Skinny Fat to Strong: Share Your Recomposition Successes Please

[Anonymous]

I’m looking for motivation to keep going with my strength building program. I started this journey two months ago at 20.5 BMI and 25% bodyfat when my doctor told me I’m pre-diabetic with osteopenia in my mid-fifties. After 8 weeks, my pants are tighter, the scale is higher, and my body image is … confused. Anyone BTDT?

I’m in this for the sake of my health, but as a lifelong calorie restrictor and yo-yo cardio dabbler, I could use some encouragement. Today I discovered that my butt has outgrown my underwear.

[Anonymous]

Oh, you rock, OP!!! You’re doing something healthy for your body and great for your long term health. My skinny fat mother and MIL are *not* aging well.

I am a skinny fat convert as well. I got really into hot yoga and converted that fat into lean muscle. I now weigh more and some parts of my body are bigger, but I look A LOT better. I am no longer afraid of wearing a bathing suit. Don’t pay attention to the scale - look at your strength and your composition.

[Anonymous]

How do you feel, though? When I started lifting I remember being told to stay off the scale and avoid thinking about numbers, but by week 8 I felt *great*. Like just walking felt different - I could feel my body balancing better, my muscles kicking in and working as a team, my posture improved, etc. I'd focus on the things you can feel and not size (although I'd bet a lot of money that even if you're bigger in muscley areas like your butt, you actually *look* better than you did in smaller underwear).

Also go get another DEXA scan or whatever you had done to determine your initial body fat percentage. When you see the visceral fat is gone, your percentages have shifted, that gives you something worthwhile to focus on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m looking for motivation to keep going with my strength building program. I started this journey two months ago at 20.5 BMI and 25% bodyfat when my doctor told me I’m pre-diabetic with osteopenia in my mid-fifties. After 8 weeks, my pants are tighter, the scale is higher, and my body image is … confused. Anyone BTDT?

I’m in this for the sake of my health, but as a lifelong calorie restrictor and yo-yo cardio dabbler, I could use some encouragement. Today I discovered that my butt has outgrown my underwear.

I need more clarification on the tighter pants. Is the waist tighter, or just the butt? Your waist should be getting smaller not larger. If your butt is the issue then my guess is you're doing a lot of squats and lunges. But even with that your butt shouldn't be growing so much that your underwear no longer fits you. My suggestion is you start tracking your calories, for now. Just so you can see if it's your diet, which my guess is that it is. Don't fall into the cardio trap, because cardio doesn't burn fat.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PPs! I’m scheduled for another scan on Saturday. I do feel better. My body feels tighter and more organized. My sleep is deeper and my mood has improved. Mostly, it feels good to take control of my health instead of watching the slow motion train wreck of decline while reclined on the couch eating salty snacks. And I want to set an example for my teenage daughter that we’re never too old to prioritize healthy living.

I just wish I had more comfort to trust my transitioning body. It’s nice to hear stories of people who have been on this path longer than me. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I also changed sizes going from skinny fat to thin and in shape. Pilates and weight lifting. But I loved it! I look so much better and feel so much better. The size of my clothing means nothing to me. If you restricted calories to stay skinny, I wonder if you have some self esteem issues to work through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m looking for motivation to keep going with my strength building program. I started this journey two months ago at 20.5 BMI and 25% bodyfat when my doctor told me I’m pre-diabetic with osteopenia in my mid-fifties. After 8 weeks, my pants are tighter, the scale is higher, and my body image is … confused. Anyone BTDT?

I’m in this for the sake of my health, but as a lifelong calorie restrictor and yo-yo cardio dabbler, I could use some encouragement. Today I discovered that my butt has outgrown my underwear.

I need more clarification on the tighter pants. Is the waist tighter, or just the butt? Your waist should be getting smaller not larger. If your butt is the issue then my guess is you're doing a lot of squats and lunges. But even with that your butt shouldn't be growing so much that your underwear no longer fits you. My suggestion is you start tracking your calories, for now. Just so you can see if it's your diet, which my guess is that it is. Don't fall into the cardio trap, because cardio doesn't burn fat.

It’s just my butt and quads that had lost all muscle definition over the past two decades. I’m religiously tracking my calories and macros and eating more protein than ever in my life (around 100-120 grams).

