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

almc170

Congrats on losing 30 pounds! That's a great accomplishment!! And I think you're on the right track with exercise. When you're first starting out, it's most important to establish new habits that you can sustain. You can't do it everything at once--start with what you enjoy and build on that. Keep pushing yourself, and you'll know when it's time to start changing your routine.

elizabeth51608

Ok, so do cardio! And congrats on getting your body moving. I used to weight 259 and yo-yo dieted for years, gaining and losing. The only exercise I ever did was cardio. When I started doing 1/2 hour sessions of strength training with a trainer just twice a week, I noticed a significant improvement in my body shape and in my ability to lose weight and keep it off. No, I don't grunt and groan and lift ginormous weights. But because my "baby" muscles burn fat, my body looks better--and I don't have to keep to such a strict diet to lose weight! In fact I can go off my eating plan on a weekend getaway, come home, weigh myself and see that I haven't gained a pound. It's really amazing, the difference it has made for me. And before you think that I must be a skinny person who can't remember what it feels like to be overweight, I STILL weigh 222 pounds. But I have lost 37 pounds in 6 months and I still going strong, and that has never happened to me before!!!

That said, if you don't want to do a single thing besides cardio, don't. We're all grown-ups and we can do whatever we feel comfortable with. But don't blame those of us who want you to experience the same success we have for sharing good news. I too used to hate it when people would tell me I needed strength training. But now that I've started, I can see they were telling me a really GREAT tip for permanent weight loss!!!

dancingdeer

I wish folks on here would be more supportive of each other. I'm frankly sick of all the topics I see. If certain folks think they have the answers to everything - great - but there is a thing called being humble. Criticizing someone because of what they have chosen to do is just counterproductive and mean. Everyone is on their own path and they have to walk it "their" way. You can't do it for them.



Congrats on your loss thus far! Keep up the fantastic work!

andreachirillo

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^

And Skinny-fat means someone who is thin but leads an unhealthy lifestyle such as not exercising or eating right. Has nothing to do with how you workout. But all the other people that have already said this are correct - If you want to continue to lose FAT and not MUSCLE you have to do body weight exercises or resistance exercises eventually.

People were getting on my back (and everyone else's) before I made this post. And some must have a different definition of skinny-fat because I have been told more than once "If you don't start lifting heavy soon, your gonna end up skinny-fat."

I guess what that person means is you're gonna get smaller but you won't have any muscle. If that's what they mean then we're talking about the same thing.

So which is it???

Skinny-fat means someone who is thin but leads an unhealthy lifestyle such as not exercising or eating right.

or

I guess what that person means is you're gonna get smaller but you won't have any muscle.


Because the way I read it, it implies that one person is skinny but eats poorly and doesn't exercise, and the other is that you exercise and may become healthier but without muscle definition.

m60kaf

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.

to a large extent I agree with you

to consider someone 'skinny-fat' to be as unhealthy as being obese is ridiculous

to consider the amount of salt consumed to be as significant as eating lots of fried food is ridiculous

likewise - if exercise ranges from tapping your fingers on the sofa all the way through marathon running/ olympic weight lifting. then anything in the middle has to be better than being sat on the sofa

You keep at whats working for you and re-evaluate what YOU want to do along the way - there's too much advice forced on people and it isn't always well intentioned or relevant and can often be demotivating.

FoodieGal09

Skinny fat doesn't offend me because I define it as being thin but unhealthy- which I have no plan on being. My sister is the definition of skinny fat, she got the thin gene but she eats so much processed crap. Sweets and chocolate everyday, crisps and then unhealthy dinners. The healthiest thing she eats is weetabix and even that is drowned in sugar. She's started piling on pounds in her chest area and it's going to start happening everywhere else too soon. That to me is skinny fat.

MoreBean13

So which is it???

Skinny-fat means someone who is thin but leads an unhealthy lifestyle such as not exercising or eating right.

or

I guess what that person means is you're gonna get smaller but you won't have any muscle.


