Has anyone ever gotten from underweight skinnyfat to actually fit and not weak? How?

[iloveeverykindofcat]

I put "not weak" as strong feels a bit of a reach at the moment.

I've been ill with a combination of stress and IBS (yes they are related) but I'm doing better now, and the work situation that was causing me so much stress is....whisper it....resolved. Stressful parental situation is ongoing, but I'm exercising healthy boundaries (rueful grin). That's a whole other thread.

Last year I was in better shape but its all gone a bit wrong and now I'm starting from a worse position. I'm down to about 100lbs at 5"4 and I've lost muscle, so I'm looking thin and weak, body fat percentage probably higher than one would expect, due to lack of muscle. My back hurts. I do go to the gym but my "lifts" are crap at the moment and I'm not enthused about it at all.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and fixed it? Do I just need to suck it up and lift heavier and slow (I'm so bored of this, but that might just be a symptom of having been run down)? I'm very very hypermobile so this lack of strength is bad for my joints.

Also - how much protein should I eat to actually build some muscle? Does the type of protein matter? I don't eat meat, in fact I'm usually vegan, but I've sort of loosened up on that a bit so I can eat some protein yoghurts for an easy few grams.

Try CrossFit. Loads of CrossFit gyms around the country if you google.
I don’t know anyone who goes to CrossFit 3+ times a week who doesn’t quickly become more toned (if they eat reasonably).
Look at Huel black edition if you’re vegan. 40g of protein per shake, balanced carbs and fats and contains vits/minerals.
In terms of protein 1g per pound of body weight as a rough guide, so 100g a day for you. You also need carbs though straight after training if you want to put on muscle.

start with your core.
is there a pilates class at your gym?

I would go with a personal trainer with the focus on building muscle.

I used to be skinny fat now I’m just regular fat 😭

100g sounds like a lot! I doubt I get near that. Maybe that's my problem. How does Huel taste, have you tried it?

I'm intruiged by CrossFit. It certainly doesn't look boring! It does look intimidating, but I guess everything does when you've never tried it. Definitely something to look into. Pilates - yes, there are classes I think, but I will have to check on the timings. Early morning is always best for me.

This sounds a bit like me, although I'm not hypermobile. I have always felt so weak in my upper body and would describe myself as skinny fat, with it all being on my stomach. I started a lifting series in YouTube which I've nearly finished and I already feel much stronger. I'm motivated by being able to do it at home, so not excuses that I don't feel like going to the gym. I just use whatever weight I have and if too low can increase the number of reps. I find following a set programme far more motivating than going at it alone

I'm also vegan so understand the struggles of protein intake. To get to 100g I have to eat a lot of tofu/soy, but also supplement with a protein powder. I tried Huel this week as one bottle had 32g protein but it gave me instant stomach cramps I'm not sure if I'll stick with it.

This example may be of interest:

In order to build any muscle you will certainly need to increase you calorie intake, at around 7 stone and 5’4 you may not be eating enough to maintain a healthy weight?

@CleverCats I know, I will do. I'm normally heavier, but I tend to lose when stressed. I seem to have a naturally fast metabolism and I'm a bit of an anxious type. I need quite a lot of food just to maintain (by Mumsnet standards, some of which I don't quite believe!). @UnemployedNotRetired I will watch that later. She looks great in the after pic!

You could consider adding a high calorie protein shake daily?

Yes Huel is delicious. I have black edition coffee caramel mixed with 200ml ish of milk which is about 50g of protein in total. If you had one of those with a 20g protein yoghurt you should be able to get to around 90/100g easily.
Crossfit can look intimidating but the community is very supportive to new starters and it’s the only method of exercise I have come across that can consistently radically alter body composition.
doing dumbell curls and hip thrusts with a PT once a week won’t cut it.