So, I've got a bit of a dilemma. I've lost about 20 pounds since the beginning of the year, and I'm happy with my weight in number. My weight in physical form, though.. I'm not. I average around 132/133 pounds these days and at about 5'10'' tall, that's a good healthy weight. However.. I still have a big belly on me, chunky thighs, wide hips, and a noticeable booty. To get to a point where I'm happy with my physical appearance I'd say I probably need about another 10 pounds of weight loss.. but I can't do that. To lose 10 pounds would put me at an unhealthy weight. So, what. Am I just meant to be pudgy? I'm going to start cracking down on the fat content in my diet and see if that does anything, but I'm starting to feel discouraged with this whole thing. It's not weight loss that I'm struggling with, it's fat loss. I've learned/know how to monitor my diet to keep my weight where I want it, and in number form it's at a healthy place right now. But how can I get the rest of this fat off me without making myself underweight/unhealthy? Or is that even possible? (Oh and, sidenote, yes I am still exercising regularly even though I've reached my goal weight. This isn't a case of "I wanna' be skinny but not do any work!!" just to clarify.)
If you get discouraged you will lose interest and quit...so don't do that. The body is a complicated thing sadly. When we lose weight, the body doesn't "spot lose". For men, the most fat collects around the belly and the lower back. Cardio, of course helps with this, but so does weight training. You say you have your diet under control and routine under control, which is good. It also depends on your skin elasticicy (sp?). You are young so it should conform to your weight loss....only those that are truly morbidly obese require surgery to remove excess skin. Just stick with what you are doing. It takes time. People do a lot of crunches...but to see the abs you have to lose the fat that covers them. So crunches alone will not do the trick. Lower back: dead lifts will help tone that area....as well as the legs. The Ass: Squats, leg presses will help firm the area, but some people are just genetic in that respect...like calves....some people have just beautiful huge calves but never work them out...they are just born with them. Try doing this: When you run, the best time to do it to lose fat is first thing in the morning...right when you wake up...eat nothing. Your body has nothing in it's system so it is forced to burn fat a fuel. Also, one of the best fat burning runs is to shake it up a bit. I don't know how much cardio you do, but 30-45 mins is a good goal. For the first mile, sprint for 60 seconds, then jog at a regular pace for 60 seconds...then sprint again for another 60 secs..etc. It wears you out but it is effective. Good luck. Hit me up if you have any other questions.
Well, your height/weight ratio is just barely in the typical range. It's in the 15% percentile which means that you're in the lowest tier of what would be considered normal for your age group. Without pictures, it is hard to picture what you see in your head when you look at yourself but it sounds like you may have some dysmorphia where you perceive yourself as being overweight.
Well.. I can physically pinch/grab hunks of fat on my chest and stomach, so I don't know if it would be something I am mentally perceiving. Unless my body is just meant to have those areas of padding, which is something I've also tried to take into consideration. Backtracking to the weight thing, though.. am I still in a healthy range? You say I'm in the lowest tier. Is that something I should be concerned about? Because really, I don't take/haven't taken extreme measures. I run every other day and try to watch my food, but even during the weight loss process I wasn't dieting as much as I was just removing junk food from the equation. Bamaboy, thanks for the detailed response and advice, it's definitely appreciated.
Weight training is the next step, in my opinion. At your height it would be dangerous to cut any more weight, so if you want to look more toned, weights are the place to go. The extra muscle will make you weigh more, but I think you would benefit from it. I'm 5' 11" and weigh 185, but I don't look bad in any way. Weight is a number but it doesn't mean anything as far as looks are concerned. I hope I helped!
You definitely sound like you are skinny for being 5'10. According to this: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ Your BMI, or Body Mass Index, is 18.9 (just above underweight). So pretty much just stay at the weight you are right now. Also, I have some places where I can grab skin, but there are two different types of skin kind of. See, there's the "necessary" skin, which, if pulled, will hurt. There's also the "fatty" skin, which, if pulled, will not hurt. Sometimes, your "necessary" skin will appear to be "fatty" skin. Take your arm for example. On your bicep, there will probably be some "necessary" skin that may feel/look like "fatty" skin. But now, try flexing your bicep and pulling that skin. It should hurt a little when you pull it. This is because the "necessary" skin that you have needs to stretch when you flex. The same thing should be true for your stomach and calves. I am pretty much like this too, and I thought I had fat on me. But if you pull the skin and it hurts, then it's not fat. My BMI is 19.5, which is a little above yours. So you should be even skinnier then me. Don't worry, you're either just paranoid, or you didn't know about the skin types.
Your weight is relatively low for your height. As Karabulut said, it's probably body dysmorphia, which is basically a preoccupation with an area (or areas) on your body that you perceive as abnormal.
I recently had someone in a similar situation as you- small framed, in the lower range of the height-weight curve - who kept saying that no matter how he dieted, he was still fat. When he looked in the mirror, all he saw was a fat and a belly. What he had was a body like Michael Cera: Michael Cera isn't fat. He's skinny. His muscles are flat and weak which makes him look out of shape. The more someone with this body type diets, the bigger their belly will look. That's the way it is supposed to be. Humans need a certain amount of stored fat and men should store fat on their torso. In moderation, it is healthy to have fat under the skin- the world is very cold without it.
Absolutely. Eat a healthy diet. Do core exercises that strengthen the abdominals and the spine. Look for balance in developing and strengthening muscles. Set realistic goals. Sometimes the best way to cover up your weak areas is to focus on improving the areas around it. For someone who has a thin body, working the shoulders and back and arms gives the body a more V-shaped athletic look. It's a struggle for most people to have an accurate mental image of our own bodies. And we're very prone to dysmorphia and inaccurate self-image. That's why objective assessments like pictures and measuring with a tape measure tend to work better for most people.
I've recently read that a high protein diet along with weight training is a good way to loose belly fat.
I strongly suggest weight training. I used to be 300+ Lbs and about 30% body fat. I've been weight training for close to two years now. I am down to 250 lbs and about 16% body fat. I have just about no fat left in my legs and arms. In fact you can see several veins in my legs and arms. Yet I do have a bit of a gut left. As KaraBulut said the torso is where men store their fat. The thing is that people never see my gut. I have very muscular legs. My thighs are 24" in circumference and my calves 17", in other words freaking huge. You should hear the comments I get. The up side is that I no longer worry do I look fat, or worry when my weight goes up. I am now concerned with my body as a whole. Do I feel good, do I have good energy, am I happy, how much did I lift.
