skinny fat or just lacking muscle?

calisunrise

so i reached my original goal weight recently but i still feel maybe not chubby or soft, just not as thin as i expected to be. i'm 5'7 120 lbs and very small framed. my bmi is in the low range (approx 18.9), but i don't look close to underweight, i'd rather say average. is it because i'm skinny fat or just lacking muscle? (i have photos of myself on my profile)

now_or_never12

I would say based on the photos that you are thin and possibly too thin.

If I were you I would focus on trying to build muscle and not freak out over any gains you may see.

Derpina7

You're gorgeous . I would say too, start to focus on strength training/building muscle and you'll start to 'firm up'.

1ConcreteGirl

Start lifting weights. You'll gain weight (which will fix your BMI concern) but your body will look more "toned" as they say. Losing weight makes you look like a smaller version of your previous self. Weight training shapes your body into what it was meant to be. There are a lot of success story threads about weight lifting/body recomposition for women, but I suggest you check out this one. Just click through the first ten pages or so:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/812464-show-me-ur-heavy-lifting-results-please

And remember that the amount of visible muscle on someone's body doesn't have to do with lifting, it is related to your body fat percentage. .

lacurandera1

What they said, except for the dummy who said you might "possibly be too thin." i don't see any hip bones or ribs jutting out, so idt that's an issue. Lift. Build muscle. That's the route to take to build the body you want. Strength training is the real game/body changer here.

Gettingthin67

I'd say you are skinny fat, we have the same body! (i'm 5'6 and 123lbs), you need to do more cardio! And start lifting weight! Try to calculate your bf% and you'll see how much fat you have in your body! You have to lower your bf% and to gain muscles, for that cardio+strength training!

pullipgirl

I am about the same height and weight as you and small framed lift some weights and do strength training if you are unhappy with your body shape. If you do any cardio make sure it is HIIT.

lacurandera1

Notice the girl with her ribs poking out told you you are skinny fat and said she is, too. I hope you know how to filter the bs on this site. Don't listen to people who clearly have a skewed perspective.

Gettingthin67

please when you don't know what you're talking about just shut up. It's not me on that actual picture ok? Sorry for not being confident enough to post a picture of my body. Problem?

lilteeraw

I am having the SAME EXACT problem.
im 18, 5'3 and i weigh approx 110 lbs right now.
i am on the low side of my BMI too but i feel like i am skinny fat.
like i dont need to lose more weight i dont think... but i have fat on my tummy.
it could just be your own mind thats telling you that you still look like you have weight to lose.
if its not then you prob just need to tone up.
people have told me that i just need to tone up and thats what is causing this.
good luck!

Gettingthin67

and it's not about losing weight but about losing FAT

BinaryPulsar

You are not skinny fat and you are not too thin. But, you would be happier with the way you look if you did strength training and weight lifting.

1ConcreteGirl

I am having the SAME EXACT problem.
im 18, 5'3 and i weigh approx 110 lbs right now.
i am on the low side of my BMI too but i feel like i am skinny fat.
like i dont need to lose more weight i dont think... but i have fat on my tummy.
it could just be your own mind thats telling you that you still look like you have weight to lose.
if its not then you prob just need to tone up.
people have told me that i just need to tone up and thats what is causing this.
good luck!

To you as well: get into weight training. You will firm your entire body weight training. If you want your body to be more firm, more weight loss won't make that happen if you don't have anything firm under the fat to show through.

Cr01502

You're gorgeous . I would say too, start to focus on strength training/building muscle and you'll start to 'firm up'.

I agree with this. If you ate at maintenance and added some strength training to your routine it might give you the look you seem to be after.

drog2323

I would say based on the photos that you are thin and possibly too thin.

If I were you I would focus on trying to build muscle and not freak out over any gains you may see.

Agreed

rachmaree

My suggestion would be to eat at maintanance or even a slight surplus and lift heavy weights

giggitygoo

Notice the girl with her ribs poking out told you you are skinny fat and said she is, too. I hope you know how to filter the bs on this site. Don't listen to people who clearly have a skewed perspective.

I think you misunderstand what "skinny fat" means. It doesn't mean that you are overweight, just that you have little lean body mass. It really isn't an insult.

