Is it just me? Or anorexia?

[Anonymous]

So I'm not fat- But I want to tone my muscle.. My bmi is 23.7 and I'm 5'6"/5'5" and I'm skinny-fat with wide hips.. All I'd like to do is get really toned (abs and arms) like mikasa from attack on titan! XD I don't starve myself.. ever. Or make myself sick. Does it sound like I do?

[Anonymous]

Wanting to change something about your body doesn't equal having an eating disorder. And you definitely don't want to get one!!

Just exercise and eat clean (that doesn't mean you have to control everything you eat though, just eat a little more healthy and go for protein-rich foods).

If however, you find yourself being anxious, sad, or preoccupied with food and you even consider using any disordered behaviors, you should know that food is joy and you don't want to take that away from you. You can have the body you want in a totally healthy way, starving or purging will eventually make you look sick. and you won't be able to grow any muscle, at all. If you have trouble with that stuff, ask for help and go for recovery. It will be hard but it will be a huuugeee satisfaction, trust me.

[Asker]

Thank you very much! And you're right as well.

[Opinion Owner]

Also BMI or your weight don't say much. It is all about bodytype. Also, know that muscle growth means that you may even gain weight, since muscle weighs more than fat, so your BMI may be higher. I strongly suggest that you don't weigh yourself and don't check bmi, etc. Your clothes will show. Numbers don't mean a thing. ;)

[Asker]

Hahaha true! I don't check them a lot which is good then! :D

[Asker]

Can't wait to wear crop tops and have people like "Dayumm" ;) XD

[Opinion Owner]

GO FOR IT GIRL, kick some ass!

[Asker]

Hahaha I will (seriously I do martial arts!) Watch out guys! :P

[Opinion Owner]

I admire you.

[Asker]

So kind! Thank you.. It's really worth joining.. So fun (plus on a different, shallower note there are lots of cute guys...) Not that, that's why i joined though! XD

[Anonymous]

Muscles are good. I don't know this person you are talking about. You should not look at your BMI too much as it does not consider your muslce/fat ratio, but rather at your body fat %. The more muscle, the less fat. Logic ;-)
So, if you want toned arms and abs, you need to reduce fat to around 20% by eating healthy.
That DOES NOT WORK with starving, because if you starve, your body will adjust its metabolism and reduce muscles, as those consume more energy. and then you will go jo-jo.
But for someone <18, I would not recommend to build too much muscles, I am not an expert, but I don't think its good, if you are still growing.

[Asker]

Oh ok, I am under 18 so I won't do to much! And I was more trying to make a point that I don't want the skinny look rather the "don't you dare cross me!!! MAWHAHAHA!!" look :D Thanks for the help!

[Opinion Owner]

Ahh.. ok, well then I think you are on the right track! muscles and power are good, they boost your self-esteem. the "thigh-gap" run on the other hand just ruins it. :-D

[Asker]

The "thigh-gap" is really unhealthy too!! It doesn't even look as good as toned legs!! XD

[lumos]

Anorexic people don't work out to get toned muscles. They work out to lose weight. They want to look as thin and fragile as possible, and they do so mostly by starving themselves. You sound like a healthy girl to me. You're far from anorexic, especially mentally. As long as you eat enough food and do workouts that work for you and your body, I don't see a problem with your goals. :)

[Asker]

Thank you!! I really appreciate your help!!

[EpicHam]

Weight training and enough protein intake.
At least 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight.

You want muscles?
GOOD!
You want to be toned?
HECK YES!
You're LITERALLY THE FIRST GIRL I'VE SEEN THAT WANTS TO BE TONED!
Get yourself to a gym and start lifting and start WEIGHT TRAINING!

I recommend the Jim Stopanni's Shortcut to Shred 12 week program if you want to be shred without being too big.

[Asker]

I don't want to be a body builder though! XD And thanks I might check that out.

