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That pesky middle...

Heya yell!I'm a long time lurker here, just decided to add myself to this super reddit for a kinda rant or not! My flair is newbie tho I'm doing IF for 2,5 years, my work and my lifestyle demands me doing 16/8 mostly but sometimes it becomes 18/6 or even 14/10 (yeee I'm this stable XD). I'm 43F, 1.75cm/5,8ft, 73kgs/161lbs with moderate exercise coz of work and taking care off an elderly mom, so no gym for me Jim!I started at 80 kgs or even more (too scared to weight myself then) and although fat was equally distributed I was on the chubby side. I started IF and I love it, I feel so good on it that I made it my lifestyle, although I do make it dirty fast sometimes,giving myself an espresso with a pinch of stevia in it.I have 2 clean meals a day with a handful of nuts,a fruit or a protein bar in the middle. I do wear clothes now that I wore at high-school which is a plus!anyway, my rant is, now my hands got skinnier and my legs too,my knees protruding as well as my elbows (I'm...thick boned it seems XD ), but my trunk is still..large, I don't have a tummy or anything but it's...wide, my pelvis and my ribcage don't help at all but is there a way to make it more pronounced?I still think I look fat (that or I have body dysmorphia hmmm)..my goal is to reach 68 kgs but by then I'll be unsightly! Edit:sorry for the long post!

Answer

In your situation I’d up my workout intensity. I was in the best shape of my life doing body weight workouts at home with nothing but a mat and the internet. There are tons of videos on perfecting your form and starting from scratch. It’s particularly important for women to build muscle as we age. It’s going to be the difference between maintaining your quality of life as you age and not. You’ll also be shocked at the change in how all areas of your body look.

It’s perfectly fine to be concerned about aesthetics. There is a lot you can do at any age to get the body you want.

What exactly do you mean by “unsightly”? Your extremities won’t continue to lose weight until they are nothing but skin and bones. That’s not how it works. Pick a fitness goal and then work towards it. Your body will follow. It’s easy to get into the habit of nit picking out body. No one else looks at us to find our “flaws”. Focus on the fitness aspect. This can be “do 5 perfect burpees” or “50 sit-ups”. Pick something and focus on those results.

Answer

Well, it may be that you need to lose more weight but more likely you need to actually work out and relieve some stress. Build muscle (that will fix the skinny arms and legs), lose a little more weight, and, while some of us are not destined for a snatched waist - right there with ya, sister - we can still look good and lean and shapely.