What exactly is skinny fat?

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  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
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    I wrote this on here a while ago, but it gives an in depth description of "skinny fat".

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/426082-explaining-what-skinny-fat-is
  • 10acity
    10acity Posts: 798 Member
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    At my best, I was still about 35 lbs overweight. My mother (now in her 60s) is 4-5" shorter than me and has never been overweight, but at that time, her body fat percentage was almost 10 points higher than mine! That's "skinny fat".
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
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    Guess I am skinny fat then. Clothes on I generally(I do have my fat/ugly moments still) feel great, clothes off I see some flab in places and other nit-picks that despite all the exercise and toning, is not toning up fast enough.

    My BMI is in the normal though.

    Oh well, I'll take skinny fat for now over my previous weight anyday. :smile:
  • Shayyy01
    Shayyy01 Posts: 290 Member
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    I have loose skin which can give off the appear of skinny fat but my body fat percentage is 10. Its tricky.
  • Hambone23
    Hambone23 Posts: 486 Member
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    I get the whole idea behind this. But I can't help thinking the phrase is crazy. Now we're even calling skinny people fat? C'mon.
  • slay0r
    slay0r Posts: 669 Member
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    Low to normal BMI, but a high body fat %. Meaning - very little muscle mass. Usually as a result from not lifting or dieting properly and losing muscle mass when losing weight.

    The goal of any diet should be to lose fat and maintain any existing muscle mass. When you diet too hard, don't do resistance training, or don't eat enough protein you can lose muscle mass along side your fat.

    This makes you a smaller version of your former self and is difficult to change.

    Boom, welcome to my world! Don't lose 7-8lb a week seriously..not if you were a massive rugby player and now your winger shaped.. Wish I still had my bulky frame!
  • slay0r
    slay0r Posts: 669 Member
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    I get the whole idea behind this. But I can't help thinking the phrase is crazy. Now we're even calling skinny people fat? C'mon.

    I think it's got it's own phrase because it's still technically unhealthy, you might be at less risk from certain things but you're still shoving a load of rubbish in you for years on end, something's got to give!
  • kit_katty
    kit_katty Posts: 994 Member
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    Drat, that makes me skinny fat. And that's why everyone I see says to stop losing weight, but I maybe 5'5" and 137, but I'm still 30% body fat. Sigh. Hence P90X! Hopefully that'll build the muscle and lower the fat!
  • kylesmommy89
    kylesmommy89 Posts: 356 Member
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    The definition of skinny fat is my before pics...Yikes!!! Definitely not desirable :/
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    Basically it's when people allow their muscle to atrophy in an attempt to lose weight, then get thin only to still look like crap because they have no muscle.
  • Tuesdayfortnite
    Tuesdayfortnite Posts: 3 Member
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    To clarify slightly, and why skinny fat is a problem:

    yes it's to do with your body fat %. But it's to do with WHERE that % is distributed in your body. I am a UK size 12, but my body fat is 33%. This means I'm 'internally obese' (not my term, the doctors). what that means is that almost all my extra fat (about 15% in this case for normal ranges of 18 - 20% for women my height) is packed around my internal organs, meaning my liver, pancreas, lungs, etc.. have to work extra hard, and can't work efficiently. That fatty liver can't clean my system like it should, resulting in more fatty deposits.... long term it can lead to high cholestrol, high blood pressure, heart disease, increased risk of diabetes....

    I look slim when dressed (as already beautifully summed up) but I'm actually very unhealthy. My current high % is due to recent illness, and I'm getting to a point where I can start to kick this. However 'normally' I'm a professional dancer so have high muscle ratio, and my BMI has the same problem of athletes in that I have a lot of muscle for my height - I am, by normal non-gym member standards 'fit'. It's not a case of I'm not fit and can't lift weights etc... it's all down to the fat and where it is.

    And to counter the poster who said that muffin top goes over the top of "too-tight-pants" - I have a muffin top naked - it's about excess fat (though I agree that most young women seem to believe they are a dress size smaller than they are ;-)
  • 10acity
    10acity Posts: 798 Member
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    The definition of skinny fat is my before pics...Yikes!!! Definitely not desirable :/

    I'd trade you for your "before" body any day.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,723 Member
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    I personally never heard of this term until I came here. So I finally looked it up on Google and all I can work out is its people who are thin with no muscle definition! Is that what it means and if so what's so wrong with that? A lot of the pictures under that where of people with bodies I could only dream of having. So is that what it means or have I got it completely wrong?
    Skinny/fat is having a HIGH amount of fat while appearing skinny. It doesn't mean muscle definition, it's that ratio of lean muscle to fat with fat being a high ratio. A skinny fat person can till have 28% bodyfat and still appear skinny.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Symphony6
    Symphony6 Posts: 116 Member
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    There's a select bunch of people on MFP that I honestly don't think I could have ever called "fat." They want to get fit and ripped and that is great for them!

    However, there are those of us who have been obese, maybe all our lives, maybe just since we had kids (like me) who haven't seen their feet in 20 years and would give anything to be "skinny-fat."

    Fit is great, but I call "skinny-fat" NORMAL. Yes, exercise does a body good, and resistance training has amazing health benefits, especially as people age, but the fat people on here (like me) need to mostly ignore posts that make them feel like even after they lose the weight, they won't be good enough. You ARE good enough. Continue with your path to lose weight. Then make the decision to go further if you want to.
  • _JPH_
    _JPH_ Posts: 25
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    I was hoping they would come out with "Sexy Fat" but until then, I run......:wink:
  • psiren28
    psiren28 Posts: 530 Member
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    skinny fat looks good with cloths on, not off.

    True, that's me that is :grumble:

    People tell me I don't need to lose any more weight because I look quite slim but there's a ton of flobble going on under the clothes.
  • JipsyJudy
    JipsyJudy Posts: 268 Member
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    I've read medical studies that state that people who are in the bottom quarter of their "healthy" weight range have fewer problems with a whole range of diseases. Also if it motivates a person to stay fit, then I'm all for encouraging the practice of getting rid of skinny fat. Fat has almost no healthy purpose at all in a society where we don't have to worry about periods of famine. I'm shooting for the bottom quarter of the healthy weight range as my goal here.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I work in the healthcare industry and had always heard this term used to refer to people who are naturally thin but eat unhealthy diets and develop unhealthy fat around their organs.

    On this site it seems to mean people who are thin, but not muscular.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    Fit is great, but I call "skinny-fat" NORMAL. Yes, exercise does a body good, and resistance training has amazing health benefits, especially as people age, but the fat people on here (like me) need to mostly ignore posts that make them feel like even after they lose the weight, they won't be good enough. You ARE good enough. Continue with your path to lose weight. Then make the decision to go further if you want to.

    This is an unfortunate viewpoint for 2 reasons:
    1. Shows the sad state of health in modern society that you would consider a fundamentally unhealthy condition "normal."
    2. You seem to think that gaining muscle is something that you do AFTER you lose the fat. Building lean muscle is the best way to burn the fat away to begin with.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I personally never heard of this term until I came here. So I finally looked it up on Google and all I can work out is its people who are thin with no muscle definition! Is that what it means and if so what's so wrong with that? A lot of the pictures under that where of people with bodies I could only dream of having. So is that what it means or have I got it completely wrong?
    Skinny/fat is having a HIGH amount of fat while appearing skinny. It doesn't mean muscle definition, it's that ratio of lean muscle to fat with fat being a high ratio. A skinny fat person can till have 28% bodyfat and still appear skinny.

    28% BF falls within the healthy range of charts I've seen. It's not at the athlete level, but it is in the healthy range so why would that be considered HIGH?

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