[PROGRESS] 3 months. 24/F/5'4'' - 125lbs to 115lbs. Mission: Destroy "Skinny Fat". Details inside

ambsfuller

New member
I've always been "skinny fat" and used to have a pretty high metabolism. Then I got to college and started drinking beer almost every night (1 or 2; more on weekends), ate pizza, Chipotle, Potbelly, etc. It got to the point where I was always tired, groggy, and bulging over and outside the same clothes I've had in my closet for the past 4 years. This was me January 2014.

So, I finally decided to get with it and start taking better care of my body. I started going to the gym on/off beginning in February. I didn't make it a dedicated part of my schedule until March 2014. At that time, I was going maybe two times a week, lifting heavy weights, with a focus on my legs which I always thought were way too skinny. No cardio.

In April, I began going 3x/week and lifting all 3 days (legs / arms,shoulders / back,abs).
I was definitely seeing progress and was becoming noticeably stronger. This is me April 2014. At this point, I was averaging the gym maybe 12 times a month. My diet was protein heavy, moderate carbohydrates (still eating a lot of breads, pastas, sugars), low fat. My caloric intake at this point was around 1,600 to 2,000 a day (depending on whether I lifted or not).

But I still could not get rid of the bloat on my belly. At the beginning of May, I did some research and decided to cut out processed carbs (breads, pastas, etc.) and eat strictly high protein from chicken/eggs/meat, carbs from fruits and vegetables, and protein shakes made with berries, unsweetened almond milk, plain greek yogurt, and protein powder. Cutting out the processed carbs made a tremendous difference in my body. I also went on a slight caloric deficit at 1,350 to 1,550 depending on lift days, and incorporated cardio 1-2x a week (30 minutes uphill, max incline, 3.5mph).

This is me today, May 2014.

Here is a side-by-side comparison

My current routine is this:

Monday: Squats at 80lbs, 3x10; Walking lunges at 15lbs dumbbells in each hand, 5x10; Accessory work. (I've tried deadlifting and don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm going to incorporate it once I get some instruction from a friend).

Tuesday: Cardio 30 minutes: max incline, 3.5mph uphill on the treadmill.

Wednesday: Bicep dumbbell curls at 17.5lbs, 3x10; Tricep extensions at 17.5lbs, 3x10; Standing military press with barbell at 30lbs, 3x10; Dumbbell press at 15lbs, 3x10; Accessory work.

Thursday: Cardio 30 minutes: max incline, 3.5mph uphill on a treadmill

Friday: Back extension (I have a messed up lower back my back work is slowly progressing) at 10lbs, 3x10; Side bends at 20lbs, 4x10; Seated rows at 50 lbs, 3x10; Incline row at 15lbs, 3x10; accessory work.

During the week, this is a typical diet:

Breakfast: Protein shake (1 scoop Muscle Milk or whatever I have in my cabinet), 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt, blended. Coffee with 1 tbsp vanilla creamer. OR 2 eggs and 3 slices of bacon. Mmmmmm bacon

Lunch: 1 avocado, 4 cups chopped romaine/spinach/spring mix, tomatoes, balsamic, salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash; 1/4c almonds

Dinner: 4 oz chicken breast, 1 roasted bell pepper tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic

Snacks: LOTS OF WATER! I drink nothing but water throughout the day. Met RX 100 meal replacement bars (I treat myself to these after heavy lift days), protein shakes, grapefruits, apples and yogurt dip (plain mixed with PB, honey, and cinnamon), cucumbers, citrus.​


On the weekends I basically drink beer and eat pizza to keep myself sane.

Anyway, hope that inspires some of you to make positive changes! I'm open to any critiques on my current routine/diet and don't mind answering any questions.
 
@ambsfuller Thank you so much for posting this! Holy crap your status is exactly like mine (24/F/5"4', 120lbs), and I split my workouts exactly like yours, except I only do cardio on weekends, and I am also having trouble getting rid of my bloated belly, so I will be saving this for reference!
 
@ambsfuller You look fantastic! Your routine is very similar to mine. What exactly do you mean by accessory work? I've been lurking this subreddit for a few weeks now but I haven't heard that term before.

I definitely need to take the plunge and just eliminate carbs. Next grocery store trip I might have to go ahead and make the effort to buy carb-free
 
@ramijj8 By accessory work I mainly mean machines (Hip adductor, abductor; cable machines, etc). My main focus, and what I attribute most to my success, is free weight lifting. It naturally builds "accessory" muscles without having to use the machines. However, if on leg day for example, I feel that I didn't achieve my max potential or that my form was compromised on my squats because I was tired, whatever -- I'll hit the machines to work on my accessory muscles (adductor muscles of the hip) which stabilize my main muscles (quads) when I squat.

I do this more for the personal satisfaction of a "good gym day" rather than trying to systematically improve my body muscle-by-muscle.

As for the carbs - I do include fruits/veggies as "good" carbs. I eliminated processed carbs almost completely though.

Hope the clarifies it. :)
 
@ambsfuller You look brilliant! I've just began a very similar journey, always skinney fat, recently got a lot bigger than I was (almost a full dress size) most around my middle, also cutting out processed carbs (I'd say I'm going a good effort of a paelo diet) it's great to see this ! My daily bloats reduced, thanks for posting this and giving me hope!! 😁
 
@ambsfuller Wow! Very nice!

You are really not eating much, though. I'd add some protein to that lunch and some more food to that dinner. Otherwise, it'll be hard to maintain your progress. Source: have made the mistake of overly strict dieting myself, oh, a hundred times.
 
@3john3 Totally agree with that assessment. Definitely going to add protein to the lunch since it doesn't keep me full very long. I find that my dinner though is usually really satisfying and I'd probably make myself uncomfortably full if I ate more.

Thanks for the advice though - much appreciated :)
 
@ambsfuller I'm so happy you posted this!! I'm 23/f also in the "skinny fat" category. Last July I started working out 2-4 times a week (body weight exercises and cardio), and while I've seen a huge difference in my muscles and strength, I can't get that layer of fat on my belly to go away!

I'm going to try your meal plan! What do you do about alcohol though? How often do you go out and drink?
 
@lisa445 I will have the occasional beer during the week, and on the weekends I won't stress over how much I drink. For some people this may not be a solution, and for others it can work. On Sunday or Monday I might go to the gym and do intense cardio to make up for my debauchery. Generally I've found though that if I stick to a strict, dedicated diet/workout routine during the week, I can have my fun on the weekends. :)

Edit for details: On the weekends I might have 5 or 6 beers on Friday and Saturday each. I've (begrudgingly) started to substitute vodka/water with extra lemon if I'm looking to "go out" and get drunk. If I want to enjoy a delicious beer, I don't worry about it and just drink it.. slowly... and savor it haha.
 
@ambsfuller This frustrates me to no end.

Here's a natural side picture... slightly less natural side picture... and look at me now! flexed from the front!

Why do people insist on doing it?

If you want to show progress your pictures you should be consistent. Duh there's been change here because it's so significant - but it's still not a fair comparison with the last photo, is it? If you want to show the picture from the front, great! but it should be included as an addition to the more comparable side-on progress pictures.
 
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