[other one]

I am 5ft8,
in the single photo I was 62 kilos.
now around 57 kilos (multiple photos), what body fat percentage have I got now/did I have? and how many extra pounds of fat is on me if I ever wanted no pinchable fat anywhere?

many thanks in advance

[Rancorous]

25% - around about.

[Aspiringlawstudent]

You want us to just guess by looking at some pictures and knowing your height and weight? That's not going to give you a very accurate picture.

It's not even going to be as close as calipers would be able to tell you, and they're not exactly spot-on.

Read about these, and try one if you want to know accurately: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodyfat...ent_techniques

[other one]

(Original post by Aspiringlawstudent)
You want us to just guess by looking at some pictures and knowing your height and weight? That's not going to give you a very accurate picture.

It's not even going to be as close as calipers would be able to tell you, and they're not exactly spot-on.

Read about these, and try one if you want to know accurately: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodyfat...ent_techniques

ok thanks. someone suggested that I upload pictures and most people would be able to guess roughly, which is why I did so.

[HFerguson]

I'd guess 25-30%, your bodyfat is on the higher side, you have the quintessential skinny-fat phsyique, there is little muscle on you, get on the freeweights asap!

Bear in mind though that bodyfat % is just a number, and is relative - what's important is that you're happy with your physique -which you're obviously not - or progressing in a measurable way - tape measurements, bodyfat calipers, weight, strength - goals and progression have to be measurable. Losing bodyfat will only do so much for your physique.

[other one]

(Original post by HFerguson)
I'd guess 25-30%, your bodyfat is on the higher side, you have the quintessential skinny-fat phsyique, there is little muscle on you, get on the freeweights asap!

Bear in mind though that bodyfat % is just a number, and is relative - what's important is that you're happy with your physique -which you're obviously not - or progressing in a measurable way - tape measurements, bodyfat calipers, weight, strength - goals and progression have to be measurable. Losing bodyfat will only do so much for your physique.

Thanks, that's awful news.
I have been weight-lifting for months now and muscle is meant to be built most easily when you start out, yet look at me. I am starting to think I will always be skinny-fat.

[Chrisateen]

(Original post by other one)
Thanks, that's awful news.
I have been weight-lifting for months now and muscle is meant to be built most easily when you start out, yet look at me. I am starting to think I will always be skinny-fat.

What sort of things have you been doing? You should start to see some muscle definition after a few months of lifting. I agree that you will be around 25% body fat. I can see that your abs have more definition and if you lose a bit more bodyfat they would start to pop out more (my muscles started showing around 25% and now that I am around 18-20% body fat they really show now)

Also you may want to consider depending on your body goals spending a few months gaining weight at a rate of 2lbs of month for about 6months in order to build some muscle. Then after 6months cut back to your current weight and you will probably look more defined with more muscle without having to be any smaller than you currently are. (Edit I just looked at your stats at 57kg and 5ft 8 I really don't suggest losing anymore weight and don't think that losing anymore weight would give you the body you are after. Go on a bulk, build muscle and you probably look a lot better and maintain at a higher weight)

[HFerguson]

(Original post by other one)
Thanks, that's awful news.
I have been weight-lifting for months now and muscle is meant to be built most easily when you start out, yet look at me. I am starting to think I will always be skinny-fat.

Actual free weights or just machines? What rep ranges are you doing, 5 reps, 8 reps, 12 reps? How have your lifts progressed? Are you consistenly adding weight to your lifts? Which lifts are you doing and in what routine? What's your diet like, caloric deficit I take it? How many grams of protein do you get per day?

Muscle isn't built most easily when you start out, strength is! And initial strength gains aren't muscular gains, they are neural adaptation. Don't get disheartened though, getting a better physique and living a healthy lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint, and you're in it for life - what's the rush? You'll get there eventually if you're doing the right things, you just have to have faith and patience, and also the insight to sometimes say "what I'm doing isn't working", reassess and ask for advice, so you're already on the right track

[other one]

(Original post by Chrisateen)
What sort of things have you been doing? You should start to see some muscle definition after a few months of lifting. I agree that you will be around 25% body fat. I can see that your abs have more definition and if you lose a bit more bodyfat they would start to pop out more (my muscles started showing around 25% and now that I am around 18-20% body fat they really show now)

Also you may want to consider depending on your body goals spending a few months gaining weight at a rate of 2lbs of month for about 6months in order to build some muscle. Then after 6months cut back to your current weight and you will probably look more defined with more muscle without having to be any smaller than you currently are. (Edit I just looked at your stats at 57kg and 5ft 8 I really don't suggest losing anymore weight and don't think that losing anymore weight would give you the body you are after. Go on a bulk, build muscle and you probably look a lot better and maintain at a higher weight)

(Original post by HFerguson)
Actual free weights or just machines? What rep ranges are you doing, 5 reps, 8 reps, 12 reps? How have your lifts progressed? Are you consistenly adding weight to your lifts? Which lifts are you doing and in what routine? What's your diet like, caloric deficit I take it? How many grams of protein do you get per day?

