I'm skinny fat. Help!

[overthinkersanonnymus]

I really don't know what to do about changing my body shape.

I'm 5"10 and a size 12 but I have absolutely no muscle tone in my legs or stomach. I'm 38 now and have always been slim with a small waist, and I was fairly happy with my body, but I'm approaching peri and growing fat band around my belly too.

Do i need to shred first, ie lose the fat and then build up the muscle? Or do I not bother with losing the fat and then build the muscle underneath until it pops through the fat?

Start weight training with Caroline Girvan. Free on YouTube. All you need is a resistance band and some dumbbells.

You need to go to the gym and start lifting weights to build muscle mass. You’ll change your body composition so will likely experience muscle gain and fat loss.
That and a high protein diet.

If you start lifting weights / doing squats / deadlifts etc then the fat will come off.
It seems a strange concept when we have been conditioned to do cardio to 'burn' fat but it will work! If you can go to a local gym maybe someone there could create a plan for you

Ah ok so I don't need to diet first to get rid of the fat? I thought I'd have to be eating more calories, to build muscle, with lifting heavy?

Personally I think if you have no muscle at all you need to do a very rounded exercise plan. I would increase the amount of walking you do significantly. Do some weights. Do some yoga. Do something fun cardio that you enjoy. (Maybe get into a team sport or go swimming). If you just do one thing you are more likely to get injured as well as bored! It will help ensure that all muscle groups are being worked out and stretched out.

I think you're being over technical and too advanced in your thinking eg talking about shredding when your baseline of fitness now is so low.
Other posters have made good suggestions already. You cant out exercise a bad diet though but rather than seek to cut a lot of calories just eat well, good protein, maybe lower carbs a bit, cut out the crap. That and some regular exercise will see you on a good path.

@overthinkersanonnymus You should look at your diet, yes. Calculate your TDEE (calculators online) based on the movement you’ll be doing an ensure you’re eating sufficiently. Increase your protein intake and eat something high in protein after you exercise. But as a beginner this is going to be enough.
You won’t need to ‘bulk’ as is a common phrase used.

If

Ok so up the movement, do some lifting and chill on the crap food.

Sounds simple enough.

Now to find the motivation!

Don’t concentrate on weight loss at all because muscle is heavy….if you start training properly then you’ll be losing fat but gaining muscle and muscle is not light!
For muscle gains you are going to need to eat. Like properly eat. Protein g needed per day for muscle gain you’ll be looking at between 1.5-2g of protein per kg of your own weight, so for example if you weigh 60kg then you’ll be needed approx 90g of protein per day. Eat clean-single ingredient foods as much as possible. Don’t go for ‘healthy’ snacks like Graze bars and stuff like that as they’re processed to high heaven.

Doing weights once or twice a week won’t cut it-you need 3-4 times a week minimum and the advice to be upping your walking is very sound. Walking is good….incline walking is better.

If you can afford it then find a PT or group PT. Home training is fine to an extent but unless you have a proper set up then you’ll quickly get to the point where you don’t have the equipment to progress. Also (are arguably the most important bit) is that if you don’t have the correct form then chances of injury are high. This is where having someone face to face pays off.

Good luck!

@VivaLaSpag thanks for the advice!

I don't care about the number on the scale, I'm more interested in how my body feels and looks. I'm in a stone heavier but that's all muscle, happy days!

I'm 10st 4lb at the moment

Just to be difficult - I’m a year into my lifting journey and didn’t lose the weight before starting - I went straight into the protein loading / lifting heavy stage.

Tbf I’m making loads of mistakes, but the body composition changes are only really showing now. I think if I had lost weight first it would have showed sooner.

OP, if you really want to maximise body composition changes have a look at taking some creatine - it’s been a game changer for me.

Do you want to lose weight and how is your diet?

If not just get on with the exercise. Generally move more and walk as much as possible. I'm a size 8 and now very toned and I do a mix of HIIT, weight training and yoga. I use Apple Fitness and practise at home but YouTube has tons of good free stuff you don't need to pay for anything except maybe a mat and cheap weights, Temu have loads.

So no I don't think you need to lose the fat first, it will naturally go as you tone up. The weights have made the most difference to how my body looks so if you want to start with one type of exercise I would do that.

Clothes sizes are so weird aren't they. You are 2 inches taller than me, weigh less than me but I'm a size 8! I guess muscle really does weigh more than fat?!

I've already mentioned Caroline Girvan for weight training.
I also find planks very useful and do the Bowflex 3-minute plank every day.
Growingannanas is great for HIIT/Cardio.

Tape measurements, mirror and clothes feeling looser around the belly, waist/hips are way better indicators than scales.

Agree with others to up your protein. At 65kg you'll need about 100g a day.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/high-protein-foods#fish

I also find Dr. Becky Gillaspy's short pep talks about nutrition and cutting out sugar and UPF quite useful.

NB: I started getting serious about exercise and nutrition in my 60s. I'm over 70 now and super fit. Still cycle, hike and ski, and recently started ice skating again - after more than 5 decades...

@Semiramide sugar is a massive problem for me......as I sit here with a brew and a biscuit.

Read The Sugar Solution by Dr Mark Hyman, as well as the accompanying diet book. You don't need to follow his ideas religiously, but it will help you make better choices.

Plus Dr Becky for periodic pep talks. Especially her older talks which do not mention sponsors so much.

Get Stacy sims book Roar next level and listen to a few podcasts

Prioritise protein (even better if mostly plant based as helps peri symptoms) and lift weights x3 a week

Katie Rowe Ham has a really accessible book / programme to follow too