Is skinny fat so bad?
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »3dogsrunning wrote: »
It's defined differently by everyone. Anorexics who have any fat will deem themselves "skinny fat" and attempt to eliminate the excess.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »How are you defining "skinny fat"? Like so many other terms, that seems to have several different meanings on MFP. The most common is a BMI in the healthy range but a BF% outside the healthy range. You say your BMI is high so that would not describe you.
It is possible to be overweight and healthy and this may better describe you. Being overweight is a risk factor for some diseases, but it's not a guarantee of disease. If you get enough exercise and eat right you can be overweight and healthy. A gym or structured exercise plan is not required for getting exercise. All activity is exercise.
I said once that I quit lifting weight because it bored the crap out me and someone said, "So, you want to be skinny fat?" Several people agreed. To them, anyone who doesn't lift weights is skinny fat.
Since it's not a medical term with any real definition, everyone gets to make up their own meaning.
There just is no way to use the term nicely, whether you say it about yourself or others.
No, skinny fat has a definition, people just choose to use it their own way. It is Normal Weight Obesity.
To answer the OP - I would consider true "skinnyfat" bad. But the question is if that is what you will really end up as.
How do you define "Normal Weight Obesity"?
And who coined that term? Is it even possibly to be obese by BF and normal by BMI? Overweight, sure, but obese?
The article posted by MakePeas above discussed the term and what it means.0 -
Just because you don't go to the gym doesn't mean you're going to end up skinny fat.0
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I missed that, thanks.marissafit06 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »3dogsrunning wrote: »
It's defined differently by everyone. Anorexics who have any fat will deem themselves "skinny fat" and attempt to eliminate the excess.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »How are you defining "skinny fat"? Like so many other terms, that seems to have several different meanings on MFP. The most common is a BMI in the healthy range but a BF% outside the healthy range. You say your BMI is high so that would not describe you.
It is possible to be overweight and healthy and this may better describe you. Being overweight is a risk factor for some diseases, but it's not a guarantee of disease. If you get enough exercise and eat right you can be overweight and healthy. A gym or structured exercise plan is not required for getting exercise. All activity is exercise.
I said once that I quit lifting weight because it bored the crap out me and someone said, "So, you want to be skinny fat?" Several people agreed. To them, anyone who doesn't lift weights is skinny fat.
Since it's not a medical term with any real definition, everyone gets to make up their own meaning.
There just is no way to use the term nicely, whether you say it about yourself or others.
No, skinny fat has a definition, people just choose to use it their own way. It is Normal Weight Obesity.
To answer the OP - I would consider true "skinnyfat" bad. But the question is if that is what you will really end up as.
How do you define "Normal Weight Obesity"?
And who coined that term? Is it even possibly to be obese by BF and normal by BMI? Overweight, sure, but obese?
The article posted by MakePeas above discussed the term and what it means.
It doesn't give any details, though. It would seem that one would need to review tests and look at a person in order to determine whether they had weight-related health risks. It would not seem that there are numbers to define it.
Calling someone "skinny fat" would be difficult to do online, even for a doctor.0 -
As some one who is fat, fat. I'd love to be skinny fat. When I get to skinny fat I might feel differently. I think it depends on your starting place.
I do go to the gym nearly every day. I have nice muscular legs, a fat gut, and flabby wavy arms.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »...I want to be slimmer to be/stay healthy. I'm too old to care that much about the way I look TBH! (although looking nice is always nice, obviously). I need to lose 2 stone to get back into "normal" BMI but otherwise I am pretty healthy. I tried lots of different exercises last time, all worked for a period of time, then I got bored/finished/stopped so I keep healthy through daily routines (I cycle to work, walk to the shops etc) which obviously isn't putting any "overload" on my muscles so isn't making me fitter/stronger etc so I guess, when this weight goes, I will be skinny fat unless I find the time/money/interest to start going to the gym again, which is unlikely in the near future.....
You're 42! That's way too young to be giving up. But if vanity won't motivate you - what about health? My 77 year old mother goes to the gym for her health - osteoporosis.
Use it or lose it. My fiance's mother lost most of her muscle tone in her legs and is practically chair and bed-ridden. It's painful to watch her struggle to push herself up and hobble around with a walker.
If money is an issue, perhaps there's a gym near you with a sliding scale? A few sessions with a trainer could help you find some routines that are more interesting to you. You could also start a thread specifically for tips for how to not be bored by exercise.
Since I'm a bit older than the OP, I agree with much of this, except that it seems to imply that a gym is needed to maintain muscle and bone. It's not. Weights are a great way to do it, if you have the resources and enjoy it. But, there are many activities that will do the job just as efficiently as lifting weights.
Ya, I noticed that my post was gym-centric. I don't currently have a membership myself, and am getting upper body strengthening via bodyweight in yoga.
