Alright everyone... I need some help trying to figure this out.. my friends don't seem to understand.

So I lost like 50lbs over the summer, and I've maintained it but I'm still not happy...

I am down to a size 30 waist, I'm 5'10" and I weigh like 148-150lbs... however I have no muscle definition whatsoever, I don't have abs, and I still have a lot of fat on my body.

I don't understant this because everyone keeps telling me "OMG stop your so so so so skinny" blah blah "Are you anorexic" and shit... because I still say that I'm dieting and stuff because I want to get to the point where I look like I have muscle and have abs..

I don't understand what's happening.. I'm in my ideal weight range but I have a lot of body fat still on my stomach and my back and everything...

Is this just because of lack of muscle? I don't know..

Somedays I eat well, then other days I eat like crap, or then I'm binge eating, and then other days I'm eating less than 1000 calories..and I'm feeling good one minute, and then because I still have a lot of body fat I'll instantly switch to being upset and feeling like I haven't accomplished anything

My friends don't understand they just yell at me and tell me to shut up and that I'm so skinny and blah blah.... but then again they told me I was skinny when I was 50lbs. heavier too so I don't know who to even listen to.


I'm worried something is wrong... I don't know what to do.

try weight training to add muscle definition

Yes, if you wish to have muscle definition you need to work the musles out. Losing weight won't cause muscles to show unless you've been working out. Likewise if you are big, and you work out, you may not see the muscle definition because the fat is covering them.

Do some push-ups, crunches, and weight training. Do it a few times a week for over 30 minutes a day and you should go fine Make sure you eat food that is high in protien to help those muscles grow, and also to help keep you full

I know you've heard this before but a combo of cardio and weights will get rid of fat and give you muscle definition.

as for the why are you dieting blah blah blah? I've been down that path and I only had 1 friend that understood and didn't tell me not to pursue my goals.

I'm super happy with my body and myself right now and I'm still working hard to "perfect" myself (I know there are limitations) and just bettering myself in every way. The numbers aren't as big a deal now, as long as they don't go up too much so I stay around where I am.

keep up the good work, in the end, everybody may be jealous, do it for you!

Right on Jessipoo!

Yeah... I've always been a tennis player and a swimmer and we aren't really known for being big and bulky.. plus I was one of those kids growing up who was always like stick thin but I'm just small boned.. so I def have to work on building up muscle..

Know of any good no-equipment workouts I can do?

Crunches, pushups, squats.. thats about all I know

I also always take the stairs to workout my legs


thanks guys I appreciate it!

Well I don't know anymore other than cruches, squats and everything you've listed, but i'd say their the main ones. You can do lunges and pull ups if you have a bar somewhere lol

TKM,

If you are serious about getting rid of that fat and adding some muscle mass to your body, it's going to take some serious work.

Not only does it demand cardio, but it will take timed, measured, clean eating and likely an increase in protein intake. It will also mean lots of hours pumping weights, which in and of itself means a heap of learning in regards to form, and most importantly to body science.

Since your body has (from what I can tell from your pic here), minimal mespomorphic tendencies, gaining and maintaning new muscle will be a challenge and a lifelong commitment.

Check out the BFFM program.

Hey,

You have a classic case of someone who lost a considerable amount of weight through CV, and cutting calories. I don't know if this is how you did it, but it would be my guess.

First and foremost. Congratulations!!!! Losing 50 lbs is a huge deal and deserves massive recognition. The fact that you have already achieved this tells me you can do whetever it takes to continue getting the body you desire.

When the body is low on energy (either through CV or calorie restriction) your muscles become a 'use it or lose it' accessory. The body is built for survival and in times of low calories, the body puts the muscle into a high maintenace category. Therefore, typically the muscle goes first. This reduces the body's calorific requirement (lowers metabolic rate), and still has huge amounts of energy stored in fat to weather the storm that it percieves is coming (a period of starvation). As a result, you still have the fat, without the muscle. Your metabolic rate is very low, so you have to continue on this low calorie regime to stay that weight. This is the skinny fat man. No muscle, but the excess fat is still hanging around.

Good news, this can be rectified. However it will require a commitment to raising your bodies testosterone and growth hormone levels through overtly macho training. A couple of sets of push-ups, and a few crunches ain't gonna cut it. We need to get the beef on, and that requires commitment. Often even more commitment than losing fat.

