How a Bad Diet Lets You Be Skinny Fat (And Exactly How to Fix It in 30 Days)

 

How a Bad Diet Lets You Be Skinny Fat (And Exactly How to Fix It in 30 Days)

Skinny fat is a term that describes someone who is thin (or has a normal body weight), but has a higher percentage of body fat and lower muscle mass, which leads to no muscle tone and a “soft, flabby" shape (no real definition). They may also have a thin appearance most of the time but have a larger amount of body fat around the abdomen, arms (bat wings), or thighs. One other consequence of being thin but having a high body fat percentage disposition is lack of metabolic fitness (poor insulin sensitivity, high cholesterol, etc.).

Nobody wears a label Hydroflask, everyone’s body will be different. Some people are genetically set to have higher body fat and less muscle than others will.

Then there's the consideration of exercise and eating habits, age (or lack of) and hormone levels.

Causes of Skinny Fat:
• A poor diet – High in processed foods, sugars, or refined carbs, low in protein
"A poor diet can be characterized by having a high intake of processed foods, sugars and refined carbohydrates, combined with low protein intake, which can lead to many health issues including obesity, insulin resistance and muscle wasting.

• A sedentary lifestyle, people who are skinny fat are often sedentary - though they have little physical activity, which increases hidden health risks such as poor muscle tone, bad metabolism, or chronic disease.

Exercising: Working out regularly can stop hormonal changes that create body composition issues, which makes your body more prone to fat storage during your sedentary time.

How to Fix skinny fat:
High Protein Food
One cause of a skinny fat physique is dietary. Your first step to fixing this issue is to increase your daily protein intake each day of the week, every day, and every day in breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while decreasing your sugars and refined carbohydrates.

Here is an example:
• Breakfast: 4 eggs (boiled or scrambled, and hopefully without any sugar or sauces that are processed made, but certainly no added sugar)
• Lunch: Grilled fish or chicken and vegetables
• Dinner: Light protein like eggs, lean meat or tofu, with a salad or steamed vegetables

Good protein sources are:
• Lean meat (chicken, turkey, beef)
• Eggs
• Fish
• Dairy (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese)
• Legumes (lentils, beans)
• Protein shake - if you need it to hit your goal

Eating a high-protein, low-sugar, and low-carb diet consistently - with resistance training - will add lean muscle and lower your body fat.

Strength Training
o Emphasis on compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, pull-ups).
o 3-4x/week progressive overload (likely in weight).

Limit Processed Carbs & Sugars
o Limit refined carbs in your diet (white bread, pastries, sugary drinks).
o Focus on whole food, whole grains, healthy fats(instead).

The time to go from a "skinny fat" build to a more toned & fit physique depends on a couple of factors including:
The time it takes to "shift" from "skinny fat" physique to toned, fit body is dependent on a few factors including your starting point (your current body fat % and existing muscle mass), your nutrition (your protein intake and calorie balance), your workout consistency and intensity, genetics, and recovery (sleep and stress). Generally, you can expect to notice some strength gains and slight muscle definition within 1-3 months. After 3-6 months consistantly working out, you can expect to see muscle growth, a flatter stomach, and clothes fitting better. After 6-12 months of continuous training and eating clean, your "skinny fat" look will greatly diminish, and after 1+ years you'll be able to achieve a more athletic and leaner physique with well defined muscles, as long as you are being good with you eating plan.
You have up your chances of results by focusing on strength training 3-5x/week, including 1g of protein/lb of body weight, getting 7-9 hours sleep a night, and consistency (missing workouts and not following a good nutrition plan will slow progress). You can expect to see noticeable changes after 3 months, but not a complete change! 6-12 months is more realistic and this will require a lifelong commitment to maintain healthy habits! If you would like to start with a personalized workout or diet plan, please share your height/weight, current eating habits, and workout experience! Remember, it's about consistency - not perfection! Be patient and trust the process!💪🔥

Fitting protein into your daily meals
Fitting 150g of protein into your daily meals can be much easier if you plan ahead. For breakfast, we are still trying to hit 30-40g of protein with a meal. Several meal ideas: three eggs (18g) plus Greek yogurt (20g) or a protein shake (25g) plus cottage cheese (28g). Lunch should be 40-50g, for example grilled chicken breast (50g) or a can of tuna (30g) plus lentils (18g). For dinner you could match that with salmon (40g) or lean beef (45g) with some beans or edamame. Keeping some high protein snacks in stock may bridge the gap on some days or even balloon your total. For example, cottage cheese (28g), protein bars (20g) or nuts. If you are consistent with spreading protein throughout your meals and prioritize lean meats, dairy and legumes, you can easily achieve 150g of protein in a day!
Also, if you are short on time and need quick no prep meals, it could look like this: protein shake (25g) and Greek yogurt (20g) for breakfast + lunch = canned tuna (30g) + dinner = rotisserie chicken (50g) + snacks = cottage cheese (28g). Prepping protein before hand will also save you time. Example, you could grill a lot of chicken at once, it takes longer, but it is only 1 time. Same if you make hard boiled egg 1x/week, you can grab them throughout the week. Adjust portion sizes according to your calorie requirements, and don't be afraid to use protein powder and bars, if need be. With consistency, you should be able to hit your daily target successfully, while losing or reducing the "skinny fat" look, and supporting lean muscle. If you would like a tailored plan, let me know your qualilty without a calorie restriction and your target calories!