Help! I'm getting too small yet have lots of fat

lorrayne

lorrayne

Cathlete
Hi everyone,

I'm 5 foot three and weigh 112 pounds. I'm getting to the stage where my upper body is getting pretty bony. However, from the tummy down I'm flabby with lots of body fat. I alternate between intense cardio and either heavy weights or endurance weight training. What can I do to lose the body fat without the scale dropping? I don't want to look too thin.

Thank you,
Lorrayne
 
Lorrayne, you didn't specify but are you doing heavy weight for upper body & endurance wt training for lower body? I would think that would help unless you've been doing so already & your body has adapted. Then you'd have to try something else.

Marla
 
Hi Lorrayne,

As Smoogy said, you didn't give us much specific info. But you are running into a problem I read a lot about, especially in women's bodybuilding material. Women tend to lean out on top, before the bottom catches up, so you wind up looking disproportianately smaller above the waist.

I would humbly suggest you give freestyle training a shot to lean out your legs. Also, try mixing some steady state cardio in, so you're not always doing the intense stuff. Go heavy for upper body weights to build more muscle which will give your top and bottom a more balanced look. Make sure you're eating plenty of healthy foods (you should know this of course since you "hang out" with the educated crowd), drink your water and get lots of sleep.

If you provide some more info on your current regimine, I can be more specific.

Lunacat :)
 
Maybe S&H and GS for the upper and L&G, LL, and lower cardio/weight circuits for the lower. Ex:
Day 1: S&H Chest&Back
Day 2: BC cardio & lower body premix/core only/do an Imax premix after BC circuit if you feel you need more cardio
Day 3: S&H Bi's & Tri's
Day 4: CTX Power Circuit/HSTA lower and cardio premix/abs
Day 5: Steady state cardio
Day 6: S&H Shoulders/L&G or LL or Kickboxing or one of the KPC/L&G premixes
Day 7: Rest
Just some ideas and go light on the lower body weights increasing poundage and backing the poundage off if you start to bulk. I would go as heavy as possible with the upper body weight training.
Angela
P.S. Also, check out the rotations forum. Cathe provided a rotation that was geared towards leaning out the lower body I beleive.:7
 
>Lorrayne, you didn't specify but are you doing heavy weight
>for upper body & endurance wt training for lower body? I would
>think that would help unless you've been doing so already &
>your body has adapted. Then you'd have to try something else.
>
>Marla

I agree!
Accordiing to an online test I too, my body type is an odd combo of ectomorph (hard to gain muscle, tends toward "skinny") and endomorph (tends towards fat). I think I'm ecto on top and more endo on the bottom!

I have a tendency towards a bony chest, especially, and scrawny arms if I don't keep up the heavy weight training for my upper body. I try to go as heavy as I can, and get as strong as I can for the upper body, which also helps me keep the shape I want.

For lower body, lighter weights, more reps, "endurance" type workouts work best for me. Something like Slim Series Firm it up, which has no weights (though you could use light weights) and lots of reps has a nice firming effect for me.

Also, I don't know what kind of cardio you are doing, but if it's too intense, it could negate any efforts you are making to build muscle.

Focusing on cardio like spinning or kickboxing or running, which can firm the lower body quite nicely, could help.
 
Wow! I want to thank everyone for some great tips and advise. Here's what I've been doing these past couple of months:

I've been doing exclusive Cathe for weight training and cardio. I've been primarily doing the GS series for weight training with an occasional high step workout thrown in. I go as heavy as I can when I do GS upper body tapes. I do pound for pound in GS Legs and I go heavier on PLB when I do this one periodically. I alternate a weight training day with a cardio day. For cardio, I've been doing an intense workout (IMax3) once a week, step at least once a week, and a kickboxing tape periodically. I try to workout 6 days per week; however it's been more like 4-5 days per week.

I have been eating very clean since April and try to eat at least 5 small meals per day. I drink at least 64 oz of water daily (water is my favorite beverage).

