How to Fix Skinny Fat

The Skinny Fat body type is rampant in the modern, Western world.

You have a relatively “normal weight”.

You look small, maybe even thin, especially with clothes on.

But underneath it all is the undeniable reality of being Skinny Fat.

Healthcare professionals refer to this as Normal Weight Obesity or TOFI (thin outside, fat inside).

Normal Weight Obesity (aka Skinny Fat): having a high percentage of body fat and a low amount of muscle.

What’s the Risk?

If you ask me, the biggest risk associated with being Skinny Fat is not knowing the risks of being skinny fat.

Remember, nearly half of overweight or obese Americans don’t realize they are overweight or obese. Source

This can lead to underlying health issues you aren’t even aware of. After all, your weight is “normal”.

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• High blood sugar
• Insulin resistance
• Excess fat around internal organs
• Excess fat around the waist
• Reduced skeletal muscle mass

These health issues should be addressed immediately and could go undiagnosed due to being Skinny Fat.

What Are the Signs?

Thankfully, the signs of Skinny Fat are easy to identify.

• Fat stomach
• Undermuscled
• Soft body, no muscle tone
• Lack of physical strength
• High blood pressure
• High blood glucose

Give yourself an honest look in the mirror. Are you soft? Is there excess body fat?

“Ask yourself, “Would I feel comfortable at a pool right now? If my crush was here and saw me naked, would I feel confident or embarrassed?”

Go to the doctor to get your bloodwork done. You should be doing this once a year anyway.

That should be all you need for a Skinny Fat diagnosis.

How to Fix Skinny Fat

The Skinny Fat fix is undoing all of the bad habits that caused you to get Skinny Fat in the first place.

Diet

Eat more protein, fruit, vegetables.

Cut soda, alcohol, smoking, and other sugary foods.

“If you have more food in your fridge than you do in your pantry, the healthier you likely are.”

That guideline should help you know where to shop in a grocery store.

When you stick to the edges and avoid the middle of the store, you’re mostly limited to meat, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.

“The longer something can stay in your pantry without going old, the longer it will take to burn off your body.”

Don’t forget I have two full dieting guides on my YouTube channel!

Intuitive Eating

I used this diet strategy the first few months after my son was born. I didn’t want to meal prep, I didn’t want to count calories, but I needed to lose 15lbs at the same time. This video shows you exactly how I did it.

Calorie Counting

This is the guaranteed way to burn fat and lose weight. When I’m trying to get shredded for summer or photo shoots, this is the dieting strategy I go for. It’s like magic if you do it right.

Strength Train

Strength training is what tells your body to release anabolic hormones to build muscle.

Strength training also helps to regulate your hormones to make you store less fat.

When both of these happen at the same time, it changes your body composition.

More muscle, less body fat. You literally look like a different person.

The mirror and your next checkup will prove it.

Calisthenics is my preferred option here because it’s S.A.F.E – safe, accessible, functional, and effective.

Calisthenics for Beginners | Complete Step-by-Step Guide

This video has everything you need to get started with calisthenics from scratch. Equipment, warmups, exercises, exercise progressions, workout templates, beginner strength goals, and more!

Bodyweight Basics

This book breaks down all of the fundamental bodyweight exercises that you can do right at home. I cover each exercise in detail and give you all my recommendations to build your own calisthenics gym at home.

👉 Click here for your free download.

Cardio

I put diet and strength training above cardio for a reason: it matters more for your goal of not being Skinny Fat.

With that said, a healthy cardiovascular system is still important. Just don’t feel the need to start running 5 miles a week or adding HIIT sessions into your training.

At the very least, focus on moving more.

• Take the stairs.
• Use a basket instead of a cart.
• Don’t search for the closest parking spot. Park and walk.
• Take phone calls standing or walk during the call
• Invest in a standing desk
• Choose the farthest restroom or break room. Bonus points for a different floor!
• Use a balance ball for a chair

At bare minimum, I aim to hit 10,000 steps a day.

Avoid at All Costs

Last but not least is my blacklist.

This is what you should avoid at all costs.

Drop the word “balance” from your vocabulary. Go all in.

Your body needs it.

• Sugar
• Vegetable oil
• Canola oil
• Fruit juice
• Fast food
• Junk food (ice cream, candy, cakes, cookies)
• Processed food (chicken nuggets, pizza, hot dogs)
• Margarine
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• All-nighters (sleep deprivation)

Once you’re done with body recomposition, then you can worry about balance.