body fat vs actual weight...?

dianita22

Very interesting, us tall girls (I'm 5'10") often get caught up in our high weight

Sofithomas

Thank you so much all of you for the time and advice you've given me!! This is all so helpful and makes me feel a tad less guilty if I ever go over any calorie deficit haha....I just did some HIIT and some small weights (I found them hard ok LOL) and it feels a bit strange compared to my normal cardio slog but I do prefer it, way less boring. Will talk to my trainer for his input!! Should I also reduce my carbs by a bit if I wanna lose BF?

psuLemon

Thank you so much all of you for the time and advice you've given me!! This is all so helpful and makes me feel a tad less guilty if I ever go over any calorie deficit haha....I just did some HIIT and some small weights (I found them hard ok LOL) and it feels a bit strange compared to my normal cardio slog but I do prefer it, way less boring. Will talk to my trainer for his input!! Should I also reduce my carbs by a bit if I wanna lose BF?

unless you have an intolerance to carbs (such as PCOS) there is no need for it. Carbs are the best way to provide energy. Just stay away from simple sugars (processed carbs) and eat whole foods.

LorinaLynn

I never reduced my carbs, or at least looked at it like I was reducing my carbs, but I made a point to get at least 100g of protein and let the carbs and fat fall where they may.

Elisirmon

Just as a reference, females cannot get bulky without steroids. It is almost impossible. Hormones.
Here is why:
http://www.fitness-nutrition-weightloss.com/can-women-get-bulky-from-lifting-weights.html

It's true femails cannot get bulky without steriods and massive calorie intake and lots of heavy lifting....so don't worry about being bulky worry about lowering your health risk due to eat to low of calories...rev up your metabolism and pump some Iron!

Sofithomas

So if I do add weights, I will still retain leanness? This is solely a priority for me for my modelling - obviously with fashion lean is the way forward, hence my heavy cardio and low calorie diet! Even a 'strong, athletic' look is certainly attractive in my eyes but would hinder my prospects of booking jobs

psuLemon

So if I do add weights, I will still retain leanness? This is solely a priority for me for my modelling - obviously with fashion lean is the way forward, hence my heavy cardio and low calorie diet! Even a 'strong, athletic' look is certainly attractive in my eyes but would hinder my prospects of booking jobs

Well fat is the only thing that will bulk a woman so if you have more lean muscle mass, you will be more lean in general.

LorinaLynn

Pound for pound, muscle is smaller and more compact than fat. The more muscle you have, the smaller you'll look.

Think of body fat as Marshmallow Fluff, and think of muscle as water. A cup of Fluff would only weigh about 3 ounces. A cup of water would weigh about 8 ounces. Someone who's body was all Fluff/fat would weigh less than someone who's body was all water/muscle, but the one with the muscle would look smaller.

ottawagirl613

you don't feel hungry because you're metabolism is crawling because you're not feeding it enough.. i second (or third or tenth or whatever it is by now) what everyone has said so far.. eat more calories (healthy ones of course) and strength train.. good luck!

littlemsmuffet

As previously said... very low cals and little to no strength training are 2 big reasons your are where you are. You are what people on this site often call skinny-fat: slender, but a relatively high body fat and relatively low muscle/definition.

Add some protein to your diet and start lifting. I'd bump up your cals so you're netting 1500 or so. Probably should double or triple your protein intake - based on your stats I'd be shooting for 90-100g of protein each day... that's 400cals right there.

This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say.

Let me just add that I used to be 5'4" 100 pounds, and my body fat was 21%, now I am 110 pounds and my body fat is 17% and my clothes fit better than they used to. I lift heavy weights and eat 1500-1800 calories a day from eating approx 800-1000 a day before.

