Lifting weights didn't fix skinny fat-need help (WOMEN ONLY PLS)
thepinkbananabanana
Posts: 9 Member
I read in order to fix being skinny fat, you need to lift weights. I did for a year. Now, I just have muscle underneath the fat.
I love being so much stronger, but I hate that I've been working so hard and still have so much flab. I also changed my eating habits greatly and eat much healthier now, and I am good about not eating too much. I did moderate cardio workouts regularly, too, but did more weight lifting than anything else.
So, what now? How do I finally lose the fat and continue to gain muscle? Any previously skinny fat women have some advice for me?
I love being so much stronger, but I hate that I've been working so hard and still have so much flab. I also changed my eating habits greatly and eat much healthier now, and I am good about not eating too much. I did moderate cardio workouts regularly, too, but did more weight lifting than anything else.
So, what now? How do I finally lose the fat and continue to gain muscle? Any previously skinny fat women have some advice for me?
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Replies
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That's where you go back to a small deficit and keep lifting.-1
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What would constitute a small deficit?0
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To lose the fat, cut calories. Keep lifting.
BTW this is the same for women and men.0 -
thepinkbananabanana wrote: »What would constitute a small deficit?
Roughly 250 a day below your TDEE0 -
Then you probably weren't skinny fat. You were probably just overweight.
If you are happy with the level of muscle mass you have, i suggest you cut your calories and continue lifting. Making sure to keep adequate protein levels during this phase and continuing with weight lifting will help with retaining muscle mass.
Some say run a "small" deficit, but i don't see any reason it has to be so small. Especially considering you have been at this for a year and don't feel you've seen the progress you're looking for. I say run a moderate deficit for 12 weeks and see what happens.0 -
If you want to know how many calories you should be eating you need to give more info - age, weight, activity level0
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How much do you need to lose? I set MFP to lose .5/lb week since I only wanted to lose 20lbs. I lifted heavy, lost 17lbs and lost a fair amount of fat. Keep protein macros high enough so you don't lose too much muscle when dieting. Fat really started coming off when I stuck to my deficit and kept up a good progressive lifting program in the last 4 months. How often do you lift and what is your program?0
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What are your stats (height, weight, age)? Are/were you really skinny fat? Was your BMI in the healthy range and your BF% in the unhealthy range? What is your current BF%?
Is it possible you just have trouble seeing yourself accurately in the mirror?0 -
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GuitarJerry wrote: »juggernaut1974 wrote: »thepinkbananabanana wrote: »What would constitute a small deficit?
Roughly 250 a day below your TDEE
You're a man. That can't be right.
I knew that was you Mrs. Juggernaut!0 -
Can you give us your stats?0
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Rainbow, I was underweight when I started. Skinny fat means your weight is fine, but you don't have much muscle and are pretty flabby. Sumiblue, I don't care that much about losing weight. I just want to lose my flab. I have actually gained weight since lifting weights, but it seems to be muscle and not fat. I did lose some fat, but it wasn't much at all.
I'll try to keep a closer eye on my calories and eat at a small deficit. Merely losing weight is easy, but getting in shape (build muscles, improve stamina and endurance, lose flab, eat the right amount of calories and macros, etc.) is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be.0 -
If you were underweight then I see why you might not want to deficit. Have you been tracking your calories throughout? Lifting is only part of the equation. You have to eat properly to fit your goals. It's impossible to say what you might do without knowing your stats & your current calorie goal & lifting program.0
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Without knowing your stats (height, weight, which lifting program you've been doing), it's really hard to give any specific advice. However, if you don't have much underlying muscle mass, losing more weight is probably not going to help. Your best bet may be a recomp, where you eat at maintenance and continue to lift. Recomps are slow processes so you're not going to see changes overnight, but over time a recomp could help you develop some muscle mass and lose some of the overlying fat.0
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You need a dexa scan
You could just be body dysmorphic
Best to get the data in0 -
thepinkbananabanana wrote: »I read in order to fix being skinny fat, you need to lift weights. I did for a year. Now, I just have muscle underneath the fat.
I love being so much stronger, but I hate that I've been working so hard and still have so much flab. I also changed my eating habits greatly and eat much healthier now, and I am good about not eating too much. I did moderate cardio workouts regularly, too, but did more weight lifting than anything else.
So, what now? How do I finally lose the fat and continue to gain muscle? Any previously skinny fat women have some advice for me?
If you were doing a structured, progressive weight lifting program, which one was it?
