how to excercise when you are skinny

[happpybear]

I need some advice on how to exercise so that I don't lose too much fat.

 

I am just barely 5'7", and weight about 115lb on a good day, size 0-2. Yes I am aware that by the BMI standards I am technically underweight. My doctor knows this too, and it is completely natural, and no amount of eating helps me gain weight. I do not have a medical problem causing this, it has always been this way for me, so please I would prefer that people not comment on that, thanks.

 

I do yoga, and I also do a lot of walking (fairly brisk) but it doesn't leave me out of breath. I am not big on team sports. I do not have a gym membership and I don't want one (I find I always get colds/flu when I go to the gym).

 

I am afraid to run or jog, because I am scared I will loose more fat, but I feel that yoga and walking is not really enough to get my heart pumping (maybe I am wrong there--I don't monitor my heart rate when I do this stuff).

 

An old friend of mine (who was a personal trainer) told me long ago that people should aim for 30 minutes of cardio at least 3 times a week, and that the cardio should leave you out of breath (but not panting). Is this true?

 

Is there cardio exercise I can do, or a technique that I can do that will help incorporate more cardio in my life without causing me to lose weight?

[annie24]

That sounds like a good plan. Yes, cardio is good for your heart. To be honest, if you do 30 minutes on an ellipitcal machine, you might only burn 50 calories so I think if you eat one cookie, you'll be fine.

[happpybear]

huh, so the 30 min is ok then? Everyone I know who does cardio like this are doing it to lose weight, and they do lose weight, this is why I have been afraid. I thought maybe the 30 min/ 3day a week rule was maybe for people losing weight.

[annie24]

I usually have to do more than a little cardio to lose weight. Do you keep a food journal? How many calories are you consuming a day?

[happpybear]

No I don't keep a food journal and have no clue what amount of calories I eat a week. I eat a lot though, 3 big meals a day with snacks in between. I don't eat sugar, wheat, and dairy, but do eat lots of whole foods, balanced meals, healthy fats. I think there is a fitness app out there that calculates the calories/nutrients food you eat when you input your meals int he program, I should probably look into it

[alli]

I really like to do kickboxing classes. It is mostly cardio but uses a lot of muscle, too. Cardio is good for you but it's really important for you to do weight-bearing exercises to reduce your risk of bone loss as you age. Granted, you don't really have to worry about osteoporosis now but it would be a good habit to get into.

 

You can estimate how many calories you use everyday based on your height, weight, what you spend most of your day doing (ie, a job that involves a lot of walking or sitting in a chair) and the type and duration of exercise you do. Then you can do some math & figure out about how much food you should eat to match this. If you are taking in as many calories as you are burning, you will not lose more weight.

 

Or if that is too much work, just eat what you feel like. If you start to lose weight, increase your daily caloric intake a bit and continue to monitor your weight.

[guynextdoor]

I recommend doing some strength training, it could actually put some healthy weight on you. Not a lot but some muscle toning. Resistance cables, using your own body weight for some exercise, etc..

[Angler]

Walking is one of the bet fat burning exercises there is - it doesn't matter that you aren't out of breath, or heart racing.

[greywolf]

I really like to do kickboxing classes. It is mostly cardio but uses a lot of muscle, too. Cardio is good for you but it's really important for you to do weight-bearing exercises to reduce your risk of bone loss as you age. Granted, you don't really have to worry about osteoporosis now but it would be a good habit to get into.

 

 

I agree with this. With your size, you are at increased risk for osteoporosis. So something that gets your heart pumping with strength training would be best, I think.

[greywolf]

Walking is one of the bet fat burning exercises there is - it doesn't matter that you aren't out of breath, or heart racing.

 

She's not trying to lose fat...

[Angler]

She's not trying to lose fat...

 

I know.....

 

I need some advice on how to exercise so that I don't lose too much fat.

 

I do yoga, and I also do a lot of walking (fairly brisk) but it doesn't leave me out of breath. I am not big on team sports. I do not have a gym membership and I don't want one (I find I always get colds/flu when I go to the gym).

