I'm sick of the term "skinny-fat"

meshashesha2012

Isn't 'skinny fat' referring to very skinny people who are unhealthy? So whilst they aren't fat, because of their lifestyle it's more like a 'fat' persons?

Not sure what this has to do with cardio V lifting? Except that for skinny people they don't need the cardio to lose weight, they need the lifting to get a better body?

High intensity cardio teaches your body to do more with less. While this may sound ideal, its not really. If you do only cardio and do not develop strong, lean muscle to go with it, that 350 calorie burning run will turn into 250, then 150. etc. You will still be eating the same calories, yet burning LESS. Building lean muscle causes you to burn MORE calories as it takes more to maintain. This allows you to eat the same OR more calories than before, while toning and shaping your body.

actually this isn't true. there are some really good explanation on bodyrecomposition. come that explain why this isnt true.

you're body doesnt burn that few calories as it gets more efficient. basically what perpetuates this myth is because so many people use HRM and go by the calorie burns. the thing they arent taking into consideration though is that as your fitness level changes, so do your heart rate levels. so you need to consistently update your HRM with your new fitness level information otherwise it'll go with the old data and assume your burning less than you actually are.

Jeff92se

OP. You do understand that if you didn't post the thread in the 1st place, no one would be getting on your back about anything.

Lift_hard_eat_big

High intensity cardio teaches your body to do more with less. While this may sound ideal, its not really. If you do only cardio and do not develop strong, lean muscle to go with it, that 350 calorie burning run will turn into 250, then 150. etc. You will still be eating the same calories, yet burning LESS. Building lean muscle causes you to burn MORE calories as it takes more to maintain. This allows you to eat the same OR more calories than before, while toning and shaping your body.

There are several posts of before and after pictures of heavy lifters. You would be impressed.

With that said, NO one is on your back. We are all here to help each other, and if you don't want the advice of other's then no one is forcing you to take it. By making this post however, I think you are looking for someone to justify or disprove your belief.

Are you really, really sure about this? Because yes, our bodies become more efficient, certainly. But I know a really large number of runners, and they all seem to still get pretty big burns from their endurance runs....

I think that those who want us all to 'lift heavy' tend to oversimplify these issues, and rarely seem to provide appropriate scientific evidence to fully support their claims.

And in fairness to the OP, actually any time someone asks about cardio, they do tend to be told to 'lift heavy' and are warned that if they don't, they'll get 'skinny fat'. it happens all the time on these forums, and I think it's a little disingenuous to suggest this is not the case.

Endurance runners may have large burns but take into consideration how long they run. I've burned up to 1,000 in 50 mins doing HIIT or Circuit Training with weights. Plus I get the benefit of strengthening and improving my bone density, something that typically doesn't occur when merely running.

Toddrific

I work in an office doing clerical work. There are all body shapes and sizes, all of them are some sort of fat. There has to be a term for sedentary flabby people that don't happen to be obese and that term is skinny fat.

If the purpose of losing weight is to be healthier, as long as your moving, who cares. It seems to me most people also have the goal of looking good. It just seems to me it's more efficient to do it one way than the other.

meshashesha2012

Isn't 'skinny fat' referring to very skinny people who are unhealthy? So whilst they aren't fat, because of their lifestyle it's more like a 'fat' persons?

Not sure what this has to do with cardio V lifting? Except that for skinny people they don't need the cardio to lose weight, they need the lifting to get a better body?

skinny fat means people who are close to a healthy body weight but still have high body fat. basically for them it's more about increasing their lean body mass (through weight training) than losing weight.

the broscience people want to have us believe that cardio makes you fatter because it burns muscle or something like that.

Brofessors don't claim that running makes you fatter, but long distance running cuts through muscle like a hot knife through butter. So even though you are losing fat, you are losing a lot of muscle as well. So when you do lose a significant amount of weight, you total body fat % may remain unchanged despite being a thinner version of your pre running self.

it's not the running so much as most marathoners arent lifting heavy weights. no matter what they were doing, if you dont use your muscle then it becomes more efficient for your body to get rid of it. back when i played rugby i did tons of long distance running for conditioning (maybe like 30-45 miles a week) and never had any issue keeping my muscle mass because i was also lifting like crazy and eating what i needed to stay at the weight i wanted

i'm friends with a few pro athletes in rugby and football. these are HUGE dudes. they lift serious weight and they also do crazy amounts of cardio, lots of it steady state. they have no issues with losing muscle either.

mynameiscarrie

You obviously don't understand what the term "skinny-fat" means then. As other people have said, "skinny-fat" is when skinny people are unhealthy.

meerkat70

"Endurance runners may have large burns but take into consideration how long they run"

Yes, I understand that.... but it's not actually the point I was making. Indeed, the point I was making was closer to your previous post....

treeeee

Just my 2 cents:

A year ago when I was really beginning my journey, I did mostly all cardio. It's what burned the most calories and that is all I cared about! As I got more comfortable at the gym I slowly started utilizing different machines. When I got within 5lbs of my goal, I ditched the scale, started eating more, and starting lifting.

