body image issue? Diet or maintain.

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indoubt
indoubt Posts: 20 Member
edited June 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

please let me say first of all I'm not trying to fish for compliments or something similar. I think I'm having body image problems and would like to hear your opinion on maintaining or continuing to diet. Over the last 11 months I've lost 17kg (37.5lbs) with small maintenance breaks, and am at a healthy BMI of 20.3 now.

Though when I look in the mirror I have the feeling I don't look like other people of similar size and weight. I think parts of it is due to my large pelvis, but also due to my legs. While they've lost quite some inches they remain big at the uppermost inner thighs and lowermost lower legs. It's not oedema I'd say: it's soft squishy fat that doesn't get bigger in the course of the day. But maybe it's just my head playing tricks with me. I know I'm not fat and look kind of fit, but either I was expecting to look differently after 20 years of being slightly overweight, or my mind didn't keep up with the changes and is still in chubby mode.

Stats
Female, 42
Weight 58kg
Size: 169cm
Run 3x per week and do bodyweight exercises 2-3x per week, sometimes with addition of 8 and 12kg kettlebells (Turkish getups, clean and press, etc). I don't have access to a gym to lift heavy.

I've uploaded some photos (might delete them again later on as I'm not comfortable with having them on the net) and would like your opinion: continue diet or maintain? Just looking at the numbers I feel like I should not lose more weight as I'm close to a BMI below 20, on the other hand I feel like there's still so much fat on my legs and arms that something must be wrong with the numbers (that's the head thingy I suppose). I don't have friends to ask so I'm asking you.

front

side

somewhat better light

flexed
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Replies

  • indoubt
    indoubt Posts: 20 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Oh no! How do I edit the profile photo in the forum? :s

    edit: oh, just needed a minute to update. Phew!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    Sometimes it takes time for our brain to catch up with our body. I hope you can look at the pictures and see a pretty decent figure.... For a 41 year old, I think you look sensational.

    Personally, I'd consider eating at maintenance and keep lifting... Your legs will keep losing fat slowly (I would hope, as in a recomp) and you might just become happier with your shape.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    You look great. Give yourself four or five months to get used to the new you. Keep lifting. :star::star::star:
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited June 2015
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    You look great.

    I do know how you feel, though. I think a lot of women feel the same way - our thighs really resist giving up fat, for hormonal reasons. (Apparently, it changes after menopause.) I think it's easier/less of a headgame to not try to, at your BMI.

    I agree with the person above me - maintain, and keep working on shaping leg and glute muscles.
  • Gianfranco_R
    Gianfranco_R Posts: 1,297 Member
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    you already look great, eat at maintenance, keep exercising, and you'll recomp
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    You look good. Lots of younger women would envy a tummy like yours. I understand what you are saying about your legs, but this is how you are built and it is definitely not unique or weird or bad looking. I think it is a matter of learning to love your body type.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,739 Member
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    Catcall <smack>; but, honey she looks GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!!!!!

    Eating at maintenance and continuing to exercise will help you get closer to where you want to be and it will give your head time to wrap itself around its new reality :smile:
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I think you look awesome

    Yes to maintenance and adjusting your self-perception

    Yes to a good bodyweight programme .. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ (there's also an advanced one)

    You have so got this
  • rugratz2015
    rugratz2015 Posts: 593 Member
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    You look fabulous!!! You have a similar body build as me, except you have the slim version, it is a case of learning to appreciate what you have and dressing well to flaunt your assets. Keep maintaining and exercising and you will get the results you want :smiley:
  • SkinnyWannabeGal
    SkinnyWannabeGal Posts: 143 Member
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    I think you look really awesome!

    Same thing happened to me when I lost around 35 pounds a couple of years ago. I was expecting my thighs to be smaller than they were. I felt like they were not proportionate with the rest of my body. When I looked in the mirror I saw a flat tummy and chunky thighs. However, no one else I knew thought they were big, just me. I have since accepted them.

    You most definitely do not look like you need to lose anymore weight. I had gained some of my weight back so my tummy now matches my thighs (in my mind) :/ so I'm back on another weightloss journey now.

