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

LaurenAOK

First of all, congrats on changing your lifestyle and the loss so far You're right, you need to do what makes you happy and what you feel good about.

Just something to consider though, I did the same thing as you - I lost the weight through healthy eating and occasional cardio. Now I find that even though I lost (most of) the weight I wanted to lose, I'm still not thrilled with my body because I want that sexy toned look. I'm thin now, sure, but there's no definition anywhere. Now I lift weights and am starting to see results, but I wish I'd listened to the advice to "lift heavy" a lot sooner. Would've saved me a lot of time - I could've toned AS I lost the weight, instead of losing weight and then starting over with toning. Just my 2 cents

LorinaLynn

Someone who truly is "skinny-fat" won't even look particularly skinny. They'll have a low to normal body weight, but high body fat percentage. It's the result of losing weight on very low calories over a prolonged period of time, without proper nutrition and exercise necessary to maintain lean muscle mass. So a lot of muscle is lost, but not much body fat. Since muscle is more dense than fat, the person drops a considerable amount of weight, but she won't be happy with her body composition, and will reach her goal weight and think, "Ugh. Maybe if I lost another 10 pounds." And she keeps doing the same thing she's been doing, and loses more muscle. Maybe her weight loss has even stalled (maybe a few times) and she thinks the only way to lose more is to drop her calories more. So she keeps eating very little and keeps losing muscle, and she gets lighter in weight, but doesn't change her shape all that much.

shelbynicole32

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.

^This. My first thought was obviously there was something asked or said first to MAKE it a concern.

Elizabeth_C34

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

Yes. Excellent comment here.

I look a lot smaller than I really weigh from all the weight training I've done over the course of my weight loss. It's been awesome.

zaithyr

I agree the self-righteous fluff can be more than a bit irritating. I enjoy strength training but I didn't always. Ease into it, reach your goal and then use strength training as a way to keep improving.

Also - did everyone just ignore the fact that she said she just started her journey? One step at a time. I'd be afraid of how judgemental you people would be of a person that decided to start with JUST giving up soda. She ate a COOKIE?! She only walks 3mph and not 4mph?! My god, the world is coming to an end. :huh:

Baby steps. I ignore the pompus parade whenever I feel like.

I agree with this! I do plan on doing a lot of toning and I would love to pick up strength training and get some muscles but not everyone wants a lot of muscles and that's okay. I think if you are skinny then yes, you should make sure you're also in good health but people throw that term around to people who choose not to do weight lifting too and it's annoying. Everyone has different goals and body type preferences.

OP, congrats on the weight loss!! I'm with you- at this point skinny anything sounds good to me lol

iplayoutside19

I hate the term "toning" but that doesn't anyone is going to change.

Putting together a fitness plan that you enjoy is important. It also have to be enjoyable and EFFECTIVE. If what you are doing is enjoyable and effective go with that...until it's not effective anymore...anf that day will come. When that day does come consider what people have told you about lifting.

aftergypsies

I don't like it either. I have lost 79 pounds with mostly cardio and have about 70 more to go. I plan to do cardio for the rest but with some added strength training too. I think once you come to a point, strength training is a good idea. I definitely feel a lot stronger now than I did when I just did cardio and I hardly do any weight training, just a little. If you don't like weights tho, maybe try some other muscle toning stuff? If not, it's really just YOUR body and you are free to do with it what you please.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I agree the self-righteous fluff can be more than a bit irritating. I enjoy strength training but I didn't always. Ease into it, reach your goal and then use strength training as a way to keep improving.

Also - did everyone just ignore the fact that she said she just started her journey? One step at a time. I'd be afraid of how judgemental you people would be of a person that decided to start with JUST giving up soda. She ate a COOKIE?! She only walks 3mph and not 4mph?! My god, the world is coming to an end. :huh:

Baby steps. I ignore the pompus parade whenever I feel like.

I agree with this! I do plan on doing a lot of toning and I would love to pick up strength training and get some muscles but not everyone wants a lot of muscles and that's okay. I think if you are skinny then yes, you should make sure you're also in good health but people throw that term around to people who choose not to do weight lifting too and it's annoying. Everyone has different goals and body type preferences.

