To think I need to diet?

[GlitterUnicornsAndAllThatJazz]

I think I'm what they call skinny fat. I have a soft pudgy tummy and some back fat but very skinny arms and legs.

Can someone in the know/with a similar shape tell me your thoughts? Am I correct in thinking I need to diet to lose the pudgy tummy? But then doesn't that mean I'm going to lose the little fat I have on my boobs, bum and thighs? Or will the tummy fat go first? Any diet advice for this shape?

Exercise, not calorie restriction, is what will help.

@OuchBollocks
I already do HIIT workouts and I definitely feel more muscely but surely building muscle isnt going to get rid of this layer of fat?

If your calorie intake remains the same and you have more lean muscle then you will have less fat.

What is your diet like?

All I can say is that I am an apple too - but fatter than skinny fat! - with slim arms and legs, small bum, massive horrible boobs and a big gut. Whenever I lose weight, it goes from the forearms first (why? Why??), then the legs and bum, then the face and collarbones. The stomach and boobs never seem to shrink 😭😭😭

I think cutting carbs and exercise is usually the way forward to have more success than I've had - weight around the middle can sometimes be an insulin issue/carb sensitivity thing. I don't mean keto or paleo (unless you want to of course!) but moderate carbing.

If you have visible excess fat then you need to diet, or do a enough training to produce a calorie deficit. Fat doesn't turn into muscle, it just lies under subcutaneous fat. You also will probably have visceral fat, which is hidden and lies around your internal organs.
I don't know what sort of HIIT workouts you're doing, but you need to incorporate some resistance training.

Are you a healthy weight for your height according to BMI? (I know BMI isn't always an accurate measure but it's a useful approximate guide).

@OuchBollocks
Thanks for replying.
Previously my diet would have been skip breakfast, have sandwiches and crisps for lunch, evening meal always cooked from scratch but with lots of cream and cheese, and snacking on crisps, nuts, whenever I felt like it.
The past week I've been eating like this amd am wondering if it will be enough to see a difference based on my previous diet:

Sample day:
Greek yoghurt with fruit for breakfast
Lunch ricotta and tomatoes with wholemeal bread or leftovers from dinner
Dinner wholemeal pasta with courgette greek yoghurt and walnut sauce, salad

I only drink water and black coffee during the day. At night I would have about two or three glasses of red wine.

@ScreamingValenta
I am technically veering towards the lower end of normal BMI wise - but the thing is there clearly is a little weight to be lost around the middle.

I think to get toned you have to do certain exercises and watch what you eat.

Keep at it and I'm sure you'll see a difference soon.

2 or 3 glasses of wine a night is an extra 1500 - 2000 cals a week and terrible for your liver, drop that to one glass 3 times a week and combined with the improvements in your diet you should sew results.

Also, it's good that you feel more muscley, but women can't really build significant amounts of muscle without some serious training, so don't overestimate how much muscle you're gaining.

@Rebeccaslicker
Its fucking horrible isn't it!
I dont know if Im a true apple because the actual sides of my waist arent fat at all if you see what I mean - I definitely have a waist that goes in and out. But then my tummy fat gathers around the centre, where I have two parts - a little belly as if I were 3 or 4 months pregnant and then the upper abdomen just below the bra strap which gathers in a layer of fat down to the waist. Urgh! I hear you! I like my body except for this part! I always lose the weight first off my boobs and shoulders/collarbone area so I look almost starved - but theres still a fucking squishy tummy there! Its annoying because I feel like it looks worse than other body shapes with a little weight to lose. Like Im sure if I carried it more on my thighs or hips I would care less. Although maybe grass is always greener.
Don't call your boobs horrible though, they sound juicy and lush - something I can never aspire to 😁

Do you have a sweet tooth? I think if you are predominantly storing fat around the waist it is usually due to too much sugar and can be a sign of insulin resistance. Maybe the balance of nutrients in your diet is off and you need to be getting your calories from fats and protein etc. I know if I eat 2000 kcal worth of cakes my body is a very different shape to 2000 kcal from healthy meats and veg (obvs extreme example)

@OuchBollocks
Thank you, good point, I may have missed the wine calories.
Do you think my current diet sounds good though? Or a bit too carby?

Your diet food-wise sounds very healthy - losing the nightly glasses of wine would be a good way to reduce your sugar intake without compromising on nutrients - could you cut this back to just weekends? It might just be that you need to tone your stomach muscles to see the difference you need. If you're at the lower end of BMI I don't think a drastic diet is in order but cutting down on the wine would save calories.

@ScreamingValenta
Thank you, I'll keep at it then as I've only been eating this way for a week.
Previously I would eat a multipack of crisps or a big "sharing" (lol) pack of crisps maybe 3 times a week and not limit myself whatsoever on cheese, peanuts, you name it so obviously I guess its going to take time to redress the balance.
The good thing is Im not finding it hard to eat this way now Ive set my mind to it..

Excess calories go inyour thighs.
Too much sugar goes around your abdomen.
If your weight is ok (being style) the you dint need to diet (as in loosing weight and eating less calories) but you need to change your diet (as in eating in a different way with less sugar overall)

Ditch the crisps - they’re junk food.

And drink once a week.

Other than that exercise will make a big difference.

The only way I could get rid of stomach fat was to switch to a low-carb diet. I run circa 100km a week, cycle about 50km, cross train, box, weights etc and still had a bit of a flabby belly despite being muscular elsewhere until I stopped with processed carbs and sugar and cut down on alcohol.

Combination of both diet and exercise though - if you build good abdominal muscles your stomach will flatten out anyway.

Excess calories go inyour thighs.Too much sugar goes around your abdomen

This is (obviously) complete nonsense, and not remotely how the human body works.

Other than BMI a handy measure for whether you're carrying too much around your middle (and therefore at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and the like) is waist to hip ratio. You'll find calculators online.

I'd try and reduce the alcohol intake a wee bit.

@ComtesseDeSpair
Interesting, by processed carbs, do you mean you still eat wholemeal carbs?

@ShutYoFace
Yes I did wonder about that...because honestly other than the wine I barely have any sugar.

A couple of years ago, I did a stint of low-carb, high protein/good fat which seemed to change my body-fat distribution.

I have always had a belly and boobs while the rest of me could be anywhere from slightly flabby to super toned. I think cutting right down on the carbs and any sugar really helped lose my belly-fat and it seemed to be deposited more on my thighs.

Unfortunately, whenever I now overdo carbs/sugar, I really notice my belly size increasing so it's not a short-term fix but more of a lifestyle change. Crisps, wine and chocolate are my downfall but I know cutting right down on these makes a huge difference to my shape.