Am I skinny fat?

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2

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  • Buckeyt
    Buckeyt Posts: 473 Member
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    Sounds like you are.

    I weighed 102 pounds and was 23% body fat.

    I weigh 110 pounds now and am 18% body fat....plus I have muscle and I look BETTER!

    Scale is not the way to measure fitness or looking good.

    Edited to say - I would STOP all cardio immediately (you don't need to lose any weight) and start a heavy lifting program 3-4 times a week.


    Awesome! Nothing will change your body the way weights will.
  • pbl1966
    pbl1966 Posts: 207 Member
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    Bump.
    I am 5"2 1/2 and am down to 111, afraid to slow down the cardio but have added strength training to tone up what is left of me.
  • leahsevilla
    leahsevilla Posts: 127 Member
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    Don't know if anyone has suggested this yet but check out the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. You can get it on Amazon for cheap and it has a great 6-month lifting program that is really straightforward and helpful for people new to lifting.

    good luck!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    You should do Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred or Ripped in 30 workout DVD...they are only 27 min long....I've been doing themfor about 40 days now and have seen amazing results!...I too am 5'2, and I hover around 117. I have lost a couple pounds but have mostly noticed my body changing...abs, arms etc. Maybe you should give it a try?

    This is more of a circuit training program using light weight, it will not give you the same results as a heavy lifting routine, not even close.
  • ashdavis21
    ashdavis21 Posts: 3
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    I would say that first muscle weighs more than fat so if they look more lean its becuase they have more muscle and thats why they weigh more. I saw on the Drs that there are women who eat really bad and don't exercise and thier bodies make them think they are fat but they are physically skinny. And there was a women who is bigger. and she is in awesome physical shpe. So I guess im going to guess and say yes you may be.. but hey your working out now so good luck ;)
  • kyzxsx
    kyzxsx Posts: 13
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    Ooh.. I think I might be skinny fat too!

    I'm 27 5ft1 and only weigh 93lbs and my bodyfat % is 25.18 %
  • christibam
    christibam Posts: 478 Member
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    To all these posters discussing dropping the cardio and picking up the weights..... how do you propose to begin with this program? I feel like this is something I need to begin. Currently do strength training 3x week for about 25 min, and do cardio 5x week for anywhere between 20 min (hiit) to 50 min (kickboxing). No progress has really been made for a month or two (weight and muscle-wise). I actually gained weight, and its noticeable in my mid section.
    How much are you eating? And what type of strength training are you doing?

    Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

    Click the link I posted in this thread and read my other thread. :) My sister in law gave me some awesome advice.
  • megjeg
    megjeg Posts: 18
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    I asked this exact same question about 4 months ago. The definition is pretty vague and varies depending on who you ask. In my opinion, it all comes down to how you feel when you look in the mirror/wear a bikini/etc. Most people will find that they have reached their goal weight and still aren't happy with they way they look, which is what happened to me.The cure is heavy resistance training, as mentioned above. Eat at maintenance and lift heavy, and you can change your body for the better.... regardless of what the scale says.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/exercise-and-weightfat-loss-part-2.html

    http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lifting-Women-Goddess/dp/1583333398/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330443482&sr=8-1

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/771-women-strength-training

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/102-new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-nrol4w

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Rae6503/view/fear-of-the-bulk-proved-unfounded-215087

    Thank you for all the links :) sure helps to have a place to start. I just can't stop staring at my wobbly thighs in a bikini :(
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
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    I'm 5'3'', 107, and I am definitely skinny fat (I've gradually come to realize this over the past few months). I used to weight train, but that was when I had a lot more fat, and I DID look bulkier because I tend to build muscle fast for a woman (I don't care what anyone says, if you have fat already on and you weight train, certain parts of you can look bulkier--in my case, it was my arms). After that, I just stopped except for intermittent times at the gym. I just ordered the New Rules book, and I am very excited to start it. I am tired of feeling this way, and I am tired that my fat loss has also stalled. Good luck to all of us, I guess :)