Because the way I read it, it implies that one person is skinny but eats poorly and doesn't exercise, and the other is that you exercise and may become healthier but without muscle definition.

It means people who have a healthy weight with an unhealthy body composition. It doesn't matter how they got there.
Also, it can mean people who have a healthy weight and a disproportionate amount of fat around their organs, as opposed to subcutaneous fat. In this case, it is dangerous.

ETA: ...visceral fat. I couldn't think of the term until 1 second after I posted....

LauraSmyth28

OP do what you want to do and don't feel you have to justify it.

Well done on your 30lb loss!!

When I started out I was thinking "I just want to burn CALORIES!!", and so I stuck to cardio. The past few weeks I want to incorportate some strength so I've bought NROLFW and am reading it at the moment.
I haven't started lifting yet, but I plan to. I have 14lbs left to goal so I feel it's the right time for me to start.

The same might happen to you as you approach your goal, it might not.

Whichever, you're doing great by trying to lose the weight and get healthier, and for that I applaud you.

(I find when I read the forums too much I get confused and doubt myself....don't take it all as gospel x)

AZackery

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.

First off, congratulation on your loss. Second, you don't have to lift weights period. If you want a tone body, you don't have to lift weights. A lot of people pushes the lift heavy, but in reality a person doesn't have to lift weight to get results. You can do body weight exercise. You can use resistance bands. Do what you feel is best for you. You have to like your body and it doesn't matter what other people think.

Cardio will not make a person skinny fat. If it does, then strength training makes a person muscle fat. Why? because a lot of people that lifts weight still have fat on their body. A six pack, muscular arms and legs don't come from lifting weights.

I don't believe in lifting heavy and I know that the results that I'm aiming for, I don't have to.

Again, do what you feel is best for your body. Everyone can only speak for their own body.

LorinaLynn

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

What I like about it is the often forgotten message that "The Scale Isn't Everything."

No one's goal should be "weigh as little as possible." And it's easier to avoid skinny fat than it is to repair it.

IndianCat3

Lifting is great along w.cardio

dane11235813

That's complete BS. You obviously know nothing about how treadmills and elliptical machines work. The only thing missing from a treadmill run is that you don't get the wind resistance you get when running outside. Elliptical machines have a resistance setting that changes the amount of force it takes to move the "pedals".

I promise not to try to tell you how to best do dumbell flies if you promise to not push more misinformation about cardio workouts.

wow chip is clueless.

shodaimetruth

really thinking about it, can a person get skinny fat from just doing cardio? I mean, if all you are doing is running and cycling, yeah i could see you being skinny fat. However, if you are doing aerobics, swimming, boxing or hiit for your cardio, i don't see you getting skinny fat. i mean you might not have a cut and defined body, but you will definitely be healthier looking and generally toned. as long is it's not just a cardio working only your legs. you wouldn't say doing cardio like the 30 day shred or insanity is going to get you skinny fat. I think we need to see th difference in the type of cardio. If you are just doing static cardio, running at a moderate pace not pushing yourself, you probably will get the skinny fat or "weak" look. I don't think you are going to get that with interval cardio or anaerobic cardio workouts.

I don't see anything wrong with focusing on cardio, but never keep your routine the same and always try to add more and increase intensity or throw in some alterations to the type of workouts your doing. Always try to make sure the entire body is working and not just your legs.

If you think cardio alone will lead to skinny fat, then i ask you to take a look at boxers. Tell me, do tthey look skinny fat or "weak" with just cardio and minimal to no weight lifting?

SLRamirez2012

Skinny fat does not have anything to do with cardio and no weights... it is a term for skinny women who have a high percentage of body fat... They do nothing to workout (including cardio) and eat like pigs, usually. They are just naturally skinny, but not naturally in shape. Great job on your weight loss so far!! When I first started I didn't do any lifting either. I just started getting into it. Anyway tha tyou get into shape is great!

GabrielleZelda

Great job! You're really on the right track and I hope you keep up the good work.

