Skinny Fat is my goal

Options
12357…10

Replies

  • season1980
    season1980 Posts: 129 Member
    Options
    This is me, exactly. I'm 49, and now officially "skinny-fat" as I understand it. My weight and BMI are in the low-normal range, but my body fat percent is around 26-28%. And yes- I have the mini-bat-wings and other areas sagging LOL. Overall I'm pleased with what I have achieved - but NOT satisfied. Just changed gyms to be able to do more weight training, and was talking to the trainer there about my goals. For now- I want to do the heavy weights (not very heavy yet for me LOL) and low reps to gain muscle- but I was clear to say for now.
    [/quote]

    Sorry some how the quote above got messed up......

    In response to the "but i was clear to say for now" part......
    But when you gain that muscle by lifting heavy and then you stop you will lose that muscle. Muscle requires the same stimulus to be
    maintained with that with which is was gained. You can not gain muscle then quit lifting heavy and think you will maintain that muscle mass, because you wont.....the muscle will eventually atrophy......and it can do this pretty quickly......just a thought for you to consider :flowerforyou:
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
    Options
    the 30% actually looks better than the 25% but it seems like she is definately owning her curves! And her bathing suit definately accentuates.


    I'd love the 18%%%


    Of course that is my goal!

    Does this help? Just different body fat percentages, you may want



    body-fat-percentage-pictures-female.jpg



    What you do not want

    female-body-fat-percentage-pictures.jpg
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
    Options
    yeah skinny fat as a term doesnt sound good nor does your description of what it is. What dont you just want to build muscle under a lesser level of fat, you want no muscle tone with lesser fat, with that being said have fun with the sagginess.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    Does this help? Just different body fat percentages.



    body-fat-percentage-pictures-female.jpg

    No, not really. They are single examples. I'm under 30% now but my tummy doesn't "muffin top" over the way the lady in the middle's does. She probably needs to do some Zumba!

    The 2 higher BF % ladies don't look like they have much muscle under that fat. I believe it's the muscle underneath that makes the difference in how the fat looks. And genetics, of course. If you carry more fat in your boobs & bum you'll have less to spread other places.
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    Options
    This whole thread is just strange to me. You can have muscle mass without looking bulky or "ripped"....


    I know quite a few women who avoid strength training because they're afraid they're suddenly going to look like dudes. Fact is, that just isn't true. As a fit woman....you still have curves - they just don't squish and jiggle.

    I dropped my body fat from 26ish to 17.5 and I certainly don't look like a body builder. You can see muscles if I flex, but that's as far as it goes.
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
    Options
    AGREED!

    I got my bodyfat down to 19% last time I checked (although I am sure after the holiday it will be up).

    And in clothes I looked...lol...skinny fat...
    (HATE THAT TERM!)

    But when I would put a tank top on , I'd have people at the gym compliment me on my shoulders all the time.

    (My pride and joy!)

    But it took YEARS to get there.

    Building muscle isn't Easy at all.

    And I only look muscular if I flex as well. In clothes alot of people think I am SMALLER!

    My "guns" aren't big...but if I start doing chinups...boom, they pop. But not bodybuilder physique at all.


    This whole thread is just strange to me. You can have muscle mass without looking bulky or "ripped"....


    I know quite a few women who avoid strength training because they're afraid they're suddenly going to look like dudes. Fact is, that just isn't true. As a fit woman....you still have curves - they just don't squish and jiggle.

    I dropped my body fat from 26ish to 17.5 and I certainly don't look like a body builder. You can see muscles if I flex, but that's as far as it goes.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    This whole thread is just strange to me. You can have muscle mass without looking bulky or "ripped"....


    I know quite a few women who avoid strength training because they're afraid they're suddenly going to look like dudes. Fact is, that just isn't true. As a fit woman....you still have curves - they just don't squish and jiggle.

    I dropped my body fat from 26ish to 17.5 and I certainly don't look like a body builder. You can see muscles if I flex, but that's as far as it goes.

    I'm not afraid of looking like a body builder. I'm not afraid of anything. I just don't want to look like a skinny girl with nothing on her bones but muscle either. Honestly I understand that many women on here want to be low BF and that's fine for them.

    I'm 50 and I have to work harder at it now, but my goal is to look as much like I did when I was younger and naturally firm as possible. But mother nature is taking away the "natural" unfortunately. I used to get the look I wanted without trying. Now I have to work at more.
  • rachmaree
    rachmaree Posts: 782 Member
    Options
    Oh my, I found some of the comments in this post really funny, enough to laugh out loud and my husband ask what I was reading.

    Good luck to you.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    Oh my, I found some of the comments in this post really funny, enough to laugh out loud and my husband ask what I was reading.

    Good luck to you.

    Thank you! Perhaps I'm too old to get the look I'm going for again, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

    How I look in a bikini doesn't matter much anyway since I only go to the beach with my daughter and she says no grandma's in bikinis allowed.
  • slimmingdownsteph
    slimmingdownsteph Posts: 201 Member
    Options
    Um.... Congratulations?

    LMFAO. i thought the same thing.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    yeah skinny fat as a term doesnt sound good nor does your description of what it is. What dont you just want to build muscle under a lesser level of fat, you want no muscle tone with lesser fat,.

    I want to "keep" muscle (I've been working out most of my life) but I don't want to increase it. Just decrease the fat over it a little.
  • sarahnicole218
    sarahnicole218 Posts: 66
    Options
    Have you read this article?

    http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2011/05/skinny-fat/

    Good article!
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Options
    funny-pictures-yes-im-paying-attention-although-you-just-bored-one-ear-to-death.jpg
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    Options
    Skinny fat to me means "Normal weight obesity"

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2008-rst/4738.html

    I would think "lean" would be the goal.

    Maybe fitness-acceptable on this chart.

    http://goo.gl/nDBJy
  • rayneface
    rayneface Posts: 219 Member
    Options


    http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2011/05/skinny-fat/


    LOVE THIS, Great pictures and GREAT info
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Options
    "Skinny fat" isn't a recognised medical term as far as I know but a just a common description for someone with a low body weight, low levels of lean body mass but relatively high level body fat %. In other words it is used to describe people with poor body composition.

    In addition given most skinny fat people tend to hold fat around the abdomen area hinting at increased levels of visceral rather than subcutaneous fat it's not exactly healthy or something to aspire to...

    Oh, firm fat also hints at visceral fat as well which you want to steer clear of: better to be jiggly fat than firm fat.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    Options
    This is a test, isn't it?
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    Options
    ^^^^^^ Is that you Dexter Morgan?? <3<3
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Options
    This is what you should do:

    Set MFP at 1200 & don't eat exercise calories
    cardio 6x a week for minimum an hour (zumba, tae bo, body sculpt, long distance slow jogging, any jillian michaels dvd are really good)
    Make sure never to consume anywhere near 1g/lb of bw of protein
    Never pick up anything heavier than your handbag

    I wish you the best in you're quest for skinny fatness.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Options
    I see where the OP is coming from. I am naturally quite muscly, but I find the obsession with abs and obvious muscles on this site very wearing. I have spent much of my life trying to play down my muscle, I don't think butch is a good look on me. Before anyone says women don't bulk, I do. At least, I get bulkier than I would like. And a BF of under about 18 on any woman looks wrong. In my opinion.

    Everyone is allowed their own goal, not everyone wants to look like something from body rock tv or whatever it's called.

Categories