    Edit: I want to follow the mantra: Skinny girls look good in clothes; fit girls look good naked
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I'm 5'3'', 107, and I am definitely skinny fat (I've gradually come to realize this over the past few months). I used to weight train, but that was when I had a lot more fat, and I DID look bulkier because I tend to build muscle fast for a woman (I don't care what anyone says, if you have fat already on and you weight train, certain parts of you can look bulkier--in my case, it was my arms). After that, I just stopped except for intermittent times at the gym. I just ordered the New Rules book, and I am very excited to start it. I am tired of feeling this way, and I am tired that my fat loss has also stalled. Good luck to all of us, I guess :)

    Edit: I want to follow the mantra: Skinny girls look good in clothes; fit girls look good naked

    This happens because the muscles under the fat store water when being worked, they do the same when you don't have fat, but they look more fit then with the layer of fat. But rest assured it is not muscle that you are gaining, it is water being stored in the muscle, and that can have the appearance of larger muscles.
  • miss_missa07
    miss_missa07 Posts: 170
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    AHHHH I love skinny fat people! My buddy Josh is "skinny fat" and I keep telling him to get off his butt and lift weights, strength train, etc. He keeps telling me he's just so thin and I'm like, "Yeah.... but you're skinny fat, Bromigo." He's pudgy for a tiny dude. So yeah, it happens.

    Hahaha, Bromigo. Best ever.
  • DaniJeanine
    DaniJeanine Posts: 473 Member
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    Sigh. I think all of us skinny girls who aren't hard as a rock feel "skinny fat" from time to time. In reality, I think there's a lot of factors that come into play. First of all--you could just have some loose skin from prior weight loss or pregnancy that keeps the skin from looking tight. Me for example--my stomach is as tight as it's gonna get without a cosmetic procedure because I have some loose skin from the weight loss.
    Also, like everyone is saying--weights make a huge impact on looking tight, not just skinny. I'd recommend doing a full body circuit twice a week *in addition* to your cardio routine. Cardio is not just for weigh loss....it's extremely good for your heart and overall health. Everyone should do cardio...no matter how much they weigh
  • christibam
    christibam Posts: 478 Member
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    Hahaha, Bromigo. Best ever.

    Bromigo, Broseph, Brotatoe, Dudebro, Brochick, etc. I love bromantically derived browords lmao
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    Its muscle that is missing.
  • ssforcey
    ssforcey Posts: 92 Member
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    What she said.


    Edited to say - I would STOP all cardio immediately (you don't need to lose any weight) and start a heavy lifting program 3-4 times a week.
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    I am personally skinny fat. I weigh 95 pounds but I jiggle. When I weighed 102, I was toned and nothing jiggled, even the little squish on my tummy didn't move much. So it's an unfortunate truth that the scale doesn't really matter.
  • andrejjorje
    andrejjorje Posts: 497 Member
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    No way to know exactly without pictures and BF measurements taken correctly.
  • megjeg
    megjeg Posts: 18
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    I would say that first muscle weighs more than fat so if they look more lean its becuase they have more muscle and thats why they weigh more. I saw on the Drs that there are women who eat really bad and don't exercise and thier bodies make them think they are fat but they are physically skinny. And there was a women who is bigger. and she is in awesome physical shpe. So I guess im going to guess and say yes you may be.. but hey your working out now so good luck ;)

    Hmm.. Makes sense.. And unfortunately sounds like me prior to the last months. I really didn't take care of my body and used to get into starving- binging cycles, so I can understand why I'm in this strange situation.
  • gleechick609
    gleechick609 Posts: 551
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    start lifting weights, heavy weights. "New rules of lifting for women" google it... buy the book!

    I second this!
  • megjeg
    megjeg Posts: 18
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    Edit: I want to follow the mantra: Skinny girls look good in clothes; fit girls look good naked

    Love it! Also, hopefully, in bikinis :)

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