thin with stomach fat. plz help!

pick up a copy of starting strength or new rules of lifting for woman and then build a lifting program around compound movements and lifting progressively heavier. compound movements = squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, pull ups/chin ups…once you have these moves down incorporate them into a three day a week routine that looks like…

monday - chest/arms
tuesday - cardio
wens - legs
thurs - cardio
frirday - back shoulder
sat - off
sunday - free day/active rest…

you might also want to adjust your calorie intake so you are either maintaining or at a slight - 10% - deficit...

Right on the exercise advice, but I'm going to have to disagree on the diet advice. I'm 5'7", and I got very ill recently and dropped to 119. I've started a bulk to put on muscle. I highly recommend you eat at a slight surplus (300 or so calories over your TDEE, go to Scooby's workshop to determine this or use MFP's settings to put on a half pound a week) for the next 3-4 months and then eat at a slight deficit (200-300 calories to lose .5 pounds a week) for 2-3 months and see where you stand.

Given your current stats, you may just need to eat at a surplus then drop back to maintenance. You're new enough to lifting that the slight surplus can put on muscle and build back up your bone density (which I can most certainly tell you has suffered from the calorie restriction) without putting on too much fat.

As for cardio, sure you can do cardio, just don't let it be the primary focus and don't overdo it. You'd need to eat all those calories back to see any growth.

Perspective - to put on any weight, I'm eating a lot of calories, well over 2000 calories a day. I'm up and down in the 119 - 122 range and finding bulking to be harder than it was last time.

I liked reading New Rules of Lifting for Women but when it came time to follow the program it seemed like too much variety for me and changes in the program...if you like that, great.

But i preferred something easy for me to memorize going into the gym...i did these programs and after a while added a few accessory lifts in.

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

trust me I started this at 40 and very overweight.
Lifting weights made me look smaller than I ever have and look better as I reach my desired weight.
You will be able to weigh MORE and look just as small.
you have gotten a lot of good advice here.

The overall body workout will be fantastic for your core...my belly improved significantly and I did NO stomach exercises.

ok.

before...40 years old...wish I took more pics but I hated being photographed.



after and still going...and i lift HEAVY for me and I dont see any "bulky" muscles people worry bout...i would consider my before bulky if anything.





get it going.

With people who are underweight, it's extremely common for them to still have higher amounts of body fat. So if you want to get a flat stomach, there is a strong chance you will need to build the muscle back up that you lost. You can do this with a bulk phased followed by a cut. This means you would need to eat a surplus to gain weight (mass) and then after 8-12 weeks, drop calories to just below maintenance to lose any new fat you gained.


The alternate option is eating at maintenance and try strength training to lose body fat and maintain muscle, but this is definitely the long approach. I worked with a woman where she ate 2100 calories on lifting days and 1800 on non lifting days, and it took a year to go from 26% body fat down to 18% body fat. So it can be done, but it's definitely long.

Would you mind sharing what program she followed, Psulemon?

Also, good luck OP! You've gotten some good advice in here, especially from Cranq and Psulemon. I've been in your place (same height, lower weight), and just keep going down, never being happy with my stomach.

I'm 139 right now and with a flatter stomach than when I was 100, so weight training does wonders (to self-esteem, too!).

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

I lift heavy and have gotten great results.

The alternate option is eating at maintenance and try strength training to lose body fat and maintain muscle, but this is definitely the long approach. I worked with a woman where she ate 2100 calories on lifting days and 1800 on non lifting days, and it took a year to go from 26% body fat down to 18% body fat. So it can be done, but it's definitely long.

This sounds awesome to me! I'd be thrilled to drop that much body fat in a year! To the calipers I go!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

I lift heavy and have gotten great results.

*swoon*

The alternate option is eating at maintenance and try strength training to lose body fat and maintain muscle, but this is definitely the long approach. I worked with a woman where she ate 2100 calories on lifting days and 1800 on non lifting days, and it took a year to go from 26% body fat down to 18% body fat. So it can be done, but it's definitely long.

This sounds awesome to me! I'd be thrilled to drop that much body fat in a year! To the calipers I go!

I dropped from 24% to 18% eating at a flat rate of 1800, lifting heavy and some carb cycling in just 6 months. I stuck to it every single day and logged everything that I ate. As close to 100% accurate as humanly possible.

The only thing gleaned from this will be carb cycling. Just you watch.

pick up a copy of starting strength or new rules of lifting for woman and then build a lifting program around compound movements and lifting progressively heavier. compound movements = squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, pull ups/chin ups…once you have these moves down incorporate them into a three day a week routine that looks like…

monday - chest/arms
tuesday - cardio
wens - legs
thurs - cardio
frirday - back shoulder
sat - off
sunday - free day/active rest…

you might also want to adjust your calorie intake so you are either maintaining or at a slight - 10% - deficit...

Right on the exercise advice, but I'm going to have to disagree on the diet advice. I'm 5'7", and I got very ill recently and dropped to 119. I've started a bulk to put on muscle. I highly recommend you eat at a slight surplus (300 or so calories over your TDEE, go to Scooby's workshop to determine this or use MFP's settings to put on a half pound a week) for the next 3-4 months and then eat at a slight deficit (200-300 calories to lose .5 pounds a week) for 2-3 months and see where you stand.

Given your current stats, you may just need to eat at a surplus then drop back to maintenance. You're new enough to lifting that the slight surplus can put on muscle and build back up your bone density (which I can most certainly tell you has suffered from the calorie restriction) without putting on too much fat.

As for cardio, sure you can do cardio, just don't let it be the primary focus and don't overdo it. You'd need to eat all those calories back to see any growth.

Perspective - to put on any weight, I'm eating a lot of calories, well over 2000 calories a day. I'm up and down in the 119 - 122 range and finding bulking to be harder than it was last time.

Jumping in here...hope thats OK. : ). So working an area of the body (legs for instance) only 1X per week is good?
New to this weight lifting thing and I thought you had to work every area 3X per week to see results. I love this schedule!
Thanks.