Going under BMI? *PICS*

shorty35565

Right now I'm I'm 5'5 125.2lbs. My BMI is 21 I believe. I'm still fat, My BF% is 28.4 per calipers. It might be even more. Dont you have to lose weight to lower ur BF%? I know gaining muscle can lower it, but my BF% is too high to try a gaining phase. I'll gain a lot of fat like that and I can't handle something like that emotionally. I'm already pretty much beaten by all this & can't handle how fat I am now. So if I went 'underweight' going by BMI, would I still be ok? I mean, I know BMI is pretty much bull crap, so I figure being underweight will be ok. Then I would gain sum muscle when I got my BF% down enough. Here's what I look like now. Not a pretty sight *sigh*

edge_dragoncaller

Gaining Muscle does not necessarily mean gaining weight....A pound of Fat weighs the same as a pound of lean muscle.

What I think you need is Cardio and some Strength Training while still consuming the amount of calories you would need to "maintain" your weight...including the exercise. This will help you tone up and convert the weight you have into muscle.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

no, being underweight (unless you were EXTREMELY UNDERWEIGHT) will make you just as fat just smaller. I recommend lifting heavy weights and focusing on fitness and BUILDING MUSCLE which actually means gaining weight.

Once you have adequate muscle development maybe try another session of dieting in order to lose some fat. You'll never like your body if all you do is lose weight without taking into account the amount of muscle mass you have.

JessLLoser

I was just wondering, did you lose your 60 lbs in a year? Your profile pic says sept 2011 so... If so good on you!

All I can say by looking at your pics is, you need muscle. I did a starvation diet, lost 50 lbs and looked like a piece of beef jerky. Now I am strength training and gaining muscle. Even though I don`t lose weight I am looking more fabulous by the day!

You are at your goal weight! Now up your calories to maintanance and start your strength training 3x a week in earnest. You made it! You will look great in no time! Really.

I haven`t lost any weight it 6 months but I lost a lot of body fat. That is the biggest difference to the eyes. Sounds like that`s what matters. You did a great job so far.

Spartan_Maker

Because you're completely new to weight training, you could make significant changes to your body composition while staying within a relatively small weight range.

If I were you, I'd continue training hard as you have been with your new barbell set while staying between 120 and 135 and you'll easily get down to 20% body fat in time. Within time, you could actually be 10 lbs. heavier and smaller than you are now.

Your new measuring stick for whether your body is becoming more aesthetic should be whether you are getting stronger each month. If you are, your body will have no choice but to look the way you want.

30Purple

You look great! Just get into some weight training and tone up. You'll be friggen svelte in a few months, I'll bet

iWaffle

Right now I'm I'm 5'5 125.2lbs. My BMI is 21 I believe. I'm still fat, My BF% is 28.4 per calipers.

Your weight is fantastic so you need to start focusing on body composition. Get started with a good strength building routine (ask some of the women here what works for them), eat a nice amount of protein (1g per pound lean body weight) and still do your cardio but back off it a bit and up your calories to maintenance. You need a positive calorie intake to build muscle. We're not talking about excessive crazy calories. We're talking about you gaining 5-10 pounds of carefully crafted muscle. You'll gain a tad bit of fat but that can get burned off in your next leaning down cycle.

Build muscle. The only way you're going to get the look you want is with the addition of muscle mass. Simply lowering your weight isn't going to make you happy. Add on some muscle for 2-3 months and then switch back to a negative calorie while still maintaining your strength routine. That never changes. Just alter your calorie intake to either build muscle or burn fat. Repeat as necessary and start looking awesome. It takes some time and effort but it's totally worth it to do it the right way instead of just getting skinny as a stick with no butt, arms, or legs. Chances are you'd still have a bit of a stomach issue even if you got down to 110 so do it the right way.

