What does Skinny Fat mean?

Skinny Fat is a term that is widely used, particularly in English-speaking countries, to describe people who appear slim when clothed but have a relatively high fat percentage and a low percentage of muscle mass. Women in particular tend to be skinny fat, even though they are starving themselves for their dream figure. You can find out how to avoid their mistakes in the following article.

How do you become skinny fat? 

Those who are labeled as "skinny fat" usually lead an unhealthy life, although they strive to weigh as little as possible. The problem with this is that widely used measurement methods such as the BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator only provide information about the ratio of height to weight. They do not usually take into account factors such as water, fat and muscle content. This means that although you may have a low BMI, if you have very little muscle mass or a relatively high body fat percentage, your body will still look neither athletic nor muscular.
Many people also go jogging or cycling regularly in the hope of getting an athletic body like models and actors from Hollywood. The assumption that light, long endurance training leads to a well-toned, "lean" body is fundamentally wrong: if you run at a low heart rate for too long, you will burn more muscle mass than fat - which is absolutely counterproductive for your goal.

What can I do about it? 

Forget about running! When you go running, stick to strenuous interval training that will help you build endurance, strengthen your cardiovascular system, build muscle and burn fat.
However, you should focus on short, intensive strength training. There are countless skinny fat women who are convinced that they can only achieve their dream body by running. They are downright afraid of going to the gym and doing strength training because they are afraid of looking like professional bodybuilders after two to three months.
However, nobody needs to be afraid of this: It takes years of training. Through strength training, women build up relatively little muscle mass compared to men. This makes them look sportier, crisper and better overall - who has anything against a woman with a toned bottom and beautiful, slender legs?

Building muscle and burning fat at the same time - is that possible? 

Muscles are your friends, don't forget that. Not only do they look good, but they also take the strain off your joints, are helpful in all everyday activities and function like little power stations: in order to maintain muscle mass, energy must be burned in the form of fat. So if you build muscle, you will automatically reduce your body fat percentage.
Don't be afraid of gaining weight: muscles are heavier than fat, which is why beginners in particular can see their first successes on the scales. After a while, however, you will also be able to see the first differences in your reflection. Avoid isolation exercises at the start of your strength training.
Compound exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, pull-ups and bent-over rowing strengthen large muscle groups and therefore lead to a rapid build-up of muscle mass while boosting fat burning - making them a miracle cure for the skinny fat body.

The right diet 

If you don't want to be skinny fat anymore, you have to stop starving yourself. Healthy fats and proteins are essential for many processes in your body (including muscle building), while long-chain carbohydrates give you enough power for your workouts.
Avoid fast food, alcohol, sweets and other high-calorie foods as much as possible. Coke and other sugary drinks should be taboo for you. Even if it is difficult, you will only consume unnecessary calories that will quickly settle in your fat deposits if you are not exercising.
Drink plenty of tea and water, eat lots of fruit and vegetables, make sure you eat a varied diet with healthy fats in moderation (keyword: vegetable oils and fatty fish) and make sure you eat enough protein, then your skinny fat body should soon be a thing of the past.
A Article sponsored by our partner Fitness Magnet.