Muscle isn't built most easily when you start out, strength is! And initial strength gains aren't muscular gains, they are neural adaptation. Don't get disheartened though, getting a better physique and living a healthy lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint, and you're in it for life - what's the rush? You'll get there eventually if you're doing the right things, you just have to have faith and patience, and also the insight to sometimes say "what I'm doing isn't working", reassess and ask for advice, so you're already on the right track

I've been using free weights. I eat around 1500kcal, so well below maintenance yet no real results. I've been told by one trainer that due to low twitch muscles (?) I'll always have this thin constitution. my ribs are showing, I have a bony chest yet there is pinachable fat around my middle.

I eat around 60-70g of protein per day. I have a history of depression, lowering carbs messes me up big time and due to food intolerances the only source of protein I can eat is chicken and fish. not a fan of the latter and there's only so much chicken I can eat. no dairy, no red meat, no soya etc. egg whites, sometimes. pretty limited.



I've just googled skinny fat and I don't think I am that bad, I do have a bit of muscle (esp abs muscle) but for some reason there is this layer of fat around my middle that gives the impression of me being .. well .. fat.

[Chrisateen]

(Original post by other one)
I've been using free weights. I eat around 1500kcal, so well below maintenance yet no real results. I've been told by one trainer that due to low twitch muscles (?) I'll always have this thin constitution. my ribs are showing, I have a bony chest yet there is pinachable fat around my middle.

I eat around 60-70g of protein per day. I have a history of depression, lowering carbs messes me up big time and due to food intolerances the only source of protein I can eat is chicken and fish. not a fan of the latter and there's only so much chicken I can eat. no dairy, no red meat, no soya etc. pretty limited.



I've just googled skinny fat and I don't think I am that bad, I do have a bit of muscle (esp abs muscle) but for some reason there is this layer of fat around my middle that gives the impression of me being .. well .. fat.

Like I said before your best approach is to increase your calories to around 2400 calories and aim to gain 2lbs a month for the next few months. At your height you should look really lean at 57kg which you don't which means that the reason why you look the way you look is because you don't have enough muscle so you need to spend some time building the muscle.

At 1500 calories you are not giving your muscles enough calories for it to grow nor at 70g of protein you are not eating enough protein. The increase in calories will sort that out.

I know that gaining weight for us women is difficult but in the long run you will find that you are more likely to achieve the body you are after

[4RealBlud]

My dear friend, discover google. Search "body fat percentage calculator" et voila:

http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-...percentage.php
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/librar...calculator.htm

just a couple

[HFerguson]

(Original post by other one)
I've been using free weights. I eat around 1500kcal, so well below maintenance yet no real results. I've been told by one trainer that due to low twitch muscles (?) I'll always have this thin constitution. my ribs are showing, I have a bony chest yet there is pinachable fat around my middle.

I eat around 60-70g of protein per day. I have a history of depression, lowering carbs messes me up big time and due to food intolerances the only source of protein I can eat is chicken and fish. not a fan of the latter and there's only so much chicken I can eat. no dairy, no red meat, no soya etc. egg whites, sometimes. pretty limited.



I've just googled skinny fat and I don't think I am that bad, I do have a bit of muscle (esp abs muscle) but for some reason there is this layer of fat around my middle that gives the impression of me being .. well .. fat.

You won't make much if any progress gaining strength or muscle if you're at a caloric deficit. You need to eat to maintenance calories, and double that protein intake to 120-140g per day. Whey protein isolate is something you should consider using, it's whey protein derived from milk, but has had (nearly) all of the lactose and fat removed, so potentially you won't have any intolerances to it. Can you eat any nuts? What about tofu? Quorn? Mushrooms?

As for the trainer who said your body composition is due to slow twitch fibres, this is 100% total broscience bull**** and you should actively disregard anything he tells you, because with that statement he has irrevocably proved his stupidity.

"I've been using free weights" is pretty useless. What's your routine? Are you even following a routine? What's your squat, bench press and deadlift 1 repetition maximums?

