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  1. #1

    I believe I'm Skinny Fat. Need help.

    Okay so a little background before I ask my questions.

    Im a male aged 26, 6' and I used to weigh around 235lbs. After dieting and exercising I am now 185lbs, so considerable weight loss. Been dieting and exercising for a little over 3 months now. And by dieting I mean I have basically cut out all processed foods, as well as soft drinking and anything that isn't grown in the ground or a lean animal.

    A sample menu for a day for me is:

    Breakfast - Large bowl of bran flakes topped with raisins and almond milk.
    Lunch - Usually a large salad with a slow fruit and couple of hardboiled eggs with some meat for added protein.
    Dinner - Usually a lot of veg (onions, beets, broccoli, cauliflower etc) with about 6 - 8oz lean meat, and either brown rice or a good starch like squash, sweet potato's

    Don't really have snacks between but if I do get hungry I usually consume some veg.

    Exercising on average about an hour a day for 6 days, ranges usually 30 mins cardio and about 30 mins of compound strength training. Although I'm not a heavy lifter by no means which I think I need to change this.


    So My question is after losing approx 50lbs I am a lot leaner, but still have a fatty mid section, I can feel my abs underneath the fat but I am still a flabby. How do I change this? Should I stop being impatient and keep going? Should I do this Bulk/Cut cycle I've read about to reduce body fat percentage? Any help is greatly appreciated.

    Oh my job is also very active I usually walk around 10 - 18 miles a day!

    Oh and after exercises I consume a protein shake made with almond milk and fruits. I do tend to work out late at night and consume the shake sometimes past 11pm after exercising. Been told to consume no later than 30 mins after working out.
    Last edited by Rebukeyourself; 2012-08-07 at 12:38 AM.

  2. #2
    Legendary! Seezer's Avatar
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    If you're midsection is still flabby, then you just aren't burning more calories than you are taking in. Take a closer look at what you're actually eating. And what you're actually doing.
    "Do you think man will ever walk on the sun? -Ali G

  3. #3
    Well sometimes vegges isn't always fresh and do come from a can with lots of sodium. I do watch what I eat, I believe I may have eaten out at fast food places 4 times in the last 3 months.

  4. #4
    (1) I highly suggest trying out the Whole30 challenge. Check out the food list here.
    (2) Skip the cardio entirely or do HIIT once a week on a non-lifting day. Walking at your job is fine.
    (3) Fruit is not most optimal carb for your PWO (exception is extremely ripe banana). Go for medium-high to high GI, virtually-free fructose foods: White Jasmine Rice*, white potato*, sweet potato, plantains, butter-nut squash, and others ... just do some research.
    *not if you choose to do the Whole 30 challenge; I found these 2 foods though didn't negatively affect my body composition, however when I re-introduced them.
    (4) Optional: Read up on intermittent fasting - see if it tickles your fancy

    Also, I'm curious to know what your strength routine is like. You can probably go down to 3-4 days a week. Focus lifting heavy and compound movements. Do you do squats and deadlifts, for example?
    Last edited by handsdown; 2012-08-07 at 01:45 AM.
    you fill my lungs with sweetness & you fill my head with you.

  5. #5
    Blademaster bigjoey's Avatar
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    Well you lost that 50 pounds very fast. Due to this your skin was not able to snap back to it original state therefore yielding the flab. Unfortunately it is not an easy process to snap the skin back and will take quite a while.
    Another quick observation is that you are not eating enough. You need to do some research into your RMR and determine the appropriate macros and micros you should be eating daily. There is not trick with weight loss and/or losing fat, you need to alter nutrition.
    You mentioned that you do some compound training. What you need to do is develop some type of routine when it comes to strength training. By no means do I mean lift extremely heavy weights. Adding in weight training will help you with your skin snapping back. I recommend doing some research on bodybuilding websites.

    Over the past year I have lost about 125 pounds and also know what you mean by being flabby. Your skin was so use to holding all of that fat it just takes a ton of time for it to get back to where it use to be. Good job on the 50 pound loss brother, keep us updated!

  6. #6
    Skin elasticity can also be genetic and changes with age. It may in fact never go back all the way.

    Also don't buy into any gimmicks that promise to slim you faster. Focus on being fit and healthy, not 0% body fat. We ARE meant to have some fat, contrary to popular belief. In fact, recent studies have ranked underweight as dangerous as obese, if not more when comparing extreme to extreme.
    Last edited by achaeon; 2012-08-07 at 01:51 AM.

  7. #7
    Deleted
    if you have flabby skin you could also get surgery. its a small procedure and they might have use for your skin.

