The troublesome 'apple' body shape

kwb87
kwb87 Posts: 70 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm feeling in need of some support from my fellow 'apple' body types. I got this figure from my Mum. I was in good-ish shape a couple of years ago and then slowly I have put 10kgs of fat on. This has almost all gathered on my belly, hips and face. My arms, legs and bum are slender and small yet I have a big chest and now a big pot belly too. I'm only 62kg's and at 5ft5 that makes my BMI normal but my hip to waist ratio certainly says I need to lose a few inches.

I KNOW I CAN'T TARGET FAT LOSS... I'm not necessarily trying to, I just want to lose the 10kg's I've gained. Or even just half of that whilst building muscle. Basically I'm aiming for a body fat % of 20. I'm cutting down on sugar and fat in my diet, eating more fruit and veg, little and often and under 1500 calories a day. I've started running regularly, gym classes and badminton so fingers crossed time will tell and I'll get my old body back!

Anyone else got this troublesome body shape? Would love some support from my fellow apples :)

Replies

  • bcfxl71
    bcfxl71 Posts: 2
    Your plan of less sugar and fat, more fruits and vegetables and portion/calorie control with exercise sounds like a solid plan for success.

    I am a FA (fellow apple ) who was a pear until after 50 and then the challenges kicked in. Apple is tied to more health issues so you are smart to work on it. I guess everyone thickens in the middle with age but apple fat distribution is another thing tied to warning signals to get in shape. I like to think of it as a friendly, early-warning system.

    Looking forward to reading of your progress. Remembering the one Rule is to keep trying.

    Good luck,
    Betsy
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Your plan of less sugar and fat, more fruits and vegetables and portion/calorie control with exercise sounds like a solid plan for success.

    I am a FA (fellow apple ) who was a pear until after 50 and then the challenges kicked in. Apple is tied to more health issues so you are smart to work on it. I guess everyone thickens in the middle with age but apple fat distribution is another thing tied to warning signals to get in shape. I like to think of it as a friendly, early-warning system.

    Looking forward to reading of your progress. Remembering the one Rule is to keep trying.

    Good luck,
    Betsy

    Per bolded: No.

    You just need a modest calorie deficit to lose weight. Unless you have a medical reason to avoid sugar, you don't need to. Fat is essential to the diet and does not need to be avoided. The low fat fad of the 90s was ironically the decade that the US saw the largest gains in obesity.

    Eat at a deficit for weight loss.
    Exercise for overall health benefits (the calories can help attain that deficit).
    Eat a balanced diet that meets your macro and micro nutrient needs.
  • kwb87
    kwb87 Posts: 70 Member
    Thanks Betsy for the support, I guess sometimes it's easy for me to focus on the vanity side of things but you've helped me to remember the health side to things too. I'm not overweight but as I said my hip to waist ratio is poor and I carry too much fat around my middle. Thanks alot for the post and I'll update with progress in a month's time :)

    Brower47, sorry if I wasn't clear on the sugar and fat thing. I'm by no means cutting these out of my diet. I can't actually imagine a diet without fat and sugar but I'm trying to eat less of these where they are unnecessary (ie. ice cream, pizza etc) I still eat tinned baked beans and homous which I know are not low in sugar/fat. I understand that I need sugar and fat but it's about balance. I'm just trying to get that balance right and for me that means cutting out the high sugar/fat meals and snacks I was eating a little too often. Thanks for the advice and support, it's great to get some feedback, much appreciated.

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