[EpicHam]

Nah , don't worry. Women don't have enough natural testosterone to be BEASTLY and slightly grotesque like men does.

Natural female bodybuilding... think Bobbie Jo Kolb.
I think you'll like her physique.

[Asker]

HER ARMS ARE HUGE!! OMG

[EpicHam]

well... train less arms then.
Just train what you want to show.
Maybe you want to have fuller legs , and more uhh... (awkward for a guy to say this) toned ass. Start doing some bodyweight squats. Do some weighted hip thrust. Lots of different exercise that can help you get a body you want.

But a thing about abs tho. Its 90% nutrition , 10% exercise. You ALREADY have abs. So if its abs and toned arms you want , do some light weight lifts , and cut body fat via cardio.

Just a word about abs , the shape of abs are determined by genetics so... when it starts showing , don't fret about its shape eh. Cos when people see it , they won't go.. Heeey , that's a unicorn with spots. They'll go.. by god... it looks like a pack of frozen hotdogs.

Just Google it , google is your friend. (mind the scams tho)

[Asker]

Wow you're really helpful! So it looks weird once your abs start showing? Oh dear! XD

[GamerArtNerd]

Lol not really, girls like them :) you jelly?

[Asker]

Not really much because I'm a ballet dancer but a little bit. haha.. xD

[EpicHam]

Nah it's mostly self-conscious. Kinda like Bigorexia (always feeling small).

Different people have different abs shape yeah?
Well my linea alba is kinda shallow so I don't really get a really clear center line definition.
Some people's abs don't really line up , so one side might be higher than the other. Some people's lat maybe less developed on the other side.
Its all genetics , so the best you can do is train , eat right , and be the best you can be.

Also GamerArtNerd , I've got abs and been doing this for a few years now. So yeah , cheers.

[Asker]

Ohh hmm I see. Well I shall eat right and do weight training (light at first of course) Thanks for the help man!! :D

[EpicHam]

Well good luck buddy.
Stay strong.

[Asker]

Thanks :3 Will do.

[RBT-RS]

I don't think anyone can make a good judgement without an actual numerical weight measurement.

BMI is famously unreliable.

[Asker]

Oh sorry, I'm APPROX 140lbs I haven't weighed myself in ages so yeah

[RBT-RS]

You might want to weigh yourself just to find out :P
But according to the weight charts I can find online, for someone who has a medium / large frame you should be pretty normal :P

[Asker]

Yeah haha I'm hour glass figured :/ which sucks!

[Anonymous]

No, you do not sound anorexic. Why do you think that? :)

[Asker]

Um because it's like I get a spot and I think I have cancer.. So it's basically something I saw and was like omg I have it don't i? :/ Haha sounds crazy.. XD

[Opinion Owner]

Well, anorexia is a very serious mental illness, you can't just 'catch it'. It builds up. ^^

[Asker]

Yeah I know.. Like i said I overreact a lot.. :/

[aamy811]

Nope you just want to tone up

[Asker]

Yeah I tend to freak out over nothing A LOT.. XD

[Anonymous]

Ummm but really, your BMI isn't very low.

[Asker]

Thanks -.-

[Opinion Owner]

Lolol I didn't mean that I'm an offensive way. Just saying that's average, definitely not anorexic. But now that I think about it, BMI averages are different for females haha. If you were male that would be average but since you're female then yea you are a bit on the skinny side :p my BMI is like 19.7

[Asker]

Ohh hahah XD Yeah female average is about 20.5-24.9 or something XD

[Opinion Owner]

Yea you fatty! Jk :p

[Asker]

Hahha! This is why i want to tone up! (ik you're joking :P)

[Opinion Owner]

I'm naturally very very toned. 6 pack from sitting at a computer all day :0

[Asker]

Haha! lucky man!!

[Redrider300]

Send a pic for our reference

[Asker]

No, sorry I don't like doing that kind of thing.

[Redrider300]

Sorry it hard to judge with a visual