  8. #8
    If the mid-section is from stretching, then there is are not a lot of natural options. If its not from stretching and you just still have a little extra flab there, you should look at your sodium in-take. If your getting too much, sodium has a tendency to cause fat and carbs to get stored there more easily, along with water. Oddly enough, not getting enough salt can also be a problem and cause carbs and fats to get stored in less then pleasing ways, thus it is highly dependant on each person. Look at your sodium in-take and you be the judge, dont just look at table salt (NaCl) either, look at all sodium.

    Sodium isnt that big of a problem for most people, but I also know tons of people who salt the hell out of everyhting they eat. Their response is always "we need salt" to live. Which is true, but many diets already have way more than enough sodium naturally, without adding any extra.
    Last edited by Sledfang; 2012-08-07 at 02:13 AM.

  9. #9
    I might have this wrong but by compound exercises I was referring to doing squats as well as shoulder presses at the same time, also the same with lunges and side lunges with dumbell flys. I do a lot of squats and lunges with weights, as well as a lot of variations of those exercises. My strength training also incorporates cardio work too, but I do have a straight up cardio routine that does get my heart pumping.

    Other exercises I do is push ups, different types of crunches, bench presses, leg lifts a bit of yoga, a few different core exercises using legs.

    Due to being obese before I do have two stretch marks either side of my naval not very big but they are there, I have a few more on each hip. I know they will never fade but what I'm worried about is this pretty much telling me my skin was stretched too much and therefore wont be able to tighten up? They are by no means severe stretch marks, but I do have them.
    Last edited by Rebukeyourself; 2012-08-07 at 02:16 AM.

  10. #10
    Compound exercises are exercises that require multiple muscle groups to carry out the movement: deadlifts are compound whereas bicep curls are not.
    you fill my lungs with sweetness & you fill my head with you.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Rebukeyourself View Post
    I might have this wrong but by compound exercises I was referring to doing squats as well as shoulder presses at the same time, also the same with lunges and side lunges with dumbell flys. I do a lot of squats and lunges with weights, as well as a lot of variations of those exercises. My strength training also incorporates cardio work too, but I do have a straight up cardio routine that does get my heart pumping.

    Other exercises I do is push ups, different types of crunches, bench presses, leg lifts a bit of yoga, a few different core exercises using legs.

    Due to being obese before I do have two stretch marks either side of my naval not very big but they are there, I have a few more on each hip. I know they will never fade but what I'm worried about is this pretty much telling me my skin was stretched too much and therefore wont be able to tighten up? They are by no means severe stretch marks, but I do have them.
    As far as skin stretching, ive only heard of it going back to its natural look if it was pretty mild and if the weight was lost slowly over time. Its not too big of a deal, in a couple years if you have remained stable at your goal weight, you can just get surgery done for it, I think its fairly routine these days.

  12. #12
    Deleted
    Your eating habbits looks quite fine. Also you just have to keep going, you will eventually reach what you desire.

  13. #13
    As already mentioned, the midsection could be remnants of the weight you loss in quite short time. My friend lost nearly the same amount of weight in a very short time when he was younger and the extra flab is still there.

    Otherwise, it might be portion size. Try to limit starch intake, or in your case brown rice. For weight loss, limit rice to 1/4 of the plate. Steamed fish is king if you must have meat, otherwise chicken is the next best thing. Drink plenty of water because believe it or not, water retention does affect weight. Also, try to downsize the volume of your protein shakes or don't take them before sleeping (which I'm assuming is what you do if you work out so late at night). Protein shakes help supply the protein to help the body repair but the body can only absorb so much at one time. The unused portion is stored as fat. Oh and though you might laugh, try to get more fiber in your diet to improve bowel movements. The human body contains a surprising amount of waste and clearing your intestines helps.

  14. #14
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Rebukeyourself View Post
    Well sometimes vegges isn't always fresh and do come from a can with lots of sodium. I do watch what I eat, I believe I may have eaten out at fast food places 4 times in the last 3 months.
    You can count on it as being fresh almost all the time.

  15. #15
    Deleted
    bulk up --

    ---------- Post added 2012-08-07 at 10:34 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Rebukeyourself View Post
    Okay so a little background before I ask my questions.

    Im a male aged 26, 6' and I used to weigh around 235lbs. After dieting and exercising I am now 185lbs, so considerable weight loss. Been dieting and exercising for a little over 3 months now. And by dieting I mean I have basically cut out all processed foods, as well as soft drinking and anything that isn't grown in the ground or a lean animal.

    A sample menu for a day for me is:

    Breakfast - Large bowl of bran flakes topped with raisins and almond milk.
    Lunch - Usually a large salad with a slow fruit and couple of hardboiled eggs with some meat for added protein.
    Dinner - Usually a lot of veg (onions, beets, broccoli, cauliflower etc) with about 6 - 8oz lean meat, and either brown rice or a good starch like squash, sweet potato's

    Don't really have snacks between but if I do get hungry I usually consume some veg.

