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
Hi
Any help for me?
5’4 115 but 28%bf
Ugh
Oh and 53 years old
Is it my diet or exercise
I follow paleolithic diet and Trx and walking
I would suggest something that will add some of your wise knowledge
Rule no 1
before eating drink water in ample amount so that when u are eating or after eating you dont have to drink water again.
that will gonna give your digestive system boost and this method is for thosse people speically who really dont care what they are eating because they are currently fit and in shape,
Rule 2.
Specially for over weight ladies
4 cup of black tea in a day with concentration of lemon juice.
will gonna burn your fat ,with no sugar
in addition if u are following some diet plan and at some point you feel so hungery and cant hold on for eating something odd to your schedule.
again have a cup of black tea with lemon juice drops in it,
after 15 min u will forget your hunger level.
i am not a doc or somehting
but i have seen my grand mother doing that when she had to control her diet and my mother do exercise these methods
thank u
Hi i m 29 yer old married woman. I m from India i have been Canada for 2 years.And my muscle is so weak i couldn’t run properly
even my back shape is curved not straight and i m skinny fat please give me advice.
Thnaks Anjali
So I’ve decided to start working out again but I’m so confused on what I’m doing wrong. In the summer I worked out a lot doing high intensity training and running plus dieting and I did lose weight but not where I wanted. I’m 5’3 118, and I went down to 108lbs. I just wanted to lose my belly fat and I ended up loosing my butt and my breast got smaller, I was just skinny all around but still had a little gut. I ended up gaining all the weight back in like a month and a half. I really don’t want to lose weight I’m okay with everything else but my stomach. I think I might of dieted too much or maybe my calorie intake was too low. I was taking in 1000 to maybe 1200 calories a day. Also I didn’t do much weight training either. I’m trying to find a new method this time around to stay around 115lbs but lose my belly fat. Help I just want a flat stomach and to be fit and healthy not skeleton skinny.
I’m in the same boat you are, only I’m 5’0″ and 110. Extra weight from Italian big legs. People tell me I look good but and I walk 2 miles a day but I just feel weak and flabby. I’ve had a pooch belly for 25 years and I hope going primal helps me feel stronger. I’m only Day 4 and don’t feel any different yet.
Anyway, I think you’re eating too few calories — you’re not going to build muscle on so little food. I suggest a little more protein with lunch, and frying two eggs in good fat and adding that on whatever you have for dinner. That will get your protein up.
My exercise is to do balance ball videos. It’s very functional and low-impact and not too much cardio. And it’s fun because you get to hug something when you exercise. When I got good at the videos I added wrist and ankle weights. When you add weights, don’t try to keep up with the video anymore — go 1/2 as fast so you don’t pull a muscle. I did that and I could FEEL stronger after a couple months.
I am 5 foot 6 inches and 27 yrs old. I weigh 65 kgs, which is correct weight for me. But i look leaner than what i should be for my weight. I don’t have big mussels either. When people look at me, they expect me to be 55kgs, which i am not. What should i do to look a little bigger than what i am by maintaining my current weight?
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Guys, help me out. 5’11 185 pounds feeling skinny-fat(guy). I’m taking 180-190 grams of protein a day but I still don’t feel lean. I’m trying deadlifts out but I keep thinking I have an iodine defiency.
Should I consume more protein or check out my iodine levels?
Skinny-fat! Skinny-fat! That’s ME! I’m 22, 5’0″, about 90 lbs. I don’t look anorexic, I have muscle, but have that stubborn belly that won’t go away! I look like I’m three months pregnant..especially after I eat, lol! I’ve had it for years. I’m trying to gain weight (at least get to a nice 105 lbs) the healthy way – eating healthy and gaining muscle. Everyone says to increase my daily calorie intake and focus on strength training, which I have been doing for about four weeks now. I’ve also been doing low-intensity cardio and certain ab workouts like crunches, planks, etc. Am I going about it the wrong way? I’m eating a lot of healthy foods – especially protein – and exercising to gain muscle but I haven’t seen any results yet. I don’t want to lose fat though, that’s the last thing I need. Help!
God I’m so surprised at the fact so many women have the problem like me. I do have strong ab muscle that shows up when I stand up straight, I can do 100 sit-ups no problem…too easy.
I have good muscle on arms and thigh and yet I have flabby inner thighs, bottoms and underarms, and of course, the big belly fat that shows up when I sit down.
I have no idea what I’ve been doing wrong. Since my childhood I’ve been drinking a lot of water, black tea and green tea. I eat low-fat, no-suger home-made meal. I hardly drink juice as it’s too sweet and I hate cereals and oats with too much sugar in it. However I don’t drink milk due to my lactose intolerance, so I buy soy milk from asian grocery that tastes like tofu.
Although I don’t go to gym and do strenuous exercise, I do Yoga and do some exercise using weights and exercise balls.
I have weak joints and don’t want to hurt my shoulders and knees again.
There might be a few things I could try but I don’t want to get too obsessed and stressed out either…is there any way I can lose this ugly looking fat?
I am 60 yo and reading this stuff is very disheartening.I agree with the girls who get fit for themselves not for a MAN..I might be classified as fat skinny having gone thru menopause which they say a little bit of tummy fat protects in place of all the estrogen we have lost.I do the best I can and try to stay away from pesticidinal fruits and veggies and GMOs, there are countries who have outlawed these, not the US, and its proven there is no increase in yield, all it has done ia lower the nutrients in our food and the FDA does nothing.organic farmers are fighting a losing battle cause bees fly hundreds so miles to pollen and feed, they get sued.fined if their products test out with anything non.organic in them.and your pollinators are from the next county or state.we never had all of these health issues till the US stared messing with Mother Nature, till that changes we will continue to be unhealthy no matter what we do.by the way fructose and sugar is directly linked to hi
cholesterol.diabetes.cancer.hibp.you name it.its linked so quit eating those chips and sweets
And most of you are under 30 and under 130 lbs.doing the skinny.fat psycho thing.stop trying to be like someone else.work with your bodies as they are.you are not going to lose weight if your bodies are already mostly muscle.muscle weighs more than fat.we as women need to get OFF this twisted idea of what we should look like.all of the women of the past 50yrs ago were gorgeous and they weren’t skinny Mae west,Marilyn Monroe,lolobridgida, and lots of others
80% of your physical results will come from your nutrition.
20% of your physical results will come from exercise.
Cool article! I guess I have been skinny fat most of my life. 5’6″ 115 pounds. I am now more like 112 pounds, my butt is still not firm haha. But yeah since starting this diet and exercise I have a 6pack for the first time in my life, and I am really getting there when it comes to having a very toned body. I am also hoping my breasts get bigger on this diet. My body seems to slowly be balancing itself out. (I have always been pear shaped.) I know I am a little underweight when it comes to BMI, but I have delicate frame, and I eat a ton and work out and feel healthier than ever! Looking forward to see how my genes respond over a longer period of time.