Skinny Fat is my goal

I just thought of an analogy that might help. Some women wish they could look like Madonna and some wish they looked like Marilyn Monroe. I happen to prefer the Marilyn Monroe look. Some people today might call her a fat "skinny fat".

Marilyn Monroe was definitely not skinny fat. And I've seen a pic of her doing bench presses in the gym. She was strong and healthy, and also had enough bodyfat so she didn't have muscle definition.

Skinny fat (aka normal weight obesity) = high bodyfat %, very little muscle, risk of cardiovascular illness and scale weight within the so-called normal range. And weak, lacking in energy, slow metabolism and maintaining their weight by eating very little. Usually also at risk of osteoporosis (due to a combination of low calcium intake and no exercise).

What Marilyn Monroe and lots of other really nice looking women have is good muscles and a healthy amount of body fat over them. Not too much to look fat, but not so little that you can see the definition of the muscles under it. If the Marilyn Monroe look is what you want to go for then great go for it but it's not skinny-fat and pumping iron will help you get there. You can control how much bodyfat you have over your muscles, when you get the look you want, raise your calories to maintenance and keep working out.

I (personally) think of the following physical characteristics when I think of "skinny fat":

1. Bat wings
2. Saggy boobs
3. Jowls

Common in women who lost a significant amount of weight at some point in their life through diet and little to no physical activity to spare or gain lean muscle mass and did not obtain any form of plastic surgery to remove excess skin.

And look, I'm not here to go on a rant about how awesome it is to lift heavy. I like it, but I understand how some dislike it or don't wish to have muscle-laden legs of steel. You don't have to lift like a bodybuilder to have a trim physique. I lift heavy because I WANT to have an athletic physique.

Regardless of that, you do need to stay active and push yourself. Reading your post you're not against physical activity or staying in shape so why have a goal of "skinny fat"? Why not simply say "I want to be trim" ???

I've never lost a significant amout of weight (unless you consider 25 lbs significant). Bat wings are an increasing problem as I age but I've found the modified push-ups, resistance bands and my 3 - 10 lb weights take care of them so I have no desire to add more wieght. Same goes for the boobs. Pushups, chest flies with 10 lb weights and a good supportive bra (I can't stress the importance of this enough) have kept them pretty firm. They are not what they were 30 years ago, but what is?

I am active and do plenty of cardio regularly. That and the pushups and light weights occasionally is all I really have time for. I don't believe that switching the cario of heavier weights will make me look better, and I know I won't enjoy it as much.