I'm skinny-fat... help!

katenmills

I am the definition of skinny-fat. I look okay dressed, but in a bikini/underwear/nekked... that's a whole different story. The only reason I look okayish in nice clothes is because I have no muscle whatsoever to add bulk. However, I have a high bf% and am soft, flabby and wobbly all over. I need advice.. I know I have to do strength training to build muscle but don't you also need a calorie surplus? I've also heard, however, that if I want to lose fat I need a calorie deficit. Two conflicting things and yet I want both: to get lean and get rid of my fat while also building muscle so I can become firm instead of wobbly! Is this possible? How do I do it? Any help is appreciated

Cmonnowguys

You've got the right idea. Pretty much the best you can hope for while on a calorie deficit is to retain muscle while losing fat. If you're already pretty small though, it would probably be better for you to eat at a slight surplus (TDEE + 200 calories.) All this in combination with heavy lifting of course. That would help you gain some muscle which will burn up fat better. So even though you're technically eating more, you will look leaner and tone because the muscle you put on will eat up the fat, kind of like a trade off.

If you're brave, you could also try eating at an even bigger surplus to make sure you put on a good amount muscle (not really a high amount, maybe just 3-4 lbs,) then once you gain that muscle, go back to eating TDEE and your new lean muscle will burn off the fat.

mmapags

You've got the right idea. Pretty much the best you can hope for while on a calorie deficit is to retain muscle while losing fat. If you're already pretty small though, it would probably be better for you to eat at a slight surplus (TDEE + 200 calories.) All this in combination with heavy lifting of course. That would help you gain some muscle which will burn up fat better. So even though you're technically eating more, you will look leaner and tone because the muscle you put on will eat up the fat, kind of like a trade off.

If you're brave, you could also try eating at an even bigger surplus to make sure you put on a good amount muscle (not really a high amount, maybe just 3-4 lbs,) then once you gain that muscle, go back to eating TDEE and your new lean muscle will burn off the fat.

What she said! And she knows from whence she speaks. She has transformed her body with strength training. I'd listen to her if I were you!! :flowerforyou:

picimadar

Not to thread-jack, but I've got a question about this, too. I've got a decent amount of lean mass, I'll be at about 18% at my goal weight even if I do lose some, so I'm not worried about that, but I do have quite a bit of body fat to lose still (have come from ~39% down to ~25%). I was trying a +20/-20 split while lifting and not losing any weight and not many inches due to gaining muscle easily, so my question is this:

Would it make sense for me right now to just eat on a deficit and get down closer to goal weight (down another 30lb), THEN eat in a surplus to gain back some muscle if needed? I just feel like right now the lifting is making me STARVING all the time, and I eat a lot of protein so I'm just gaining back too much weight, rather than losing!

Hope that made sense!

mmapags

Not to thread-jack, but I've got a question about this, too. I've got a decent amount of lean mass, I'll be at about 18% at my goal weight even if I do lose some, so I'm not worried about that, but I do have quite a bit of body fat to lose still (have come from ~39% down to ~25%). I was trying a +20/-20 split while lifting and not losing any weight and not many inches due to gaining muscle easily, so my question is this:

Would it make sense for me right now to just eat on a deficit and get down closer to goal weight (down another 30lb), THEN eat in a surplus to gain back some muscle if needed? I just feel like right now the lifting is making me STARVING all the time, and I eat a lot of protein so I'm just gaining back too much weight, rather than losing!

Hope that made sense!

Nope that doesn't make sense. How do you know you gained muscle easily? Dexa scan? The reason I ask is because I doubt you did. it is really, really hard to gain muscle. It's not as hard to develop the muscle you have. Add to mix that you are a woman and don't have testosterone and it's next to impossible. This is a 2 edged sword. It's hard to gain mass (new muscle cells) in deficit and being a woman. If you lose mass, it's even harder to get it back for the same reason. My guess is you didn't gain mass. You muscles got more developed and took on glycogen and water from the lifting and looked like they gained mass. The best protocol for losing fat and maintaining muscle is Leangains. Take a look at their website. You intermittent fast and eat at a deficit on non workout days and a surplus on workout days. BTW, eating protein doesn't make you gain weight. Eating in a surplus does.

