I offically hate the term "skinny-fat".

chivalryder

Why don't we go back 10, 20, or 30 years and just call people what they really are. Like, people who are bigger in the middle than the top or bottom are fat, obese, or whatever. Why do we need to be so polite about it?

Oh, and skinny people are skinny.

bcattoes

"Skinny Fat" sounds like something b!tchy, jealous, insecure, overweight women invented to put down other normal weight women.

I respectfully disagree. Like obesity, skinny fat is a body composition that can cause health issues. It may be used by b!itchy people as a slur, but so can just about anything.

I am normal weight, and use the term skinny fat to describe people who are also in the normal range, but have a high % of body fat, no muscle tone or fitness. I do not use it in a derogatory manner.

But, this is the issue. And, I'm not saying this to argue with you. I've seen you around the site and I like you. But, how do people think they can determine another person's BF%. It's hard enough to measure our own. There is no scientific validity to those scales at the gym and measurements will yield very different results. The only accurate measurement is a dunk test.

And as a side note here: A person can be small and be physically strong. Muscle is smaller than fat.

I totally agree. A person can be very small and (gasp!) be strong too. Why is that so hard to understand? I guess in some people's eyes big means strong and small denotes fraility. Maybe I'm an outlier here, but I'm at an age, where I really don't give a damn what anyone says about my body anymore. I get the validity I need about my physical body from my reflection in the mirror. If I'm happy, that's ALL that really matters. Others opinions, insults or jabs are of no consequence to me....not anymore. Happiness comes from within IMO.

I think "skinny-fat" means that they are small and NOT strong, as in, they have very little muscle tone, just flab.

So, what does "skinny" mean, then?

Skinny means bony, no flab or muscles, just skin and bones.

So what does one use to describe the non-muscley, non-emaciated women (such as underwear models?) Other than gorgeous, I mean.

Rae6503

"Skinny" isn't a medical term either. "Underweight" is. Some people also use "skinny" negatively which is dumb. There's the whole "I don't want to be 'skinny' I want to be 'fit'" thing, which again is just putting other people down. I would generally use "skinny" to describe those on the low end of "healthy" and no, I never thought it was a negative word either.

secretlobster

How about "Fatty fat"?

Rae6503

So what does one use to describe the non-muscley, non-emaciated women (such as underwear models?) Other than gorgeous, I mean.

Skinny, thin, svelte (I like that word), slender, maybe even fit (if she could run a 5K but I have no way of knowing this by looking at her).

nxd10

What would you suggest? "High Body Fat Percentage, Normal BMI" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, and "triple-bypass candidate bikini model" seems, well, a little overly medical.

How can one have a high BF and be skinny? A women is not going to be skinny with > 30% BF. Skinny fat is more often used to make women with a normal healthy BF% but not a lot of muscle feel bad about themselves.

YES.

I get my weight down to a healthy range, I walk and have good cardio fitness, I look good in my clothes and feel good. Then you read snipes on MFP saying 'yeah, but you don't do strength training' . . . 'yeah, but it's flabby, not six pack abs' . . . 'yeah, but they didn't hit the gym . . . '

Give me a break. We're all trying to move forward from where we were to where we're going.

And then someone drops the subcu fat and people say they look too thin or anorectic. There's no winning for losing. There are lots of different ways to look good and be healthy. Get over it.

nxd10

On the other hand . . .

I have been coming to understand the term 'skinny fat' personally recently.

I've lost enough weight fast enough that suddenly my bottom and my lower abdomen both feel soft and flabby. Worse than they did when I was heavier.

My first thought was - oh, that's what people mean by 'skinny fat'. It's like the extra flesh you have after you've just had a baby. There's too much space where the fat used to be. And it hasn't yet been moved back to where it all should be by really well toned muscles.

That's what I'd just call 'flabby', but you could call 'skinny fat'. Except skinny fat is a dumb phrase.

wheezybreezy

What would you suggest? "High Body Fat Percentage, Normal BMI" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, and "triple-bypass candidate bikini model" seems, well, a little overly medical.