 

I am afraid to run or jog, because I am scared I will loose more fat, but I feel that yoga and walking is not really enough to get my heart pumping (maybe I am wrong there--I don't monitor my heart rate when I do this stuff).

[pl3asehelp]

What is your goal? If you want to do cardio and not lose weight, eat an extra amount of calories equal to what you burn during your workout. Given your physique it sounds like you would benefit much more from strength training.

[Thorshammer]

I was skinny too, and i bulked up when i started lifting weights. When you lift weights, your metabolism adapts, which means you start to shift calories into muscle mass more frequently. Even if you dont gain size, you will still get some nice muscle developments. I say invest into resistance bands with different tensions, and look up youtube training videos to create workout programs. Or buy dumbells with at least 100lbs worth of small plates.

[happpybear]

the only reasons I walk a lot is because I don't drive and I have a dog...

 

I do have resistance bands, and some workout vid's for using my own body weight to tone etc. But won't that end up with me losing fat? When you tone you lose fat right?

 

Ya osteoporosis is definitely going to be apart of my future, the woman in my family are very tiny, and my grandma is suffering from osteo, it worries me for sure, I worry that it's too late for me, because I am in my mid thirties now.

[happpybear]

My goal is not to lose weight, while working my heart. I get out of breath running up the stairs, which tells me that my cardiovascular system is not in shape. So I want to try to incorporate more cardio without getting skinnier than I already am. I do a lot of yoga, and so I to have muscle tone, particularly my lower half, though I should probably step that up with more weight bearing exercises like others have advised.

 

The yoga i do is pretty chill, not ashtanga or flow. I do it for the stress relief and strength building and flexibility, so my heart is not pumping when I do it. I find the ashtanga gets me off-balance, I can't relax when I do it, I just don't like it.

[blueidealist24]

That sounds like a good plan. Yes, cardio is good for your heart. To be honest, if you do 30 minutes on an ellipitcal machine, you might only burn 50 calories so I think if you eat one cookie, you'll be fine.

 

30 minutes on an elliptical usually burns 300-600 calories for me. Granted, I go at a high level.

[happpybear]

I strongly dislike elliptical machines, I have used them before.

 

Ok, I think I am going to start climbing the stair case of my condo. Nothing crazy, just maybe to the 6-7th floor, it will raise my heart rate, and will help build strength because I will be going against gravity. And I will be able to do it in the winter without having to go outside when it's arctic out there. I will need to probably at a fourth meal to my diet so I don't lose weight.

[Thorshammer]

the only reasons I walk a lot is because I don't drive and I have a dog...

 

I do have resistance bands, and some workout vid's for using my own body weight to tone etc. But won't that end up with me losing fat? When you tone you lose fat right?

 

Ya osteoporosis is definitely going to be apart of my future, the woman in my family are very tiny, and my grandma is suffering from osteo, it worries me for sure, I worry that it's too late for me, because I am in my mid thirties now.

 

Yes, you burn fat, but not muscle. But your body learns to store calories for muscle gain, especially when you eat a high protein diet. Muscle gain gives the illusion of being bigger, if not just actually being bigger since your body learns to store calories.

 

I would work out with long rest periods and low sets/reps. Everything low to avoid excessive calorie burn. Focus on perfect form and high strength, i would even do the actual reps really slow up and down for like 5 seconds each.

[Lorem Ipsum]

I will need to probably add a fourth meal to my diet so I don't lose weight.

I would just like to comment that I wish I had this problem. Oh, to be able to eat anything I wanted and actually worry about losing weight! *sigh*

 

I think trying the staircase is a sensible solution for now. You can easily do one flight then add as many as you want to. If you already belong to a gym, you might want to talk to a trainer there about how you can increase your cardio fitness and maintain your weight (or perhaps increase it a little).

[pl3asehelp]

My goal is not to lose weight, while working my heart. I get out of breath running up the stairs, which tells me that my cardiovascular system is not in shape. So I want to try to incorporate more cardio without getting skinnier than I already am. I do a lot of yoga, and so I to have muscle tone, particularly my lower half, though I should probably step that up with more weight bearing exercises like others have advised.