ETA: I looked at your diary and you are not eating a lot of protein. You are under almost every day on protein. You are also under on calories most days and you carbs tend to run high. Those 2 things would explain why you are hungry a lot. Adjust your goals so that your protein is abot 1.5 to 2 grams per Kg of lean body mass. Adjust your fats to 30% of calories and let the carbs fall where they may. There are days where you are over 200 grams of carbs and around 60 grams of protein. If you up protein and lower carbs you'll progress. Your exercise is not your problem. Your nutrition is.

CrystalDreams

If you are strength training and eating a calorie deficiency you should be fine.

wingednotes

I have a question on this as well.
In addition to a calorie surplus, would someone have to make sure the calories are coming from protein, as a building block of muscle? Or will the body create muscle without adding protein?
Thanks!

Cmonnowguys

I have a question on this as well.
In addition to a calorie surplus, would someone have to make sure the calories are coming from protein, as a building block of muscle? Or will the body create muscle without adding protein?
Thanks!

Most recommendations I see are to have your macros at 30% protein/30% fat/40% carbs. Having about a gram of protein per pound of lean body mass or even per pound of body weight is a good goal to shoot for. I get most of my protein from food, but on lift days I drink a protein shake right after my workout to make sure I get enough.

mmapags

I have a question on this as well.
In addition to a calorie surplus, would someone have to make sure the calories are coming from protein, as a building block of muscle? Or will the body create muscle without adding protein?
Thanks!

For strength training, in surplus or deficit, you want protein to be 1.5 to 2 grams per kilogram of lean body mass. (total weight - body fat). That will help recovery and muscle development.

picimadar

Not to thread-jack, but I've got a question about this, too. I've got a decent amount of lean mass, I'll be at about 18% at my goal weight even if I do lose some, so I'm not worried about that, but I do have quite a bit of body fat to lose still (have come from ~39% down to ~25%). I was trying a +20/-20 split while lifting and not losing any weight and not many inches due to gaining muscle easily, so my question is this:

Would it make sense for me right now to just eat on a deficit and get down closer to goal weight (down another 30lb), THEN eat in a surplus to gain back some muscle if needed? I just feel like right now the lifting is making me STARVING all the time, and I eat a lot of protein so I'm just gaining back too much weight, rather than losing!

Hope that made sense!

Nope that doesn't make sense. How do you know you gained muscle easily? Dexa scan? The reason I ask is because I doubt you did. it is really, really hard to gain muscle. It's not as hard to develop the muscle you have. Add to mix that you are a woman and don't have testosterone and it's next to impossible. This is a 2 edged sword. It's hard to gain mass (new muscle cells) in deficit and being a woman. If you lose mass, it's even harder to get it back for the same reason. My guess is you didn't gain mass. You muscles got more developed and took on glycogen and water from the lifting and looked like they gained mass. The best protocol for losing fat and maintaining muscle is Leangains. Take a look at their website. You intermittent fast and eat at a deficit on non workout days and a surplus on workout days. BTW, eating protein doesn't make you gain weight. Eating in a surplus does.

ETA: I looked at your diary and you are not eating a lot of protein. You are under almost every day on protein. You are also under on calories most days and you carbs tend to run high. Those 2 things would explain why you are hungry a lot. Adjust your goals so that your protein is abot 1.5 to 2 grams per Kg of lean body mass. Adjust your fats to 30% of calories and let the carbs fall where they may. There are days where you are over 200 grams of carbs and around 60 grams of protein. If you up protein and lower carbs you'll progress. Your exercise is not your problem. Your nutrition is.

That is my diary for the last two weeks, in which I have been calorie restricting and not weight lifting. I know I gained muscle mass because I lost body fat, it was tested with calipers by my doctor multiple times. I lost over 30 inches off my body and about 5lb total, ergo I gained mass.

I never said I was hungry a lot now, I'm actually rarely hungry. I said I was while I was lifting. Myself and my mother both add muscle strength and mass quite easily; I gain strength at about the same rate as my 16 year old, creatine-scoffing brother.

Also, 1.5g per kg of LBM for me is like 50g, so 60 by your calculation would even be enough. I've read all about leangains, and was on their program for about 5 months, as I said before. I lost no weight, lost some body fat, but there's also the fact that there's only so much body fat I can lose. I don't want ot be 18% body fat and still be 145lb and a larger size because I gain muscle easily.

I cannot continue leangains as the medication I'm newly taking ****s with my body's ability to perform lipolysis, so 30/40/40 ain't happening, and I can't fast because i have to take the meds in the morning and at night, and they must be taken with food. I'm looking for an alternative, you can assume I've googled anything else.