What is "skinny fat"?

Skinny fat isn't just the absence of muscle. That's just plain skinny.

Skinny fat is when someone is a normal body weight, but a high body fat percentage. I'm sure you've seen men and women who don't weight a lot, and might have little spindly arms and legs, but a mushy gut or droopy butt. That's skinny fat.

Last time I lost weight, with a large calorie deficit, I became skinny fat. I weighed the same as I do now, but I still had a muffin top, back fat rolls, double chin, etc. I didn't retain my muscle mass as I lost weight, and it wasn't pretty.

Photos: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore

just like everyone has said, it's being skinny, but with no muscle. i used to be very skinny 'fat'. i lost weight in my first year out of high school, going out a lot, drinking, but not eating properly. i did this for a couple of years and i dropped about 20-25kgs. got as low as 49. but i had no muscle, and my stomach and thighs still had those ugly ripples. the moment i started eating normally, i piled on the kgs.

whilst your still skinny, its not the way to go. you can't sustain the weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. ideally you need to build muscle (which involves both cardio and strength training), eat substantially and healthily, and your body will to turn into a calorie burning machine. the weight also becomes much harder to put on.

i'm not an expert by any means, and still to this day struggle with my weight, but i can talk from experience.

People who do cardio DO use their muscles, they are not skinny fat - whatever the hell that means.

People who do cardio will not have a high body fat, they will not have flab and WILL have muscle.

Muscle is always there, it is quite clever actually and will adapt to whatever way is best for the person's activities. Hence a marathon runner will be sleek, a sprinter will be bulkier/more muscle. A rower will have amazonian shoulders, a skiier will be extremely fit and strong.

All have muscles, all are different due to the various activities.

Weight lifting is not the be all and end all, even though many people on MFP seem to think it is.

I defy anybody to tell a marathon runner who does no weight training that they are "skinny fat" and they will laugh in your face

Thank you!

It's when someone is "skinny" yet has a high body fat percentage (little muscle).

This. It's being skinny, with high body fat. All flab and no muscle, which is why it's more common in people that mainly do cardio and no strength training.

My picture might be a good example of skinny fat.

People who do cardio DO use their muscles, they are not skinny fat - whatever the hell that means.

People who do cardio will not have a high body fat, they will not have flab and WILL have muscle.

Muscle is always there, it is quite clever actually and will adapt to whatever way is best for the person's activities. Hence a marathon runner will be sleek, a sprinter will be bulkier/more muscle. A rower will have amazonian shoulders, a skiier will be extremely fit and strong.

All have muscles, all are different due to the various activities.

Weight lifting is not the be all and end all, even though many people on MFP seem to think it is.

I defy anybody to tell a marathon runner who does no weight training that they are "skinny fat" and they will laugh in your face

I agree with you about cardio not leading to being skinny fat, but just want to point out that sprinters and rowers probably spend some time in the weights room as well to get the strength they need.

It's when someone is "skinny" yet has a high body fat percentage (little muscle).

This. It's being skinny, with high body fat. All flab and no muscle, which is why it's more common in people that mainly do cardio and no strength training.

My picture might be a good example of skinny fat.

People who do cardio DO use their muscles, they are not skinny fat - whatever the hell that means.

People who do cardio will not have a high body fat, they will not have flab and WILL have muscle.

Muscle is always there, it is quite clever actually and will adapt to whatever way is best for the person's activities. Hence a marathon runner will be sleek, a sprinter will be bulkier/more muscle. A rower will have amazonian shoulders, a skiier will be extremely fit and strong.

All have muscles, all are different due to the various activities.

Weight lifting is not the be all and end all, even though many people on MFP seem to think it is.

I defy anybody to tell a marathon runner who does no weight training that they are "skinny fat" and they will laugh in your face

I'd like you to find me a legitimate marathon runner with good times that actually is "skinny fat". Nobody said its ALWAYS the result of only cardio... and most people don't do that much cardio.