Skinny or Chubby but never Fit

[SunsetRunner]

Does anyone else have this issue? If you eat clean and train consistently you end up skinny instead of toned and if you eat more casually and train consistently you end up with a layer or fat on top so that you can't see the muscles? 

I want to add here that I am 5'4 female

By clean I do not mean calorie deficient. I also don't mean low carb, fat free, or bland. I just mean a plant-based diet that is low in sugar and processed foods with ample protein. By training I mean a combo of cardio and weights and yoga.

I just cannot find that precise balance. I mean I can get stronger and perform well but I tend to look very undefined, not jiggly but just nondescript. I don't want a 6 pack or anything but I would like to see a more athletic version of myself.

[SunsetRunner]

I think we will see more of them in future as we look for more sustainable sources of protein and what with veganism being super popular right now. I believe humans are naturally omnivorous but also think climate plays into it when I lived in a warm climate it was easy to be vegetarian, now that I have moved to a cold climate my diet includes animal proteins. So I think there is a lot of factors in what diet is best for a person. 

At the moment my top suspicions lie with fat digestion, dairy (I had a milk allergy as an infant but that is not all that uncommon for infants although I persist in getting sick anytime there is a birthday and I eat ice cream or whipped cream or anything like that), and lastly gluten because I have thyroid problems and there is a link with gluten intolerance and Hashimotos' Thyroiditis (I am getting tested for this in January or February to see if it explains why my thyroid is exhausted/malfunctioning). I am looking at fat digestion now, I will wait about the gluten until I have had my test because that is a huge commitment.

Somethings I know

Undercooked beans and lentils destroy my stomach, lentils, which I love, especially so I can only eat them if they have been prepared properly (seems to work better in soups)

I have no issue with nuts, soy, rice (I was in my best shape when I ate rice 2-3 times a day despite conventional diet advice), fruit, and aside from a little gas I am good with vegetables

Fish, turkey, chicken, shrimp don't seem to bother my stomach

Red meat and processed meats give me really bad indigestion and sometimes results in vomiting (beef is probably the worst because I can eat lean pork just fine)

I can eat coconut but even a small amount of coconut oil makes me sick

I can only eat 2 eggs on any given day

Avocados are a fat I can handle

I wil figure this out sooner or later haha

[Dominique]

Did you have TSH + free T3/T4 tested already? Just in case, here is an old topic with details on the subject. I used it to have mine tested 1.5 years ago (didn’t see a doctor at all, since they were within the normal range).

As to beans (phytic acid), what can help is soaking them, and if needed change the water after soaking and before cooking. 

[SunsetRunner]

I have an elevated TSH, right now my T3 and T4 or in the barely acceptable range which suggests thyroid exhaustion. I also have the symptoms. Hypothyroidism runs in my family, all the women on my mother's side have it after a certain age. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism when I was 26 but pregnancy sort of reset me but it was only temporary. The doctor has said I will have Hypothyroidism in the future it's a given. It has been a while since I got my levels checked though and I want to have them checked again and get the antibody tests as well. I've heard people Hashimoto's get a huge benefit from going gluten free. I would like to go natural with my treatment but I am not sure what is available in Sweden.

I will try it 😃 

[MagsOnTheBeach]

I just thought I'd share, running really defined the muscles on the tops of my thighs.

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks for sharing 😃

I haven't done much running to be honest, mostly in the summer due to climate and fall/spring allergies. I do imagine it being amazing for the legs and I have heard it is great for the core too