thin with stomach fat. plz help!

NoehmiEsquivel

Ok so when I started (and actually stuck with it)exercising and trying to lose weight back in July of last year, I was going to lose a good chunk of my weight. I weighed 127lbs and wanted to be down to 100lbs. I know, I know, probably not good. All My weight was in my stomach. My legs and arms looked fine. But now I'm down to 113lbs and I can honestly say that I don't feel like I should lose anymore weight. I'm 5'6 (I think) and happily thin the only problem is my stomach. I'm thin everywhere else except my gut. I'm almost finished with Insanity for the second time (only 2 weeks left) and I've been adding squats and dead lifts with weights to the routine as well. And that is because I'd like to build some muscle in my thighs and I eventually want a lean stomach, but I don't know what I should do. Should I keep trying to lose weight to get the stomach fat off? Or focus on weight training? Like I said, this is my first time sticking to losing weight, so I'm still pretty new to all of this. Any and all advice is appreciated!

knra_grl

maintenance? If you stick with the strength training you will eventually see results and if you are happy with your weight go on maintenance.

psuLemon

With people who are underweight, it's extremely common for them to still have higher amounts of body fat. So if you want to get a flat stomach, there is a strong chance you will need to build the muscle back up that you lost. You can do this with a bulk phased followed by a cut. This means you would need to eat a surplus to gain weight (mass) and then after 8-12 weeks, drop calories to just below maintenance to lose any new fat you gained.


The alternate option is eating at maintenance and try strength training to lose body fat and maintain muscle, but this is definitely the long approach. I worked with a woman where she ate 2100 calories on lifting days and 1800 on non lifting days, and it took a year to go from 26% body fat down to 18% body fat. So it can be done, but it's definitely long.

NoehmiEsquivel

K Thank You!
I want sure if sticking to the weight training would do the whole 'building muscle under the layer of fat' thing in my stomach and not being able to see it, but if it won't do that, then I'm up for the commitment!

NoehmiEsquivel

With people who are underweight, it's extremely common for them to still have higher amounts of body fat. So if you want to get a flat stomach, there is a strong chance you will need to build the muscle back up that you lost. You can do this with a bulk phased followed by a cut. This means you would need to eat a surplus to gain weight (mass) and then after 8-12 weeks, drop calories to just below maintenance to lose any new fat you gained.


The alternate option is eating at maintenance and try strength training to lose body fat and maintain muscle, but this is definitely the long approach. I worked with a woman where she ate 2100 calories on lifting days and 1800 on non lifting days, and it took a year to go from 26% body fat down to 18% body fat. So it can be done, but it's definitely long.

Ok I see. Thank you so much! I'm just glad to be pointed in the right direction. I knew I was underweight, but not seeing my stomach go away, just made me continue to work out. I'm obviously new to this lol

NoehmiEsquivel

One more thing:
Should I still be doing cardio? Like running, insanity etc
Or just weights and toning type of exercise? Ab exercises etc
Not sure if the cardio will affect any muscle gain if I decide to still with maintaining instead of bulking back up

2013sk

Why don't you try some core exercises

Yoga/pilates is supposed to be very good for this.

I do a kettle bells class and sometimes body pump and they do ab exercises... The next day I feel like someone has punched my stomach all night - You can tell it works.

Using the kettlebells and doing crunches/sit ups is very good!

TavistockToad

One more thing:
Should I still be doing cardio? Like running, insanity etc
Or just weights and toning type of exercise? Ab exercises etc
Not sure if the cardio will affect any muscle gain if I decide to still with maintaining instead of bulking back up

3 x full body strength training per week, then you could do insanity a couple of times a week for your cardio.

ckidd311

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NoehmiEsquivel

Why don't you try some core exercises

Yoga/pilates is supposed to be very good for this.

I do a kettle bells class and sometimes body pump and they do ab exercises... The next day I feel like someone has punched my stomach all night - You can tell it works.

Using the kettlebells and doing crunches/sit ups is very good!

I just downloaded some ab workout routine online, along with a booty and arm routine from the "Tone It Up Girls" I read in a past forum that there stuff was working out pretty well. Hoping it works out

each_day_stronger

Throw out the scale, Eat more, lift heavy, reduce cardio to only whatever makes you happy (even if that's basically just walking around):
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

eso2012

I am 5'3" and definitely know that 100 is too low for me. So no girl, you can even put on some pounds.

