seemingly grown wider. Everyone says I'm thin, and I am, but no one would believe me about all this unless they saw me without clothes, hence "Skinny Fat".

Are you sure you're being fair about how your body looks? Lower to mid-20s isn't exactly a lot of body fat. I'm at 27% and would like to get down to 24%, but I don't think I look hyooge where I am now!

notnikkisixx

to quote my queen Britney, "Work b*tch."

All you need to do is work out! Fuel your body with healthier food and get moving! I'd suggest Jillian Michael's workout DVD's as a nice starting point because the workouts are short and will help ease you into it.

KatGetsFit55

@mouse_potato I mean, it's not a high bf% in general at all, but for my weight it is! Like at a 15.8 BMI you wouldn't expect my bf% to be that, which concerns me that it will shoot up even higher once I gain. Plus, I have absolutely no lean muscle, and I have a VERY small frame, so too much fat for my body type can overwhelm my frame, if that makes sense. I sometimes wish I had a larger frame and was more "in proportion".

@notnikkisixx Thank You! I eventually want to get into lifting heavy but I have to start with some basics first lol! Which Jillian DVD do you think would be best for me?

Lupercalia

Eat at a caloric surplus and follow a beginner's strength training program to help you put on some muscle. Something like Stronglifts 5x5, New Rules of Lifting for Women, Starting Strength, AllPro, etc. Nia Shanks also has some great programs--if you google her name, you'll run across her site.

ETA--these are all beginner's weight lifting programs. If you'd rather do a bodyweight strength building program, you might look into You Are Your Own Gym or Convict Conditioning. Nia Shanks may even have a great bodyweight program--she does a lot of bodyweight training.

psuLemon

Don't even bother with a program like JM30's . What you will need is to gain muscle. As you add muscle, you will fill out your skin and get more lean. Unfortunately, you have to understand that when you do a bulk phase, you will have to follow up with a cut. It's inevitable that you will gain fat. In fact, it will probably be 50% fat and 50% muscle. What most will suggest is try to eat at maintenance for a few months by slowly upping your calories until you do gain or lose. While you do this, do a good weight training program and minimal cardio (the programs that lupecalia suggest are good).

After you stabilize your diet and exercise routine, then you can do a slow bulk by adding 250 calories per day. After 10 or 15 lbs of weight gain, then go through a cut. And repeat this process a few times until you get enough muscle mass or get your ideal body.

sarah456s

It's very unlikely that you've ruined your body for life. The body is remarkably adaptive, and can heal itself from many things, if given the right inputs, and time.

Don't sit around eating junk food, as has been suggested to you! Pay attention to protein intake, keep your carbs lower, eat lots of fresh veggies. And exercise. If all you can do to start with is 10 minutes of walking, do that. Yes, weight lifting will help build muscle, but you may not be there yet. I would take it slow, both in adding food, and building up the exercise. Of course, the doctor is going to want to see some results, so don't go too slow! But you can do this!!

j6o4

gain muscle. it will put weight on you but not fat.

Yes, gain muscle!

harleygroomer

Whoever told you it didn't matter was and IDIOT !!!!!!!!!!! It does matter. Your diet needs to be based nutrition and NOT on empty calories that do NOTHING for your energy level and overall health. Start with a GOOD breakfast each morning and when you get used to that, add some salads and then fruits, just keep adding GOOD food to your diet and before you know it you have replaced the junk food.

geekyjock76

You have not ruined your body for life. It may be a difficult process, especially mentally, but it's something that you can overcome.

With that said, you've done research and are aware that replacing a disproportionate amount of fat mass relative to lean mass is inevitable once weight maintenance has been reached. There is nothing you can do which will negate any fat regain.

However, with strength training and adequate caloric and protein intake, you can maximize the amount of lean mass recovered which will result in a more favorable end body fat composition as well as general physical appearance.

If you are weak, physically, you may want to begin with a combination of bodyweight exercises and light dumbbells at a low to moderate intensity and progress slowly as you recover strength and stamina. I know you do not have an eating disorder, but if you contact a treatment center, they may be able to provide references for certified personal trainers who have worked with persons recovering from a semi-starvation diet.

Linda09189

go to the doctors, try therapy for an eating disorder, and healthy eating and exercise is the way to live a normal life....good luck

IanBee93

It's obvious that all you need to do is weight training..

KatGetsFit55

@psulemon -- Ugh, I HATE those terms "bulk" and "cut". I just feel like those are meant for bodybuilders, which I'm not trying to be a bodybuilder, or even majorly obsessive or athletic or anything. At the end of the day I'd like to ultimately have my bf% rest at 20-21% with some lean muscle, but not look "ripped" or "shredded" or anything like that. I still want to have a softer, feminine look, just not so much "skinny fat" or poochy belly. Heck, I don't even care if I don't have visible ab muscles, just fairly flat. I don't think I should have to go on an extreme program for that. Plus, I know there is an advantage to being a "newbie" when you've never picked up a weight in your life and sometimes you can gain muscle fairly easily at first without a MASSIVE surplus. Idk, that's just what I've heard.

