Weird Body fat problem
Monogirl279
Posts: 16 Member
I work out and I can lift my body weight. I consider myself to be really healthy. I’m 22,5’6 and 108 lbs with a body fat of 12.8%. But honestly I don’t have a lot of definition and no abs at all. I would’ve guessed my body fat was 20% because that’s what I look like. Since three years ago when I first started training with my personal trainer (I was really really unfit then) my body fat started 14.4%. I’m really having trouble gaining body fat. I’m perfectly fine with the way I look but even with a high fat diet I can’t seem to gain body fat. Does anyone have this problem? My low body fat is making me uncomfortable because Im worried about when I get older I might lose my period or sth.
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You need to eat more calories. A high fat diet is fine if it makes you eat more calories, but if you are eating less than you burn, you will not gain weight no matter how much fat you eat. You are underweight for your height.
Look for ways to add more calories to your diet. Things like full fat dairy, adding healthy oils to you cooking, etc. You might want to check out the "Gaining weight" section of the message boards.0 -
Are you eating in a calorie surplus? You may find it helpful to track everything that you eat -- and weigh it -- just to make sure. Since you're underweight, eating more should help fix that, and increase your body fat percentage.0
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How are you measuring your bodyfat? I'm suprised you have your period if you've been between 12-14% bodyfat for 3 years3
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Monogirl279 wrote: »Also I’m not trying to gain weight so I’m not at a calorie surplus. I just have high fat macros
In order to increase your bodyfat % you need to gain weight at this point.7 -
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Monogirl279 wrote: »Also I’m not trying to gain weight so I’m not at a calorie surplus. I just have high fat macros
Eating high fat (or anything else) doesn't inherently increase your body fat. In order to gain fat, you need a calorie surplus.3 -
Monogirl279 wrote: »Also I’m not trying to gain weight so I’m not at a calorie surplus. I just have high fat macros
You can't gain body fat if you aren't eating in a calorie surplus.1 -
Yeah, you need to gain weight. How many calories per day do you eat? Honestly, you're close to causing yourself health problems, why not see a dietician and/or a doctor who can help you?
If you are seeing yourself honestly, you must know that you need to gain weight. Muscles are built when eating in a surplus of calories. The body will use muscles as fuel (self-cannibalizing) when undernourished...so you can't hope to gain muscles when you aren't eating enough in general.
It sounds like you aren't really seeing your body honestly, and that happens when you are malnourished - it becomes difficult to have healthy cognitive processes. I hope you'll reach out for some help. Are you in school? How about the school nurse or counselor?0 -
Monogirl279 wrote: »Really? So I can’t like keep my weight and increase body fat?
Correct. You need to gain weight. You're underweight, and if you want to increase your body fat percentage, and preserve your bones and fertility, your focus needs to be on gaining weight and eating more.0 -
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Monogirl279 wrote: »
How am I causing myself serious health problems....all my doctors think I’m very healthy.cmriverside wrote: »Yeah, you need to gain weight. How many calories per day do you eat? Honestly, you're close to causing yourself serious health problems, why not see a dietician and/or a doctor who can help you?
How many calories are you eating?0 -
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Monogirl279 wrote: »It’s my maintenance calories that my trainer and I worked out
And your personal trainer told you to eat a high fat diet at maintenance to gain bodyfat?1 -
Monogirl279 wrote: »
How am I causing myself serious health problems....all my doctors think I’m very healthy.cmriverside wrote: »Yeah, you need to gain weight. How many calories per day do you eat? Honestly, you're close to causing yourself serious health problems, why not see a dietician and/or a doctor who can help you?
Medically, you're underweight. Above, you even said you were concerned about the future risk to your health. What has changed between that first post and now?6 -
Monogirl279 wrote: »Really? So I can’t like keep my weight and increase body fat?