Flab - are you talking about no muscle tones or fat over muscles?

Either case, I would keep doing what you have been doing, combining cardio and strength training. Up your calories a bit.

Pilates is a core transformer, you shoudl try it. My abs are strong because of it.

FP4HSharon

You should not lose any more weight, in fact, if you continue w/the strength training, you may find that you gain in muscle but it'll look like you are leaner. You should do cardio, strength training, and flexibility (stretching). On your stomach, I've had great success in a very short time just pulling it in as hard as possible throughout the day. I wear a rubber band on my watch wrist to remind myself to pull it in throughout the day. Some will tie a string to their watch or steering wheel to help remind themselves. At first it may make your muscles/lower back sore, as you get used to it. But pretty soon you'll notice that you're holding it in without even thinking about it. Give it a try for just a week & I think you'll notice a huge difference. Stand/sit up really straight, like you're trying to touch your head to the ceiling, take a deep breath & exhale, hold on the exhale & pull in your stomach (tighten your gluts too if you like), then start breathing normally while trying to maintain the position. Most people just don't realize how much poor posture (slumped shoulders & relaxed stomach pooching out) can make us look bigger than we are in places. Let me know what you think, but everyone I know who's given this a fair try has raved about how well it works.

ndj1979

pick up a copy of starting strength or new rules of lifting for woman and then build a lifting program around compound movements and lifting progressively heavier. compound movements = squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, pull ups/chin ups…once you have these moves down incorporate them into a three day a week routine that looks like…

monday - chest/arms
tuesday - cardio
wens - legs
thurs - cardio
frirday - back shoulder
sat - off
sunday - free day/active rest…

you might also want to adjust your calorie intake so you are either maintaining or at a slight - 10% - deficit...

NoehmiEsquivel

I am 5'3" and definitely know that 100 is too low for me. So no girl, you can even put on some pounds.

Flab - are you talking about no muscle tones or fat over muscles?

Either case, I would keep doing what you have been doing, combining cardio and strength training. Up your calories a bit.

Pilates is a core transformer, you shoudl try it. My abs are strong because of it.

The flab is a combo of no muscle definition at all and fat over the muscle.

AJinBirmingham

You can't spot reduce, but you CAN build muscle in other areas to get proportions that you're happier with, and continue to lower your body fat (what very little bit there is) without losing any more weight.

NoehmiEsquivel

You should not lose any more weight, in fact, if you continue w/the strength training, you may find that you gain in muscle but it'll look like you are leaner. You should do cardio, strength training, and flexibility (stretching). On your stomach, I've had great success in a very short time just pulling it in as hard as possible throughout the day. I wear a rubber band on my watch wrist to remind myself to pull it in throughout the day. Some will tie a string to their watch or steering wheel to help remind themselves. At first it may make your muscles/lower back sore, as you get used to it. But pretty soon you'll notice that you're holding it in without even thinking about it. Give it a try for just a week & I think you'll notice a huge difference. Stand/sit up really straight, like you're trying to touch your head to the ceiling, take a deep breath & exhale, hold on the exhale & pull in your stomach (tighten your gluts too if you like), then start breathing normally while trying to maintain the position. Most people just don't realize how much poor posture (slumped shoulders & relaxed stomach pooching out) can make us look bigger than we are in places. Let me know what you think, but everyone I know who's given this a fair try has raved about how well it works.

Thank for the info, I definitely agree about the posture, I know my little pooch can give some of its credit to that lol

NoehmiEsquivel

pick up a copy of starting strength or new rules of lifting for woman and then build a lifting program around compound movements and lifting progressively heavier. compound movements = squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, pull ups/chin ups…once you have these moves down incorporate them into a three day a week routine that looks like…

monday - chest/arms
tuesday - cardio
wens - legs
thurs - cardio
frirday - back shoulder
sat - off
sunday - free day/active rest

you might also want to adjust your calorie intake so you are either maintaining or at a slight - 10% - deficit...

Thanks for the blue print on what I should be doing! Thanks for the add also. My current calorie intake is set to 1200 I think if I up it to maintain my weight, it goes up to 1600. Which to be perfectly honest, kinda scares me haha

LexiMelo

pick up a copy of starting strength or new rules of lifting for woman and then build a lifting program around compound movements and lifting progressively heavier. compound movements = squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, pull ups/chin ups…once you have these moves down incorporate them into a three day a week routine that looks like…

monday - chest/arms
tuesday - cardio
wens - legs
thurs - cardio
frirday - back shoulder
sat - off
sunday - free day/active rest…

you might also want to adjust your calorie intake so you are either maintaining or at a slight - 10% - deficit...