Funny enough, I heard the term "skinny-fat" just a few weeks ago and have been a bit paranoid about it every since. After losing 70 pounds, I feel like that's what I am now. I eat healthy and exercise yet I've still got the jiggles. sigh!

sheppuh

I've always associated "skinny-fat" with people who are thin but have poor eating habits and don't exercise much (or at all).
I associate people who do lots of cardio with, you know, being fit and being healthy :P.
You should be super pround of the progress you've made, don't pay attention to people trying to further their own agendas with lifter propoganda.
It's been said a bunch already, but what's most important is (and the freaking point of this site) is getting healthy!

kylTKe

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.

Do it up girl. My own personal theory on the matter is that people who can't hack it as runners try to convince others that it's not good for them in some way.

My personal favorites (and I'm sure you've heard them) are:
-It's bad for your knees.
-It doesn't burn many calories.

Studies actually show (not surprisingly) that running strengthens the ligaments in your lower body joints. The real cause of arthritis in the knee? Obesity, (also not surprisingly) traumatic knee injury, and *lifting heavy things.* Since a lot of people are obsessed with 5x5SL here's a fun video of someone blowing out his knee during a squat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8CIFmy4rVg

As for calories, non-runners just have no concept of what running is. Somebody actually posted a little earlier in this thread saying that he wouldn't believe someone could burn 1000 calories in 50 minutes while running (50 min of intervals no less I think). I looked up two calculators to help do the math. According to both, for a person my size (180lbs) you would have to run at a pace slightly faster than 7min/mile for those 50 minutes to burn 1000 calories. If you think 7min/mi for 50 minutes is unbelievable you're an idiot. Sundays are my heavy days (speed work last week) and the MFP exercise calculator says I burned well over 2000 calories in less than 2 hours. Two Sundays ago was distance day and I burned over 3200 calories (according to MFP) so take that how you will.

Links to the calculators I used: (180 lbs)
http://www.everydayhealth.com/Calories-Burned-Running.htm
http://www.runtheplanet.com/resources/tools/calculators/caloriecounter.asp

But alas you're misinformed about the meaning of "skinny-fat."

Edit: Found the quote from earlier. Turns out it's about HIIT not just running, but if he *were* running he would have to do 200m intervals of 40s/50s for 50 minutes to burn 1000 calories. Pretty good work out but still easily in the realm of do-able for your moderately dedicated runner.

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.

There's no way you're burning 20 calories a minute at 160 lb bodyweight.

chevy88grl

Just a word of caution: if your body doesn't have much muscle mass (lean or otherwise), it will be harder to fit into what most people consider an 'ideal bodytype'

Not saying it's right, just the truth. Muscle you build with weights will help create a new structure for your skinnier self.


--- That being said, do what makes you happy, because that is all that really matters.

But does anyone stop and think that maybe some people don't give a crap about what others see as an "ideal body"? I care about what *I* see as an ideal body for me. I don't lift heavy - mostly due to physical issues that prevent me from doing a lot of it. I do what I can as far as the weights go, but I don't push myself beyond what my conditions can handle simply because someone else thinks I should do it or that I should fit into someone else's ideal body type.

SusieB01

I had never heard the term "skinny-fat" before I read this message board. I don't know what it refers too. But, I do know that if a person loses a lot of weight and doesn't build up their muscle at some time while doing it, they have a harder time losing the next time around. The person may look skinny, but they don't have the right proportion of muscle, so their still not healthy. This may be what it means. How do I know? It happened to me! I still say that you're an adult, lose weight your own way. Just read about it and be healthy!

darrcn5

When I hear the term skinny fat, I think of Daniel Tosh. He is so skinny, but so flabby!

Not everyone was to have the physique of a body builder. Pilates, yoga, running or walking using hills are all great ways to give the muscles a workout without lifting heavy weights. I have nothing against lifting heavy, but I don't feel like it is something every single person has to do in order to have a nice body.