"SKINNY FAT PEOPLE"

A misconception about what "Healthy" is has been sending people to their graves prematurely for a long time. Note that I said what “Healthy” is, not what “Healthy” looks like! It’s the idea that just because you are thin you are healthy that has been sending people to their graves prematurely. Magazines and the media promote this supermodel image, and we assume that that is what we should all strive to look like, or be. Maybe it would surprise you to know that many of these beautiful (on the outside) women may actually have high percentage of body fat! I encourage people of all sizes to exercise, and I often get the same response from individuals of the smaller size: “I don’t need to exercise”.  This statement cannot be farther from the truth. Health is measured not by size, or by how you look on the outside: it’s what’s on the inside that counts.  There is a difference between being thin and being healthy, and the difference lies in body composition.

Body composition is a measure of the lean tissue and of the fatty tissue that makes up your body weight. Your body is comprised of many tissues – fat, bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs and lots of water. Ideally it is best to keep fat lower and lean muscle mass higher.

Being overweight is sometimes used synonymously with an unfavorable body composition; however, excess body weight is not a definitive assessment for unfavorable body composition, just as thin is not synonymous with fit and healthy. Extreme athletes or weight lifters can have a body weight that is considered outside of a healthy reference range, but their body compositions may be optimal due to the high amount of lean muscle. Body composition is measured by body mass index (BMI). It is calculated by dividing weight by height. A BMI in the range of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while 30 or more is considered clinically obese.

If you aim to be truly “Healthy”, your goal should be to maintain a healthy muscle mass along with eating a highly nutritious, low-calorice diet, which has been proven to slow the aging process. In addition, exercise regularly. Have you ever known an automobile that has never had an oil change, or gotten a tune up to last for years? NO! Neither can you expect your body to last you for years without changing its oil (proper nutrition), and making sure it has regular tune ups (exercise). Without regular exercise and the proper nutrition you are laying the groundwork for many chronic diseases associated with aging, and premature death.

Three Tips to Maintain Muscle and Boost Fat Loss

1.     Adopt an exercise plan that incorporates cardiovascular exercise along with weight training. I recommend you do your weight training first followed by your cardio if you are doing them both on the same day.

2.     Eat protein with every meal, eat every three hours and skip the sugar.  Protein is the building block of muscle, and it is essential for repair after workouts.

3.     Keep stress levels manageable. Elevated levels of stress hormone can have a negative effect on body composition by increasing the breakdown of muscle mass and increasing the deposition of fat around the abdomen.

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