I just started NROL4W (I'm halfway through week 2) and I love it. I've been eating at maintenance to help power my workouts but after talking to a trainer at the gym I might maintain a small deficit since he recommended that I reduce my BF%. (Currently at 23.5%, he says women should be under 22% if possible). I think 22% is a good % for me, my husband doesn't like it when I get too bony LOL.

BTW - ST will really help you. I've been doing it for a year. I weigh 132 but look much better than I did at 125 (my wedding weight). I can't get into size 2 pants or anything (still a 4) but I look awesome in a bathing suit.

So I'd recommend that you focus more on BF% than weight. G/L!

NoehmiEsquivel

pick up a copy of starting strength or new rules of lifting for woman and then build a lifting program around compound movements and lifting progressively heavier. compound movements = squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, pull ups/chin ups…once you have these moves down incorporate them into a three day a week routine that looks like…

monday - chest/arms
tuesday - cardio
wens - legs
thurs - cardio
frirday - back shoulder
sat - off
sunday - free day/active rest…

you might also want to adjust your calorie intake so you are either maintaining or at a slight - 10% - deficit...

I just started NROL4W (I'm halfway through week 2) and I love it. I've been eating at maintenance to help power my workouts but after talking to a trainer at the gym I might maintain a small deficit since he recommended that I reduce my BF%. (Currently at 23.5%, he says women should be under 22% if possible). I think 22% is a good % for me, my husband doesn't like it when I get too bony LOL.

BTW - ST will really help you. I've been doing it for a year. I weigh 132 but look much better than I did at 125 (my wedding weight). I can't get into size 2 pants or anything (still a 4) but I look awesome in a bathing suit.

So I'd recommend that you focus more on BF% than weight. G/L!

How exactly do you measure BF%? Idk what mine is. I've always been a very small girl in weight, size 0, then going up to the most being a size 3. I don't care about how small my pants size is tho, I've always wanted to be higher than a zero, but In a good/sexy way lol
Also what does NROL4W Stand for? I get the for women part lol just not the first 3

psuLemon

One more thing:
Should I still be doing cardio? Like running, insanity etc
Or just weights and toning type of exercise? Ab exercises etc
Not sure if the cardio will affect any muscle gain if I decide to still with maintaining instead of bulking back up

Cardio burns more calories, which means the more cardio you do, the more you will to eat. Many people prefer to cut cardio or minimize cardio due a bulk/cut cycle to make eating more calories easier. It's really up to you. The second decision is figure out if you want to recomp or build muscle. Both are good choices, and both have advantages/disadvantages. Next, you want to figure out a good weight training routine (starting light to get form down) and then adding more weight. njd provided a pretty good program or you can do 3 full body workouts. Whichever you feel will be more beneficial.

If gaining weight scares you - start with recomp
If you have a timeline - bulk/cut

Also for a frame of reference, below is a good story of what adding muscle can do for a body.

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

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

pick up a copy of starting strength or new rules of lifting for woman and then build a lifting program around compound movements and lifting progressively heavier. compound movements = squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, pull ups/chin ups…once you have these moves down incorporate them into a three day a week routine that looks like…

monday - chest/arms
tuesday - cardio
wens - legs
thurs - cardio
frirday - back shoulder
sat - off
sunday - free day/active rest…

you might also want to adjust your calorie intake so you are either maintaining or at a slight - 10% - deficit...

Right on the exercise advice, but I'm going to have to disagree on the diet advice. I'm 5'7", and I got very ill recently and dropped to 119. I've started a bulk to put on muscle. I highly recommend you eat at a slight surplus (300 or so calories over your TDEE, go to Scooby's workshop to determine this or use MFP's settings to put on a half pound a week) for the next 3-4 months and then eat at a slight deficit (200-300 calories to lose .5 pounds a week) for 2-3 months and see where you stand.

Given your current stats, you may just need to eat at a surplus then drop back to maintenance. You're new enough to lifting that the slight surplus can put on muscle and build back up your bone density (which I can most certainly tell you has suffered from the calorie restriction) without putting on too much fat.