Thing is, Mom is extremely active, and has great muscle tone in her legs, but despite doing things like scraping and painting the house, and maintaining extensive gardens, the muscle tone in her arms is not great.
I also think a gym membership would be good for someone not especially motivated to exercise on her own.0 -
OK in all honesty, I'm aiming for skinny fat right now. Is that such a bad idea? It's better than fat fat surely?
To put things in context: I've been on here before, a few years ago. I lost a lot of weight, (just over 4 stone/approx 65lb) and got A LOT fitter. Then, like many, I thought "I've got this now", stopped logging and gained 2 stone back! However, I didn't return to the unfit me - although I don't do a specific exercise regime any more, I hit 10k steps easily every day, can run for 20-30 mins straight and can lift the heavy stuff that I need to around the house/at work:)
I don't think you can call it "skinny fat"- but what the diet industry never tells you is that there a fit fat person is usually healthier than an unfit thin one. So you are probably fine!
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According to the Mayo Clinic, which did the first research in this area, researchers are still working to define the exact parameters for who may be normal weight obese. In the Today's Dietician article referenc d above, it says in general women of "normal" weight but 33.3% body fat or greater, and men of 28% body fat.
If that's true, and the caliper measurements my trainer took are more or less accurate...I am normal weight obese. Which makes sense, as I am definitely unhappy with the many pockets of fat I have despite being 5'5" and 133.5 pounds. I have just started lifting...0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »...I want to be slimmer to be/stay healthy. I'm too old to care that much about the way I look TBH! (although looking nice is always nice, obviously). I need to lose 2 stone to get back into "normal" BMI but otherwise I am pretty healthy. I tried lots of different exercises last time, all worked for a period of time, then I got bored/finished/stopped so I keep healthy through daily routines (I cycle to work, walk to the shops etc) which obviously isn't putting any "overload" on my muscles so isn't making me fitter/stronger etc so I guess, when this weight goes, I will be skinny fat unless I find the time/money/interest to start going to the gym again, which is unlikely in the near future.....
You're 42! That's way too young to be giving up. But if vanity won't motivate you - what about health? My 77 year old mother goes to the gym for her health - osteoporosis.
Use it or lose it. My fiance's mother lost most of her muscle tone in her legs and is practically chair and bed-ridden. It's painful to watch her struggle to push herself up and hobble around with a walker.
If money is an issue, perhaps there's a gym near you with a sliding scale? A few sessions with a trainer could help you find some routines that are more interesting to you. You could also start a thread specifically for tips for how to not be bored by exercise.
Since I'm a bit older than the OP, I agree with much of this, except that it seems to imply that a gym is needed to maintain muscle and bone. It's not. Weights are a great way to do it, if you have the resources and enjoy it. But, there are many activities that will do the job just as efficiently as lifting weights.
Ya, I noticed that my post was gym-centric. I don't currently have a membership myself, and am getting upper body strengthening via bodyweight in yoga.
Thing is, Mom is extremely active, and has great muscle tone in her legs, but despite doing things like scraping and painting the house, and maintaining extensive gardens, the muscle tone in her arms is not great.
I also think a gym membership would be good for someone not especially motivated to exercise on her own.
How does she maintain a garden without having good muscle tone in her arms. Gardening is one of my best arm exercises (though not as good as firewood). Digging, tilling and lugging stuff is great for the core and arms.
I think a gym might be good for someone not motivated, but it could also be the worst. If you can't be motivated to do push ups or resistance bands at home, what are the odds that you'll be motivated to travel to the gym to lift weights?0 -
OK in all honesty, I'm aiming for skinny fat right now. Is that such a bad idea? It's better than fat fat surely?
To put things in context: I've been on here before, a few years ago. I lost a lot of weight, (just over 4 stone/approx 65lb) and got A LOT fitter. Then, like many, I thought "I've got this now", stopped logging and gained 2 stone back! However, I didn't return to the unfit me - although I don't do a specific exercise regime any more, I hit 10k steps easily every day, can run for 20-30 mins straight and can lift the heavy stuff that I need to around the house/at work:)
I want to be slimmer to be/stay healthy. I'm too old to care that much about the way I look TBH! (although looking nice is always nice, obviously). I need to lose 2 stone to get back into "normal" BMI but otherwise I am pretty healthy. I tried lots of different exercises last time, all worked for a period of time, then I got bored/finished/stopped so I keep healthy through daily routines (I cycle to work, walk to the shops etc) which obviously isn't putting any "overload" on my muscles so isn't making me fitter/stronger etc so I guess, when this weight goes, I will be skinny fat unless I find the time/money/interest to start going to the gym again, which is unlikely in the near future.....
opinions (expressed politely) of all sorts welcome.....
