Skinny Fat

Skinny fat is having a "normal" body weight but a high body fat percentage with low muscle mass. A person may appear to be thin, but they can look thin because they lack muscle. They are simply skin, bones, and body fat. Because of this higher body fat percentage, they may also have health problems related to this imbalance, such as insulin resistance, prediabetes, high blood pressure, high visceral fat, poor functional strength, and more.

As we age—both men and women—we begin to lose muscle mass. Women lose muscle mass faster than men, starting as early as our late thirties.

Ladies, by menopause we have experienced many years of sarcopenia, or muscle wasting, leaving us more vulnerable to health problems. Plus, we can feel vulnerable in our bodies because of this muscle loss. We simply don't have the strength we used to.

Going up and down stairs, getting off the floor, or even just moving quickly to catch ourselves if we trip can leave us feeling fearful and unsafe in our own bodies and in our own homes as we move through our day.

Yes, muscle loss is part of the aging process, but muscle is an organ we can influence, and therefore it influences how we age.

But for women, it can become a vicious cycle.

Muscle loss started in your late thirties. Over the next few years, the things you used to do to "manage" your weight are no longer working. Slowly, belly fat forms around your midsection.

You eat less but exercise more. The abdominal adiposity—the excessive accumulation of fat in the abdominal region—keeps expanding.

You feel more fatigued. Your metabolism slows because there is less energy and food coming in. Muscle loss continues due to the aging process, insufficient food intake, and increased exercise.

The belly fat is not budging, and you are feeling worse.

Nothing is working.

You don't realize you are losing muscle while your bones are becoming brittle.

You start telling people, "Aging sucks. Don't ever get old."

Skinny fat can happen to men as well, but it occurs predominantly in women.

Men who don't exercise, eat sufficient fuel, or simply don't move much can find themselves in a similar position.

And on it can go.

Skinny fat happens not because you are getting older, but because you have not been taking the necessary steps to preserve your muscle and bone health.

You are shrinking.

Your old ways of reducing calories while moving more were never really good ways to manage your weight. They were taking their toll on the inside while you were focused mostly on the outside.

Don't feel bad—we all bought into it.

It's just wrong.

We were focused on fat loss rather than muscle gain or even muscle retention.

We hadn't realized how important hormones are to everything concerning our bodies until they are gone or diminished.

However, there are things you can do to mitigate or even reverse this scenario.

Focus on the muscle to be gained.

Three steps: eat more food than you think you need, lift HEAVY weights, and get 7–8 hours of quality sleep each night.

Ah, there it is again!

Improve your health and avoid the skinny fat scenario by eating sufficiently. Consistently progress your strength training to lift heavy sh*t because we need that stimulus. Muscle is harder to gain as we age. Then be sure to get sufficient, quality sleep each night for muscle growth and repair, as well as to help clear waste from the brain.

Go gradually. Progress, adapt, learn.

Progress over the weeks and months, not years.

I have been talking about this for a few years. The needle of compliance is moving oh so slowly.

Some women are moving too slowly with their progression—not challenging themselves enough—while I see some men lifting heavy weights with terrible form.

Men need to back off and be honest with themselves so they actually work the muscles they are targeting, while women need to beef it up sooner rather than later.

Maybe rub each other's heads like a genie in a bottle to make the transference?

Even better, hire me as your personal trainer to set you on the path. No shame in my own personal plug here.

No need to go it alone. I can help by sharing my knowledge.

You will feel healthier, stronger, and heartier when the winds blow.

You will stand strong, secure, and safe in your body.

Invincible at 80, anyone?