So, after reading your responses, it appears I'm doing the right thing for upper body; but need to do more endurance workouts for the lower body and to cut down my cardio a bit. Is this correct?

Thank you for all of your help!
Lorrayne
 
>>So, after reading your responses, it appears I'm doing the right thing for upper body; but need to do more endurance workouts for the lower body and to cut down my cardio a bit. Is this correct?


That sums it up nicely. :)

Lunacat
 
Welcome to my world! I am 5', 7", 115 with no breasts or behind to speak of and I store all my fat in my belly which to me looks huge but isn't since I wear a size two most of the time and you reallly can't be fat but tell that to my brain and it' disbelieves me, you and anyone else. At 112, I start to disappear but keep the belly! I'm an apple and an undeweight apple which is quite normal for me. Small boned, excpe for my burley man ribcage, I am a hard gainer but at 42, I look slim toned and I am strong as an ox! So I have to love me and refuse to listen to my own inner critic when she says this isn't perfection. It is, for me and for you too. I advise you to learn to love your body as it is and not require it to conform to the ridiculous standards the media imposes, allow for a little fat storage. In the face of a fmine, we'll survive to repopulate the earth or be eaten. Either way, we'll have our impact and you are perfect as you are! :)
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
 
Bobbi,

Thank you for your kind words. You are absolutely right; we are our own worst critics. We do need to love our own bodies and be happy with what we have accomplished. I definitely had a self image problem when I dropped down to 108 pounds and wore a size 0! Still could see the belly protruding and couldn't figure out how to get rid of it! I finally got over that once I looked back and asked what I was doing to myself...

Lorrayne
 
Bobbi, That does sound wonderful! I too love green tea. Thanks for this info and I think I will hit starbucks tomorrow! Hey I may even go tonigh :)

Terri
 
Lorrayne, I'll be the first to admit that at times that more easily said than done but keep reassuring yourself and working on your fitness goals and most of the time, you will be able to accept yourself. I know I do. I also sound like an idiot :D when I verbalize my displeasure with my Buddha belly and I do know my perception of it is very distorted. At 112 where I went when I developed tinniuts, insomnia and neurosis, my 14 year old called me her little anorexic and puncuated it by pick me up and swinging us in a circle. And yes, I'd sell my husband to have abs like Cathe's but, sadly, it's not possible, having abs like Cathe's. And I'd probably not even be able to GIVE Rich away. ;) But sinc the days when I was your garden variety anorexic, I have come along way toward loiving and accepting my body, even my ribs which I think are a deformity. No one seems to notice it but me. My wrinkles too! People just don't look all that closely and when they look at you they see a slim, fit woman and that is what you are! :)
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
 
I've already said this another post (sorry if I'm getting boring!) but I have the same problem, and have found that Callanetics has really tightened up my lower body. My thighs especially look better than they ever got from doing weighted leg workouts. I have also been cutting out sugar (for a different reason - I find I concentrate better at work without sugary foods) - I believe this has made my lower body appear leaner. I'm not sure how much that is to do with losing water retention which I think I get from high sugar/carbs.

I still need to work on increasing muscle in my upper body to help balance things out. I would recommend Cathe's Slow & Heavy series (hope you are better than me at being consistent with it!)
 
I am so glad that I found this thread. I also deal with the "too small on top" issue. I have recently lost 30 lbs., weigh 117, wear a size 4/6 but tend to focus on those flabby thighs which according to everyone around me aren't flabby at all. I also have that little bulge which right now is huge due to the fabulous PMS. You would think that I wouldn't worry but here I am today feeling "fat" knowing very well that I am not any different from last week or the week before that. I also have the old tape running inside my head that tells me that if I am not "perfect" with my eating then I am going to regain all my weight. I am working on placing the focus on my health instead of trying so hard to get Cathe's legs, butt, abs, arms, whatever..........
Thanks for helping to put things into perspective.
Lynn
 
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