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Understanding the 'skinny fat' condition is the first step towards taking control of your health and fitness. It refers to having a low amount of muscle and a high percentage of body fat for your overall size. While being small, thin, and weighing less is often considered an indication of health by using measurements like the body mass index (BMI), this isn’t always true.

Those with an excess body fat percentage and lower lean muscle mass can have a higher risk of health conditions in the future. But armed with this knowledge, you can take proactive steps to improve your body composition and overall health.

People who do not exercise regularly or have an unhealthy diet could have a higher risk of developing a ‘skinny fat’ diet, which can lead to future diseases and issues, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or stroke. However, just because this is your current body type, it doesn’t mean it can’t change over time.

Eating a healthy diet, exercising, and changing your lifestyle can help you cut back on fat stores and build lean muscle, which can lead to a more fit physique.

What Makes Someone Skinny Fat?

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Being ‘skinny fat’ means having more visceral fat and less muscle definition and muscle mass. A person might have an average or even underweight BMI but could have less muscle tone, low strength levels, and a high body fat percentage for their overall weight.

A few factors can contribute to this skinny-fat body type. Some people are genetically predisposed to low muscle tone and an inability to put on weight easily, whereas others might find they are skinny-fat due to nutrition, exercise habits, age, and hormonal imbalances.

People who don't exercise might find it harder to gain muscle through their daily activities. Weight lifting and using resistance exercises can help people gain lean muscle and increase muscle tone, along with burning calories and boosting their metabolism.

Plus, a well-balanced diet is crucial to getting enough protein to build muscle, avoiding high-sugar foods that can spike insulin, and preventing having a carb-heavy or high-fat diet that can lead to fat retention.

Lastly, older adults are at a higher risk of losing muscle mass as they age, called sarcopenia, so they could have a skinny fat body type if they do not do resistance exercises.

People who are at the highest risk of developing a skinny fat body type are those who have one of the following conditions:

High blood sugar
High blood pressure
High triglycerides
Low HDL cholesterol
Excess visceral fat

What is the Difference Between Skinny Fat and Lean?

People who are skinny fat often have a low or regular BMI but very low muscle mass. On the other hand, people who are lean often have a fluctuating BMI but a low body fat percentage for their overall weight and muscle proportion. Having a lean body type is healthier than having a skinny fat body.

People who are skinny fat have a much higher risk of developing diseases in the future, such as stroke, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease, due to an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Plus, those with a normal BMI but high fat stores and low muscle mass can have a higher likelihood of premature cognitive decline.

With skinny fat having a host of potential health complications, lean muscle has just the opposite effect. Lean muscle leads to a higher metabolism and fat-burning capabilities, which leads to a better physique and less stored fat. Plus, lean muscle creates better immunity for long-lasting health and fighting against seasonal sickness.

Can I Build Muscle If I'm Skinny Fat?

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Yes, you can, but you need to prioritize eating high-protein foods and doing resistance training to build muscle. Focus on weight training to build muscle mass, including compound lifts, resistance training, and progressive overload. Use multi-joint movements that target multiple muscle groups, such as bench presses, lat pulldowns, squats, deadlifts, and rows.

Consider adding weightlifting with other moderate cardio workouts to build a cardiovascular base for heart health without burning too many calories. You could try a skinny fat workout ski, elliptical, or walking every week to get in the required 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week.

How Many Calories Should a Skinny Fat Person Eat?

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The number of calories you consume depends on your current body weight and exercise levels. For those who want to lose fat and build muscle, consider a caloric deficit of between 200 and 300 calories per day to cut down on visceral fat and maintain muscle mass. For those who want to solely build muscle, eat in a calorie maintenance phase that focuses on high-protein foods, healthy fats, and whole grains.

What Diet is Best For Skinny Fat?

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There are a few tips to follow if you want to build muscle and avoid a skinny fat physique, and these include the following:

Eat complex carbohydrates from whole grain sources, fruits, and vegetables — between 40-60% of your daily calories can come from carbs.
Include ample protein in every meal to stay full and build muscle — 25-30% of your calories can come from protein sources.
Consume healthy fats, like avocados and nut butter, to help regulate hormone levels – 20-30% of your daily calories can come from fat sources.
Eat in a caloric deficit or at caloric maintenance in the beginning of your new diet to help burn excess fat without breaking down needed muscle.
Minimize sugary snacks and beverages and processed foods.
Eat high-protein foods post-exercise to facilitate muscle growth.

Foods to Avoid If You're Skinny Fat

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Avoid eating sugary foods, empty calories, high-fat foods, simple carbs (like pastries), and alcohol. If you're skinny fat, you need wholesome foods to build muscle and cut down on fat stores. The easiest way to do so is to reduce your intake of sugary foods that can spike insulin and cause a rise in blood sugar levels, making it harder to cut back on snacking and lose weight.

Plus, snacking, eating sweets, and eating unhealthy high-carb foods doesn’t lead to muscle growth. Consuming whole foods, protein with every meal, and foods with healthy fats is essential to staying full between meals, fueling muscle growth, and avoiding blood sugar spikes that can lead to energy crises throughout the day or fat gain.

Final Thoughts

Losing weight doesn’t have to be difficult. If you are a skinny fat guy or gal who wants to gain muscle and reduce body weight, you can do so by changing your diet and adding some workouts to your daily lifestyle. You can go from skinny fat to fit by making small alterations in your day-to-day living, like going to the gym, weightlifting, eating high-protein foods, and cutting out sugary snacks.

People who are skinny fat should consider a combination of resistance exercise and moderate aerobic exercise to build muscle AND boost heart health. If you have never worked out before or very seldomly exercise in your daily life, adding moderate cardio exercise is key to increasing cardio capabilities. Aim for 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic exercise per week, three gym sessions per week, and a healthy, well-rounded diet to see changes in your physique.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does weightlifting help with skinny fat?

Weight lifting can help skinny fat people build muscle without burning too many calories, which can lead to muscle loss. Cardio is a great way to burn calories and improve heart health. However, excess cardio can lead to muscle loss, which is precisely the opposite of what skinny fat people want.

Weightlifting is a combination of building muscle and cutting fat through resistance exercise. People who are skinny fat should consider compound lifts to get the most out of their workouts since these full-body exercises target multiple muscle groups at once. Combine weightlifting with other forms of resistance exercise, such as resistance bands, cables, and bodyweight exercises, to gradually get stronger over time.

How unhealthy is skinny fat?

Being skinny fat is usually unhealthy — many healthcare professionals consider it ‘metabolically obese,’ as the person is in a normal weight range but lacks proper exercise, nutrition, and nutrients to facilitate muscle growth. Skinny fat can lead to a myriad of health conditions down the line, such as insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Without exercise, you might have high insulin in your bloodstream, which increases the risk of diabetes. Plus, a lack of exercise can lead to hormonal imbalances that can negatively alter your body's hormone composition and excess fat storage.

Furthermore, skinny fat people with a high-sugar diet have a high likelihood of developing more visceral fat around the abdomen.

Should you cut if you're skinny fat?

Those who are skinny fat but have excess abdominal fat could consider doing a moderate caloric cut during a new diet to start losing fat and building muscle. Seeing a nutritionist and pairing a calorie cut with weight lifting can be a good way to ease into a new diet and see small physical changes.

Or, start with a maintenance phase and begin working out and eating healthy. Then, once you get into the routine of weightlifting, eating whole foods, and swapping out sugary foods for high-protein snacks, you can start a moderate cut to help lose fat.

Main image credit: Karolina Kaboompics / Pexels

The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

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