Skinny Fat Suggestions page

[Davids1309]

Hello All,

I'm looking for some guidance to fix my current situation. I'm 5'11 and currently weight 170 pounds. I was at 183 about a month and half back, but after implementing some of PB nutrition principals into my diet, and doing a lot of cardio, I lost 13 pounds.

My goal was to get down to about 155, but the problem is, the slimmer I get, the fatter I feel/look. Am I doing something wrong? Because of my broad shoulders and back, I don't have what some might call a traditional skinny/fat look, but I'm definitely not at the level of leanness I would like to be.

My questions to the community:

Is 155 too thin for me? If so, should i focus on just lifting weights to lean out and maintain weight, or should I do something else? My goals are to get lean without the added bulk, so any suggestions would be helpful?

Thanks

[TTBlue21]

What do you consider "a lot" of cardio? What is a typical week of exercise?

You might be burning off muscle with your cardio and not fat. I have noticed a lot of cardio can actually shrink/destroy muscle mass but do nothing to fat (i.e. actually increasing fat %). So what you are noticing might actually have some validity as your body is now made up of more fat. If you are really curious, get a body fat test and monitor in intervals (week, month, etc.)

Perhaps try interval training & more weight training instead of "a lot" of cardio. Interval training will start to shred the fat away while not destroying muscle. After a few weeks / month of interval training get your fat tested again and I think you will be happy with the results.

Edit: Also, it would be very difficult to add bulk if you are following any of Mark's eating suggestions.

[workinprogress]

In my opinion 155 would be to low for you. I would suggest your idea of lifting weights to lean out. Or a good body weight program such as Convict Conditioning or You are your own gym. Both would help you maintain muscle and strength without making you to bulky. The people I know who focus on body weight exercises have great strength to weight ratios. Also don't get to hung up on the weight on the scale. If you are happy with how you look, that's all that matters.

[booksbikesbeer]

I'll second the weights/bodyweight focus. And if you want to lean out and keep getting strong, consider doing something like a lot of kettlebell swings and snatches.

Also, I think you might dig some of the things Anthony Mychal is writing about: Athletic Fitness

As far as trainers go, I think he's the king of the skinny-fat to lean and strong transformation.

[jfreaksho]

I'm 5'10' and got down to 146 a while ago. I think I looked gaunt sometimes. I've been working hard and eating heavy to put on muscle (and gained a little bit of fat) but I'm up around 165 or so now.

Start lifting heavy. You'll want to eat more to build your muscles, and the hormonal response from lifting will help you lose fat too, from what I recall.

[MissJecka]

Agreed with everyone else. It seems like weight really isn't your main focus, rather it is more like a "nice to have". Your physique is and feeling is what you are noticing more. My tip, as usual, is to ditch the scale. Get rid of it and focus on real signs of success ()lifting more weight, lowering body fat, running more sprints, etc.).

[Davids1309]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I've already implemented them. It was tough walking into the gym this morning and heading to the weights rather than my usual--the treadmill. I'm going to give it a go and hope that I don't bulk up.

@booksbikesbeer , that website you suggested had some really good information. That's for posting that link up.

To everyone else who replied, I really appreciate it. I think all the replies really hammered in the point that I need to cut back on cardio and just lift heavy.

[David Garner]

Lifting will help more than anything. I'm using the Stronglifts 5x5 program, and I'm not really bulking at all (I'm only about a month or so in, though), and I'm pretty much just eating primal. The exception is on my lifting days, I have a glass of chocolate milk after lifting with my breakfast and I probably eat more carbs on lifting days. I try to keep the carbs clean like potatoes, sweet potatoes or rice, and I still keep portion sizes low and limit the starch intake to 1 meal (usually dinner). I probably consume more fruit on lifting days as well. Then I stick to a lower carb primal diet on non-lifting days unless I run, in which case it's a similar diet to a lifting day.

I still have some excess weight around the middle, but I can tell it's balancing out more -- I'm losing the middle and building the musculature. Unless you are really trying to bulk, if you are a "hard gainer" like me you won't get that much size from lifting, but you will get stronger and change your body composition to a leaner, more muscular look. You will gain size in places you want to gain size, but I doubt I will ever look like a powerlifter or bodybuilder, and I'm really not after that -- I don't have any plans to get huge. I'm just concentrating on getting strong, since that IMHO is what leads to a leaner body type with less fat and more muscle.

Unless you have the genetics to be big and bulky, you likely won't be. I don't, and I never have, but I'm happy so far with the results. Plus you can measure your progress by measuring the weight you are lifting -- as long as you are lifting heavier than last time, you're progressing. When you stall, you can decide how to deal with that. For me, I will eat more and lift harder the next time. If you are getting bulkier than you would like, you can always keep the diet leaner and while you probably won't have the same type of strength gains as someone who is trying to bulk, you will stay lean.

[Dirlot]

Get thee to a gym, lift heavy and get bigger. I am 5'11" and around 180lbs and 12-13% bf - 155lbs is WAY to skinny.

[jfreaksho]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I've already implemented them. It was tough walking into the gym this morning and heading to the weights rather than my usual--the treadmill. I'm going to give it a go and hope that I don't bulk up.

@booksbikesbeer , that website you suggested had some really good information. That's for posting that link up.

To everyone else who replied, I really appreciate it. I think all the replies really hammered in the point that I need to cut back on cardio and just lift heavy.

Why are you afraid of bulking? Adding muscle will do nothing but make you look better, if looks are what you are after.

Anyways, if it was easy to bulk up, there would be a lot more people doing it. Lift. Eat. Sleep. Walk. Play.

(what am I missing?)