Skinny-Fat
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.
Dieting the way most people do doesn’t work. If you drop the calorie intake, your body adapts and you begin storing more fat because your body thinks you’re in a famine. So, unless Marilyn is morbidly obese, I wouldn’t reccomend dieting. It may drop you from say 280 to maybe 230 or even 220 in a few months, but in time you’ll be back up to 280 again unless you change your lifestyle (that was an example, I don’t know her weight).
I think Fixed Gear meant diet as a noun, not diet as a verb. Diet as a noun IS an important factor in weight and bodyfat distribution. She DOES need to pay attention to what she’s eating and frankly, it doesn’t matter whether she’s 10 pounds above her healthy weight or 100. You can be slender and still not be eating right. I should know, I did that.
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?
“Will I only get to the magic 120 if I completely eliminate sweets?” Uh… HELLO! YES.
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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
Actually, they won’t even look manly unless they take roids. Here is an example picture of a beautiful woman who is not overly muscular, but lifts heavy (she can bench press 110 lbs and squat 180 lbs for a 1RM).
http://www.herbiceps.com/menu/elsiehuxtableprofile2.jpg
A WOMAN is not going to look manly at even 10 percent body fat unless she’s got no hips. That’s a big difference between us and you right there. But it’s not a good idea for a woman to go below 15 percent unless she’s done having kids (or doesn’t want any).
Bottom line, we women should make decisions for OUR OWN health and not to make some guy happy. Personally I’m not interested in a guy who is *only* interested in my looks–that is, my *looks* are the deal-breaker in whether he gets or stays involved with me. There’s so much more to me and what if I had a horrible car wreck tomorrow that melted my face off? We’re so eager to kick one another to the curb for such superficial reasons. That’s what’s *actually* destroying the sanctity of marriage–not any of this other nonsense I keep hearing about in opinion editorials.
Mental health and social health are health too, and I notice a lot of physically healthy people need serious improvement in one or both of those areas.
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
Hi, I’m about 5′6 and weigh about 125. I do Jazzercise 2-3 times a week with light weight training to go with it. I eat normal healthy meals, but I love my junk food and cokes! My problem is that my stomach is flat, but I can’t get rid of the fat on my sides or hip area.Can I get rid of that fat and keep some of my junk food, or do I have to give it all up to get the body I want?
There is really no secret. Yes you have to give up junk food and eat healthy and stay very active if you want to look lean.
It’s simple, but it isn’t easy.
Also add that doing 100 reps with those 100 gram dumbbells isn’t going to get them in shape. Many women lift no heavier than 5 lbs because they’re afraid of bulking up like Arnold. They need to lift real weights if they really want to build muscle. Many women could use 15, 20, 25, even 30 lb dumbbells. I’m not saying that they need to do stuff like try to press a 100 lb dumbbell overhead with one hand or something like that, most won’t be able to and will get hurt trying to do something crazy like that. But don’t be afraid to do enough weight that it’s challening.
Anyhow, good article, Evangeline Lilly and Gabby Reese are indeed HOT. Twig-like women like Nicole Richie on the other hand are not.
Ahh the problems with skinny fat! I used to be in the same area before applying the primal ways.
Hi there!
Thanks for this article.
OK, I really am the epitome of “skinny fat”. I’m 29 years old, 5′11″ and 138lbs. I realize that sounds low but I have a very small frame.
I recently made some lifestyle changes and became a vegetarian 2 months ago. I would classify my diet now as pretty clean whereas prior to 2 months ago I was healthy about 5 days a week and ate junk on weekends.
The past month I’ve been hitting the gym hard with approx 6 30-minute cardio & 6 toning exercises per week but I still look “skinny fat”. My stomach, hips & thighs all look flabby and my arms just look skinny w/ no tone.
I don’t know what to do to get my body looking like an “Evangeline” – should I continue to drop a few more lbs, to get rid of the flab or should I be trying to turn the fat on my body into muscle w/ more weight training? I’m not worried about “looking huge” because, 1 – it’s not like you just wake up one day and you suddenly have huge muscles & 2, I don’t know that my small frame would allow for ‘huge’ muscles.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
So, I just realized that I’m probably skinny fat. I’m 5′6” and 130 lbs and I’d like to lose some fat and gain some muscle. The main reason I want to lose fat is so that I can decrease my breast size (I know that sounds odd, but it is very annoying having large breasts). Does anyone know how much my breast size could decrease? Currently it’s a 34-D.
@Dana, may I suggest,
1)Compound lifts. Grab some dumbells, lift off the floor, and raise above your head. Keep a straight back and extend your hips to avoid injuries.
2) Burpees. try sets of 10, fast:
Jump, crouch, shoot your legs back, land in a push up position, do a push up. stand up. Rinse and repeat.
I, too, am the epitome of “skinny fat.” At 6′1″ and 130-135 pounds (yes, I am very tall and thin), I’ve never felt the need to eat healthy or exercise regularly. Now I’m 22 and painfully out of shape. I’ve had a small amount of cellulite for 5+ years but I just went on vacation and now that I’m reviewing my photos, it’s clear that I need to get fit! W
What’s the best way to start from scratch? And I do mean scratch. My diet is awful (I love junk food and am a student, so anything quick and easy is what I eat) and I am pathetically out of shape. I can’t afford a gym membership and I have an ankle issue so I can’t run. Should I jump rope? Do burpees? Take long walks? What’s a cheap, easy way to get started that won’t be discouraging and hard to stick to at first?
@ Megan: Its simple, follow the diet and exercise priciples that MDA is all about! Spend a good amount of time familiarizing yourself with the diet – no sugar, no junk food, no grains no “man-made” foods. And then read one of the many articles on fitness and workout plans such as this one on the basics: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-workout-plan-basics/
You don’t need a gym membership or any special equipment to get into shape – just motivation! With enough research you can develop a plan that works for your budget and your schedule as a student. I speak from experience as a grad student who lives purely on student loans. It is challenging but by no means impossible, and the results make it totally worth it! Good luck
I’m annoyed with the premise of this article and especially with a lot of the commentators who seem to think that a woman’s #1 goal in life is to impress a man with her physique. While the article eventually gets around to talking about bone health, the whole “which startlet would you rather look like shtick is off the mark.” I think if we can apply a critical lens to conventional wisdom about nutrition, we could also do so to conventional wisdom about women and beauty. Personally, I know so many amazing women with rich intellectual and spiritual lives, who help people in need all day and then come home to take great care of their kids. The magazines and the television keep talking to me about women wanting to look like this or that or needing to loose this pocket of fat or have flat abs or whatever. I’d I just sometimes feel like I’m on another planet. Women are so much more interesting and amazing than that! I mean, I know our bodies are important but there are plenty of people out there without conventionally “sexy” bodies having great sex and discovering all sorts of things about love and intimacy that are all so much more rich and exciting than these logics about achieving the latest (look at history if you want to see how it’s changed!) template for “perfect”‘ bodies. It’s about health, and getting out of that mindset is part of better mental health for all of us.