@sarah456s -- I sure hope you and geekyjock76 are right that I haven't ruined my body!! What do you mean keep carbs low btw? How would I be able to gain weight if I'm eating too low carb? I don't want to go into ketosis or anything! Most people have said high carb is easiest to put on weight, but if I don't want too much excess fat then that might be an issue, being too high carb.

@geekyjock76 -- Ugh, I'm totally dreading the whole thing, I'm so upset with myself I wasn't more educated on how to work with my body earlier on :,( and when you say "disproportionate amount of fat mass" are you referring to the fat specifically in the belly area, like visceral fat, or just overall? I just don't want a huge pot belly :,( my stomach is already "poochy", but I just can't handle that area becoming huge and me looking pregnant


Thank you guys for the responses! Also just a general question: once my weight is back up if I wanted to cut some of the extra fat to be at 20-21%, would I be able to do that while maintaining the same weight? Like a recomp so to speak? I have seen people do that!!!

KatGetsFit55

I feel like this is the most difficult issue in the world to fix, like I would have much rather been slightly overweight with more muscle because that would've been a lot easier

moonmistmm

I think mostly what everyone else has said is what I would've said. I would stick to some more calorie dense foods though, to help you get more calories in. Peanut butter, meat, eggs, full-fat dairy, beans, nuts and seeds, whey protein powder. Those should all help with adding calories and protein to help you build muscle. Protein shakes would be good too, especially since if you're used to junk food, you might like something sweet. Heck, my boyfriend even eats ice cream to build muscle (just not excessively!).

Also, good luck! And I wouldn't add in cardio until you want to cut some.

ndj1979

@psulemon -- Ugh, I HATE those terms "bulk" and "cut". I just feel like those are meant for bodybuilders, which I'm not trying to be a bodybuilder, or even majorly obsessive or athletic or anything. At the end of the day I'd like to ultimately have my bf% rest at 20-21% with some lean muscle, but not look "ripped" or "shredded" or anything like that. I still want to have a softer, feminine look, just not so much "skinny fat" or poochy belly. Heck, I don't even care if I don't have visible ab muscles, just fairly flat. I don't think I should have to go on an extreme program for that. Plus, I know there is an advantage to being a "newbie" when you've never picked up a weight in your life and sometimes you can gain muscle fairly easily at first without a MASSIVE surplus. Idk, that's just what I've heard.




Thank you guys for the responses! Also just a general question: once my weight is back up if I wanted to cut some of the extra fat to be at 20-21%, would I be able to do that while maintaining the same weight? Like a recomp so to speak? I have seen people do that!!!

you don't like how your body looks = skinny fat (your words) people suggest that you put on muscle to get rid of said skinny fat and you then say you don't want to put on muscle....allrighty then ..

Look, just because you start lifting does not mean that you will automatically become a "body builder" I have been lifting for over a year and am no where near looking like a body builder, and nor do I want to ...nothing wrong with it but I prefer the athletic/lean type look...and lifting is not an "extreme program"....

If you want to ditch the skinny fat program then learn compound lifts - deadlifts, squats, overhead press, pull up/chin up, bench press, rows, etc - (I hear that New Rules of Lifting for Woman is a good starting place) once you have these moves down incorporate them into a full body routine where you are hitting legs/arms/back/shoulders/core three times a week and maybe throw in a little cardio or HIIT two times a week...

You will not get bulky, or big, or shredded if you are eating in a deficit and lifting. ..you will just lose the skinny fat look and look healthier and maybe show some lean muscle, which I personally think is hot on a girl ...

I mean that is if you are serious about not being skinny fat. ...

T_X_L

Here's my simple 2 cents worth:

On Eating: Restraunts, especially fast food ones, are for special occasions and emergencies. If you are restraunt eating, pick vegetable or salad sides instead of starch.

Grocery Shopping: First DO THIS! Good rule of thumb: Shop the "outside" i.e. against the walls. Why? That's where the whole foods are. Meat, eggs, milk, fruits, and vegetables. Avoid the bakery for now.

Exercise. The best exercise is one you'll do consistently. Having said that resistance training is what I'd recommend. You're young, your body will respond surprisingly quickly. Mine did, and I'm 48. I go to a small gym, where I do interval training, and know everyone there. I find for me, I need to get out of the house, even though I can do the exercises at home.

