Scale has never budged in a year of trying- what gives?
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You look fine. what is your goal? Are you looking for more muscle definition? You definitely don't need to be thinner. If you lose more than 10lbs you're going to be in a seriously dangerous BMI. Plus if you are lifting weighs now, any weight loss you incur will likely result in 50% of the weight being from your muscles. Muscles are a key driver in RMR.1
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tmoneyag99 wrote: »You look fine. what is your goal? Are you looking for more muscle definition? You definitely don't need to be thinner. If you lose more than 10lbs you're going to be in a seriously dangerous BMI. Plus if you are lifting weighs now, any weight loss you incur will likely result in 50% of the weight being from your muscles. Muscles are a key driver in RMR.
I guess it's just hard that I pretty much look the exact same as when I was sitting around doing nothing. I'd like to reduce my body fat to around 17-18% and have leaner legs and a narrower waist. Saddlebags need to go.0 -
You mentioned that you work(ed) with a trainer and did some strength training...What kind of strength training do you do?
Eta: I think you look good, but getting on a lifting program will help get you where you want
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You could bulk and cut maybe- put on muscle then cut fat. You really have to pay attention to your macros and calories and weight training though. Do a lot of research first.0
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Or recomp.0
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TavistockToad wrote: »RMSchmidt17 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
Fair question. The numbers are fine but I don't wear it well. Mostly this layer of fat all over is what I'd love to get rid of. I'd like to look leaner- I'm happy with my muscle tone, just not the pudge over top.
Do you have any pictures, as I'm quite disbelieving of the 'layer of fat' given your stats
Ugh- yes. Here's a recent one.
It's not horrible, but there's room for improvement. Most recent InBody scan showed 21% body fat.
It's not horrible at all.
Definitely recomp!0 -
RMSchmidt17 wrote: »[ Saddlebags need to go.
You don't have saddle bags. You have biologically appropriately placed fat for reproduction purposes.
I understand wanting leaner/smoother legs. The question is do you want to get there by increasing muscle mass or by decreasing body fat. Muscle mass = Start powering up on the leg press, squats, leg extensions, and curls.
Also check out the fitness board or bodybuilding.com. It sounds like you're wanting to sculpt and sculpting is *TOUGH* for a woman without steroids. Impossible... no. But tough. You need to look into different kinds of exercises that focus on increasing muscle mass.
Once you've put on a little extra muscle mass then you go back to fat loss mode and go on a cutting diet. Here's the thing, cutting is not sustainable for most women. Most fitness models cut for a little while and then bring back the fat. BUT doing glute and leg centric weight lifting may help reduce the appearance of the biologically appropriate fat deposits around your hips and upper thighs.
PS: You may "look the same" but your body function and blood chemistry is not the same. It's all much better and be glad for that.
EDIT: I can show you saddle bags. But really no one wants to see real saddle bags. So I'll keep them tucked under my desk.16 -
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/977538/halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky/p1
Definitely look through this thread. You need to recomp and lift heavy to get the look you want.0 -
Are you grossing 1500 calories? And is that an average or do you do the "cheat meal" thing? How long have you been eating at that level? I would thing some reverse dieting/bulk whilst lifting all the heavy things would be the way to go.
But I also want to say you look pretty darn good as it is!2 -
Make sure you are hitting your protein goals and might need more than myfitnesspal tells you if you want to build muscle0
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kale salads and veggie mash arent going to give you definition. neither is walking 100000000 steps a day. eat a *kitten* ton of protein, stop worrying about the number on the scale, and lift some hard core weights.6
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You just don't have much muscle and not much fat available for recomping. If you were to eat more and lift lift lift you could build muscle and see changes more quickly. 1500 calories is not much food.4
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RMSchmidt17 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »RMSchmidt17 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
Fair question. The numbers are fine but I don't wear it well. Mostly this layer of fat all over is what I'd love to get rid of. I'd like to look leaner- I'm happy with my muscle tone, just not the pudge over top.
Do you have any pictures, as I'm quite disbelieving of the 'layer of fat' given your stats
Ugh- yes. Here's a recent one.
It's not horrible, but there's room for improvement. Most recent InBody scan showed 21% body fat.
Ummm, I'm really having trouble seeing what you're seeing. You look fantastic.0 -
RMSchmidt17 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »RMSchmidt17 wrote: »Fair question. The numbers are fine but I don't wear it well. Mostly this layer of fat all over is what I'd love to get rid of. I'd like to look leaner- I'm happy with my muscle tone, just not the pudge over top.
Do you have any pictures, as I'm quite disbelieving of the 'layer of fat' given your stats
Ugh- yes. Here's a recent one.
It's not horrible, but there's room for improvement. Most recent InBody scan showed 21% body fat.
I think you look fine. But if you want to look leaner, lift heavy.
You mentioned lifting with a trainer. What's your routine like? The trainer in my gym rushes women around in circles. I never see him do anything remotely resembling a progressive lifting program.3 -
have you ever considered running a few bulk/cut cycles? From your pics, it looks like you could use some more definition.
I would suggest backing off the cardio and going with a structured lifting program with progressive overload built in ..2 -
RMSchmidt17 wrote: »I am 5'6" and weigh 126 lbs
Any suggestions?