As for cardio, sure you can do cardio, just don't let it be the primary focus and don't overdo it. You'd need to eat all those calories back to see any growth.

Perspective - to put on any weight, I'm eating a lot of calories, well over 2000 calories a day. I'm up and down in the 119 - 122 range and finding bulking to be harder than it was last time.

psuLemon

pick up a copy of starting strength or new rules of lifting for woman and then build a lifting program around compound movements and lifting progressively heavier. compound movements = squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, pull ups/chin ups…once you have these moves down incorporate them into a three day a week routine that looks like…

monday - chest/arms
tuesday - cardio
wens - legs
thurs - cardio
frirday - back shoulder
sat - off
sunday - free day/active rest…

you might also want to adjust your calorie intake so you are either maintaining or at a slight - 10% - deficit...

I just started NROL4W (I'm halfway through week 2) and I love it. I've been eating at maintenance to help power my workouts but after talking to a trainer at the gym I might maintain a small deficit since he recommended that I reduce my BF%. (Currently at 23.5%, he says women should be under 22% if possible). I think 22% is a good % for me, my husband doesn't like it when I get too bony LOL.

BTW - ST will really help you. I've been doing it for a year. I weigh 132 but look much better than I did at 125 (my wedding weight). I can't get into size 2 pants or anything (still a 4) but I look awesome in a bathing suit.

So I'd recommend that you focus more on BF% than weight. G/L!

How exactly do you measure BF%? Idk what mine is. I've always been a very small girl in weight, size 0, then going up to the most being a size 3. I don't care about how small my pants size is tho, I've always wanted to be higher than a zero, but In a good/sexy way lol
Also what does NROL4W Stand for? I get the for women part lol just not the first 3

NROL4W = new rules of lifting for women. It's a book and workout routine to get women into weight training. It's great for newbies to lifting. Body fat can be measured a few ways but calipers is usually a good option, unless you can get a dexa scan or water immersion test.

Cranquistador

I liked reading New Rules of Lifting for Women but when it came time to follow the program it seemed like too much variety for me and changes in the program...if you like that, great.

But i preferred something easy for me to memorize going into the gym...i did these programs and after a while added a few accessory lifts in.

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

trust me I started this at 40 and very overweight.
Lifting weights made me look smaller than I ever have and look better as I reach my desired weight.
You will be able to weigh MORE and look just as small.
you have gotten a lot of good advice here.

The overall body workout will be fantastic for your core...my belly improved significantly and I did NO stomach exercises.

Cranquistador

I was going to post some pictures but dont want to hijack your thread or anything...i will PM you if you are interested:flowerforyou:

NoehmiEsquivel

I was going to post some pictures but dont want to hijack your thread or anything...i will PM you if you are interested:flowerforyou:

Don't worry hijack away! It would be nice for others to see (if you don't mind) That may have the same or similar questions to mine:)

NoehmiEsquivel

Btw, thank you EVERYONE for your help! It's so amazing to be able to get some help and opinions on things.

Cranquistador

ok.

before...40 years old...wish I took more pics but I hated being photographed.



after and still going...and i lift HEAVY for me and I dont see any "bulky" muscles people worry bout...i would consider my before bulky if anything.





get it going.

kittikat1119

DANG!!!! If you are not an inspiration for us women to weight lift I don't know what would be!!!! Now I am wanting to run and pull out my Chalean Extreme videos....:happy:

firstsip

With people who are underweight, it's extremely common for them to still have higher amounts of body fat. So if you want to get a flat stomach, there is a strong chance you will need to build the muscle back up that you lost. You can do this with a bulk phased followed by a cut. This means you would need to eat a surplus to gain weight (mass) and then after 8-12 weeks, drop calories to just below maintenance to lose any new fat you gained.


The alternate option is eating at maintenance and try strength training to lose body fat and maintain muscle, but this is definitely the long approach. I worked with a woman where she ate 2100 calories on lifting days and 1800 on non lifting days, and it took a year to go from 26% body fat down to 18% body fat. So it can be done, but it's definitely long.

Would you mind sharing what program she followed, Psulemon?

Also, good luck OP! You've gotten some good advice in here, especially from Cranq and Psulemon. I've been in your place (same height, lower weight), and just keep going down, never being happy with my stomach.

I'm 139 right now and with a flatter stomach than when I was 100, so weight training does wonders (to self-esteem, too!).

mumx5

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