For Discussion: Best way to get un-skinny fat

People who lose a great deal of weight often become "skinny fat". They are slimmer, but their weight has a high body fat percentage, they may have loose skin, they are flabby and they are soft.

You see a lot or articles advising people how to bulk up or slim down, but next to none on how to firm up from being skinny fat. I thought it would be a good topic of discussion.

After losing a large amount of weight I think most people would not want to bulk up ( especially at the risk of gaining fat with the muscle )or shrink that much more.

What is a skinny fat person's best course?

1. Stabilize their caloric intake, do loads of cardio, burn the rest of the fat off and just become thinner, but firmer?

2. Eat slightly more calories, just enough for them to gain muscle slowly.....without putting on too much fat, hoping that the energy to grow the muscle will come from the fat they have left

Its hard to say because a lot of that is extra skin. I've got my share of it. More than anything though I think the best way to get rid of that is not eating for a couple hours after cardio. Your body wants you to fuel it but if you don't it will eat itself. Outside of that I say wait. I've weighed nearly the same for a little over a year and my skin is only now feeling a little tighter...it just comes with the territory. Personally if it weren't useless weight I'd see it as a positive reminder of what I was.

Weight Lifting, gives you definition.

I used to be a skinny fat cardio queen. I see a lot of them running endlessly on the treadmills when I go to the gym. They are there when I get in and still running when I leave ..... and my wo are generally around 40 min and I have to change into and out of my fitness wear.

I used to be "soft" in the tummy and if were to squeeze my arm or leg, even though I was not over weight. Now if you squeeze either I'm hard as a rock ...... but my skin is soft

When you started lifting and started firming up:

- did you eat more calories?

- did your weight stay the same, if not by how much did it alter?

- did you still do cardio, how much?

- how much did you lift?

When you started lifting and started firming up:

 

- did you eat more calories?

 

- did your weight stay the same, if not by how much did it alter?

 

- did you still do cardio, how much?

 

- how much did you lift?

When I started lifting I did it Body For Life Style (can do a look-up online). It will give you a good wo to begin with, then as you get to know your body, you can change up your work out. I still did/do cardio 2 times per week unless cutting for a comp. Initial I gained a few lbs the first week, then started dropping weight. My weight is now stable (unless I cut for a comp or photo shoot) .... but my "scale weight" will begin to go up the more muscle I build.

I am/was lifting 3 times per week. I generally take weekends off unless I had to skip a wo for some reason, then I just change up my days a bit.

http://mindandmuscle.net/articles/kelly_baggett/skinny-fat_ectomorph_1

http://mindandmuscle.net/articles/kelly_baggett/skinny-fat_ectomorph_2

What is a skinny fat person's best course?

 

1. Stabilize their caloric intake, do loads of cardio, burn the rest of the fat off and just become thinner, but firmer?

 

2. Eat slightly more calories, just enough for them to gain muscle slowly.....without putting on too much fat, hoping that the energy to grow the muscle will come from the fat they have left

That would of course depend on if they want to more muscle or not... But I think even for a person who doesnt want any more muscle, doing strength training would be very important to keep the muscle they have. So I think alternative 1 would be unwise without including strength training. Regarding alternative 2, hoping that energy to grow the muscle would come from the fat would be quite optimistic, the body doesnt work like that.

So I would say a combination of strength training and cardio would be the best, and adjusting calorie intake according to what weight the person want to land at.

I was thinking of people who lost a large amount of weight who may not feel like going through another big metamorphasis.......somebody looking forward to maintain their weight within a 5 lb range or so.

Is that realistic?

I was thinking of people who lost a large amount of weight who may not feel like going through another big metamorphasis.......somebody looking forward to maintain their weight within a 5 lb range or so.

 

Is that realistic?

Yes, given enough time it is realistic to gain muscle and losing fat while keeping bodwyeight fairly constant. Perhaps best bet is to switch between period with enough calories to gain muscle and periods of less calories concentrating on burning off extra fat if necessary. Of course both of those will require strength training. Also decent intake of protein will help in both cases.

Its definitely realistic since lots of people do it. Its not easy though and realistically if you aren't doing tons and tons of cardio(meaning a bit less than I do) you shouldn't lose much of any muscle you have now so don't be affraid of that. You got the muscle you have from doing everyday activities and if you keep doing them you'll be fine.

I lost a lot of weight about two and a half years ago. I still have trouble with extra skin. I range from ten to twelve percent body fat, but I certainly don't look it. I finally earlier today decided I will go on a bulking diet and actually stay on it. Gaining fat has always scared me too much in the past to go on one, but now I am going to force myself to stay on it. I believe this is the only way to fill out that extra skin in a reasonable amount of time.

Your pictures on your web site look like you are pretty ripped when flexing, IMHO you don't have a problem with flab.

Your pictures on your web site look like you are pretty ripped when flexing, IMHO you don't have a problem with flab.

I just checked out your pics myself... nice!

Your pictures on your web site look like you are pretty ripped when flexing, IMHO you don't have a problem with flab.

 

I just checked out your pics myself... nice!

Thanks. I guess I am probably just being too hard on myself. Damned confidence level. Maybe I should be focusing more on that a bit more instead of my physique. I am still excited about bulking, though.

 

Thanks. I guess I am probably just being too hard on myself. Damned confidence level. Maybe I should be focusing more on that a bit more instead of my physique. I am still excited about bulking, though.

Confidence is really sexy, so if you work on both you'll be kick ass!