I can't imagine trying to lose weight with those stats.0 -
RMSchmidt17 wrote: »Ugh- yes. Here's a recent one.
It's not horrible, but there's room for improvement. Most recent InBody scan showed 21% body fat.
So obviously you don't need to lose weight.4 -
First of all, kudos for having the guts to post a picture. Based on that, I think my original comment still stands. More cardio and even more "dieting" are not going to fundamentally reshape your body the way you want. I think some of the things you are dissatisfied about are genetic--they can still be improved with some muscle shaping and fat loss, but you need to be realistic. And it's going to take time and a lot of work. You should have a direct talk with your trainer and make sure he/she understands what you want and how to reach that goal. What you want to do IMO is not something that every trainer can do competently.4
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RMSchmidt17 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »RMSchmidt17 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
Fair question. The numbers are fine but I don't wear it well. Mostly this layer of fat all over is what I'd love to get rid of. I'd like to look leaner- I'm happy with my muscle tone, just not the pudge over top.
Do you have any pictures, as I'm quite disbelieving of the 'layer of fat' given your stats
Ugh- yes. Here's a recent one.
It's not horrible, but there's room for improvement. Most recent InBody scan showed 21% body fat.
Didn't notice you were using InBody.
Do you remember you Segmental Fat Analysis. Did the bars look like this:
Right/Left Arm, Trunk bars longer than leg bars
Or: the opposite pattern with the Arm bars shorter than the leg bars
Or: bars of roughly equal length?
That gives you insight into your fat distribution pattern.0 -
Yeah, OP - you don't have a layer of fat to lose. I think you look amazing, but if you are looking for more "definition", I would listen to the posters suggesting lifting weights. :drinker:0
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You may be 9 years older than me, but I wish I looked that good post-babies. I don't think you need the scale to show anything different. The only fat I can really see is the fat in your bikini top, lol. I'm assuming you don't want to lose those?0
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5'6" and 126... a "1/2 inch here or there" is a big difference. Man when I lose a half inch it's a freaking celebration.3
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kristinkayyy wrote: »1500 is pretty low especially if you are working out 5 days a week. Honestly you might need to slowly increase your calorie consumption. If you aren't eating enough in a day then your body will hold onto fat so that might be why you are having trouble losing that last bit. Do you know your TDEE?
nope you dont hold onto fat if you arent eating enough2 -
RMSchmidt17 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »RMSchmidt17 wrote: »
You ever ask a question you know the answer to in hopes you'll get a different one? I 100% know you're right. If I keep tweaking things I'll keep getting tweaks in my appearance. If I want radical change I need to make radical change.If you have ever looked at a training results curve, you will see that, at some point, it takes a big increase in effort (or a fundamental change in routine) to make even small improvements.
I would say that there is no "tweak" to your routine that is going to substantially change anything. If you want to fundamentally alter your shape, you are going to have to fundamentally alter your routine. And in your situation, the only thing that will fundamentally reshape your body is lifting weights. You may also have to increase your calorie intake.
I can't promise that even that will work, but that is the only feasible path to consider right now.
given your stats, what 'radical' changes are you wanting to achieve?
Fair question. The numbers are fine but I don't wear it well. Mostly this layer of fat all over is what I'd love to get rid of. I'd like to look leaner- I'm happy with my muscle tone, just not the pudge over top.
Based on what you've posted, I think that "layer of fat all over" you're talking about is probably your skin.7 -
Weights and protein, not cardio & carbs.
I feel like you want to get the look on the right in this below example- correct? That's more muscle and lower body fat percentage. Also note the scale weight is actually more for the leaner look, so might not want to worry about what the scale says...
(This is not me, it's someone I follow on Instagram)
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OP, I don't see "pudge" or a "layer of fat." Honestly, what I do see are hypercritical comments about your body and signs of body dismorphia.
A recomp would help get your body to where you want it, but I'm not sure you'd see it that way with your state of mind. Since you posted about wanting to lose weight when you're already at the low end of the BMI scale.
To build muscle, you'll need to eat more. The scale may move upward. Are you emotionally prepared for that? Ready to let go and stop focusing on the number on the scale as the marker of your progress?
Along with finding a trainer who can really get you where you need to go, you'll need to evaluate how you nourish yourself during this process. There's a reason you haven't seen much difference in the last three years, which someone already pointed out: you're not eating enough to really build muscle and you don't really have much fat to lose. In spite of what you think you see in the mirror.
Your body, your choice. But please consider carefully how you treat yourself. Would you talk to your best friend like this? About her "pudge" and "layer of fat" if she looked like you in a bikini? If the answer is no, maybe you shouldn't talk to yourself like that either. You deserve the same grace with which you treat others.7 -
(The tan doesn't hurt either)1
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5'6" and 126lbs...I'd say you're at your ideal weight any less and you would be anorexic. You seem to eat healthy, exercise and maintain. You're doing good!2
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edited to delete0
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courtneyfabulous wrote: »Weights and protein, not cardio & carbs.
I feel like you want to get the look on the right in this below example- correct? That's more muscle and lower body fat percentage. Also note the scale weight is actually more for the leaner look, so might not want to worry about what the scale says...
(This is not me, it's someone I follow on Instagram)
carbs help build muscle too not just protein3
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