Twenty-somethings losing weight with Athletic Build?

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SarahODanaher
SarahODanaher Posts: 17
in Success Stories
I am finding it hard to lose weight because I have an un-toned athletic build. Are there any 20 somethings who have had success with this body type?

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  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    What exactly does that mean? I'd equate "athletic build" with muscular and tone, not "untoned".
  • Girl_Bomb
    Girl_Bomb Posts: 195
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    Are you strength training? Weights?
  • amberaz
    amberaz Posts: 328 Member
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    So, do you mean you don't have a small frame and are having trouble getting "skinny"? Do you mean you have a lot of muscle, but a lot of fat covering it? If you are not a person with a naturally slight build, you can lose tons of weight and still not have that super skinny look. I know, because that is me :smile: I have accepted and embraced that fact an I am focusing on decreasing my body fat and adding lean muscle.

    Your build should not stop you from getting a healthier body, you may just have to take a different approach and change your mind set from "I want to lose weight so I can be thin" to " I want to get in shape so I can be healthy and strong."

    Eat clean, lift weights, do a little cardio and take care of yourself...you WILL see results. Also check out the Eat More to Weigh Less group on MFP, especially if you have less than 30 lbs to lose.
  • lululucky1
    lululucky1 Posts: 39 Member
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    I have an athletic build... my version though is thick legs... I have larger hips, thighs, and calves. I run my *kitten* off and do leg work outs. My legs have never shrunk but the have toned up. I just live with it... im not really a skinny jean candidate. but its ok. I do want to drop about five pounds we shall see where it comes from.
  • SarahODanaher
    SarahODanaher Posts: 17
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    Thanks, Lulu!

    That's what I meant. I am sorry for being a little bit vague. I am not skinny, I have muscular legs, and I want to make them smaller, but it is seeming to be quite a difficult endeavor! Lol!
  • briannadunn
    briannadunn Posts: 841 Member
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    I am right with you, I am 29 yrs old and losing weight and I am a fit person so it comes off a lot slower. I have a lot of muscle mass on some of the calculators I have 140 pounds of lean muscle and all that other stuff. I have very strong calves and such, what I find works is to not do WEIGHT TRAINING or Resistance Training unless I want to bulk up or cut fat , I instead run or do my elliptical or walk and that builds lean muscle and makes my legs smaller. The moment I build resistance I gain muscle and bulk up again...Yes, muscle burns fat and if you have fat then that is a great way to look smaller but if you don't then try a different form of exercise.
  • freedski1
    freedski1 Posts: 65 Member
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    The woes of being an athletic-type girl...
    I have big arms and legs - lots of muscle covered by fat. Broad shoulders AND broad hips. I am at peace with the fact that I'll never look "skinny," either. But knowing that I have lots of muscle makes me feel proud.
    True, it is hard and kind of disappointing when working out makes bulky areas bulkier, rather than smaller... when the scale doesn't change much or even goes up when working out a lot. But all in all, I'd rather be athletic than not, if that makes sense.

    I do cardio, with a little bit of weight/resistance training. Lighter weights and lots of reps. Has done good things for certain trouble zones like my triceps. I also find that I do better with more protein.

    Good luck, and feel good!
  • mlandrethsf
    mlandrethsf Posts: 30 Member
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    I feel your pain…I inherited my mothers fatty flanks. Diet didn’t help them because it was a shape/proportion issue, not a weight issue. I could be as skinny as a rail and there were those flanks, making me look like a wide load. I finally decided I’d had enough and got lipo. Lipo is about proportion improvement, not weight loss per se. It is about treating an area that is out of proportion with the rest of your body. Anyway, most women will never admit they had it done, but I tell people because it made such an enormous difference in my life and I want women to know that they have options. I was SO self-conscious about my body and couldn’t wear any cute clothes because everything was super tight around my hips (and therefore loose everywhere else). A healthy lifestyle comes first, but if you are still haunted by a frame that seems disproportionate (like I was), then from one girl to another, I’m just saying that it really changed the way I view my body. Waited until I was 27 to do it. Wish I had done it years ago.
  • meghan6867
    meghan6867 Posts: 388 Member
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    I'm built pretty similarly. I've always been pretty muscular... I just used to have fifty pounds of fat covering all that muscle. Losing the weight has been wonderful, but I still have larger than average, muscular legs.

    I will never weight 120 lbs for this same reason. The best advice I can give is this : a lot of people would kill to have muscular legs. For us it comes (sort of) naturally. Embrace the fact your legs look super strong! :smile:

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