LorinaLynn

Two months of strength training with free weights, eating about 2000 calories a day, only losing about 2 pounds.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/744311-free-weights-vs-machines-holy-crap

I've been strength training for over a year, just not with free weights, so if you're totally new to it, you'll see more of a change, faster.

danasings

Two months of strength training with free weights, eating about 2000 calories a day, only losing about 2 pounds.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/744311-free-weights-vs-machines-holy-crap

I've been strength training for over a year, just not with free weights, so if you're totally new to it, you'll see more of a change, faster.

First, great job on your weight loss. You are at a really good weight, losing more pounds would push you into an unhealthy range.

Second, ^^^^LISTEN TO LORINA. If you do what she did you will look FANTASTIC in 6 months, I'd bet good money on it!!

shorty35565

I have a bench & barbell at home, so I have been lifting heavy (heavy for me). I'm doing it 3 times a week or will be. This is my first week doing so. I'm doing the main lifts. But I'm still eating a deficit, just a small one tho, like 200-300 cals under my TDEE or trying to. I have a Bodymedia, so I know what mine is daily. I'm trying to take it easy of cardio. But since monday I've lost .4lbs, so I'm thinking my weight is gonna keep going as I lift even with a small deficit, so that's why I was asking. I was thinking of mayb being 115lbs. I didn't think you actually build muscle unless u ate at a surplus & I can't do that. I was told the higher ur BF% is the more fat u will gain eating on a surplus, so I was wanting to lower it sum other way then do a bulkin phase when I got to ab 23% or less.

shorty35565

I was just wondering, did you lose your 60 lbs in a year? Your profile pic says sept 2011 so... If so good on you!

All I can say by looking at your pics is, you need muscle. I did a starvation diet, lost 50 lbs and looked like a piece of beef jerky. Now I am strength training and gaining muscle. Even though I don`t lose weight I am looking more fabulous by the day!

You are at your goal weight! Now up your calories to maintanance and start your strength training 3x a week in earnest. You made it! You will look great in no time! Really.

I haven`t lost any weight it 6 months but I lost a lot of body fat. That is the biggest difference to the eyes. Sounds like that`s what matters. You did a great job so far.

No, it's been over a year. Like a year and a little over a month. Yeah I know I need muscle. I just put my schedule up. My TDEE is anywhere between 1900-2100. I eat 16-1800. I really wanna lose body fat. I'm just really scared of stopping losing weight.

musiche

You are not fat at all... Lol. Get that outta your head! You just need to tone and build some muscle honestly.

Your weight has little to do with what you look like. If you gain a few pounds of muscle, you will look much more fit and healthy. Stop focusing on numbers so much and keep taking photographs. You are definitely skinny enough. You need to stop trying to fit yourself into the standards set by everyone else in the world on what numbers are acceptable and just look how you want to look and be healthy.

shorty35565

Because you're completely new to weight training, you could make significant changes to your body composition while staying within a relatively small weight range.

If I were you, I'd continue training hard as you have been with your new barbell set while staying between 120 and 135 and you'll easily get down to 20% body fat in time. Within time, you could actually be 10 lbs. heavier and smaller than you are now.

Your new measuring stick for whether your body is becoming more aesthetic should be whether you are getting stronger each month. If you are, your body will have no choice but to look the way you want.

So i'm doing all the right things? Eatin a small deficit is fine, right?

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Because you're completely new to weight training, you could make significant changes to your body composition while staying within a relatively small weight range.

If I were you, I'd continue training hard as you have been with your new barbell set while staying between 120 and 135 and you'll easily get down to 20% body fat in time. Within time, you could actually be 10 lbs. heavier and smaller than you are now.

Your new measuring stick for whether your body is becoming more aesthetic should be whether you are getting stronger each month. If you are, your body will have no choice but to look the way you want.

So i'm doing all the right things? Eatin a small deficit is fine, right?

A small deficit would be perfect--or even maintenance--but you don't want to compromise your strength training. A 250 calorie deficit is the MAX that you'd want at this point.

danasings

Because you're completely new to weight training, you could make significant changes to your body composition while staying within a relatively small weight range.

