How can I tell if I am skinny-fat?

Pandasarecool

I am 135 pounds, 5'7", 18 years old female. I am doing body weight/strength training exercises for about 30 minutes 3-4 times a week and 30 minutes brisk walking every other day for cardio. I have some muscle, but am still pretty flabby around my middle and butt, and underarms. I am a pear shape. I am starting to see some muscle, particulary in my lower legs, sholders, and back. My question is, am I skinny-fat? I am not sure how to tell. Or do I just have a bit too much fat on top of my muscles? My diary is open. Please and thank you!

Pandasarecool

Bump!

ninerbuff

Get body fat tested.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Pandasarecool

Get body fat tested.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

How do I do that, and is it expensive?

romach79

"Skinny or Fat" is kind of a nebulous term. You should be asking are you fit and/or healthy. As far as muscle composition the only accurate way to determine if you are overweight is doing a Body Mass Index measurement. Somethings you can change and somethings are genetically determined - and are very difficult to change. The key is figuring out which is which and working on the things that you can change - if its necessary.

AnvilHead

"Skinny or Fat" is kind of a nebulous term. You should be asking are you fit and/or healthy. As far as muscle composition the only accurate way to determine if you are overweight is doing a Body Mass Index measurement. Somethings you can change and somethings are genetically determined - and are very difficult to change. The key is figuring out which is which and working on the things that you can change - if its necessary.

BMI is not an indicator of how much fat you have on your body - it's simply an equation based upon your height and weight. A 5'8", 200 pound bodybuilder at 4% bodyfat would show a BMI of 30.4, which is into the "Obese" category, while a 5'4", 115-pound woman at 35% bodyfat would show a BMI of 19.7, which is in the "Healthy" range - neither of which accurately reflects the true picture. Bodyfat percentage gives a much more accurate indicator. BMI and Bodyfat % are not the same thing - not even close.

GauchoMark

yeah, "skinny-fat" is not exactly a scientific term, so it isn't really defined by a metric! I'd say look in the mirror and decide for yourself is probably the best way.

Body fat testing might help quantify it, but won't really buy you anything except a number that you can use to track your changes. It won't make you any more or less happy with how you look or your athletic performance. Save the money unless you are really needing to know for fitness goals.

I hate that term, but it seems to be the latest buzzword... along with green coffee extract today!

witchy_wife

From the sounds of what you are doing, you shouldn't be skinny fat. I think the term is mainly used for people who lose a lot of weight petty fast, all with diet and cardio and they end up very slim but with very little muscle tone and still having a higher % of body fat.

The way to stop it is with strength training, which you are doing, so I wouldn't worry about it.

JustJennie1

Check with your gym to see if they do the testing otherwise you can buy a relatively inexpensive pair of calipers online and do it at home.

I think that being able to track changes like how many inches you're losing, how much body fat you've gone down etc. is important in the weight loss scheme of things. It's a progress tracker and while the number on the scale might not be moving the numbers on the measuring tape and the drop in fat % has a clear mental effect on whether or not what you're doing is actually working.

rainbowbow

Get your body fat percentage checked. "Skinny Fat" is within a healthy or normal range of BMI and a high percentage/overweight percentage of body fat. You should be able to do this at your gym with a handheld meter or calipers. It should be free.

Rae6503

Does it matter? We don't need to label ourselves.

You are unhappy with your body but you are already at a pretty low body weight. I'd suggest eating MORE. Set your goal to a half pound a week and eat that (NOT under) and eat your exercise calories. Start a serious weight lifting program consisting of heavy compound movements (StrongLifts 5x5 is good). This will preserve muscle (what you are eating now will NOT) and produce fat loss resulting in what I'm assuming is your goal body.