Lastly, you'll probably find exercise will help with the depression. I'm not a physician, you'll want professional guidance if you're still struggling. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

psuLemon

@psulemon -- Ugh, I HATE those terms "bulk" and "cut". I just feel like those are meant for bodybuilders, which I'm not trying to be a bodybuilder, or even majorly obsessive or athletic or anything. At the end of the day I'd like to ultimately have my bf% rest at 20-21% with some lean muscle, but not look "ripped" or "shredded" or anything like that. I still want to have a softer, feminine look, just not so much "skinny fat" or poochy belly. Heck, I don't even care if I don't have visible ab muscles, just fairly flat. I don't think I should have to go on an extreme program for that. Plus, I know there is an advantage to being a "newbie" when you've never picked up a weight in your life and sometimes you can gain muscle fairly easily at first without a MASSIVE surplus. Idk, that's just what I've heard.

@sarah456s -- I sure hope you and geekyjock76 are right that I haven't ruined my body!! What do you mean keep carbs low btw? How would I be able to gain weight if I'm eating too low carb? I don't want to go into ketosis or anything! Most people have said high carb is easiest to put on weight, but if I don't want too much excess fat then that might be an issue, being too high carb.

@geekyjock76 -- Ugh, I'm totally dreading the whole thing, I'm so upset with myself I wasn't more educated on how to work with my body earlier on :,( and when you say "disproportionate amount of fat mass" are you referring to the fat specifically in the belly area, like visceral fat, or just overall? I just don't want a huge pot belly :,( my stomach is already "poochy", but I just can't handle that area becoming huge and me looking pregnant


Thank you guys for the responses! Also just a general question: once my weight is back up if I wanted to cut some of the extra fat to be at 20-21%, would I be able to do that while maintaining the same weight? Like a recomp so to speak? I have seen people do that!!!

Seriously, it's just a term. Bulk means to add mass, cut means to eliminate mass. You will not look like a body build unless you take anabolic steroids, and train for years and years. It doesn't happen by accident nor quickly. Below is a good story. Look a the difference between staci at 120 and 130. That is 10 lbs of muscle. It's lean flat and not a lot of definition. But staci wanted more and she is a power lifter eating 3000-4000 calories. At 140 she is a bit more ripped. The point being, is you can do several bulks and cuts until you get happy with body. It's not an immediate jump. In fact, if you follow what I suggested, it will probably take 4-6 months to get that progress because I would want you to work on diet and form and gaining some strength before you go real heavy. Over time, you will know when to stop bulk/cutting.

At some people, you might want to therapy to get past some of the emotional stuff you are going through too. Doing both will give you a whole new perspective on this kind of stuff. Heck, do yourself a favor and spend time in the gaining weight subforum. You see lots of inspiration of women gaining 5-10 lbs and filling out their bodies. This may also help you get past some of your fears too.


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

Chadomaniac

gain muscle. it will put weight on you but not fat.

Yes, gain muscle!

And EAT !!

ViktoryaC

Yes eat......at a 15.8 BMI, you need to gain some fat...sorry. Eat, gain some healthy pounds, and then see where you need to tone. If you gain a little belly, its not the worst thing in the world, and you can tone it/lose it when youre healthy.

auddii

@psulemon -- Ugh, I HATE those terms "bulk" and "cut". I just feel like those are meant for bodybuilders, which I'm not trying to be a bodybuilder, or even majorly obsessive or athletic or anything. At the end of the day I'd like to ultimately have my bf% rest at 20-21% with some lean muscle, but not look "ripped" or "shredded" or anything like that. I still want to have a softer, feminine look, just not so much "skinny fat" or poochy belly. Heck, I don't even care if I don't have visible ab muscles, just fairly flat. I don't think I should have to go on an extreme program for that. Plus, I know there is an advantage to being a "newbie" when you've never picked up a weight in your life and sometimes you can gain muscle fairly easily at first without a MASSIVE surplus. Idk, that's just what I've heard.

@sarah456s -- I sure hope you and geekyjock76 are right that I haven't ruined my body!! What do you mean keep carbs low btw? How would I be able to gain weight if I'm eating too low carb? I don't want to go into ketosis or anything! Most people have said high carb is easiest to put on weight, but if I don't want too much excess fat then that might be an issue, being too high carb.

@geekyjock76 -- Ugh, I'm totally dreading the whole thing, I'm so upset with myself I wasn't more educated on how to work with my body earlier on :,( and when you say "disproportionate amount of fat mass" are you referring to the fat specifically in the belly area, like visceral fat, or just overall? I just don't want a huge pot belly :,( my stomach is already "poochy", but I just can't handle that area becoming huge and me looking pregnant


Thank you guys for the responses! Also just a general question: once my weight is back up if I wanted to cut some of the extra fat to be at 20-21%, would I be able to do that while maintaining the same weight? Like a recomp so to speak? I have seen people do that!!!