If I were you, I'd continue training hard as you have been with your new barbell set while staying between 120 and 135 and you'll easily get down to 20% body fat in time. Within time, you could actually be 10 lbs. heavier and smaller than you are now.

Your new measuring stick for whether your body is becoming more aesthetic should be whether you are getting stronger each month. If you are, your body will have no choice but to look the way you want.

So i'm doing all the right things? Eatin a small deficit is fine, right?

IMO, I think a small deficit is okay. (Small!) Try to stop seeing yourself as "fat," though, honey. You are not fat!! You look really good, you just want to firm up!

shorty35565

Because you're completely new to weight training, you could make significant changes to your body composition while staying within a relatively small weight range.

If I were you, I'd continue training hard as you have been with your new barbell set while staying between 120 and 135 and you'll easily get down to 20% body fat in time. Within time, you could actually be 10 lbs. heavier and smaller than you are now.

Your new measuring stick for whether your body is becoming more aesthetic should be whether you are getting stronger each month. If you are, your body will have no choice but to look the way you want.

So i'm doing all the right things? Eatin a small deficit is fine, right?

A small deficit would be perfect--or even maintenance--but you don't want to compromise your strength training. A 250 calorie deficit is the MAX that you'd want at this point.

I'm trying to do that! Keep it that small.

shorty35565

Because you're completely new to weight training, you could make significant changes to your body composition while staying within a relatively small weight range.

If I were you, I'd continue training hard as you have been with your new barbell set while staying between 120 and 135 and you'll easily get down to 20% body fat in time. Within time, you could actually be 10 lbs. heavier and smaller than you are now.

Your new measuring stick for whether your body is becoming more aesthetic should be whether you are getting stronger each month. If you are, your body will have no choice but to look the way you want.

So i'm doing all the right things? Eatin a small deficit is fine, right?

IMO, I think a small deficit is okay. (Small!) Try to stop seeing yourself as "fat," though, honey. You are not fat!! You look really good, you just want to firm up!

It's really hard. I look in the mirror & I all I see is far. My tummy and arms are just horrible. Ugh. I just wanna b thin. I want abs. I want biceps, low BF. I wanna b beautiful.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Because you're completely new to weight training, you could make significant changes to your body composition while staying within a relatively small weight range.

If I were you, I'd continue training hard as you have been with your new barbell set while staying between 120 and 135 and you'll easily get down to 20% body fat in time. Within time, you could actually be 10 lbs. heavier and smaller than you are now.

Your new measuring stick for whether your body is becoming more aesthetic should be whether you are getting stronger each month. If you are, your body will have no choice but to look the way you want.

So i'm doing all the right things? Eatin a small deficit is fine, right?

IMO, I think a small deficit is okay. (Small!) Try to stop seeing yourself as "fat," though, honey. You are not fat!! You look really good, you just want to firm up!

It's really hard. I look in the mirror & I all I see is far. My tummy and arms are just horrible. Ugh. I just wanna b thin. I want abs. I want biceps, low BF. I wanna b beautiful.

being "beautiful" has less to do with any of those things and more to do with learning to love and accept yourself. Being "thin" is such an empty goal--aim for healthy, strong, fit, and the visual changes will happen. I promise. Your confidence will increase and that is beautiful.

AmyFett

I wish I was as "fat" as you:laugh:

LiftHuff

Concentrating on the number on the scale is pretty much a bad idea all around. Concentrate on building muscle, as others have said. If all you pay attention to is "losing weight," you'll likely end up lighter but still flabby because you're going to lose muscle along the line. If you raise your LBM, you raise your BMR, which means you can eat more and still lose fat. Granted, that takes some time, but this is a long-term process. Personally, I recommend cycling your calories based on whether you are lifting or not on a particular day, and looking into Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.

CyeRyn

I'm not sure if this will help you or not but I'm the same height as you. I currently weigh 4lbs less than I did in this pic but this is what strength training (or what I like to do my own regime of calisthenics) can help. I still have lots of work to do and some more weight loss to achieve but incorporate some strength training into your fitness can give you some great results!