[silent ninja]

Fat around the lower stomach and covering the obliques is not easy to lose. Keep going, it will move slowly, and stop inspecting yourself daily. I think several good suggestions have been made in this thread especially about your diet.

[Smason5]

In shops they sell lloyds pharmacy monitoring devices that give your accurate body fat etc.

[silent ninja]

(Original post by Smason5)
In shops they sell lloyds pharmacy monitoring devices that give your accurate body fat etc.

Accurate? Lol definitely not.

[Smason5]

(Original post by silent ninja)
Accurate? Lol definitely not.

Well much more accurate than asking people. Have you got one of these devices as if not then don't be naive and say it is not accurate without actually using one yourself.

[silent ninja]

(Original post by Smason5)
Well much more accurate than asking people. Have you got one of these devices as if not then don't be naive and say it is not accurate without actually using one yourself.

Calipers are more accurate and the best way to check body fat at home. They're never gonna be as accurate as a scan or hydrostatic weighting, but those bioelectric fat monitors are questionable when it comes to accuracy and cost a lot more than a cheap pair of calipers.

[other one]

(Original post by Chrisateen)
Like I said before your best approach is to increase your calories to around 2400 calories and aim to gain 2lbs a month for the next few months. At your height you should look really lean at 57kg which you don't which means that the reason why you look the way you look is because you don't have enough muscle so you need to spend some time building the muscle.

At 1500 calories you are not giving your muscles enough calories for it to grow nor at 70g of protein you are not eating enough protein. The increase in calories will sort that out.

I know that gaining weight for us women is difficult but in the long run you will find that you are more likely to achieve the body you are after

I don't want to look skinny fat no, but the one on the right is gruesome in my eyes too:
http://haroldgibbons.files.wordpress...1/07/size2.jpg

I'd like to look toned with no pinchable fat.
both these look nice imo:
http://www.florida-beach-lifestyle.com/female-abs.html

or google Abbey Clancy. My bone structure is not too dissimilar and she does look skinny/slim rather than muscular but that is way better than the one on the right in my first picture.

anyhow, I am indeed afraid of gaining even more weight, you can imagine that if I eat more, all the fat goes to my middle again too, so I look even more disproportionate. I was 53-54 kilos this time last year, then I upped the kcal (as other suggested what you did) and started weight lifting. the result is what you can see now. this is how I looked a year ago and even more skinny-fat (with less flab) and I have to say that I looked a lot better in clothes than now with slightly more fat and perhaps slightly more muscle:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=1712169

pls observe all the positive comments too back then, whereas not sure anyone would want my body now

(Original post by HFerguson)
You won't make much if any progress gaining strength or muscle if you're at a caloric deficit. You need to eat to maintenance calories, and double that protein intake to 120-140g per day. Whey protein isolate is something you should consider using, it's whey protein derived from milk, but has had (nearly) all of the lactose and fat removed, so potentially you won't have any intolerances to it. Can you eat any nuts? What about tofu? Quorn? Mushrooms?

As for the trainer who said your body composition is due to slow twitch fibres, this is 100% total broscience bull**** and you should actively disregard anything he tells you, because with that statement he has irrevocably proved his stupidity.

"I've been using free weights" is pretty useless. What's your routine? Are you even following a routine? What's your squat, bench press and deadlift 1 repetition maximums?

it's not merely lactose but casein and whey too that gives me trouble. no mushrooms and nothing with too much (insoluble) fibre so no peas and such. I can eat some seafood, I could eat tofu but I've yet to come across a recipe that makes it even remotely palatable.

I've been roughly following the regime Lou Schuler: http://www.louschuler.com/

I may have started too low on the weights, I am now dong 6 kilos per arms for most exercises and started around 6 months ago. (so I may have started too low?!) (I did have close to zero muscles though.) I think I'd be ectomorph. and all that fat is actually on me due to binge eating. and binge eating only happens if I eat a lot of protein and not enough carbs. I've had various depression-related issues in the past and eating less protein and more carbs has always solved it. protein makes me into an emotional zombie that is totally out of control and that's when massive overeating (esp if stressed) happened. it really was massive overeating on a grand scale, almost like bulemia, except I never made myself sick afterwards. no such urge if I eat moderate amounts of protein.

[Old School]

(Original post by other one)
it's not merely lactose but casein and whey too that gives me trouble. no mushrooms and nothing with too much (insoluble) fibre so no peas and such. I can eat some seafood, I could eat tofu but I've yet to come across a recipe that makes it even remotely palatable.