I sometimes wonder to myself if I had told the "old me" from a year ago that I should only be lifting weights, and not doing any cardio, if I would've actually been successful. I think no, just because I was so uncomfortable with myself and unsure of what I should be doing. It took a year for me to do enough research and learn enough about my body to successfully train with heavy weights. The cardio really helped me drop the weight, now that the weight is gone, I am focusing on building muscle to give my body a nice shape. So far, it's working wonders, and seeing muscles grow is absolutely amazing. But I'd never see those changes if I didn't drop the weight first.

So what I'm trying to say is, although I am on the light cardio/heavy lifting train now (I do also do some HIIT too), I wasn't always and I don't think it would've worked for me from the beginning. Don't worry about what anyone else says, when and if the time comes for you to switch over, you'll know it and be ready for it!

Good luck on your journey!!

KBGirts

If you workout regularly I don't think you're going to be skinny fat. Yes, lifting weights will define your body more, but if you don't want to and prefer cardio that's fine. That's not what skinny fat is.

Pohudet

Good job losing so much weight! Of course cardio burns more calories than weight ligting.
Only very muscular people who are experienced weight lifters can burn some calories doing weight lifting. People who are just starting, it will take them a long time before they start doing it right or with any effect (unless you have a personal trainer who works with you every day - and even then it will be effective only in combibnation with aerobic workouts)

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

skinny fat is a term referring to a thin person with a high bf%. You are not TIGHT and FIT but just skinny. you might be saggy and droopy or just soft. lacking in muscle tone.

Lift_hard_eat_big

skinny fat is a term referring to a thin person with a high bf%. You are not TIGHT and FIT but just skinny. you might be saggy and droopy or just soft. lacking in muscle tone.

Exactly, batwing arms, muffin tops come to mind.

cherrybomb_77

I don't think people are trying to be on anyone's back. They just understand that strength training is vital.

meerkat70

skinny fat is a term referring to a thin person with a high bf%. You are not TIGHT and FIT but just skinny. you might be saggy and droopy or just soft. lacking in muscle tone.

Exactly, batwing arms, muffin tops, flapjack buttcheeks come to mind.

And these descriptors are, of course, body positive, and in using them, you've not in any way got on anyone's 'back'?

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Good job losing so much weight! Of course cardio burns more calories than weight ligting.
Only very muscular people who are experienced weight lifters can burn some calories doing weight lifting. People who are just starting, it will take them a long time before they start doing it right or with any effect (unless you have a personal trainer who works with you every day - and even then it will be effective only in combibnation with aerobic workouts)

WHAT?!?!? Where do you get your information? Lots of assumptions going on here. ONLY WITH A TRAINER? and only in conjunction with aerobic workouts? says who? why? and only EVERY DAY--because your body suddenly realizes that if you take a 1 day break or go every other day that the workouts you did do are no longer effective and any progress is immediately taken back---it's only a sequence that makes it effective, right? 7 days a week or nothing. Interesting concept. Never thought of that.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

skinny fat is a term referring to a thin person with a high bf%. You are not TIGHT and FIT but just skinny. you might be saggy and droopy or just soft. lacking in muscle tone.

Exactly, batwing arms, muffin tops, flapjack buttcheeks come to mind.

And these descriptors are, of course, body positive, and in using them, you've not in any way got on anyone's 'back'?

i think the descriptors are useful...sucks if it describes someone's hangy rear but squats and lunges can fix that.

Eleisabelle

I agree that I'm sick of the term skinny fat, but it is highly misused in these forums.

I'm sorry if people harass you about cardio. I also love it. It's a good....better...best thing.

Cardio is good. strength training is good. Cardio and strength training is better. Cardio, strength training and flexibility is best.

^^^This. But more power to you for just getting started to begin with.

A step forward is a step forward. No need to leap tall buildings your first day...

jamiesadler

I say do what you want and what works for you and to hell with any one who tells you different. If you come in asking for advice then be prepared for what you get but that is not what you did so good for you for doing something.

Coyla

if I wanna do cardio instead of lifting "heavy" then get off my back about it! This is still the beginning of my journey, let me get comfortable with the fact that I am even moving my body anywhere besides from the bed to the couch. I haven't lifted one single weight yet and I've lost 30 lbs.

Good job! And keep it up!!

I started with just cardio and went from 300 lbs to 250 lbs. I also gained a lot of muscles in my legs and butt. Carrying my fat *kitten* around was strength-training in and of itself.

Later on, you may add strength-training to give your body a boost. But, for now, cardio is great. :flowerforyou:

alibab36

I was the classic skinny fat and much as you hate the term being where I was when I started is shocking . 10 months ago I waked into my gym at my goal weight and told my trainer although I was 128 lbs and a us size 4 when I looked in the mirror all I saw was flab . I was in the idel weight zone on BMi charts but when my body fat was measured I was 39 per cent body fat . It was a huge shock . I am now 10 months in and the exact same weight 128 lbs with a 24 per sent body fat working at getting to 20 per cent . I hate hate cardio . I dont knock anyone for doing it its just not for me . I lift heavy as I can for me and do strength ,core and stretching with 20 mins hiit cardio which works for me . I have lost so many inches and when I look in the mirror I see a different person .

I have had people walk past me who don't recognise me and guys from school tell me I am so much hotter now at 37 than when I was in school etc . A 39 per cent body fat in someone who was essentially a very normal weight was unhealthy and shocking so yes skinny fat does exist