Skinny fat help
I'm a 150lb 5'9 male who's skinny fat. I've recently gotten into weightlifting and have been going to gym on/off for about a year and a half now, showing some major improvements (went from ~120lb body weight to 150, hit 205 for reps on deadlift, almost benching plates, etc). However, I have never been able to shed the fat around my stomach area. I used to be a long distance track runner putting up 40-50 miles a week and doing dozens of pushups/crunches every day, but still never lost my layers of belly fat. I suspect my diet, as I used to drink lots of soda/sugary drinks and eat a bunch of crap. I'm Indian as well, which means that by its very nature the food we eat is saturated with oil, sodium, and cholesterol which is never good. Now that I'm in college things have gotten slightly better: I quit soda, am eating healthy, but those late night of problem sets and EZ-mac n' cheese have really gotten to me.
Looking for tips on how to get rid of this.
9 Comments • Newest first
Protein shake, 3 times a day. You'll be bulked up in like 6-12 months. Everything that goes into that body should be protein. And of course your other essentials.
You are correct. Diet is the most important part of any workout plan, so you're not going to see any results if you eat fattening foods like macaroni and cheese. It's great that you've cut out sugary drinks, that's a first step. The majority of your meals should consist of proteins and vegetables, leaving only a small amount for carbs. Seeing as how you're a college student and probably on a tight budget, I'd suggest cooking daily meals of poultry/fish and spinach/broccoli, along with a small side of brown rice or sweet potatoes. You can buy those in bulk at any Costco, and they're fairly cheap compared to other protein and veggie options. Instead of eating the traditional three large meals, eat several small meals throughout the day. Eat until you're satisfied, not till you're stuffed. If you're a vegetarian, then substitute the meat options for tofu. As others have said before, you can't target where to lose fat, but cutting out fats from your diet would prevent any more to build up. Remember, our bodies burn carbs first, then fat, and then protein. Stick with your workout, and you'll see results in a couple of a months.
If you're feeling hungry in the middle of the night, drink water!
Eat more, someone your weight should be shoving down burgers at least 3x a day. Not Mc Donalds, I'm talking real burgers. Like at your local restaurant.
Download MyFitnessPal on your phone and research what macros are online. Also check out iifym to help set up your macros for your personal goals. Good luck!
EDIT: Biggest problem with people on diets is that they are not hitting their micronutrients
I have this same problem and I was told Cardio is like the only main way to help this problem along with healthy eating. I have the same eating habits as you and I know what it's like eating and all that rice and curry and whatnot but also stay away from Rice frequently and because it is so contained with starch you want to make sure you're eating your proper amount of veggies 'longside with it too whenever.
Also eating a little is a happy stomach. Do not eat for glutton until your full, Eat enough so your stomach is satisfied. 4 small meals is an example a dietician told my dad.
I've watched my dad exercise by doing cardio and eating veggies with also BROWN rice even though it might be disgusting it's wayyyy better than white rice in the long run. I know because he makes me eat it.
My dad used to be really big and broad and had a huge beer belly but he threw it off with a good diet and cardio like I said. He's 57 and he's done tests and they say he has a healthy young heart too.
The more you know!
muscle weighs more than fat doe.
Damn but I really don't want to lose any more weight. My goal is to get up to 160-165 and stay there, but I'm not sure if I want this belly fat with me when I get there.
seems like you are exercising and eating well. just keep at it, it takes time.
so far, it looks like your doing the right thing so i think you should keep up the good work.