Skinny fat to fit - success stories?

SJ46

I definitely agree that its all in weight lifting though. I used to do a weights class, nothing major, around 4-5 times a week and my body/ skin just looked miles better, much firmer and tighter but i never did any cardio after being a cardio bunny and a trainer telling me it was really bad for me.

A friend of mine who does fitness comps had a fellow competitor draw up a 4 week fitness plan for me which includes 20 mins of HIIT to drop my body fat and 40 min sessions in the free weights room 6 times a week lifting as much as possible.
It looks great but being a typical girl I'm too scared to go in the free weights room cause its always full of men (even though people say it isn't) and i don't have a gym buddy.

Just go for it! You know what they say - fake it till you make it. Walk in there like it is the most natural thing in the world and before you know it you'll find that you are in your comfort zone.

fortally

well...go ahead...noone is stopping you, if that is your aim in life. Just dont go purporting it as a normal body fat percentage for the average young woman who still wishes to maintain a normal fertility. By all means be "atheletic"...and certainly dont aplogise for it. I never said you should apologise. Good luck with your atheletics

Wow, you're the first person I've ever heard who made "athletics" sound like a dirty word.

BTW - This thread was about experiences with going from skinny-fat to fit. Do you have any *personal* experience with that? Because I'm pretty sure that's what the OP was asking about. But I suppose comments about my fertility are always enlightening and helpful...

OP - your plan sounds awesome! It won't be long before you and I both are posting pics of our rockin bods in the success thread! Don't let the gym intimidate you - every single one of those people in the weight room were newbies themselves at some point. Most people are so focused on themselves at the gym that you have to practically drop the weights on their feet before they even notice you. Don't stress - after a few trips it'll feel like home. :flowerforyou:

alright_cb123

OP - your plan sounds awesome! It won't be long before you and I both are posting pics of our rockin bods in the success thread! Don't let the gym intimidate you - every single one of those people in the weight room were newbies themselves at some point. Most people are so focused on themselves at the gym that you have to practically drop the weights on their feet before they even notice you. Don't stress - after a few trips it'll feel like home. :flowerforyou:

Such a positive attitude always helps, thank you!

I know. Hopefully! (Fingers crossed)

tomcornhole

Lift heavy things.

Be a nerd.

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

emilym173

What's up with the body shaming and fertility assumptions? I'm new to MFP, but I assumed this would be a no snark zone. Silly me, I guess. If you dislike the term skinny fat, fine. You don't have to use it. I personally don't find it to be an offensive term and don't think we need to talk down to ladies who use it.

I agree, generalizations are not helpful. What is normal for one person may not necessarily be normal for another. Everyone is different and genetics play a big role in things. I didn't read her personal experience as purporting an athletic body fat percentage as an ideal for all average ladies.

OP: I am still struggling with being "skinny fat." I found that the best way to combat this is a complete lifestyle overhaul. I had such a fast metabolism growing up that I never had to worry about weight gain. In fact, I seemed completely incapable of gaining weight. I ate whatever I wanted (heavy carbs! fried food! candy!) because I never saw bad consequences. That really screwed me up when I hit my twenties. My lack of activity level and poor eating habits finally caught up to me. I still have a petite body frame (I weigh around 125 and wear a size 4), but am carrying a bunch of cellulite.

Now I try to eat clean (learning how to cook really helped with that) and live an active lifestyle. I've learned to love working out. Like everyone is saying, weights will definitely help with toning. I try to do a combination of different things, like running, yoga, p90x3, hiking and rock climbing (I highly recommend this activity for gaining muscle tone), so I don't get bored of doing the same thing all the time.

Graelwyn75

I took up weights and boxing fitness, increased my protein a lot, mostly from chicken, fish, greek yoghurt and cottage cheese, ate a mostly natural diet, as in nuts, seeds, fruits, veggies, eggs, sweet/baked potatoes, cheese, and did some interval training as well, in the form of running sprints. I also ran outside. That took me down from about 24% bodyfat (result of a few months of really severe binging) to 12-14% bodyfat within 5 months. Oh, and I also ate in the region of 2000-3000 calories a day, depending on activity. I note, in spite of that low bodyfat%, I still got my periods and was fully functional.