Possibly this describes you.

You’ve got skinny arms, skinny legs, hardly any pecs . . . and a belly. It won’t be an enormous belly, but it surely’s a soft, doughy paunch nonetheless. 

You look kinda skinny, but in addition kinda fat. 

You’re skinny fat. 

What Is Skinny Fat?

Skinny fat dudes have a traditional body mass index (BMI).

But, as has often been observed, BMI doesn’t tell the entire story.

BMI doesn’t differentiate between muscle mass and body fat. So if a man has low muscle mass combined with average-to-slightly-above-average amounts of fat, their BMI can be reported as normal. Skinny fat guys are walking around pondering they’re healthy. Nonetheless, as we’ll see here in a bit, a thin fat person might need all of the health issues typical of the obese.

The underlying issue of thin fat dudes is that they lack substantial muscle mass AND have average amounts of fat (which, in men, gathers primarily across the waist). 

The Biggest Problem With Being Skinny Fat

The most important problem with being skinny fat is that it will probably deceive you that you simply’re perfectly healthy whenever you’re actually not. 

A thin fat person has a low muscle-to-fat ratio, and muscle helps your metabolic health by doing things like clearing glucose from the blood.

So in the event you’re skinny fat, chances are you’ll not look fat, but you likely have all the identical health issues an obese person would have, like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Because of this obesity researchers often call skinny fat “normal weight obesity”; a thin fat person has a traditional weight and BMI, but whenever you take a look at other markers of obesity like insulin and blood pressure, they’re essentially obese. 

What could make being skinny fat much more of a health hazard is that the fat that a thin fat guy accumulates is usually visceral fat. Visceral fat is a fat that lies deep within the body and grows primarily around our internal organs just like the liver, colon, and pancreas. Visceral fat makes and releases proteins that inflame your body and constrict blood vessels, contributing to maladies like diabetes and heart problems. So visceral fat is not any bueno. 

So your health is the largest issue with being skinny fat. However it’s also just not an awesome look. 

You’ve got chicken legs and scrawny arms with a belly besides. While you wear a t-shirt, your arms don’t fill out the sleeves, but you’ve also got a pooch showing through your midsection. 

Doesn’t encourage thumos. 

The way to Stop Being Skinny Fat

When most guys attempt to stop being skinny fat, they work on not being fat first. They’ll reduce calories and do lots and a number of cardio. 

But it will just make you skinny.

Remember, skinny fat is attributable to an absence of muscle mass combined with average-to-slightly-above-average body fat. 

As an alternative of specializing in being less fat, deal with being less skinny by increasing your muscle mass. 

How do you increase your muscle mass? Two ways: 1) strength training, and a couple of) nutrition.

Strength Training

If you need to stop being skinny fat, you’ve got to strength train consistently for months.

Compound barbell lifts just like the squat, bench press, shoulder press, and deadlift provides you with essentially the most bang to your buck in terms of strength and muscle gains. 

If barbell training isn’t your thing, you’ve got other options. Body weight exercises, dumbbell routines, and resistance bands all provide muscle-boosting advantages. 

Strength training works, but you will have to do it consistently for a very long time. Don’t expect to see a drastic decline in your skinny fatness in only a number of weeks of strength training. Expect it to take a number of months. It looks as if loads of guys who are attempting to not be skinny fat quit on their training after just a number of weeks. Don’t do that! Keep going. Be consistent, and the outcomes will come.

As you increase your muscle mass through strength training, you’ll create a virtuous cycle that can mean you can increase muscle mass while reducing body fat at the identical time. As you increase muscle mass through strength training, you’ll burn more calories even while resting because muscle mass is more metabolically energetic than fat.

For cardio, include some HIIT training a couple of times every week. Walk as much as you’d like. Walking is great cardio and excellent for recovering from strength-training sessions. To spice up the calorie burn of your walking further, placed on a weighted backpack or carry small dumbbells, Heavy Hands style.

Nutrition

Nutrition plays a crucial role in body recomposition. 

While you’re first starting out in your quest to eliminate body fat, keep it easy since the simpler you retain your nutrition, the more likely you might be to keep on with your nutrition plan. 

Aim to get at the very least one gram of protein per pound of body weight. Your body will need that protein to assist increase muscle mass.

Beyond the protein metric, aim to eat a well-balanced eating regimen with loads of fruits and veggies and carbs like oatmeal. Get some good fats that may be present in things like olive oil and avocados. 

Avoid sugary drinks and refined carbs like donuts and cookies. 

You shouldn’t feel starved through the day, and also you shouldn’t feel stuffed. 

For those who’re on the lookout for more advanced or specific ways to approach nutrition, see our article on the best way to track your macros and the best way to shed pounds. 

After several weeks or a number of months of consistent strength training and good eating, you’ll begin to notice more muscle and fewer belly. As an alternative of being skinny fat, you’ll appear and feel more like a solid, all-around healthy dude.