Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm a petite woman-only 5'4" and I'm small boned-narrow shoulders, narrow waist, but my hips are pretty wide. I could be 90 lbs (which I know is extreme and haven't weighed that since I was 12/13) and still look healthy, but skinny. Not taht I would attempt to get there, but just giving perspective.
Anyways, a couple years ago, I had tried to get my weight up a little bit from 102 lbs..to around 110. I have always been active with dancing and any other related exercises. Either way, I did gain some weight and reached 110 lbs but I looked soft. I kept gaining but not toning up so figured I'd try HIIT boot camp style circuit training back in November last year (2016). I was at 122 lbs by then. I was hoping to get down to around 115 and replace fat with muscle. Instead, these workouts are so hard that it made me so hungry, I ended up eating a lot more...still healthy, but just more. I don't feel like I've gained more than maybe 1-2% body fat, but I'm now up to 128 lbs since November, guesstimating at 30-32% BF. For my petite frame, this bulk looks manly on me. I wore a dress today cause I'm not fitting into my pants anymore...and I just look like a man. My chest even shrunk..but everything else grew. My face still looks slim so i know I didn't really gain much if any BF..it just got pushed out with the increased muscle size.
How do I reverse this, aside from the obvious of eating a little less (which I've started to do the last month)? I'm thinking endurance training so I don't lose strength but lose a little size. but I'm not sure if that's the right track. I'm going to have to quit this circuit training (too expensive right now anyways) if I want to get back to a lean dancer body. but I don't want to give up on my fitness either since I've come so far. Ultimately, I just want my feminine figure back. What do you all suggest?
I dunno are you sure the gain isn't mostly fat? No offense but what you posted sounds like gain from things other than muscle :/
I admit that I'm not actively trying to gain but strength training actually makes me more firm. I haven't bulked up at all. My arms maybe but they're still lean. Hate to say this, yes to eating less.
You don't gain much muscle if any from HIIT. Sounds like you gained fat. In order for women to gain muscle, especially the number of pounds you are posting, you need to dedicate yourself to lifting heavy and eating a clean, protein based diet.
Not unless you have a lot of testosterone in your system I do not see you having a huge muscle gain. Again, pics might help.
I am a petite, very small boned female of 5'4. When I was 112 pounds I was too thin. At 90 pounds I would have looked like a cadaver. Most of my life I have been in between 114 and 120. Now that I am in my 50's I like being 130.
If I were you I would eat less and concentrate on cardio. Short on funds? Start running.
Yeah I think it might be mostly fat gain. I've been advised against steady state cardio but given recommendations for HIIT. I started a running HIIT program through an app a few weeks ago and kinda feel a difference. I'm such a beginner (never been a runner) that I think it'll be a while before it changes my body composition.
At 112 I looked thin but not too thin. I was 102 ish a couple years ago and that was borderline too thin. Either way, 110 is more my goal now.
I eat pretty clean anyways. Just gotta eat less.
I'm 5'4, weigh 137lbs at 18%BF and I don't look bulky. I lift heavy but also do HIIT circuit. What were your macros and calorie count per day? Like others said it sounds like you gained fat. I would focus more on the diet and lift heavy to get lean muscle. You probably ate too much in too short an amount of time.
I'm 5'4, weigh 137lbs at 18%BF and I don't look bulky. I lift heavy but also do HIIT circuit. What were your macros and calorie count per day? Like others said it sounds like you gained fat. I would focus more on the diet and lift heavy to get lean muscle. You probably ate too much in too short an amount of time.
Unfortunately I think you're right about the fat gain, and eating too much too soon. I don't lift that heavy cause i'm not strong enough to yet. I have a long way to go still. I prefer the class format since they design and time the workouts all for you. Either way, I've always had a super increased appetite with workouts and then very decreased appetite during phases where i'm not as active, and end up losing weight again. Trying to find a happy medium and more ways to add more protein to prevent exercise-induced hunger.
I never had the time to count my macros precisely but I have so many food sensitivities that I think my average protein intake was around 100 grams a day. Not sure i really needed more than that. My carbs only come from fruit and veggies/sweet potatoes and I get fats from nuts, avocados and fish/seafood. I haven't touched a soda since childhood-don't even know what a Pepsi/coke taste like lol.
I've tracked on my fitness pal and my average macros look like this:
Check out the number of calories for nuts and avocados. Those two foods were recommended to me because they are calorie dense and would help me increase my daily calorie intake and help me to gain weight.
I am allergic to avocados and all nuts except peanuts. So, I am limited to dry roasted unsalted peanuts to increase my daily calorie intake. Six ounces of peanuts are about 950 calories.
You want to verify the calories of the foods you are eating or you may underestimate your actual calorie intake.
Even though the source of the calories are "good" things, you were consuming too much of them. 2500 is a lot of calories for a woman of average fitness. To reduce exercise induced hunger, I eat a decent meal (less than 300 cals) before, and then another meal (400-500) after (up to 1-2 hours after).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