No. You need to gain. You are underweight and don't have enough muscle to lose (which I would not recommend) to increase your bodyfat.3 -
@Monogirl279, how old are you? Do you have any history of eating disorders?2
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A woman at 5'6" and 22 years old needs way more than 1500 calories per day.
You are training? Do you have a job or go to school? I'd think you would maintain on something higher than 2000.2 -
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Monogirl279 wrote: »I mean like I’m worried about being pregnant (If ever) it doesn’t mean I can’t be healthy even if I’m worried about future issues
Then you need to take care of your health *now*.
If you want to increase your fat percentage, you need to eat in a surplus. That's the only way it works. (OK, I take that back. You could also have muscle wasting, but you're going to hate how you look if you're less muscular than you are now.)
Why are you averse to gaining to a normal weight?2 -
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Some people have the frames/muscle mass (or lack thereof) to be slightly underweight and still healthy. Sounds like that is you. But I'm proud of you for being proactive and looking to increase your body fat to slightly higher levels to protect your health. It may seem counterintuitive, but as others recommended, it would be beneficial to you both from a health perspective and aesthetics to gain some weight. Preferably while lifting weights which will help strengthen your bones. It may also give you the aesthetics you want without having to be at such a low weight.0
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Monogirl279 wrote: »I mean like I’m worried about being pregnant (If ever) it doesn’t mean I can’t be healthy even if I’m worried about future issues
Yes, fertility can be a concern for people who are underweight. That's why people are recommending that you address it *before* it results in health problems.
That's the time you want to fix things, before they become problems.6 -
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Monogirl279 wrote: »collectingblues wrote: »Monogirl279 wrote: »I mean like I’m worried about being pregnant (If ever) it doesn’t mean I can’t be healthy even if I’m worried about future issues
Then you need to take care of your health *now*.
If you want to increase your fat percentage, you need to eat in a surplus. That's the only way it works. (OK, I take that back. You could also have muscle wasting, but you're going to hate how you look if you're less muscular than you are now.)
Why are you averse to gaining to a normal weight?
It’s just I like my weight. I’ve always been on the low range. It’s not like I have an eating disorder or something. Plus I have a lot of clothes and they all fit me at this size. I just don’t understand, I was never an athlete or an athletic person. It seems like people have trouble getting to my body weight as an athlete. It just seems funny to my that I have the opposite problem.
I'll say to you what someone else said to me: What's more important: Your clothes or your health/fertility?
If you want to increase your fat percentage, you need to eat more and gain weight. That means you might need to buy new clothes. You can still be slender and thin. You just won't be underweight anymore.
Guess what? They still make cute clothes in a slightly larger size.
Only you can decide what is more important to you.4 -
Monogirl279 wrote: »collectingblues wrote: »Monogirl279 wrote: »I mean like I’m worried about being pregnant (If ever) it doesn’t mean I can’t be healthy even if I’m worried about future issues
Then you need to take care of your health *now*.
If you want to increase your fat percentage, you need to eat in a surplus. That's the only way it works. (OK, I take that back. You could also have muscle wasting, but you're going to hate how you look if you're less muscular than you are now.)
Why are you averse to gaining to a normal weight?
It’s just I like my weight. I’ve always been on the low range. It’s not like I have an eating disorder or something. Plus I have a lot of clothes and they all fit me at this size. I just don’t understand, I was never an athlete or an athletic person. It seems like people have trouble getting to my body weight as an athlete. It just seems funny to my that I have the opposite problem.
At your height and weight, you don't have a lot of existing muscle mass to work with. That's why you have trouble seeing definition. The fact that you said you felt more like 20% bf when it is apparently quite a bit lower than that is concerning from a body image/possible dysmorphia standpoint (not diagnosing or saying you have an eating disorder; simply saying sometimes we aren't the best impartial judge of ourself). Eating more while you also work on strength training will give you the chance to add muscle as well as a little more fat. You could wind up healthier and looking better, all while eating more! Seems like a win win win to me
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