OP, congrats on the weight loss!! I'm with you- at this point skinny anything sounds good to me lol

well people who don't want to be opposed shouldn't make such controversial remarks that are likely to elicit such feedback. You wouldn't wear a damn circus tent and expect someone to tell you that you'll fit in nicely at a funeral...similarly...don't go posting a rant about being sick of a term that has validity and then posting confirmation that your lifestyle is such that you're likely to achieve said physique without modifying your exercise regimen. WE get it, you're making progress--okay. That's great--but don't start a thread about the term skinny fat when you're really just upset about people ignoring your progress.

CakeFit21

I love the term, "skinny-fat".

It reminds me of what I never ever want to be.

purpleipod

I'd rather be skinny fat than fat fat, so I can't really see anything wrong with it at the moment.

UrbanRunner81

Eh, I was skinny fat. I will admit it. I did majority of cardio to lose all my weight. Then I started lifting when I reached my first goal then my belly and everything else started to shrink.

It is great you are getting up and moving though.

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'?

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

Negative descriptions of other people's bodies are never useful....

ChristiH4000

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!!

Jumpin Johosaphat! ^This exactly.

SergeantSunshine_reused

I love the term, "skinny-fat".

It reminds me of what I never ever want to be.

Me too.

Reminds me of where I started and how hard it is to fix

WhittRak

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.

30 lbs down from 279 is healthier...any way you look at it.

That is all.

THIS!

andreachirillo

I agree the self-righteous fluff can be more than a bit irritating. I enjoy strength training but I didn't always. Ease into it, reach your goal and then use strength training as a way to keep improving.

Also - did everyone just ignore the fact that she said she just started her journey? One step at a time. I'd be afraid of how judgemental you people would be of a person that decided to start with JUST giving up soda. She ate a COOKIE?! She only walks 3mph and not 4mph?! My god, the world is coming to an end. :huh:

Baby steps. I ignore the pompus parade whenever I feel like.

I agree with this! I do plan on doing a lot of toning and I would love to pick up strength training and get some muscles but not everyone wants a lot of muscles and that's okay. I think if you are skinny then yes, you should make sure you're also in good health but people throw that term around to people who choose not to do weight lifting too and it's annoying. Everyone has different goals and body type preferences.

OP, congrats on the weight loss!! I'm with you- at this point skinny anything sounds good to me lol

well people who don't want to be opposed shouldn't make such controversial remarks that are likely to elicit such feedback. You wouldn't wear a damn circus tent and expect someone to tell you that you'll fit in nicely at a funeral...similarly...don't go posting a rant about being sick of a term that has validity and then posting confirmation that your lifestyle is such that you're likely to achieve said physique without modifying your exercise regimen. WE get it, you're making progress--okay. That's great--but don't start a thread about the term skinny fat when you're really just upset about people ignoring your progress.

I didn't said it wasn't a valid term. I said I'm sick of it. I also made no such confirmation that I would achieve any certain physique without modifying my routine. And...I don't feel that my progress has been ignored. I'm just sick of a_ _holes who feel like I should jump in head-first because they feel "that's how it should be done."

AGAIN... this is the beginning of my new lifestyle. Let me get a grip on one big change before we throw another one in. I would love to lift, someday, hopefully soon.

Chipmaniac

Skinny fat beats fat fat every day of the week.

Personally, I'd rather look like a lean cyclist than a buffed-up body builder. The mistake that the lifters make is to assume that everyone wants to look like Schwarzenegger. We don't.

Elizabeth_C34

Skinny fat beats fat fat every day of the week.

Personally, I'd rather look like a lean cyclist than a buffed-up body builder. The mistake that the lifters make is to assume that everyone wants to look like Schwarzenegger. We don't.

It takes a lot more than lifting heavy 3x per week to look like Schwarzenegger. Just pointing that out.

Point taken though.

BusyBeBe

IF you are exercising and making good food choices and you are happy with your lifestyle, that's what counts. Just ignore what the others are saying. Good luck with your journey

Chipmaniac

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.

It doesn't make sense for marathon runners to have upper-body bulk. It does nothing for them and represents extra weight they have to move forward in a race. Your body adapts to the sports you do. If you are a runner, bulky muscles don't make sense and are actually a hindrance to performance.