How can one have a high BF and be skinny? A women is not going to be skinny with > 30% BF. Skinny fat is more often used to make women with a normal healthy BF% but not a lot of muscle feel bad about themselves.

YES.

I get my weight down to a healthy range, I walk and have good cardio fitness, I look good in my clothes and feel good. Then you read snipes on MFP saying 'yeah, but you don't do strength training' . . . 'yeah, but it's flabby, not six pack abs' . . . 'yeah, but they didn't hit the gym . . . '

Give me a break. We're all trying to move forward from where we were to where we're going.

And then someone drops the subcu fat and people say they look too thin or anorectic. There's no winning for losing. There are lots of different ways to look good and be healthy. Get over it.

Everything you've ever posted Rae.. I have agreed with. stalker much lol?

Today I skipped my Stronglifts workout and just did the elliptical and felt really down about it.

But then I thought..well hell, I have 90 lbs to lose and ANY exercise is better than NO exercise.

AbbsyBabbsy

The idea of going to a gym, lifting weights, isolating certain muscles... it's pretty damn new, especially for women. I'm pretty sure most women throughout the history of this earth were "skinny fat."

You can't please everyone, so focus on pleasing yourself. As long as your doctor is satisfied with your weight and health markers... it's all good. There's always going to be someone who thinks you're fat, or untoned, or whatever. My husband, for one, finds thin but soft women very attractive. I look forward to being "skinny fat." It'll be a nice change from my current fat fat.

bcattoes

So what does one use to describe the non-muscley, non-emaciated women (such as underwear models?) Other than gorgeous, I mean.

Skinny, thin, svelte (I like that word), slender, maybe even fit (if she could run a 5K but I have no way of knowing this by looking at her).

Svelte. Yes. I like that word also, and it seems accurate. Svelte is my goal, though I've never been very graceful.

svelte   /svɛlt, sfɛlt/
adjective, svelt·er, svelt·est.
1. slender, especially gracefully slender in figure; lithe.

BinaryPulsar

"Skinny" isn't a medical term either. "Underweight" is. Some people also use "skinny" negatively which is dumb. There's the whole "I don't want to be 'skinny' I want to be 'fit'" thing, which again is just putting pother people down. I would generally use "skinny" to describe those on the low end of "healthy" and no, I never thought it was a negative word either.

I agree, even skinny is used as an insult.

Like I said before, a person should be able to feel good about their own body, without putting other bodies down. I feel good about my body being healthy and fit, so I have no need to insult other people's bodies or their health or fitness.

pinkpanthers1995

I label myself as 'pre-fabulous'

OMG! I love this - perfect! :flowerforyou:

secretlobster

I'm just gonna say "skat"

LorinaLynn

So what does one use to describe the non-muscley, non-emaciated women (such as underwear models?) Other than gorgeous, I mean.

Skinny, thin, svelte (I like that word), slender, maybe even fit (if she could run a 5K but I have no way of knowing this by looking at her).

All of that. Thin, shapely, slender, lithe, lean... and I'm pretty sure none of them really give a damn what adjective anyone calls them, as long as their agent keeps calling them with jobs.

WendyTerry420

"Skinny Fat" sounds like something b!tchy, jealous, insecure, overweight women invented to put down other normal weight women.

I respectfully disagree. Like obesity, skinny fat is a body composition that can cause health issues. It may be used by b!itchy people as a slur, but so can just about anything.

I am normal weight, and use the term skinny fat to describe people who are also in the normal range, but have a high % of body fat, no muscle tone or fitness. I do not use it in a derogatory manner.

But, this is the issue. And, I'm not saying this to argue with you. I've seen you around the site and I like you. But, how do people think they can determine another person's BF%. It's hard enough to measure our own. There is no scientific validity to those scales at the gym and measurements will yield very different results. The only accurate measurement is a dunk test.

And as a side note here: A person can be small and be physically strong. Muscle is smaller than fat.