    Exercising on average about an hour a day for 6 days, ranges usually 30 mins cardio and about 30 mins of compound strength training. Although I'm not a heavy lifter by no means which I think I need to change this.


    So My question is after losing approx 50lbs I am a lot leaner, but still have a fatty mid section, I can feel my abs underneath the fat but I am still a flabby. How do I change this? Should I stop being impatient and keep going? Should I do this Bulk/Cut cycle I've read about to reduce body fat percentage? Any help is greatly appreciated.

    Oh my job is also very active I usually walk around 10 - 18 miles a day!

    Oh and after exercises I consume a protein shake made with almond milk and fruits. I do tend to work out late at night and consume the shake sometimes past 11pm after exercising. Been told to consume no later than 30 mins after working out.
    It doesnt matter when you eat post workout, i do intermittent fasting and i workout first thing in the morning fasted, and i dont eat until 3-4 hours later.
    And im making all kinds of gains

  16. #16
    Honestly, if you can afford the time I would add another 15-30 minutes to your cardio routine

  17. #17
    Hey op, im also 26 but 5'10 with a weight of 170 lbs. BTW i have more of a lean, cut swimmer/runner body than a bulky muscular weight lifter one. 1 hour of exercise each day for 6 days a week? That is plenty of exercise, but it also depends on how hard you push yourself. Walking on the treadmill or biking on a stationary with little resistance helps maintain fitness but wont burn calories effectively. Run on the treadmill or some other form of intense cardio, with a good combination of weight-training is optimal. You can do cardio every day, but generally recommended to weight-lift only 3-4 times a week.

    Honestly what I think your biggest problem is is your diet. For all your meals, u wrote "LARGE" servings or "ALOT". Don't get me wrong, the foods you eat are great but anything in excess is bad. Some tips for you:

    -All cereals tend to have a lot of sugar.
    -Salad with too much dressing aint much better than anything else.
    -Too much healthy carbs such as brown rice is still a lot of calories
    -Dont eat more than 1 egg per day.
    -Even too much fruit will make you fat. Contains "healthy" fructose but still sugar.
    -Protein shake? Just drink a cup of low fat chocolate or regular milk.
    -Don't work out or consume late at night.
    -Split your 3 meals a day into 4-5 smaller meals. You'll actually eat less overall because hunger pangs will lead to overeating.
    -Have a couple of fruit/veggy snacks in between meals. Keeps your hunger in check and metabolism rolling all day long.
    -Drink a lot of water, especially during meals to expand the food in your stomach to get a fuller feeling.
    -Eat early in the morning to jump start metabolism.

  18. #18
    Warchief Letmesleep's Avatar
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    OP, stop working out before bedtime, it fucks with your sleep, which in turn slows your progress. Eating before bedtime is also a fantastic way to put on weight. I'm about half an inch taller than you, about 15-20 pounds lighter, and have clearly visible abs. I'm not surprised you still have a "fatty midsection" at your weight (using my own as an example). Keep it going and you'll get that thin stomach you're looking for. Visible abs are about both strength and fat %. Also, as someone mentioned, you lost it SUPER fast, and your skin hasn't had a chance to catch up with the weight loss. I was 235 myself when I decided to lose weight (about 3 years ago I think) and still have a little extra skin around my triceps. All in all, you've done awesome work, though I'm not sure if your weight loss methods were incredibly healthy. It sounds like it happened very fast. Regardless, keep it up. You'll get there.
    Last edited by Letmesleep; 2012-08-09 at 10:51 AM.

  19. #19
    When you first lose a lot of weight it actually does take a while to look your best.

    In your case, since you lost so much weight, you probably lost way more muscle than fat -- this is to be expected. Despite being at a healthy weight, it may take a while of maintaining your weight, and eating healthy while exercising to burn the remaining fat off, and slowly replace it with muscle.

    I lost about 100 pounds when I was 18 years old, and maintained the same body weight, but around the age of 23-24, everyone started to tell me that I looked so much better than I did when I first lost the weight. I never understood why this was, because my weight had been the same for the last 5 years, but when I look at pictures from when I was 19, and then again when I was 24 it is like looking at two different people. I genuinely think that the skin on my face, and body had been stretched out, and that it took a few years for it to firm up.

    I went from being a skinny guy with a "fat face" to being a skinny guy with chiseled facial features despite making no change in my diet or exercise. It just took time.

    PS. Also remember when you are losing weight, the stomach is the LAST PLACE TO GO. You never lose your stomach first, it's always your arms, and your chest, and THEN your stomach. Kind of sucks, but it's just how it is.
    Last edited by Jersovic; 2012-08-09 at 12:00 PM.

  20. #20
    I can tell you that you def need to increase the amount of protein in your diet.

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