Wow - this is eye-opening. I'm 5'5" and wanted to be 100 lbs but recently changed my goals to 107 lbs because I want to be 17% body fat too. I'm eating 800-1000 calories right now. I checked the BMR for a 5'5" female, 107 lbs, 17% body fat and it's 1242 calories (other calculators give a 1200-1250 range).

littlemsmuffet

So if I do add weights, I will still retain leanness? This is solely a priority for me for my modelling - obviously with fashion lean is the way forward, hence my heavy cardio and low calorie diet! Even a 'strong, athletic' look is certainly attractive in my eyes but would hinder my prospects of booking jobs

There are different modeling categories with different expectations (which you well know, I'm sure). If you are a (high) fashion model, you will need to be thinner than shorter models, and that will translate to less muscle overall but you can still reduce your body fat % by lifting weights or strength training your own body weight.

As far as the "strong, athletic" look.....Karlie Kloss works out, yet she is "skinny" enough for high fashion. There is a balance between calories and strength training. I am trying to perfect it myself, but one cannot become bigger than their energy intake dictates (provided their hormones are normal). Calories are key for a certain size on the continuum of small to large, but strength training is the key for how much muscle (or fat) comprises that particular size. Check out this website: http://nutrition.bizcalcs.com/bizcalcs/nutrition.bizcalcs/
It has 12 calculators related to calorie levels, body fat percentages, lean mass, frame size, etc. etc. It is absolutely wonderful for providing a realistic assessment of goals.

If I were you, I would eat at least my basal metabolic rate to start (according to the Katch-McArdle formula, that is ~ 1350 calories for a 5'11" female, 133 lbs, 28% body fat), increase the amount of protein you eat to match your activity levels and lean mass, and start lifting weights. Since you are already thin, I wouldn't concern myself with cardio unless you enjoy it. Even then, only 30-40 minutes of something you enjoy. After 4 weeks you should have some idea how whether to tweak anything. Try not to weigh yourself too much during that time. I lose all motivation when I strength train AND weigh myself because my muscles retain fluids for repair and that gives a false weight. It's very discouraging. Like you, I eat in the morning (which is a chore in itself) and go all day with little/no food until dinner (the best meal of the day). Now, while I completely disagree with the "eat x small meals a day to keep metabolism running" idea, there is sense to eating small snacks if you already eat very little. If you choose protein-rich snacks (protein shakes, low sugar protein bars) and eat a bowl of oatmeal at breakfast (add some more egg whites), you should be leaner in no time - but you will probably be the same size or smaller.

But I'm not going to lie: you will probably gain some weight, or at least, you probably wont lose much. This is why: if your lean mass is 95 lbs right now (133 lbs at 28% body fat), it is going to be very difficult for you to lose body fat and avoid gaining muscle because your muscle mass is already quite low (mine is 95 lbs and I am 6 inches shorter than you, and a size 0 US). With 135 pounds being the weight recommended for a small-framed 5'11" female. If you wanted to weigh, say, 130 lbs but you want to be leaner...perhaps 19% body fat, your new lean mass would be about 105 lbs. You would look smaller but you would have gained muscle and your weight will stay very close to what it is already.

I hope that made sense - sorry it was so long!!

FatSyrup

I actually think 800-1000 calories is enough. Maybe for your height is a bit low... since you are supper tall. Think about it... most Asian girls in Asia are skinny like chop stick but very healthy. ( even they are 5'6'' ) That is because the size of the dish is much smaller and they are too busy to eat. So, the calorie they take everyday is very low. WTH do I know that? Because when my college friends come to USA to visit me, I notice how little they can eat and they are not even trying to lose weight that time.

psuLemon

I actually think 800-1000 calories is enough. Maybe for your height is a bit low... since you are supper tall. Think about it... most Asian girls in Asia are skinny like chop stick but very healthy. ( even they are 5'6'' ) That is because the size of the dish is much smaller and they are too busy to eat. So, the calorie they take everyday is very low. WTH do I know that? Because when my college friends come to USA to visit me, I notice how little they can eat and they are not even trying to lose weight that time.

Just because your friends do something doesnt make it right. 800-1000 calories isnt enough to feed a metabolism. Its rather plain and simple. I have helped well over 200+ people and all eat over 1600 calories and 90% of them are closer to 2000 calories with continuous weight and fat loss.

psuLemon

Ps- the national institute of health has already evaluated what a body needs and for women its a minimum of 1200.