ShareThe post today contains a serious health warning. Fat loss for women is more than just dieting.
Last week I was sprinting down Madison Avenue in the Upper East Side – literally running late to my next client. I hate being late. So I sprint. Sure, it’s also a weird way to do interval training during the workday, but you already know I’m crazy.
Anyway, there was an unusual crowding of people out on the street for so early in the morning. What the hell was happening? Was there some kind of free snacks giveaway that no one told me about? The stores don’t even open until lunchtime!
So there I was dodging folks left and right, you know working on my agility training for the upcoming marathon.
Suddenly, the answer was clear.
It was a crew shooting a film.
What has this got to do with anything?
Welcome to skinny fat central
Hang on, what on earth is skinny fat?
It can happen to anyone, but it’s far more common in women (not only the models). The ladies I saw were picturesque: very lean appearance, clear skin and no visible cellulite (well I was running pretty fast so I couldn’t see precisely). They look amazing in their skinny jeans, but they will run away before exposing an arm or leg.
Problem is, despite being super skinny, they don’t workout or lift weights heavier than three pounds, leaving a disproportionate amount of body fat to lean muscle tissue. Not a sexy look.
Quiz: Can You Be Fat AND Fit?
Here are our two contestants:
In the red corner, Jackie is 10lbs overweight and trains consistently four times/week. She is a runner, and has no concept of dieting. In fact, she is running because she overdid it on the carbs again last night and feels guilty. Twice a week she lifts weights.
In the blue corner, Jill is noticeably lean and skinny, appearing underweight. Her workout consists of walking to her car. Her meals are strictly healthy and cheating is not an option. Jill is the perfect example of discipline and her body is the proof.
Who do you think is the “healthier” of the two?
Shocking as it may be, Jackie is the winner today. Despite being slightly overweight, her risk of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are much lower.
Conventional wisdom suggests people who are overweight are unhealthy, implying the skinny people have picture perfect health. If these ladies appear so amazing – how could they be possibly be so “unhealthy”?
Looks can be deceiving, darling.
Mass media positions the elite skinny fat high up on a pedestal – almost as a reward for their starvation. Not only does this send a negative message to women, it subconsciously impacts self image. Don’t succumb to the pressures to look like Kate Moss and pals until you read this next point.
A shocking study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed 1 in 4 skinny people have pre-diabetes and are considered “metabolically obese.” (1) Think inner fatty. Their body internally is similar to that of a sedentary fat person.
That’s not the only bad news. If you are skinny fat when diagnosed with diabetes, you have twice the risk of death compared to those overweight when diagnosed with diabetes. So it is better to be overweight and fit than underweight and completely out of shape.
Here is the awesome news: your dress size does not determine your health status. Looking skinny certainly does not equal healthy.
The Greatest Concern for Women
In all seriousness, the skinny fat look increases your risk of osteoporosis. The skinnier you get, the higher your risk as low muscle mass increases the strain on your bones.
Just like feta cheese, your bones will eventually crumble. You need to feed your body nutrients. Keira Knightly should take note of this. I’d love to give her some cookies.
Next Generation of Skinny Fat
There is a breed of skinny fat folks floating under the radar.
You may have spotted one of them on the elliptical. Or lifting fluffy pink dumbbells in the corner.
These women have no muscle definition, despite working out on a regular basis.
Too Much Elliptical, Not Enough Resistance
Contrary to popular beliefs, ladies you will not get bulky lifting weights. One pound dumbbells are lighter than your handbag, so why do they think this is enough weight to lift during a workout? Beats me.
Doing too much endurance training will create the skinny fat appearance. Spending endless hours on the elliptical has the same, muscle wasting effect.
It definitely happened to me last year while training for the marathon. Trust me, I was not starving myself, but the high volume of running caused my to breakdown muscle mass. This is the craziest part – I was so exhausted, there was no way I could do a quality strength training session. It was a vicious skinny fat cycle.
Hot Tips on How To Avoid The Skinny Fat Look
There is really one solution that hands down beat the pants off this pressing issue: weight bearing exercise.
Dieting will take the pounds of fat off your love handles, but you won’t build a lean, strong body that is absolutely crucial to complete health and wellness.
- Eat to Fuel Your Body: Provide your body with enough of the right food so you can train hard. A nutritious diet packed with vitamins and minerals is essential. Calcium is very important for bone health, I can’t stress this enough. Supplement if dairy products cause issues.
- Strength Training: lifting weights and getting strong is the new sexy. You won’t get bulky I promise, and trust me ladies doing a thousand reps with tiny little dumbbells is a waste of time.
Looking for fast, efficient workouts to accelerate fat loss and build a lean, fit body? The hottest workout solution has been released. Grab a pre-launch copy of Fat Loss Accelerators here and take your body to the next level.
Train hard and have an awesome week,
KV
References:
1. Carnethon MR, De Chavez PJ, Biggs ML, Lewis CE, Pankow JS, Bertoni AG, Golden SH, Liu K, Mukamal KJ, Campbell-Jenkins B, Dyer AR. (2012). Association of weight status with mortality in adults with incident diabetes. JAMA. Aug 8;308(6):581-90.
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