@ OP don't be afraid of strength training. You may put on a couple pounds but will actually appear to be tighter and smaller. I wouldn't put to much stock in BMI. It's not a good indicator for anyone who falls outside of the "average" range.

PS: you have a gorgeous body as is, but if you want to tighten up, strength training is the key.

lacurandera1

This is my idea of skinny fat. Horribly out of shape yet falling within a "healthy" weight range. That said, I think you already look great and also will benefit greatly from lifting.

calisunrise

thank you everyone! sounds like i should start doing more weight training next year! and oops i think a little drama started here haha.
what are the best free, yet quite challenging lifting programs?

kdeaux1959

I am not sure what measure you are using to say you are "Very Small Framed"... Looks medium from the pics... Do a search to find an online guide to finding your true frame size; you can approximate it by measuring your wrist circumference. As others have said, I think what you are perceiving is a lack of muscle tone. Lift weights and lift heavy. In time, I think you will begin to find the shape you are looking for. Kudos for realizing that the objective is not to go underweight; too many young ladies make this error. Don't give in to that. My suggestion is shoot for a moderate weight gain (maybe to BMI 21 or so) and lift heavy. Push protein while doing this. I think you will be far more impressed with these results than by dropping more weight.

lacurandera1

Push protein while doing this. I think you will be far more impressed with these results than by dropping more weight.

This might be one of the best pieces of advice you will ever get. MFP defaults your protein intake at 15% of your diet which is kind of low. If you don't get enough, not only will you not have enough amino acids to build muscle, but your nails, hair and skin will suffer from it, too.

CoderGal

so i reached my original goal weight recently but i still feel maybe not chubby or soft, just not as thin as i expected to be. i'm 5'7 120 lbs and very small framed. my bmi is in the low range (approx 18.9), but i don't look close to underweight, i'd rather say average. is it because i'm skinny fat or just lacking muscle? (i have photos of myself on my profile)

I'm the same height and weight as you are. You also carry your weight in your thighs like me. All I have to say about that is you definitely don't need to lose any weight, but you could probably use more exercise. I started hiking personally and I looked a ton better then when I first hit goal. This is me after hiking to Waimoku falls (one of the "Seven Sacred Pools" on the Maui Pipiwai hiking trail). That waterfall is 72 of me!:


I gotta say my thighs have noticeably firmed from what they use to be. Now I'm starting to lift. I highly recommend it.

Also ignore the person who says your to thin, they're delusional. I don't think you should lose more wieght though, and you'll still be stuck with the same problem.

5x5 stronglifts seems like a popular recommendation. I personally do something else (blood and sands I think it's called?). I'm new to this too.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Skinny fat and lacking muscle are essentially the same thing. Just eat more protein and lift. I think what may be bothering you is that you have wider set hips but that's just your bone structure. Do some pull ups, dips, and lat pull downs to widen your upper body and you'll have a more proportional look. Focus on the major lifts and definitely do some isolation for pretty much all of your upper body muscles.

Cr01502

thank you everyone! sounds like i should start doing more weight training next year! and oops i think a little drama started here haha.
what are the best free, yet quite challenging lifting programs?

You can check out

Stronglifts 5x5
New RUles of Lifting for Women (I personally haven't done this program but alot of women I know love it)
Starting Strength

All of these are solid programs for beginners. After that you can progress to a more complicated program like 5/3/1.

BinaryPulsar

This is my idea of skinny fat. Horribly out of shape yet falling within a "healthy" weight range. That said, I think you already look great and also will benefit greatly from lifting.

This is what skinny fat is, people.

It's really absurd the way people throw that term around. Skinny fat does not mean having low muscle. Low muscle and low fat is skinny. Skinny fat is low muscle and a higher body fat %. Under these wrong definitions it's like saying that a person that has fully defined, firm muscles and no excess fat is skinny fat just because they have a low weight and a small frame.

now_or_never12

What they said, except for the dummy who said you might "possibly be too thin." i don't see any hip bones or ribs jutting out, so idt that's an issue. Lift. Build muscle. That's the route to take to build the body you want. Strength training is the real game/body changer here.

Someone is a dummy just because they don't see things the way you do?

Realize the world is full of people who have their own opinions and views.

Just because bone is not clearly visible doesn't mean a person can't be too thin.