    P.s. you look fantastic! I want my body to look more like yours again!
  • wils5150
    wils5150 Posts: 149 Member
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    You look really great. Can see those abs popping in that flexed pic
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Recomp! You look great! Stick with what you are doing and just up the intensity/difficulty. Bodyweight moves can be progressed very far.
  • genki90
    genki90 Posts: 94 Member
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    In my opinion you look awesome! But it doesn't matter as long as you can't see that.
    The biggest mistake we make is comparing our body to others. When we start losing weight we usually imagine our ideal body using someone elses image, our friends legs, our sisters abs, some celebrity's butt etc. So we set our goals with that in mind. But in reality we can never achieve this body, because we are all different and unique! (Each person carries his/her weight differently, some have larger pelvis, some longer torso and others tiny shoulders.)
    We should try to love our body before, during and after our transformation. In the end in won't look like anyone else's body and that's okay. It's the only body we have and the one that's keeping us alive and active every day.
  • FitnessTim
    FitnessTim Posts: 234 Member
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    As others have said you look great. At this point any more improvement would be vanity purposes only which is okay. If you still want to improve how you look in a bikini, you could try reducing your body fat even further while continuing to build muscle. For women 20% body fat is healthy but some people are able to sustain even lower levels.

    By very careful monitoring of my diet and plenty of working out, I had managed to get my body fat down to 10% a couple of years ago. While it looked great, I was not able to maintain that level for long. For me 16-18% is a comfortable range.

    The photos in fitness magazines or in Youtube videos are often extreme examples. If it is your job to look a certain way it is more feasible to maintain that look.

    For me personally, I still like to strive for under 15% body fat. I consider it a hobby that also motivates me to stay healthy and fit.

    Don't minimize the positive. Feel proud of what you have achieved. It is great that you are looking beyond you latest accomplishment but don't forget what it took for you to get where you are today.
  • indoubt
    indoubt Posts: 20 Member
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    Sorry all for just replying now. I got an upset tummy yesterday and spent the rest of the day in bed.

    Anyway, thanks a lot for all your answers. Some of them really made me shed a little tear because they are so right. Especially you, @genki90 I realized yesterday that I could actually wear short skirts, if I find something for my lowermost legs (I hate it that I'm not really thin around the ankles and achilles heal, like pretty much everyone else). So yes, I've come a long way and I think I will pick up your comments and stop dieting and start maintaining while keeping up the workouts.

    @rabbitjb nice workouts! At the moment I'm usually doing 2 workouts from Bodyrock (there's a website with all old Zuzka workouts) and change them slightly to something that makes more sense where necessary. That way I get about 40-50 minutes of workout time, or around 30 without the breaks and get to know many variations. Sometimes, when I feel like it I do circuits for arms/shoulders, core and legs/butt and try to find a new variation of each group in each round of 20 in total or so. Something I read here a while ago. It's a lot of fun and keeps things interesting. Other days I might just do a challenge of x pushups, x slow squats, x burpees, etc. I don't think I'll be able to build as much muscle with bodyweight as with barbell exercises, but at least it's not boring.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    I think you look great :) Just keep doing what you are doing and you'll start to see how great you look. You deserve the compliments your getting!!!
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    Self image is a progressive progress thing for lots of people

    It takes time to let our new self image catch up with our new body

    You look great and maybe it is that time of adjusting your comfort leve with that fact

    Negative self talk and even comments from others add up like old paint on a house. Sometimes it had to be stripped away and new paint applied.

    It sounds so simple. But I know myself it is not.

    Best wishes on your journey of seeing yourself clearly and living who you are.
  • indoubt
    indoubt Posts: 20 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Catcall <smack>; but, honey she looks GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!!!!!

    Eating at maintenance and continuing to exercise will help you get closer to where you want to be and it will give your head time to wrap itself around its new reality :smile:

    I'd like to quote this one as it made me smile big time :blush: Hey, thanks a lot!

    But the thanks also goes to everyone else of course. <3

    Looks like I really need to work on my self image. Maybe I should finally get rid of the chubby clothes and go shopping. I don't know what size will fit and the current fashionable colours are not really mine, but my size 42 trousers are certainly too big, even with a belt.
  • indoubt
    indoubt Posts: 20 Member
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    Hmmpf.. looking at those photos again I think I should finally throw out the dead plant that's been standing there for at least half a year... and tidy up the bathroom :*
  • bubaluboo
    bubaluboo Posts: 2,098 Member
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    I could have written a very similar post. I'm 177cm and 65Kg making a bmi of 20.7. Most of my excess fat is carried between my belly button and upper thighs and I'm sure if I took a picture of that region only so if I focus on that area, I think I look fat. I have to say you do look much better than me. My thought is to continue to lose fat until the stubborn chubby bits are gone (as long as it's still in the healthy range) and then concentrate on bulking a little to add muscle. I don't know if that's the best approach and happy to be guided if there's a better way :)

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