I’m looking for some clarification and advice on how to become more fit and healthy. I’m 21F who weighs 145lbs at 5’4. Like many other skinny fat people, I don’t look fat with clothes on, but I’m covered in cellulite and fat. I’m currently at my biggest and am confused as to why.
Since COVID, I’ve really struggled with weight fluctuations and proper dieting. In 2020, I started riding a stationary bike doing resistance training every other day for an hour or hour and a half. I saw minimal results, lower fat to muscle ratio but still undefined muscle and a prominent layer of fat. I did this until late 2021 when I went off to college. Late 2021, I was at my lowest weight at 125, but was still skinny fat. I was so stressed with the transition to college that I was only eating an eggo waffle, scrambled eggs, and peanut butter crackers every day in small quantities. It was a very noticeable change and friends and family commented on how skinny I was; however I still looked healthy, even going to a doctor who said I was perfectly healthy weight and composition. I didn’t really have negative side effects to this horrible diet, but I was definitely unhealthy and had little muscle.
Cut to now. I slowly started gaining weight in fat in 2023. I was eating more than I had been in 2021, but was definitely still in a deficit. I’ve started counting my calories and realized I am severely under the recommended, like 800 calories under the recommended deficit for weight loss (1800). My friends always comment on how little I eat, but I don’t feel hungry very often and sometimes eat sugary snacks, so I thought I was overeating. I’ve always read that you only gain weight if you’re eating in surplus, so I assumed I was just eating too much.
Many of the other women in my family are overweight, having a lot of fat compared to muscle, and they also don’t eat very much. I’ve had my thyroid checked, although the doctors didn’t test each hormone, but they said I was fine and just “slowing down with age”—I’m 21!
I’ve been reading a lot which says I need to increase my protein intake and cut out added sugars, which I’m currently trying to do but haven’t done long enough to see results, but there is also a huge emphasis on strength training. I’m a full time college student with two part-time jobs, and I just don’t have the time or money to get to the gym. I used to love working out at home, but I have no energy after a long day at school and work. Maybe the lack of energy is diet, and I should eat more, but I fear gaining even more fat if I increase my caloric intake. I was walking 10,000 steps a day late last year into this year, but got so demotivated.
TLDR: I used to be visibly skinny but “healthy”, but I was eating dangerously low like 400 calories a day. Suddenly started gaining fat and look and feel unhealthily large when I started eating more, but still at a calorie deficit. I’m trying to eat more protein and cut sugars, but I just can’t seem to hit the recommended caloric intake for one pound a week weight loss plan. I know I’m not sneakily eating stuff that’s high in calories and lying to myself, so what gives?
My questions are:
Should I be eating more in general to see fat loss or will I just retain even more fat?
Is exercise more important than diet if you’re skinny fat? I’ve always heard it was 80% diet 20% exercise?
Why am I retaining so much fat if I’m truly at a deficit? Am I not really burning calories because I’m pretty sedentary?
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