help for a "skinny" fat

F

Fitquest

Active Member
Hi Cathe and all,
I am a very "skinny" person, 5'5" and 110lb, but what there is of me seems to be pretty squishy (or fat) for lack of a better term. But, only from the waist on down to my knees. Please tell me what the best and fastest way to remedy this problem would be. My ultimate goal is to gain more muscle, lose the fat, and get definition. (Isn't that everybody's??):) Thanks for any imput.

Roylene
 
RE: help for a skinny fat

Ok first of all I'm 5'5" too and I think I was 110 when I was in junior high and that was a looooooong time ago. So you're not fat not even "skinny" fat. In my case, I've made peace with the scale (because I thought I wanted to be your weight but no matter how hard I tried I never weighed less than 130) and I took a BMI test and I'm in the normal range for a healthy person. I think if you are let's say "heavier" on your lower body that's just your body type. And what you have to do is work out keeping in mind that you tend to bulk up in that area. As far as your diet goes or what exercises work for your body type you can do a search in the forums. I don't know what would work for you besides the basics: appropriate diet and exercise at least 5 days a week. You have to try a couple of things to see what actually works on you.
 
RE: help for a

Hi Roylene, I have the same problem. I am 5 feet 8 and 126 pounds. I look pretty skinny in my clothes but surprisingly fat under my clothes especially my legs. My upper body is kind of skinny but also fat, not toned.

The advice that I have read in several places is to concentrate on heavy weight training to increase muscle. The problem is that I prefer Cathe's high rep endurance workouts to traditional heavy weight training, but I think the high rep stuff is the wrong kind of training for me. Intense cardio has done wonders for my fitness level, but doesn't seem to have improved my body at all.

Also, I know I should eat more good food, especially protein, in order to increase muscle, but I have IBS which has been particularly bad this year (lots of tummy aches after eating), so it hasn't been easy to eat well.

Sharon. :)
 
RE: help for a

Hi Sharon

I have IBS also and it got so bad I was in the ER so much I thought I needed a reserved room LOL. anyway after years of suffering the doctor finally put me on Librax and I tell you that has been a miracle for me. I take it half hour before eating and at bedtime, I have gotten so much better that I hardly take it now, only when I have an attack and it works so good on making it go away!! Might be an idea if you don't like prescription meds try some enteric coated peppermint that worked a little but not near as good as the Librax.
 
RE: help for a

The heavy weight training seems to make sense. I have Cathe's slow & heavy...maybe it's time to put that in the rotation. I am fairly thin now, but my rear and tops of legs are still "squishy," not fat, just squishy. I'd really like to firm them up. Roylene, thanks for asking the question and Sharon, thanks for the advice.
 
RE: help for a

Hi, Roylene, I would love the answer to the skinny fat question. I am 5' 7", 122 so I really don't want to lose weight but I would love to lose fat, if that's even possible! For me, the skinny fat results from how I store body fat which is specific to my abdominal area. My limbs are long and thin. I think it's most common for women to distribute their fat in the hip and butt area but I am an apple. I further have the dilemma of being a large in the waist and a XS in the hips which makes shopping for clothes a nightmare. I will be interested to see what Cathe has to offer to help us skinny fat girls!
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/nosmile/peacesign.gif Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/nosmile/peacesign.gif
 
RE: help for a

Hi Roylene,

When I first started working out I was 98 lbs. and a size 4 (I'm 5'1") and like you, was "squishy" from my hips to my calves. These workouts really did a great job on my lower body: Pure Strength Legs, Pyramid Lower Body, Slow & Heavy Legs and the legs portion of Power Hour and Maximum Intensity Strength. I make sure to use a barbell with a weight that's heavy and challenging enough for me. I also do about 2-3 sessions of step aerobics a week (that's down from 4-5 when I started) now that I'm at a point where I'm loving the results and just want to maintain it. I still have the saddlebags though -- they just shrank, but I'll take them smaller than they used to be.:) The upper body parts of the workouts I mentioned have also helped me build muscle. I also make sure to eat a lot of protein for muscle building. I don't know what kind of diet you would deem suitable for you, but I am on the Zone eating plan. I read the book and thought it is so far the most reasonable diet I've ever read about. I am now 9 lbs. heavier than I used to be but a size smaller, so I can really say that Cathe's workouts have helped me greatly. I bet they can help you too.

