Everyone admires the person who “never works out” and “eats everything” yet still manages to look fabulous. Some of us even strive for a similar look by following a diet of lattes and lettuce. What is surprising is that these slim men and women may actually have high body fat and the foundation for chronic disease. It is important not to get caught up in appearances as there is a big difference between being thin and being healthy, and it lies in body composition.
There is a new condition that causes these dieters to become victims of the “skinny fat” syndrome because, dieting off lots of “weight” can consist of losing more muscle than fat. They end up with almost no muscle left but a high percentage of body fat. Instead of the skin and bones diet we have a “bones and fat” diet.
The ideal body composition – the ratio of lean muscle to fatty tissue in our bodies – is low in fat and high in lean muscle tissue.
We become unhealthy when our percentage of body fat is too high because of excess fat and because of muscle tissue loss. Although muscle tissue can be lost when one lives a sedentary lifestyle it can also be lost when restrictive diets are followed and if excess cardio type exercise (jogging, cycling etc) is performed without muscle building and maintaining exercise.
Someone that has lost muscle tissue becomes very unhealthy and sets themselves up for future chronic disease. The metabolism (the rate the body burns fuel) drops and the life energy is siphoned from the victim. This loss of muscle is linked to serious health conditions including increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, joint problems and obesity.
Although these almost “dieted to death” people can look great in a tight pair of jeans they can look very saggy in a pair of shorts. Being thin does not equal being lean and they have to cover up upper arms and legs rather than expose their flabbiness. This is what happens when you become “skinny fat” instead of genuinely lean and fit.
The way around all of this is to never get into the dangerous dieting routine. Losing weight without obtaining strength and fitness means you are not doing it right. It is far better to burn calories with a proper exercise program that contains a large percentage of strength training and some cardio interval training than it is to cut calories. There is absolutely no other substitute for strength training exercise for keeping your muscle, stoking your metabolism, getting you lean, making you biologically young and keeping you healthy.
When you are active and burning calories, you can eat much more, providing you with more protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, essential fatty acids and essential amino acids.
Proper nutrition equals optimum health. Starving yourself equals inadequate nutrition which equals poor health and increases disease risk.
Lean Body Mass
The key to permanent sustainable fat loss is your lean body mass. The more lean body mass you have, the faster your metabolic rate and the more calories you burn at rest.
So the key is to build and maintain muscle tissue through strength training exercise.Your local gym will be able to do a body composition test so that you know exactly what your body fat percentage and percentage of lean muscle tissue really is.
Being skinny fat isn’t cool – so if you feel you are exempt from eating properly and exercising just because you may be happy with the number on the bathroom scale think again. Incorporate both strength training and good nutrition into your wellness routine so you can be truly fit and healthy.
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