Skinny fat is a term for people who don’t look large, but have dwindling muscle mass and increasing fat in their bodies. This is a condition I always knew about, but not one that I realized applied to me.
However, I just had a revelation.
Last week I went to Good Life Fitness for an evaluation. The evaluator asked me if I worked out because, for my age (fifty-something), I looked in good shape. I smugly said, “No, I don’t work out. Good genes.” Saying this made me feel good; here was a pretty thirty-something woman impressed with my great shape. What’s wrong with that?
Revelation strikes: Just a few days latter, while at a lecture on detoxification of the body, the instructor went off on a tangent and started talking about “skinny fat people”. She was describing me! What a shock. ‘I’m fat?’ I asked myself. I always knew I wasn’t in great shape but fat?
Bottom line, my muscle mass is fading away with age and being replaced with fat. This is similar to a form of muscular dystrophy called pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy, except the difference is that I can do something about it. I’ve already started Qi Gong and taking calcium – it looks like weights are next. Here is a good link about skinny fat people.
Anyone else having a revelation? Share with me so I won’t feel so bad.
Dr Tony
P.S. Come to think about it, I seem to float in water more easily than when I was young? And fat floats, right?
P.P.S. We’ll be hosting a Spring Detox Workshop with great talks held by myself, Brian Derby, R.M.T. and J.P. Brunelle, L. Ac. It’s happening April 15th, 2010 from 7.00 – 9.00 pm in Kanata. Sign in at our office, or visit our page to register. All profits will be donated to the Ottawa Cancer Society.
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. ……… Bumpy Boobs
– A blog of a young woman who has just discovered she has breast cancer. Her writing is therapeutic for her, and is a help others going through this trying ordeal
The Intention Experiment with Lynn McTaggert
I remember the shock I felt during a physical assessment when I was told my body fat was too high and my flexibility was below average. How could this be? I was curling once a week in the winter and golfing once a week in the summer.
Last summer when I went hiking in the Rockies, I could not keep up with the younger members of my group. I was clearly out of shape. Fortunately for me, JP Brunelle offers his twice weekly Qi Gong classes which I enjoy immensely and which have motivated me to exercise more regularly. I plan to start weight training in 2 weeks. My goal is to be able to hike in the Rockies next summer without having to make too many rest stops.
Well, I know that when I am pulling in a 30 lb. carp I get a good work out. My dream is to one day go to B.C. and fish for sturgeon. Right now I know that I couldn’t handle a 200 lb fish. But I really want to give it a try. Guess we need something to motivate us, eh?
[...] evaluated with a BIA or Bio Impedance Analysis machine. It confirmed my suspicions that I am skinny fat. My fat content was up, even though I don’t look it. It was actually a bit sobering, [...]