Pinky
 
RE: help for a

I'm "skinny" too, 5'9" and 125 lbs, and am fairly defined everywhere but my squishy abs. I think this is pretty common for ectomorphs. I did a search for "ectomorphs" on this forum one time and came up with several threads addressing this very topic. What seemed to work for a lot of people was to do one strength plus one endurance workout per body part each week with cardio in between. I've heard of "skinny" people getting good results with S&H, but I don't have this workout yet.

My abs have gotten stronger and more defined with the Intensity Series but they're still flabby. It's hard because I don't want to lose an ounce any place else, SO HOW DO I LOSE FAT THERE?!

My abs look flat and defined when I hold them in (which I am a pro at because I still wear a bikini). Does anyone know why this is possible in the ab area but nowhere else? I mean, if you have saddle bags, you can't "hold them in" even if you contract the muscles under them.

I really do try to focus on fitness rather than aesthetic goals, but I'm really tired of these squishy abs!
 
RE: help for a

Hi, Susan, I think the reason you can pull your belly in is because of what's underneath. Under the abs is our stomach and organs in a cavity, whereas under the love handles is the rib cage which thankfully isn't going to give!

I have had to accept my fat too. It's just unrealistic for me to look for a six pack although it would be my number 1 fantasy body part if you could wish for them! I am definitely an ectomorph. My wrists and ankles are tiny to the point of skeletal and if I lose weight I lose it in the rear end, my chest and even my face narrows. I don't love this belly fat but I agree with you that fitness is the most important thing!
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/nosmile/peacesign.gif Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/nosmile/peacesign.gif
 
"skinny" fat

Hi Roylene,

I always hesitate to post in this forum because it's supposed to be reserved for Cathe's replies, but this topic is a pet subject of mine. Aside from discussions of "skinny" and "fat," it's entirely possible to have a low body weight and still be very unfit. It took me a long time to realize this as I was always thin and took that as free license to never workout and eat whatever junk I wanted. Now I know better. I firmly believe an unhealthy lifestyle will lead to all kinds of health problems and loss of quality of life - even if it doesn't cause weight gain.

You don't say what you've already tried in the way of exercise and healthy eating, but as was mentioned above, we used to have a weekly thread for ectos where these things were discussed. You can pull them up in the archives. One of our resident fitness experts recommended we work each body part twice a week - once for strength and once for endurance. This is what I've been doing and have found it to be effective. However, once the Body Blast stuff is done, I'm planning to ask Cathe for pointers specifically for ectos, so stay tuned.

As far as lower body goes, PS Legs and Abs, S&H Legs and Shoulders, and PLB are great strength workouts, and Leaner Legs is the all-time winner for tough endurance. I'm sure the new Body Blast Legs and Glutes will be killer, too!

One final point, for those ectos that suffer from digestive problems and abdominal bloating, check out The False Fat Diet by Elson Haas. Here's an excerpt from Amazon:

"According to The False Fat Diet, many of us spend our entire lives eating foods that "don't agree with us," and as a result carry around extra pounds, put up with allergies, and go through life looking older and feeling less energetic than we should."

It was a real eye opener for me, since I always wondered how I could be so thin, yet at times have a belly that looked like I was six months pregnant.

Hope this helps,

Angela
 
RE:

I need to add for those of you who have IBS, or other digestive disorders, that a very under-diagnosed condition is celiac sprue, or celiac disease, which is also called gluten intolerance disease. Try a gluten free diet for a week. If you feel better after not eating any wheat, barley or rye for a few days, you probably have this. My daughter was diagnosed at age 18. It takes most people 5 years to get a correct diagnosis because first they say IBS, Chron's disease, IBD, etc. One person in 130 is estimated to have this genetic problem which is 100% cured by a gluten free diet. For more info, please see

http://www.gluten.net/
 
RE:

I have done that and never helped my, the foods that triggered an attack was Honey, Caffiene, apples. and certain herbs will do it also.
 
