Motivation

Update: Don't forget to check out the check-in thread here.You can also now check out my gallery for some embarrassing progress pics.

Hi all!

I'm new to the forums, but I'm not new to the dieting scene. Around 4 years ago I was 230 pounds with a BF percentage over 35 percent at 5'10". I've been through my share of ups and downs, the inititial 50+ pounds success, the get big diets and weight lifting injuries, but in all this time I don't think I've ever managed to get to those low teens in the bodyfat department. I turned 23 last week and it hit me that I've been stuck at around 195 pounds for two years now. 

For once in my life I want to be the skinny guy. I grew up fat my whole life and I just want to know what being that guy feels like. So who's with me? I'm around 20% bodyfat now at 195 so I'm aiming for something in the 170 range. I plan to be finished by August 17, but finishing any earlier would be a bonus.

Oh and for you women out there why don't we add 6% and so you can hit 18% BF :)

12? 'tis a bit low!

I'm small framed, and even if I had that I'd literally be skin and bones!

Don't aim for that sweetie, just get healthy. Trust me, as a female, my partner was all muscle when I met him 2 1/2 yrs ago, now I have him eating right, albeit, he still chucks in the chocolate - but he's perfect to me. Not too big, not skinny. If he were at 12% I think I'd be better off deterring a mad-man away!

he's 6'1ft, and I think 12stone. He just does weights, and swimming when I can force him into it.

Don't try to be the skinny guy! women want men to be bigger :) get healthy, do it right and see the results!

Just a thought but at 6'1 and around 168 pounds if your partner lifts weights even semi-seriously his BF% would have to be very low, probably 12% give or take a couple percentage points. If however, he doesn't lift weights all that often it would make much more sense.

However, I do get what your trying to say, I don't like stick thin girls either, but I just always wanted to know what it would be like to not have a gut and for a guy I think 12% is about what I'd need to achieve to do that. BUT if I don't like what I end up with I'm sure I'll enjoy eating peanut butter until I gain a couple pounds of fat

he's a lazy git :) so he only does it a few times a week, but as I am trying to gain weight, he's eating what I do - whole grains, vegetarian stuff, occasional pizza etc.

Don't try to be 'the skinny guy' - aim to be 'the hot guy'! Muscle and a bit of cuddle go a long way!

How about having 5 days of good eating, weekends off? We have 'manic mondays' and Tuesdays tend to be the same, pig out, have fun. He runs a Modelling agency, so you can guess how paranoid I am!

 Take it easy, don't set a goal, just think 'in 6 months I shall be happier, healthier and fitter'

..then reward yourself with a mega-tude of beer and bagels.

:)

Original Post by cianderson08:

12? 'tis a bit low!

I'm small framed, and even if I had that I'd literally be skin and bones!

Don't aim for that sweetie, just get healthy. Trust me, as a female, my partner was all muscle when I met him 2 1/2 yrs ago, now I have him eating right, albeit, he still chucks in the chocolate - but he's perfect to me. Not too big, not skinny. If he were at 12% I think I'd be better off deterring a mad-man away!

he's 6'1ft, and I think 12stone. He just does weights, and swimming when I can force him into it.

Don't try to be the skinny guy! women want men to be bigger :) get healthy, do it right and see the results!

12% body fat isn't "skinny" for a guy.  5-6% is.  A friend of mine is a cross-country runner and is "skinny" at about 5% BF.  Another friend is a body builder and "ripped" about 6-7%.  If you look at most superior athletes, they're around 7-10% and ripped.

Anyways... I'm down for aiming at that target with you.  I'm 22, 5'11" 194 lb.  I'm around 18% right now although I haven't gotten an accurate test done.  I wouldn't mind aiming for 10% as a goal though.  What is your goal date?  I'm aiming for the end of October 08.

Sounds good dcyounts! I wanna be 12% by august 17 and I'll evaluate if I want to go any further down at that time. As I understand it, you don't get really defined abs till about 10% or lower so I might consider going a bit lower.

cianderson08: That 5 days on 2 days off approach sounds pretty good to me, but the way I can eat on an off day would probably scare some people here. The reason I can't seem to lose the weight even though I've been hitting the gym for years now is I have a very bad tendency to binge. Once I have just one piece of junk food I can't stop.

Me too man... I binge like a muphucka.  I have to force myself not to touch certain foods because over time, I've realized they are trigger-foods.  At the moment, my biggest issue is the weekend when all my friends and I go to the lake or downtown and get wasted.  I need to figure something out because I'll drop 3 lbs Monday-Friday, then gain almost all of it back on the weekend.

Ren01 I think 12% is a good goal for you.  A friend of mine has your same stats but was a bit lighter and had 15% and just wasnt happy, but most of hte extra poundage i think came from anti-depressants.

So you shoot for 12% and I'm going to raise you 5% and shoot for 17% myself!  I am currently at 18% and I think with a more accurate test I would be at that too, but I would like to be at 17% and not just after a long run

So what's your goal date again...August 17? Hmmmm....Sounds good.  Let's make it happen!