Seriously, it's just a term. Bulk means to add mass, cut means to eliminate mass. You will not look like a body build unless you take anabolic steroids, and train for years and years. It doesn't happen by accident nor quickly. Below is a good story. Look a the difference between staci at 120 and 130. That is 10 lbs of muscle. It's lean flat and not a lot of definition. But staci wanted more and she is a power lifter eating 3000-4000 calories. At 140 she is a bit more ripped. The point being, is you can do several bulks and cuts until you get happy with body. It's not an immediate jump. In fact, if you follow what I suggested, it will probably take 4-6 months to get that progress because I would want you to work on diet and form and gaining some strength before you go real heavy. Over time, you will know when to stop bulk/cutting.

At some people, you might want to therapy to get past some of the emotional stuff you are going through too. Doing both will give you a whole new perspective on this kind of stuff. Heck, do yourself a favor and spend time in the gaining weight subforum. You see lots of inspiration of women gaining 5-10 lbs and filling out their bodies. This may also help you get past some of your fears too.


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

^This. Seriously.

geekyjock76

What I meant by recovering a disproportionate amount of fat was that the vast majority of weight you regain will be from fat which would be distributed relatively evenly throughout your body. Without strength training, you'll recover very little of the lost lean mass. The reason your stomach appears that way is because you lost muscle mass about the abdominal cavity. With the initial weight gain you experienced, fat filled the void where there was once muscle.

As you mentioned, to remedy this you'll need to recomp by doing a few phases where you focus on increasing lean mass followed by a small calorie deficit period to reduce fat mass while trying to preserve the lean tissue you gained. To minimize loss of lean mass during a deficit, strength training at a certain intensity and adequate protein intake is required.

In your unique situation, you stand to recover a fair amount of lean mass during weight recovery simply by upping and holding calories at maintenance for six months to a year while incorporating progressive strength training with sufficient protein.

arielledarae

increase you caloric intake by eating alot of healthy foods- rice, oats, sweet potato, lean meats, avocados, olive oil etc.... and lift weights!! Do not be afraid of weights, you will not look like a man.

sarah456s

@psulemon -- Ugh, I HATE those terms "bulk" and "cut". I just feel like those are meant for bodybuilders, which I'm not trying to be a bodybuilder, or even majorly obsessive or athletic or anything. At the end of the day I'd like to ultimately have my bf% rest at 20-21% with some lean muscle, but not look "ripped" or "shredded" or anything like that. I still want to have a softer, feminine look, just not so much "skinny fat" or poochy belly. Heck, I don't even care if I don't have visible ab muscles, just fairly flat. I don't think I should have to go on an extreme program for that. Plus, I know there is an advantage to being a "newbie" when you've never picked up a weight in your life and sometimes you can gain muscle fairly easily at first without a MASSIVE surplus. Idk, that's just what I've heard.

@sarah456s -- I sure hope you and geekyjock76 are right that I haven't ruined my body!! What do you mean keep carbs low btw? How would I be able to gain weight if I'm eating too low carb? I don't want to go into ketosis or anything! Most people have said high carb is easiest to put on weight, but if I don't want too much excess fat then that might be an issue, being too high carb.

@geekyjock76 -- Ugh, I'm totally dreading the whole thing, I'm so upset with myself I wasn't more educated on how to work with my body earlier on :,( and when you say "disproportionate amount of fat mass" are you referring to the fat specifically in the belly area, like visceral fat, or just overall? I just don't want a huge pot belly :,( my stomach is already "poochy", but I just can't handle that area becoming huge and me looking pregnant


Thank you guys for the responses! Also just a general question: once my weight is back up if I wanted to cut some of the extra fat to be at 20-21%, would I be able to do that while maintaining the same weight? Like a recomp so to speak? I have seen people do that!!!

I meant to try to eat higher in protein and veggies, and lower in carbs and sugar. Not super low carb, but maybe not like 70% carbs. MFP's standard recommendation is 55% carbs, 15% protein and the rest fat. Lots of people recommend 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. So maybe aim for somewhere between 40 and 55 % carbs. Yes, eating more carbs is the easiest way to put weight on, but it's probably going to be fat. You are trying to build lean muscle too.

My bf is skinny fat also, yet whenever he puts on weight if he's been going a bit crazy on the carbs, it goes straight to his belly. And seriously, his legs are like sticks. So tiny limbs with a poochy belly is exactly what you don't want! We've started training for a 5k together - he's hoping the extra running and cycling will help build his legs up a bit. Eventually he'll probably have to add strength training, but for now that's what we're starting with.