[Anonymous]

OP and to add on, I'm eating more calories than previously but also working out a lot more. My tracking usually results in discovering after dinner that I need to eat another meal before bedtime. What started out as conscious restricting in my youth became an unconscious way of life in my middle age as I unknowingly chipped away at my bone and muscle mass in order to fit into my jeans. I think that's pretty common among women who came of age during the era of Christy Turlington. I'm just getting used to all these changes, both physically and emotionally. While I don't think I have esteem issues, I am chastened to learn how my lack of awareness has contributed to my overall decline in health. I'm trying to be kind to myself and happy to be on a different trajectory now, even if the path forward is unknown. And I'm trying to be better for my teenage daughter, who gratefully, has a much healthier self image than I did at her age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP and to add on, I'm eating more calories than previously but also working out a lot more. My tracking usually results in discovering after dinner that I need to eat another meal before bedtime. What started out as conscious restricting in my youth became an unconscious way of life in my middle age as I unknowingly chipped away at my bone and muscle mass in order to fit into my jeans. I think that's pretty common among women who came of age during the era of Christy Turlington. I'm just getting used to all these changes, both physically and emotionally. While I don't think I have esteem issues, I am chastened to learn how my lack of awareness has contributed to my overall decline in health. I'm trying to be kind to myself and happy to be on a different trajectory now, even if the path forward is unknown. And I'm trying to be better for my teenage daughter, who gratefully, has a much healthier self image than I did at her age.

Well this might be your problem with your pants getting tight.

How many more calories are you eating? And what are the macro breakdown? Eating more protein is important for muscle growth.

working out does not require that many more calories. You do not burn nearly as many calories through exercise as you think you do. To add muscle and "bulk" you want to eat enough to gain muscle but not so much so that you are gaining a lot of fat. Most trainers would recommend gaining no more than 1-2 lbs/month during a relatively lean bulk. some will gain more to bulk faster but then you need a cut to remove that fat. You also need to be lifting pretty heavy during this time or you'll jus be gaining fat.

While it takes longer some people also do more of a lean bulk where they eat more on days they workout and at maintenance the other days. But even they were are talking a few hundred extra quality calories not a full meal.

[Anonymous]

OP here: I’m eating 1400 calories on maintenance days when I’m taking a yoga or Pilates class and 1600 calories on lifting days (4x/week) so the average is ~1500 calories. Up from ~1200 calories previously. I’m getting way more protein now. Macros now are 45 carb/25 protein/30 fat. Previously 50 carb/15 protein/35 fat. It’s hard for me to get enough protein. I need to really think about it.

My weight hasn’t changed much, but hopefully composition changes are happening.

[Anonymous]

That may be too few calories to add muscle.

[Anonymous]

You’re not eating enough. You should be eating 1800 calories each day with a target of 100g protein in order to gain muscle and power through the workouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re not eating enough. You should be eating 1800 calories each day with a target of 100g protein in order to gain muscle and power through the workouts.

Wow, I may need to work with a dietician to relearn how to recalibrate. 1200-1400 is normal for me, 1400-1600 is new and hard for me to manage. I’m getting 100+ grams of protein now. I’m not sure how to add more but I’m open to it. I do want to lose a bit of fat at the same time as gaining muscle, if that’s possible. My problem isn’t only lack of muscle, it’s also fat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re not eating enough. You should be eating 1800 calories each day with a target of 100g protein in order to gain muscle and power through the workouts.

100% agree. I am the first PP of this thread and used to really under-eat. I started gaining flab and just felt blah when I hit my 40s. I started tracking my macros in Cronometer (LOVE!!!!) and working out a ton - and realized I needed to be eating 600-800 more calories a day than I had been. It was hard to get through that mentally, but once I did, the weight shed off quickly and I am now in the best shape of my life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re not eating enough. You should be eating 1800 calories each day with a target of 100g protein in order to gain muscle and power through the workouts.

100% agree. I am the first PP of this thread and used to really under-eat. I started gaining flab and just felt blah when I hit my 40s. I started tracking my macros in Cronometer (LOVE!!!!) and working out a ton - and realized I needed to be eating 600-800 more calories a day than I had been. It was hard to get through that mentally, but once I did, the weight shed off quickly and I am now in the best shape of my life.

This is really encouraging. I think I suck at this. I’m really trying and thought today was going well until I tracked after dinner to find myself at 1100 calories and 85 grams of protein. So I ate a pile of chicken and a protein bar at 10PM and finished at 1400 calories and 100 grams of protein. I really had to force myself to finish. Did your body need to level off after adding 600-800 calories? How did you do it?