Skinny-Fat
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Ladies, I’m concerned about the skinny-fat among us. You know what I’m talking about. Skinny-fat women might look nice in a v-neck, but they’d sooner crawl into a hole than expose an upper arm or leg.
This is what happens when you become “skinny fat” instead of genuinely lean and fit (where the muscle and fat are fairly evenly distributed and you have a lot less cellulite). While you can’t fight your body’s natural shape, you can certainly maximize what you’ve got. What I’m talking about is the difference between curvy and super-fit Gabby Reece or Evangeline Lilly and certain starving-yet-sagging starlets (I won’t name names, mainly because there are too many these days and who can be bothered to keep track).
Skinny-fatness strikes women a lot more than men. I think this is mainly because men aren’t afraid of lifting weights to lose weight (and, to be fair, men naturally do have so much more muscle and far less fat). We women, on the other hand, evidently prefer inventing bizarre and complicated diet regimens revolving around arcane preparation rituals, subsistence on one food group or arbitrary calorie limits (whoever said women were bad at math has never met a woman 2 weeks before her high school reunion or 2 days before a date).
Simply dieting will eliminate weight, but it won’t tone anything. And because of our unique feminine physiology, the fat cells in our lower body are world-class clingers.
But before you get too depressed about the latest Kate Moss advertisement, consider this: I’m bringing this up because skinny-fatness is about a lot more than physical appearance. In fact, your dress size has nothing on the bigger issue – health. The good news: simply being skinny is not akin to being healthy. In fact, the skinnier you get, the more you’re at risk for things like osteoporosis! (There I go beating that llama again.)
The less muscle you have, the less work your bones have to do, and they begin to shed that incredibly valuable osseous material: your bones, which are, in fact, living tissues directly related to your blood, immune system, strength, longevity – even your mood. You know how coral reefs are actually living organisms that provide all sorts of vital and irreplaceable functions to the fish and plants and water surrounding them? Your bones are your body’s coral reef. You have to feed them, and weight-bearing activity = food for bones. In this country of aerobic fanatics and serial dieters, is it any wonder American women have such high rates of osteoporosis and a perpetual state of skinny-fatness? I watched my own mother live on Tab and jazzercise during the early 80s, and now, faced with bone trouble, she’ll be the first to tell you: lift something! Who wants to look like Nicole Ritchie, now seriously? I’d rather look like Evangeline!
There’s only ONE solution to the problems we women face: osteoporosis, beach season, and the belly that won’t budge. The solution is weight-bearing activity. Aerobics will get your heart pumping and burn some calories, but it won’t maximize your shape. Dieting will help you shed excess weight, which is great for increasing your energy and reducing chances of myriad health conditions and diseases. But neither will make you look toned and sleek, and neither will do much to put a dent in your osteoporosis risk.
Are you lifting some weights yet? Get to it!
Technorati Tags: Gabrielle Reece, Evangeline Lilly, skinny actresses, bones, osteoporosis, cellulite, women’s health, skinny fat, ideal women’s body, weight training, weight lifting, weight training myths, fitness
Posted By: Sara
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I do lift weights and do situps but still have belly fat. I have muscular legs and arms, but the belly fat won’t seem to budge. Please help.
With my clients bodyfat measurements done a the intial consulation. If bodyfat is high, especially in the abdomen area we do not do any situps until we lose the fat in the abdomen area. This done through a high intensity exercise/cardio program and good nutritional plan reducing the carbs intake and increasing the water intake as well.
Marilyn, nothing but a good diet and hardcore cardio can attack that area. Have you taken up Interval Training? Thats a great way to lose that stubborn belly fat.
Hope that helps
Marilyn…. it’s ALL diet. You don’t “Cardio” fat off, you diet it off. 100% diet. Stop doing situps and spend that time planning meals. Seriously! It’s diet, diet, diet. You don’t need to work harder, you need to eat in a way that will drop bodyfat.
About stubborn fat, it could be a sign of excess estrogen in your body. Intense exercise, as the guy above me said, will help remove it. As will keeping estrogenic foods (like soy) out of your diet.
I have been trying to lose my stubborn stomach fat for years–I am 5′4″, 125 pounds. I don’t get close to “flat” unless I can get my weight to 120 pounds, which I haven’t seen for about ten years. I exercise regularly (cross fit 3x/wk and weight lifting 2x/wk) and generally have a muscular body. I eat well–consistent with the philosophy promoted on this site, except for evening sweet attacks (probably responsible for an additional 500 calories on average two times/week). I haven’t given up but often wonder if this isn’t a losing battle. Will I only get to the magic 120 if I completely eliminate sweets?
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I’m 39, mother of 3 with twin boys on the way…my solution to always staying fit AND getting a flat tone tummy even at my age…CROSSFIT!!! It is functional fitness, fits any busy schedule, and can be modified to suit any beginners to any advanced athlete. My kids do it as well. Combine this regimen with a paleo/zone eating habit & you’ll be on the street of youthful energy & a very toned body. CrossFit combines that high intensity workouts, along with basic gymnastic (helps in flexibility), loads of cardio via jump rope/running/boxjumps, and most importantly weight lifting. I firmly believe I am in better shape and better conditioning then I was in college sports…my stamina/endurance is another area that has surpassed my wildest dreams. Can my great shape, health, and stamina be genetic? Heck no I’m mexican with family members infested w/ diabetes, heart issues…all around bad health. I tell them all I REFUSE to let myself go, even being a mom of so many great children. I am their mentor/example to a healthy life!
good article, and true for men as well. As far as the belly fat goes, you need to stop eating glutens, those are what make your belly “swell” and don’t allow nutrient uptake. One last thing…there is no such thing as “toned”. You are either “strong” or “weak” it is that simple.
Let me throw in my 2 cents and tell you how men honestly feel about all this. I definitely prefer the Nicole ritchie and starving actress, skinny-fat woman over a fat-fat women. Almost all men do. Girls know this part of the equation, but what they seem to miss, is I’d much prefer a CURVY girl to that skinny-fat girl. And CURVES on a woman are built from 2 things: an underlying muscle mass and a healthy bodyfat. Too much bodyfat and you look fat, too little and you look manly and over muscular.
But simply adding muscle mass won’t make you look manly unless you have an ULTRA low bodyfat level to go with it.
That last sentence is the part most women don’t get. And the reason they won’t lift any weights at all. You want a great butt? Do squats! You’re not going to get ‘huge’ doing squats. Females simply don’t have the hormones men do to pack on copious amounts of muscle. And as long as you maintain enough bodyfat you won’t look manly. 10% bodyfat looks GOOD on me! It would look horrible and unfeminine on you. Somewhere around 20% +/- is SEXY on a girl.
I finally understand now…thanks so much for writing this
Checkout Crossfit.com That will get you Primal. GROK ON!
“If bodyfat is high, especially in the abdomen area we do not do any situps…” I’ve seen these oh so many times, they start doing situps and more situps.. the underlying muscles get bigger and push the fatty tissue outside. Now a small problem just got bigger!
Mark Martinez,
Testing out hypergain like the energizer bunny