Given your requirements my suggestion would be pull-ups (great suggestion Sian) and Sprint training (massively anabolic, check out sprinters and american footballers). If you can invest in dumb-bells and concentrate on resistance activity. If you do push-ups, load up a backpack and put that on, same with squats and lunges. Try hiking with weight. However, promise me that you want concentrate on activities like long distance running and hour sessions on CV kit to lose the tire. Spend at least 6 months building lean mass, then concentrate on cutting flab.

Try that. You have what it takes, I know it.

P.S - No wonder Jessipoo is pleased with her body if that is her photo. Wow!!

You lost 50 pounds in how long? I'm insanely jealous!

I agree with what everyone's saying, you MUST weight train if you want to see muscle definition. And cardio is key to losing fat (I'm on my own 50 pound journey).

As for your friends, maybe saying the word "diet" isn't the best way to go. After all, you're now eating to maintain your weight, so it's really a lifestyle change you're making and not some fad diet. Try to get your friends to understand that, and if they don't, F@$* 'em! Fitness is hard enough to achieve without people throwing negativity your way, whether its intentional or not.

Keep up the good work!

WOW. I just realized TKM, that you waxed off that weight in THREE MONTHS.



THAT is some major morphing in a short time.

Do you have a gym with some serious trainers available? If so, and if you have the cash, then I'd say let 'em at ya. If not, it's time to do some major bonin' up on all the info you can get your eyes on. Use the force that is strong within you.

& Curtis, your new name threw me off before I saw the thread. Likin' your positivity, hope you don't mind me callin' ya "C." from now on, I'm so bad with folks changing their handles.

Lol @ Minu

Jennifer G gave me that nickname, and I liked it so I went with it. But "C" is fine...I forgot I even changed my handle until you brought it up just now, LMBO.

Time to take my gingko!

Yeah... I put it 150% effort, I drove my friends crazy I was so strict about not eating out and stuff like that, and it was summer break so I think that made it easier because ALL I did was go to the gym 7 days a week, and diet...it was VERY VERY DIFFICULT but I did follow a very very strict protein diet, with all vegetables and fruits and I had a lot of extra time.. and my summer job is coaching tennis so I exercised then, and I live by the beach so I would do water aerobics in the ocean ahah, and walk the boardwalk everynight.. so that helped.

I told my mom I wasn't going to work a lot because I wanted to spend my summer getting in shape, and she was so mad at me haha, but hey... it was worth it.

But also, I put on like 20lbs within a month of during my spring semester so I guess it came off quicker because it went on quickly? I dunno..

Thanks everyone for the posts, I did realize I did mostly cardio with very minimal weight training, so I def need to add that into my routine.

And I haven't been working out much because I have 9 classes and 2 jobs now at school so the most exercise I get is we have a half mile walk one way to school. and it's a mile walk to my other job.. I'm going to try and get some dumbbells for my room that should be good enough right? And an exercise ball..

Another question:

When you are doing weight training I heard it's best to eat a little carbs before the workout, and protein right after the workout? Is this true?

Kind of. Its important to get carbs as well after a session too.

TKM,

I usually don't shill specific programs I use because I don't believe in "one way" to do things. People need to find what works for them and it's a matter of genetics, time, and personal preference so there can never be one way to achieve a certain fitness goal. That being said, I imagine something like Simplefit might work well for you. No equipment needed other than a place to do pull-up work. For the first 5 weeks, I only did the listed program, then I incorporated other exercises as I found things I enjoyed doing. It's based on high intensity workouts in a short amount of time. No workout should take you longer than 25-30 minutes and some days will be 5 minutes. At the very least, it's a place to start that requires minimum time and equipment. You can check out my photos on that site in the community area under "Pix and Videos", they're on this site somewhere too.

That is an amazing amount of weight loss, congrats. I have been trying to lose 10 pounds for 8 years to no avail. I do think, however, that while weight training will certainly help you to achieve your more ideal body, it won’t necessarily make you feel better about yourself. You have accomplished am amazing feat to date, and you should address the issues that keep you from enjoying that and being proud of yourself right now.

dietcokeandfries.blogspot.com

Thanks to everyone for there support/comments

I appreciate the time and thought


I am def going to switch over to more resistance training

I really just don't think I have a lot of lean muscle on my body, and that is why I still have excess fat left.

I'm going to do daily workouts in my room, and I will have more time over my holiday break to hit the gym