Being Skinny Fat Is the New Kid on the Block

By: Gen Wright

Somewhere some people have got it all wrong. They think because they are skinny that they are "in good shape" or healthy. But there is a new kid on the block called "skinny fat". Someone with this syndrome despite appearing healthy and trim may actually be in poor health and not in "good shape" at all.

Being skinny-fat is defined as having low lean body mass (muscle tissue) and a high body fat percentage. This is the opposite of being in "good shape" which is defined at having the maximum amount of muscle tissue and the minimum amount of body fat on one's frame.

Someone who is skinny-fat is often unhappy with their appearance but struggles with actually doing the right things to change it. A person who has this condition may feel discouraged upon knowing their body fat percentage and feel they have to lose fat. This is typically a problem of someone who continually feels they need to restrict their food intake or people who do primarily cardio exercise and not strength training.

Diets and fat loss programs can often exacerbate the problem. The key to sustainable fat loss is lean muscle tissue. The more of it you have, the more calories you burn at rest. In this way, someone with a higher lean body weight will lose fat faster because they burn more calories 24/7 even when resting.

Skinny-fat people often look great in tight fitting jeans and a sweater and even might look nice in a v-neck, but if you could persuade them to expose an upper arm or a leg they would look soft and flabby and un-toned.

This is what happens when you become skinny fat instead of genuinely lean and fit (where the muscle and fat are fairly evenly distributed) and the body is firm, lean and shapely. There is a very big difference. Simply dieting will never tone anything. It doesn't take much to work out which one is the healthy body and which one is very unhealthy.

To make the necessary changes the entire mindset would have to be changed first. If we stopped trying to be "skinny" or "thin" and focused on "being healthy" or "being lean" it would make a big difference. What if "improving your nutrition" was the goal instead of "going on a diet?" What if you added to your goal list a desire to be "lean, toned and sleek" and look "athletic?" Wouldn't those new goals be far superior to looking like a rail thin person with protruding bones with huge future health risks?

There is simply no substitute for strength training exercise in keeping your muscle tissue, stoking your metabolism, getting you lean, making you biologically young and keeping you healthy. So much better than "skinny-fat, malnourished, unhealthy and weak"

It is important not be become fixated only on the pounds of bodyweight and the outward appearance of "skinny" or "thin' instead of paying attention to health, energy, strength, function, muscle and vitality - the things that really count.

Seek the help of a fitness professional to get your proper program that contains mainly strength training exercise set up and start building a new healthy body as well as working on the mind set at the same time. Go for the better option of a lean, toned body through good nutrition and consistent exercise.

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Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and regaining lost vitality and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook "I've Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!” here: Health Related Fitness Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.

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