If not, what was your routine?0 -
thepinkbananabanana wrote: »Rainbow, I was underweight when I started. Skinny fat means your weight is fine, but you don't have much muscle and are pretty flabby. Sumiblue, I don't care that much about losing weight. I just want to lose my flab. I have actually gained weight since lifting weights, but it seems to be muscle and not fat. I did lose some fat, but it wasn't much at all.
I'll try to keep a closer eye on my calories and eat at a small deficit. Merely losing weight is easy, but getting in shape (build muscles, improve stamina and endurance, lose flab, eat the right amount of calories and macros, etc.) is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be.
If you are underweight and want more muscle you need to AT LEAST eat at maintenance. You might gain strength but you won't put on muscle eating at a deficit. A slight surplus will yield faster results.0 -
OP, could you state the following:
* your height
* your weight
* how many calories you've been eating
* how much weight you gained while lifting
* what lifting program you're following
* if you're using a homemade lifting program, what exercises are you doing and how often are you doing them
That would help us to help you better.0 -
My question would be are you really eating as many calories as you think, or accidentally eating more? Do you use a food scale, and weigh and log everything you eat? If you're lifting progressively, you need to dial in your calories.
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By "flab" do you mean fat, or just loose skin? You may not be trying to lose weight, but are you trying to lose body fat? If you mean loose skin, there may not be anything you can do about that in some places depending on your age. If you mean fat, there are a lot of good suggestions in this thread.0
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OP, could you state the following:
* your height
* your weight
* how many calories you've been eating
* how much weight you gained while lifting
* what lifting program you're following
* if you're using a homemade lifting program, what exercises are you doing and how often are you doing them
That would help us to help you better.
quoting, in case you missed it.
also, lifting doesn't automatically fix skinny fat. Diet plays a huge roll.0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »Then you probably weren't skinny fat. You were probably just overweight.
If you are happy with the level of muscle mass you have, i suggest you cut your calories and continue lifting. Making sure to keep adequate protein levels during this phase and continuing with weight lifting will help with retaining muscle mass.
Some say run a "small" deficit, but i don't see any reason it has to be so small. Especially considering you have been at this for a year and don't feel you've seen the progress you're looking for. I say run a moderate deficit for 12 weeks and see what happens.
I would agree with this, it seems to fit the knowledge I have acquired. To keep the muscle you don't want an extreme deficit but I'd probably do a "cut" for 3 months or so, you may lose a small amount of muscle in the process but keep on with strength training and adequate protein to limit that. Don't be discouraged. You have great muscles, just have to drop the fat to see them! Make sure your logging is accurate, it matters more now that you're down to the last few pounds.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »thepinkbananabanana wrote: »Rainbow, I was underweight when I started. Skinny fat means your weight is fine, but you don't have much muscle and are pretty flabby. Sumiblue, I don't care that much about losing weight. I just want to lose my flab. I have actually gained weight since lifting weights, but it seems to be muscle and not fat. I did lose some fat, but it wasn't much at all.
I'll try to keep a closer eye on my calories and eat at a small deficit. Merely losing weight is easy, but getting in shape (build muscles, improve stamina and endurance, lose flab, eat the right amount of calories and macros, etc.) is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be.
If you are underweight and want more muscle you need to AT LEAST eat at maintenance. You might gain strength but you won't put on muscle eating at a deficit. A slight surplus will yield faster results.
OP said she WAS underweight. She's been lifting for over a year, already seen muscle gains (which leads me to believe she was also eating in a slight surplus since she still has unwanted fat).0 -
How in the world is this a women-only question?
I am wondering how heavy the OP is lifting and what, specifically, she means by "moderate" cardio workouts and "regularly."
In other words, we need more information.0 -
There is alot of information missing as asked for my others. I was always told by my trainer that if I was doing "moderate" cardio regularly that is was counter productive to muscle gain.
To build muscle =lift heavy+ eating at maintainence or slight surplus ,limit cardio
To show it off drop body fat = lifting heavy + eating at small deficit, some cardio0 -
You need to do more cardio, what does moderate cardio mean?0
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There is alot of information missing as asked for my others. I was always told by my trainer that if I was doing "moderate" cardio regularly that is was counter productive to muscle gain.
To build muscle =lift heavy+ eating at maintainence or slight surplus ,limit cardio
To show it off drop body fat = lifting heavy + eating at small deficit, some cardio
this is untrue. but, m'kay0 -
Cardio can be done while building muscle. As long as you're eating enough you'll be fine.0
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