I've been roughly following the regime Lou Schuler: http://www.louschuler.com/

I may have started too low on the weights, I am now dong 6 kilos per arms for most exercises and started around 6 months ago. (so I may have started too low?!) (I did have close to zero muscles though.) I think I'd be ectomorph. and all that fat is actually on me due to binge eating. and binge eating only happens if I eat a lot of protein and not enough carbs. I've had various depression-related issues in the past and eating less protein and more carbs has always solved it. protein makes me into an emotional zombie that is totally out of control and that's when massive overeating (esp if stressed) happened. it really was massive overeating on a grand scale, almost like bulemia, except I never made myself sick afterwards. no such urge if I eat moderate amounts of protein.

You're not doing proper weight training. You're just doing what 99% of girls who go to the gym and achieve nothing do- lift pathetic weights and don't push themselves.

Also, somatotypes are largely bull. They do exist but not to the extent that people like to make out. You're not gaining muscle because you're not eating enough. This is true of all 'ectos' who aren't on thyroid medication.

You're not 'fat'. You just appear skinnyfat because you have no muscle mass, therefore your bodyfat percentage is very high- even though there isn't all that much there.

Your issues with food are clearly psychological, not physiological. High protein diets result in improved satiety. You need to stop seeing food as an emotional crutch and look at it for what it really is. Fuel.

You need to decide what you want more:

The body that you want or the emotional crutch that food gives you. Neither choice is necessarily wrong- I'm not you so I have no idea what's going on in your headspace and which one you need right now. Rest assured you can't have both so you need to make your mind up now. You can't serve two masters.

[Chrisateen]

(Original post by other one)
I don't want to look skinny fat no, but the one on the right is gruesome in my eyes too:
http://haroldgibbons.files.wordpress...1/07/size2.jpg

I'd like to look toned with no pinchable fat.
both these look nice imo:
http://www.florida-beach-lifestyle.com/female-abs.html

or google Abbey Clancy. My bone structure is not too dissimilar and she does look skinny/slim rather than muscular but that is way better than the one on the right in my first picture.

anyhow, I am indeed afraid of gaining even more weight, you can imagine that if I eat more, all the fat goes to my middle again too, so I look even more disproportionate. I was 53-54 kilos this time last year, then I upped the kcal (as other suggested what you did) and started weight lifting. the result is what you can see now. this is how I looked a year ago and even more skinny-fat (with less flab) and I have to say that I looked a lot better in clothes than now with slightly more fat and perhaps slightly more muscle:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=1712169

pls observe all the positive comments too back then, whereas not sure anyone would want my body now .

Ok I am going to give you advice but you may not like what i am about to tell you but if you listen to my advice in a year's time you would weigh a bit more and look 10 times better than you do now.

I can tell you that the reason why you still look skinny fat at 53kg is because you do not have muscle at all. I know this for a fact as I am about 68-70kg at 5ft 10 and my muscles are showing quite a bit whereas you are only 2 inches shorter than me weigh soo much less than me and have no muscle at all.

So how do you resolve the skinny fat problem and get the body you are after....

Well number one you need to start lifting heavy. I would suggest doing starting strength as I don't think you have any idea of what sort of lifts you should be doing. If you are really lifting heavy you body shape should change a bit even if you are not eating a great diet.

Second of all you gonna have to bulk. Yes you will gain fat on a bulk. That is normal and you shouldn't feel bad if you do. Remember it is temporary and you are doing it to gain muscle. You should only be gaining at a rate of 1kg a month as any more than that your just gonna get fat like you did before. I think that the combination of you gaining weight quickly and your lifts not being that heavy is what caused you to look the way you do. Bulk for about 6months which should get you to around 60kg or a bit more.

Ok after the 6 months of bulking and gaining muscle then you can now cut back down and lose a few kg. When you lose a few kg after your bulk your body should look slightly different than what you look now and you should have more muscle definition in your body. If you don't then you probably didn't lift properly or eat properly.

After doing the above you can then either maintain or bulk again. This is how those women who you posted pics of get that sort of body. I know gaining weight is hard for you but remember you are not gaining weight forever as you will eventually lose the fat you gained and also you are doing it to gain muscle. Make sure you lift heavy as if you don't your muscles are not going to grow and also gain weight at a slow rate as too fast a weight gain will lead to lots of fat gains which you don't want.

Hope my advice helps and trust me this is the only way you are going to get rid of the skinny fat look. Your thin already and losing more weight is just going to make you look too thin and still be skinny fat. I wish I could meet up with you as well in order to help you as I believe that with the right help you could easily get the body you want.