Too old? You only 42! You are at the prime of your life.
You don't have to go to the gym to be fit again. You can make your own gym at home. Just look it up on google and you will get plenty of hits.
To answer question- I have been skinny fat before and I don't ever want to be at that place again. I am 53, more fit than I've ever been in my life, and I will continue on with fitness as part of my overall health program.
It's really up to you if you want to be skinny fat or fit.
By the way, define polite.
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kshama2001 wrote: »...I want to be slimmer to be/stay healthy. I'm too old to care that much about the way I look TBH! (although looking nice is always nice, obviously). I need to lose 2 stone to get back into "normal" BMI but otherwise I am pretty healthy. I tried lots of different exercises last time, all worked for a period of time, then I got bored/finished/stopped so I keep healthy through daily routines (I cycle to work, walk to the shops etc) which obviously isn't putting any "overload" on my muscles so isn't making me fitter/stronger etc so I guess, when this weight goes, I will be skinny fat unless I find the time/money/interest to start going to the gym again, which is unlikely in the near future.....
You're 42! That's way too young to be giving up. But if vanity won't motivate you - what about health? My 77 year old mother goes to the gym for her health - osteoporosis.
42 and saying you are "too old to care that much about the way [you] look" - omg, seriously? I am 37 and am in the best shape of my life! It saddens me that you are setting such low standards for yourself. No, not everyone does it to look good naked have some motivation to push your limits a little. Nothing angers me more than people who play a victim and/or have no motivation. Oh, and I have 2 children, a full time job (40+ hrs per week) AND a part time job (15+ hrs per week)...so anything can be done if you want it badly enough.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »...I want to be slimmer to be/stay healthy. I'm too old to care that much about the way I look TBH! (although looking nice is always nice, obviously). I need to lose 2 stone to get back into "normal" BMI but otherwise I am pretty healthy. I tried lots of different exercises last time, all worked for a period of time, then I got bored/finished/stopped so I keep healthy through daily routines (I cycle to work, walk to the shops etc) which obviously isn't putting any "overload" on my muscles so isn't making me fitter/stronger etc so I guess, when this weight goes, I will be skinny fat unless I find the time/money/interest to start going to the gym again, which is unlikely in the near future.....
You're 42! That's way too young to be giving up. But if vanity won't motivate you - what about health? My 77 year old mother goes to the gym for her health - osteoporosis.
Use it or lose it. My fiance's mother lost most of her muscle tone in her legs and is practically chair and bed-ridden. It's painful to watch her struggle to push herself up and hobble around with a walker.
If money is an issue, perhaps there's a gym near you with a sliding scale? A few sessions with a trainer could help you find some routines that are more interesting to you. You could also start a thread specifically for tips for how to not be bored by exercise.
Since I'm a bit older than the OP, I agree with much of this, except that it seems to imply that a gym is needed to maintain muscle and bone. It's not. Weights are a great way to do it, if you have the resources and enjoy it. But, there are many activities that will do the job just as efficiently as lifting weights.
Ya, I noticed that my post was gym-centric. I don't currently have a membership myself, and am getting upper body strengthening via bodyweight in yoga.
Thing is, Mom is extremely active, and has great muscle tone in her legs, but despite doing things like scraping and painting the house, and maintaining extensive gardens, the muscle tone in her arms is not great.
I also think a gym membership would be good for someone not especially motivated to exercise on her own.
How does she maintain a garden without having good muscle tone in her arms. Gardening is one of my best arm exercises (though not as good as firewood). Digging, tilling and lugging stuff is great for the core and arms.
I think a gym might be good for someone not motivated, but it could also be the worst. If you can't be motivated to do push ups or resistance bands at home, what are the odds that you'll be motivated to travel to the gym to lift weights?
Ya, she does firewood too. Beats me. I may be misunderstanding something about her arms. I will ask her more but do know that due to her osteoporosis and some arm issues she decided she needed to kick it up a notch and is going to the gym twice per week.
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hmmm, I guess I was thinking of skinny fat as meaning in the "normal" BMI range but not very defined muscles/looking fit. I'm not really sure what my BF is - I have never really had it measured (properly or otherwise:/
I wouldn't define not having a fitness/athletic body as being skinny fat...if you don't care about having that "toned" look, that's completely up to you...there are a lot of people who don't care for that look and a lot of people who do...it's completely up to you and what you're happy with.0 -
This.enterdanger wrote: »As some one who is fat, fat. I'd love to be skinny fat. When I get to skinny fat I might feel differently. I think it depends on your starting place.
The weight goal that my doctor has set for me is 200 pounds. It's not close to "skinny fat" but it's something that sounds like an obtainable goal that I could sustain in the long-term. MFP is working for me and I may keep losing after I reach 200.
There are health benefits to losing even just 10% of your body weight when you are obese.