I totally agree. A person can be very small and (gasp!) be strong too. Why is that so hard to understand? I guess in some people's eyes big means strong and small denotes fraility. Maybe I'm an outlier here, but I'm at an age, where I really don't give a damn what anyone says about my body anymore. I get the validity I need about my physical body from my reflection in the mirror. If I'm happy, that's ALL that really matters. Others opinions, insults or jabs are of no consequence to me....not anymore. Happiness comes from within IMO.

I think "skinny-fat" means that they are small and NOT strong, as in, they have very little muscle tone, just flab.

So, what does "skinny" mean, then?

Skinny means bony, no flab or muscles, just skin and bones.

So what does one use to describe the non-muscley, non-emaciated women (such as underwear models?) Other than gorgeous, I mean.

You'll have to do better than that for a description. Most underwear models look emaciated to me. (Unless it's "Just My Size" underwear) :laugh:

WendyTerry420

So what does one use to describe the non-muscley, non-emaciated women (such as underwear models?) Other than gorgeous, I mean.

Skinny, thin, svelte (I like that word), slender, maybe even fit (if she could run a 5K but I have no way of knowing this by looking at her).

All of that. Thin, shapely, slender, lithe, lean... and I'm pretty sure none of them really give a damn what adjective anyone calls them, as long as their agent keeps calling them with jobs.

TRUTH!!

BinaryPulsar

So what does one use to describe the non-muscley, non-emaciated women (such as underwear models?) Other than gorgeous, I mean.

Skinny, thin, svelte (I like that word), slender, maybe even fit (if she could run a 5K but I have no way of knowing this by looking at her).

Svelte. Yes. I like that word also, and it seems accurate. Svelte is my goal, though I've never been very graceful.

svelte   /svɛlt, sfɛlt/
adjective, svelt·er, svelt·est.
1. slender, especially gracefully slender in figure; lithe.

I like that also. I usually refer to myself as slender and fit. I am small and slender, that's my body type. I am a dancer and I lift weights and I am strong, but I was strong as a young dancer also. I lift weights now, but I was still strong from contemporary dancing. I don't expect people to understand that because a lot of people do not know a lot about what goes into professional dance training. I also eat healthy. But, if a person eats "healthy" they are judged on here for that as well, but if they don't eat healthy they are called skinny fat. Seems like a lot of personal issues people are dealing with instead of minding their own health and fitness.

bcattoes

[So what does one use to describe the non-muscley, non-emaciated women (such as underwear models?) Other than gorgeous, I mean.

You'll have to do better than that for a description. Most underwear models look emaciated to me. (Unless it's "Just My Size" underwear) :laugh:

Yeah, those Victoria's Secret models are hideous. I want to force feed them ice cream.

Rae6503

So what does one use to describe the non-muscley, non-emaciated women (such as underwear models?) Other than gorgeous, I mean.

Skinny, thin, svelte (I like that word), slender, maybe even fit (if she could run a 5K but I have no way of knowing this by looking at her).

All of that. Thin, shapely, slender, lithe, lean... and I'm pretty sure none of them really give a damn what adjective anyone calls them, as long as their agent keeps calling them with jobs.

True.

I also don't know that it's a realistic look many of us could strive for. I can't have a body fat level over 20% and not have fat deposits on my thighs (in fact I've always had them because I've never been that low). I have a pretty lean upper body and fat thighs. It's in my genetics. Underwear models have nice, evenly deposited small fat layers all over their body that makes them look nice, soft and womanly, without bulges, sagginess, or cellulite (or, more likely, it's all be photoshopped out). Same goes for women like Kim Kardasian, or some of the "plus-size" models you see. They look great. But I know I don't look that good, that "fat" (meaning with that level of body fat).

ErinBeth7

I hate that term, too. And, honestly, what a lot of the hard-core people on here call skinny fat just ... isn't. In fact, they use that term to describe women with my ideal body. I don't want 14% BF and muscles all over. I want to be thin and in shape, but I don't want a six pack.

It looks good and if that's what some women want, more power to them. But it isn't my goal and that doesn't make me inferior.

I agree with this 100000000%. This is my goal too.