Written by mobikasa in Building Muscle, Losing Fat, Nutrition Jul 2017
If you think that being overweight/obese is a big problem, think again!
Yes, BMI is outdated and does not tell you the complete story.
A study spanning almost four decades and involving more than 100,000 adults in Denmark has found that those with an ?overweight? body mass index (or BMI) were more likely to live longer than those in the ?healthy?, ?underweight?, and ?obese? categories.
A 2013 meta-analysis of 97 studies found that being overweight was associated with lower risk of death than having a normal BMI ? a surprising finding that echoed a 2005 study by the same researchers.?
There is no guarantee that if you are in the normal range of BMI you are healthy and fit.
A new epidemic has started to come up and it?s called TOFI?Thin on the outside, and fat on the inside.
This term is coined by Professor Jimmy Bell, head of the molecular imaging group at the Medical Research Council?s centre at Imperial College, London.
Dr Bell concludes that TOFI?s need to worry more about their health than others.
In his own words:
?Tofis probably need to worry more about their health than others, because the fat deposits they carry are hidden in the white fat that lies around their vital organs, streaked through their underused muscles, and wrapped around the heart. It is this fat that sends out the chemical signals which eventually lead to insulin resistance, diabetes and heart conditions, rather than the fat lying in dimples underneath the skin.?
We commonly call this condition being Skinny Fat.
I have been Skinny Fat all most of my life and I hated it. In the picture above I made the mistake of eating Big to get Big. Instead, I just got Big on my belly with hardly any muscle gain.
See the picture above.
In the post, I?ll give you 5 Skinny Fat Diet and Lifestyle tips that will help you become LEAN (as it helped me, see my current pics) and not Skinny Fat.
Here we go:
Skinny Fat Diet & Lifestyle Tip #1
Run away from the word ?Bulk?
Bulk means to gain weight. It?s a license to eat. And when we as Skinny Fat people get this license, out of desperation we foolishly think that eating more food is the best way to gain muscle.
Isn?t that what the muscle bound gurus or the bros in the gym preach?
A one fit solution all your problems.
Just gonna eat big?Bro.
Well, unfortunately, your Skinny Fat genes partitions those extra calories into fat.
You see you don?t many calories to build muscle, just few hundred calories over your TDEE. In fact, if you are a newbie or haven?t gained enough muscle, you can gain muscle even by staying in a caloric deficit! Read this.
Skinny Fat Diet & Lifestyle Tip #2
Prioritize protein and healthy fats over carbs
Your favourite macro nutrients should be protein and healthy fats. If you still haven?t got over the low-fat craze, then my friend you ruining your body with excess carbs, mostly the refined ones.
I highly urge you to get a clear idea about fats and how they have been unfairly demonized.
Saturated fat: good or bad?
Fat: The Ultimate Guide to the Most Misunderstood Macronutrient
Always strive to get enough protein and healthy fats in every meal.
And if you have read my blog and know about me, you know I swear by Intermittent Fasting where I eat ONLY two meals a day. You can read about my eating pattern here.
Skinny Fat Diet & Lifestyle Tip #3
Cycle your carbs intelligently
Hey, carbs inherently are not bad. I do eat around 40% of calories from carb sources.
I have tried to lift weights both on a low carb diet <100g per day and on a moderate carb diet ~200?250g and I can say with reasonable confidence that higher carbs result in better workouts, better pump in the gym. Don?t forget each gram of carb holds 3g of water and combine that with glycogen stores in your muscles you muscle are bound to look bigger!
Skinny Fat Diet & Lifestyle Tip #4
Sleep a lot. I mean a lot. Take naps if needed.
How much should you sleep? More than 6 hours for sure. That?s how much an average person sleeps. How much do I sleep? 8 hours. I tried 6 hours for a short phase, but I always felt low on energy. My work suffered and do
How much do I sleep? 8 hours. I tried 6 hours for a short time, but I always felt low on energy. My work suffered and so did my workouts. I average between 7?8 hours per night (including naps). That should be good enough for you. Most people are worried more about how many grams of protein their whey powder has rather than how many hours of sleep they are getting!
Most people are worried more about how many grams of protein their whey powder has rather than how many hours of sleep they are getting!
Don?t be that person, and do things that matter and sleep matters a lot. Nap whenever you can if you cannot get more than 6 hours a night due to whatever reason.
Skinny Fat Diet & Lifestyle Tip #5
Don?t feel sorry for your genetics.
Instead, use it to fuel your desire. I use to play the genetic card a lot. Especially with my brother who is naturally broad than me.
Guess who?s who:
But I am at peace with it now. Genetics do play a very important role (here I go again) in how you look and how much and how soon you?ll build muscle and lose fat, but hard work beats talent (in this case its one?s genetics) everytime talent doesn?t work hard.
Note: I am not comparing myself with my brother. To each his own. He is amazing..:)
So stop being a cry baby and cursing your genetics. Use it to fuel your desire, become obsessed with it and build a LEAN & Healthy Physique that you could be proud of!
Fast track your results by enrolling in my new course LEAN which I specially designed for Skinny Fat people.
If you have any doubts or queries let me know in the comments below!