I am definitely skinny and fat!

I am 5'9-1/2", and 132 lbs. I look thin, and actually look very fit when I am dressed. Pretty much everything I try on looks good. My legs and arms are long and toned. My butt might be hanging a bit lower than it used to, but is not too bad for 44 years old.

My abs are a different story. Any weight I gain goes straight to my middle. They are loose and squishy. I do lots of core/ab work and it has helped significantly, but not enough.

I have tried everything: low weight/high reps, high weight/low reps, lots of cardio, circuit training, and combinations of all of the above. I think the only thing that really helps is lots of weight work (both endurance and strength), intense cardio, and watching what goes in my mouth (most important!).

If Cathe would come up with a rotation for this particular problem (and yes, I know, most people wouldn't consider it a problem...), it would be great.

PennyLaney
 
RE: help for a

Seems like I read somewhere that fat on your body adheres to the "first on, last off" principle. Meaning, if you have a tendency to store your fat in your midsection, that will be the last place you would lose it. After your arms had gotten leaner (skinnier)....after your face....after your rings getting looser...I am a skinny fat person who recently lost 20 lbs of post pregnancy and then some weight through weight watchers, and it was interesting to see where the fat loss occurred..... first I noticed my face. Then my arms. Then my rings, then my lower back, then my face again....when the only place I thought I had to lose it was my gut! Weird.
 
RE: help for a

And therein lies the problem! For those of us who are "too skinny" elsewhere, losing even more fat in those places looks worse, IMO, than having too much fat in one problem area.

But remember, it's about being healthy and fit! Not about having the "perfect" body!;)
 
RE: help for a

>But remember, it's about being healthy and fit! Not about
>having the "perfect" body!;)

Soosan, you hit the nail right smack on the head.:)

The initial question was about toning from the waist down and somehow it evolved into toning just one part of the lower body, either the butt or the abs.

I mentioned earlier that I've had great success toning from the hips down but yes, I'll be honest and say that I still frown over my butt, my saddlebags, and my baby pooch. I've read so many conflicting things about muscle building and the diet that should go with it that I no longer know whom to believe. Body builders do say that diet is just as important as exercise. I guess I can be hard on myself and restrict my diet even more, but I keep asking myself how much of the pleasures in life do I really want to sacrifice for what I think "should be" my "ideal" body. I know it is frustrating to not see the results I am looking for after doing everything possible to get to that point, but the way I see it, my body has changed so much since I hit 30 and after I had a baby that I'll take any good thing I can get from whatever I'm doing right now. I also can't go against the dictates of my genes that let my body store fat so unevenly, mostly in my butt, hips and lower abs. Despite all this, I am more fit now in my 30s than I ever was in my teens and 20s, even though my waist was only 22 inches and my tummy was so flat way back then.:) To me that's progress.

Pinky
 
RE: help for a

>I guess I can be hard on myself and restrict my
>diet even more, but I keep asking myself how much of the
>pleasures in life do I really want to sacrifice for what I
>think "should be" my "ideal" body.
>Pinky
>

Makes sense to me. I go back and forth, first thinking I should go ahead and cut some good food out, and then thinking "What the heck? I'm NOT FAT!", and eating what I want. It's a seesaw for me, and I have to keep it in perspective. I'm 44 and perfect is unattainable.

PennyLaney
 
RE: help for a

>Also, it's possibe to be a combination of somatypes, such as
>an echto-endo.

Bobbi, I guess this is where my problem lies. I'm skinny on top, chubby below. How to balance both? My body will most probably never be PERFECTLY balanced, but Cathe's workouts have helped me get to a point where I'm more accepting of and more comfortable with my body. My upper body has more flesh and my lower body is more streamlined. But now that my legs are toned, it's easier to see the "jiggles" that refuse to succumb to Cathe's butt-whipping.:p This is another instance where I think I can do more cardio but then ask myself if it's worth damaging my precious, genetically weak knees for. Diet-wise, I gain weight easily but also lose weight easily. I lucked out there, I guess...:)

Pinky
 
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