new and need advice/help with my skinny-fat issues!

fit4college95
fit4college95 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone! I am going to be a senior next year in high school (yes, I am 18). When I was a freshmen I was hitting 200 pounds on the scale. Being the unaware teenager I was, I lost 55 pounds by eating 1200 calories and barely walking 20 minutes a day. I was starving myself. Now I'm 5'8 and 145 pounds. The issue is that I may have a healthy weight and a healthy BMI, I have a 28% body fat percentage. All my body is just gross, flabby skin. Everyone keeps saying I'm skinny but without clothes on, I look horrible. I want to look better before I start college next Fall. What can I do to lose that flab? During the summer, I don't do anything but summer work and I am on the computer or reading 5 out of 7 days a week. Can anyone help me with the amount of calories I should eat, what exercises to do, what my intake ratio should be, or anything for that matter? I would really like a nice flat stomach.

Replies

  • dynamitegalxo
    dynamitegalxo Posts: 299 Member
    If you're happy with your weight on the scale, my advice would be to eat at your maintenance calories, or maybe just slightly under so you're fueling your workouts properly without losing too much more weight. In general, 40/30/30 carbs/fat/protein is a good rule of thumb to start for macro ratios. If that doesn't work for you after a month, feel free to tweak! But definitely make sure you give your body some time to adjust to what you've changed before you determine that it does or doesn't work.

    You're going to want to look into weight lifting and/or body weight resistance exercises to shift around the way your body looks, aka "toning." Check out the bodyrocktv, fitness blender, and yogatic channels on youtube, those are a few of my favorites. You can also check out New Rules of Lifting for Women, Stronglifts 5x5 and Starting Strength if you want to start lifting weights. They're basically the bibles of weight lifting.

    Good luck, hope that helps!
  • JanetP124
    JanetP124 Posts: 50 Member
    It is definitely time to hit the weights.

    I'm sure you'll get lots of help with the caloric needs.

    But honey, your body is not gross. It makes me sad to hear an 18 year old girl think of herself that way. Let's build muscle and a positive body image attitude - okay?
  • jojogirlonthegogo
    jojogirlonthegogo Posts: 3
    I am a nurse and work in plastic surgery - it can take 8 months to one year for your skin to re-adjust to your new smaller size. Weight lifting and core strength training can help. If your skin does not regain elasticity plastic surgery is always an option to remove the excess.
  • aberc
    aberc Posts: 98
    I have the exact same problem. I lost majority of my weight the summer going into my Junior year of highschool, but I kept losing through my first semester of college. I went from 187 lbs to 127 lbs by running and eating around 1200 calories. I ended up having "skinny" body with clothes on, but like you said, once the clothes come off it's like "Oh.. wow.."

    Since December I've gotten my diet in check and I educated myself. I now eat around 1500-1700 calories depending on how hard Im working out. I work out 3-5 times a week, 1 hr of weight training (lifting HEAVY weights, so getting through that 8th, 9th, or 10th rep really takes effort..). If I do any cardio at all, it's 10-20 minutes of HIIT or some sort of full-body cardio that adds resistance like the rowing machines at gyms or swimming. I haven't lost any weight, but my shape is getting a lot better. My measurements have gone down, my legs look amazing, my arms are getting toned, and my stomach fat is slowly but surely disappearing. Toss the scale, buy a measuring tape to take your body measurements.

    You calories depend on how much activity you do per day. Calculate your TDEE using a calculator (google TDEE calculator and use a few different sites to get an average estimate..)
    Whatever that number is, subtract about 15-25% of it and that's how many calories you should be eating.
    I personally try to get to 130-150 g of protein every day, and about 50-70 g of fat. The rest is carbs, but good carbs.
    Eat clean, stick to the healthy stuff. Fresh meats, veggies, fruits, etc.. Avoid all of that packaged junk like cookies, "granola bars", frozen meals, etc.. Some people will tell you eat whatever, just stick under your calories, but that's not very good advice. You need proper nutrition.
  • MorningWhispers
    MorningWhispers Posts: 182
    Drinking lots of water will help with loose skin. Also I agree about doing some weight training exercises.

    If its available to you consider going to a gym that offers something like cross fit training or MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), those are some really good toning workouts.

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