What do you say we all stop by a gym sometime this week when we each have time and get a BF analysis done so we know exactly where we stand?  I think it only costs like $5.  Then do it again around July 15 and August 15.

Like withthe calipers or something?  I hate those things!  I really hate for some one to pinch my folds!  guh!  But I like the little electric current hand held thing!  It's cool, you just stand still for a minute and it gives you your reading...but hmm...I was watching the Workout on bravo last night and they have the "Get Tanked" mobile body Fat testing...I dont know if they have one here around atlanta, since they were in Cali, but I'm going ot look for one...I heard those are the closest testers, that and of course the skeletal x-ray thing, but those are so freakin pricey! 

Yeah, I know it isn't fun or anything, but I think it's worth it.  The hand-held ones are very unreliable and inaccurate.  I used one 2 years ago and it told me I was 10% BF.  I went to a gym and got tested in the water tank and was really 15%.

Hi mv3! I'm pretty clueless when it comes to womens health, so I hope 17% isn't too low, but great to have you with us!

I have a home set of calipers and dcyounts is right they are very inaccurate depending on how you pinch and where you pinch. The hydrostatic test sounds pretty good. I've never done it before, but between the 3 tests we can take it's probably the most reliable even if the zealots will tell you to stick to calipers. I'll see if I can get myself tested before next week.

wow, dcyounts..they have the tank testing in your gym??! lucky!  well ren01...175 is not unhealthy for a women, it's more in the athletic range, which is where i want to be 15-18%.  I just found out that i'm not really 18%...so I will be spending the next two months getting there!!!!  Damndiddly!  I am so depressed...I was going by wrong numbers, but I will definitely get there...I have not jiggle on my legs, well except for the butt when i flex, and my back is getting pretty toned, i dont have the guts to post any before pics, but i've taken them...my upper abs are awesome...well at least to me...i think it's because of all the running and lifting i do...but i would like to try and rid myself of the extra pockets of flesh from having twins!!!  ugh!  body---fat!!!!

So there is a Gold's gym, near my house and I am going to see what test they have there and schedule to get it done tomorrow.  Well should i do it before i eat in the morning? or in the evening? or before a workout? or after?  do you know?

I'm very new to the whole concept of striving for a BF%. I figured that if I was at a certain weight I would be slim, and have been, but I'm not toned. Whenever I've posted my stats (32 y/o, 5'6", 120pds), people have said that I'm already at a goal weight, shouldn't weigh less. As the poster girl for "skinny fat", I know that I'm not skinny like people may think.

So the other day I was checking out a topic about BF% and I calculated mine- I was shocked- 26%!!! No wonder I'm flabby! haha

So I want to change my goals, not to weigh a certain amount, because that doesn't necessarily make a person slim. I want to aim for a lower BF%. I don't even know how to make that happen or if I have the discipline and perseverance for it!

I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow, but I'm going to give it a go when I get back.

Original Post by queenmedia:

I'm very new to the whole concept of striving for a BF%. I figured that if I was at a certain weight I would be slim, and have been, but I'm not toned. Whenever I've posted my stats (32 y/o, 5'6", 120pds), people have said that I'm already at a goal weight, shouldn't weigh less. As the poster girl for "skinny fat", I know that I'm not skinny like people may think.

So the other day I was checking out a topic about BF% and I calculated mine- I was shocked- 26%!!! No wonder I'm flabby! haha

Yeah, body fat % is one of the best measures of where you stand, second only to the mirror.

I'm in.  Just got calipered today.

6'2", 200 lbs (their scale), 18.6% bf.

Goal 1.  15%, 192 lbs on their scale. 

Hi st_rider, welcome in!

I'm not having much luck finding a hydrostatic testing facility. I'm planning to see my family doctor to see if they can send me in the right direction, and I've asked some friends who work at the hospital to check for me. I haven't found any gyms that use this method to test BF.

Original Post by ren01:

Hi st_rider, welcome in!

I'm not having much luck finding a hydrostatic testing facility. I'm planning to see my family doctor to see if they can send me in the right direction, and I've asked some friends who work at the hospital to check for me. I haven't found any gyms that use this method to test BF.

From what I understand, hydro facilities are not that common, and they are expensive.  I'm figuring while the caliper method may not be perfectly accurate, a relative drop will still show progress, (not to mention it's free and readily available at the gym), so that's what I'm goin with. 

Thanks for the welcome, looking forward to having some well-defined goals and folks to share success with.

A caliper test administered by a professional is pretty accurate.  The handheld BF% device that sends electronic pulses through your body is not accurate.

Alright for the guys here I have a link of a guy who took pictures of himself at varying body fat percentages.

http://www.exer-phys-club.com/bfguidearticle. html

Using this article as a guide I'm closer to around 16% body fat give or take and puts my lbm around the lower 160's which is around what I've estimated before. In the end I guess all that really matters is that your happy with the way you look at the end.

Take into account that men who begin lifting weights and weigh 240+lb  tend to have much more leg muscle when they reach 190 lb than the average 190 lb guy.  This would significantly affect your BF%.