Lose 10% of body weight
As far as the term "skinny fat" goes, it seems to me to be a way of extending the derision of overweight people even after they've lost weight and including people who may never have been overweight. I've seen the term used for men with tiny love handles, women with a bit of a lower abdomen pooch, even a body building woman who has her abdominal skin bunch up a bit when she bends over to tie her shoe.
Fat shaming is way too popular.0 -
coreyreichle wrote: »Excess body fat, regardless of overall weight, is still something that increases your risks for diabetes, and other issues.
Yes, this is the point of the term. Having a healthy range BMI does not mean you aren't overfat.
People use it incorrectly all the time, though.
OP, it's certainly not unhealthy to not be muscular or have visible/defined muscles, so I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like you are reasonably active. There are photos from which you can try to estimate body fat if you are concerned about it, and that's also why they have tests like the waist measurement or waist vs. hip measurement (the latter is less about body fat than where fat hangs out, I think, as being an apple means there's more risk of the more dangerous visceral fat, but even these get distorted by natural differences in body shape). On the whole, if you lose in a healthy way and are not completely sedentary, chances are you won't end up with an unhealthy body fat number at an average BMI.0 -
opinions (expressed politely) of all sorts welcome.....
You're not going to end up with normal weigh obesity (although you may fit into the nonsensical "skinny fat" category which seems to have been created to describe any physique which doesn't mirror that of a fitness model...)
Eat at a reasonable calorie deficit keeping an eye on nutrition incorporating regular exercise which you like.
You'll end up fine and healthy in all likelihood.
Tell anyone who doesn't like it to sling their hook.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »3dogsrunning wrote: »
It's defined differently by everyone. Anorexics who have any fat will deem themselves "skinny fat" and attempt to eliminate the excess.Need2Exerc1se wrote: »How are you defining "skinny fat"? Like so many other terms, that seems to have several different meanings on MFP. The most common is a BMI in the healthy range but a BF% outside the healthy range. You say your BMI is high so that would not describe you.
It is possible to be overweight and healthy and this may better describe you. Being overweight is a risk factor for some diseases, but it's not a guarantee of disease. If you get enough exercise and eat right you can be overweight and healthy. A gym or structured exercise plan is not required for getting exercise. All activity is exercise.
I said once that I quit lifting weight because it bored the crap out me and someone said, "So, you want to be skinny fat?" Several people agreed. To them, anyone who doesn't lift weights is skinny fat.
Since it's not a medical term with any real definition, everyone gets to make up their own meaning.
There just is no way to use the term nicely, whether you say it about yourself or others.
No, skinny fat has a definition, people just choose to use it their own way. It is Normal Weight Obesity.
To answer the OP - I would consider true "skinnyfat" bad. But the question is if that is what you will really end up as.
How do you define "Normal Weight Obesity"?
And who coined that term? Is it even possibly to be obese by BF and normal by BMI? Overweight, sure, but obese?
Yes, often obese for a woman is body fat above 33%, with 31-33% being borderline and below 31% being normal.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/123702-overview
Quite commonly when body fat is used the range seems to go from normal to obese without an overweight category, although this sports-related site gives more levels and doesn't start obese until 37% and above (with 31-36% being overweight). (I like this better, personally.)
http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/normal-ranges-of-body-weight-and-body-fat0 -
As someone who often can't exercise at all, I can tell you that you are not doomed to be 'skinny fat' just because you don't exercise regularly. Any kind of activity that you participate in will contribute to your fitness. Without being able to exercise, just by eating in a calorie deficit, I was able to get to and maintain a body fat % of 18. That's not skinny fat. And I was also 42. (43 now). I'm facing not being able to exercise again, for an extended period of time (probably up to at least a year), but I am confident that I will be able to maintain my current BF % and not worry about becoming skinny fat.0
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As someone who often can't exercise at all, I can tell you that you are not doomed to be 'skinny fat' just because you don't exercise regularly. Any kind of activity that you participate in will contribute to your fitness. Without being able to exercise, just by eating in a calorie deficit, I was able to get to and maintain a body fat % of 18. That's not skinny fat. And I was also 42. (43 now). I'm facing not being able to exercise again, for an extended period of time (probably up to at least a year), but I am confident that I will be able to maintain my current BF % and not worry about becoming skinny fat.
This.0 -
At 53, I don't care about my looks as much, hence the natural premature grey hair color. I do care a ton about my health. Even though I find strength training boring, I am doing it because of the health benefits. I also read how those on the national weight loss registry, those who lost AND maintained weight, by a large measure used a balance of calorie restriction and exercise. My grandmother had osteoporosis, and my aunt in her 80's had to use both arms to lift anything over 10 pounds. I want to be able to stand up straight and carry my own groceries, even if strength training is boring.0
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