My ribs are showing...

ninjakowski

Maybe a bit of a dumb problem in the whole scheme of things, but going to ask anyway.
I have a very slim build and don't really store any fat on my upper body, if I gain, its all around my stomach, hips and thighs. At the moment I'm starting to become really happy with my body shape - my stomach is flat, my hips no longer look ridiculously large compared to my waist, and I'm losing the lumpy bits on my butt and thighs.
BUT, as these areas improve, my ribs are becoming more and more visible. I've probably had a slightly visible ribcage my whole life, but they are becoming more pronounced now and it's not a great look.

I'm 5'10, 61kg (135lbs) and eat at maitenance (2000 cals) plus all my exercise calories. Its quite irritating, I feel like I can't have everything - I can have the lower body I want, and look like starvin' marvin on top, or look ok on top and be squishy on the bottom.

I'm guess I'm quite self concious about it as being quite skinny growing up I used to often get snarky comments from other girls about being anorexic etc - whereas nothing could be further from the truth, I have never even been close to any kind of eating disorder.

So - do I just need to suck it up, or is there anything I can do to improve the look of this area? I do some chest exercises with my strength training but it doesn't really look like there are any muscles there to build upon.

Kelley528

When I was about 18-22 yrs old I was "skinny fat". I had a 22 inch waist, pronounced ribs, collar bone, etc.. I looked like an extra small in my upper body but a medium on my lower body due to my curvy hips. I was a size 6 at the time so it wasnt that I was fat on my lower half but i was out of shape. Exercise allowed me to tone up and firm my lower body and remain a size 6. Exercise also changed my upper body to look more proportionate. I gained some mass in my back and sides but still looked feminine.
I became a sized small on top and a small on the bottom.

You should find a good trainer who knows what to do to balance a womans physique. You dont need to keep and pay for a trainer for a long amount of time. Some gyms even give you free training sessions. Just find out what exercises you should be doing to achieve the desired results.

CariS001

Sounds like my body type! To get the lower body I want, I look pretty skeletal from the waist up.

I have started with a trainer that is all about HEAVY lifting, and it is making a huge difference. That's my best advice, and also making sure you are eating enough (sounds like you are though!)

ninjakowski

Thanks for the tip. My gym offers a free session with a trainer every 6 weeks but I have avoided it as I see all the women who use it doing the exact same program - lots of cardio and not much strength. Perhaps if I go in really clear about what I want they will be able to help me.

savithny

Sounds like my body type! To get the lower body I want, I look pretty skeletal from the waist up.

I have started with a trainer that is all about HEAVY lifting, and it is making a huge difference. That's my best advice, and also making sure you are eating enough (sounds like you are though!)

Yeah, my lowest weight since college was still about 3 pounds into the "Overweight" BMI category, and I was still a size 14 below the waist ... but I was gaunt in the face/neck/ribs. I pretty much put on all my weight below my waist.

Which makes all the "formula" body fat calculations weird -- calipers on my arm are probably a gross understatement. But hip measurements are probably going to overstate. At least compared to people who put it on more evenly all over.

to the OP: Start lifting. Or swimming. When I've worked on my upper body strength, things have been more balanced. Swimming was great for me in that regard.