 

The yoga i do is pretty chill, not ashtanga or flow. I do it for the stress relief and strength building and flexibility, so my heart is not pumping when I do it. I find the ashtanga gets me off-balance, I can't relax when I do it, I just don't like it.

 

Getting out of breath climbing stairs doesn't mean poor cardio condition. I cycle over a hundred miles a week and win races and still get out of breath on stairs. The difference is you recover quicker. Nobody just walks up tons of stairs unphased.

[happpybear]

ya, lol, it's not a ton of stairs that gets me panting, it's just one flight!

[happpybear]

I would just like to comment that I wish I had this problem. Oh, to be able to eat anything I wanted and actually worry about losing weight! *sigh*

 

I think trying the staircase is a sensible solution for now. You can easily do one flight then add as many as you want to. If you already belong to a gym, you might want to talk to a trainer there about how you can increase your cardio fitness and maintain your weight (or perhaps increase it a little).

 

In all honesty, being underweight is not great actually. You do not wish you had this problem!

 

Thin-shaming is alive and well and apparently socially acceptable unlike fat-shaming, and I can not tell you how often complete strangers and even family members feel the need to tell me how skinny I am, how unattractive that is to them, and then give me "tips" like "eat a steak" (usually yelled out of a car window). And no I do not get to eat whatever I want, but that is a whole other issue that I won't get into, I posted above that I do not eat sugar, wheat or dairy...the typical foods that cause weight gain, not because i don't want to eat them though, believe me.

[happpybear]

Yes, you burn fat, but not muscle. But your body learns to store calories for muscle gain, especially when you eat a high protein diet. Muscle gain gives the illusion of being bigger, if not just actually being bigger since your body learns to store calories.

 

I would work out with long rest periods and low sets/reps. Everything low to avoid excessive calorie burn. Focus on perfect form and high strength, i would even do the actual reps really slow up and down for like 5 seconds each.

 

 

Thanks this is very helpfull, I have some light hand weights that I should dig out of the closet.

[alli]

In all honesty, being underweight is not great actually. You do not wish you had this problem!

 

Thin-shaming is alive and well and apparently socially acceptable unlike fat-shaming, and I can not tell you how often complete strangers and even family members feel the need to tell me how skinny I am, how unattractive that is to them, and then give me "tips" like "eat a steak" (usually yelled out of a car window). And no I do not get to eat whatever I want, but that is a whole other issue that I won't get into, I posted above that I do not eat sugar, wheat or dairy...the typical foods that cause weight gain, not because i don't want to eat them though, believe me.

 

Yeah, I can't believe how rude people can be. I think we all have bone-headed moments where we say something, then later realize that it may have offended someone. But it's an entirely different thing to yell out of a car window to tell someone to eat a steak. Likewise, there was one thread on this website about a guy moving away from his current city, despite the Master's degree he was working on & scholarship, because when he was talking about something to a friend another person chimed in, "If you don't like it, go home!" He is of Latino descent but lived his entire life in the US. Much like nearly every person who lives in the United States today was born here but is descended from people born in another country! Fat shaming, thin shaming, ethnicity, sexual orientation. It's pretty sad that we do this to each other.

 

I read a story about people who were complemented by friends & family on how "good they looked" and how skinny they became during cancer treatment. Really!?

[Lorem Ipsum]

I was underweight in my early 20's, so I do remember what it's like and that it wasn't good. I also had (and still do have) issues with cardio fitness. I also have had to cut way back on sugar, wheat and dairy... which is why I was wishing I could have the problem of needing a 4th meal. It would be so nice to eat whatever I want and not worry about it! I still have pasta occasionally, but it's rice or quinoa pasta. Although I have lost some weight with the change, I still have the same amount to go. With my "solid peasant stock" genes, I'm never going to be underweight again -- not that I want to be.

 

I was thinking about this thread earlier today and wondered if you had tried swimming? It's supposed to be a very good cardio workout for your whole body without being as rough on your joints.