As a 22 year old in college I remember having no problem taking my shirt off if the weather was nice enough. I was not self-conscious, knew I had an OK body, and that women and men would not turn and run in the other direction.
I am now 34, married, two kids, and find myself traveling almost every week for work. I also now wear a shirt when I go to the pool. What happened? Why did this happen? How did I let this happen?
Well, quite simply. I got comfortable, busy, and became a parent. I also became the definition of Skinny Fat.
What is Skinny Fat?
Skinny Fat is when you are not morbidly obese but fat. You are not razor thin but look skinny. For example you may weigh between 180 and 220 and are above average in height (5'8" to 6'1" or so) but your body, for the most part, is flab. If you keep your clothes on (mostly looser fitting) no one would mistake you for being fat. But. If you took your shirt off, you rolls and the weigh your belly jiggles, would be your give away.
You are Skinny Fat.
I came to accept this fact this weekend: I am never going to get my 22 year old body back, but I am also not going to let myself remain Skinny Fat for the rest of my life. If you are like me, a Skinny Fat person, you should make this pledge to yourself and take your health back.
The Steps I Will Take
I am going to start running again. I used to do this quite a bit when I was in high school and college. Then I graduated and life hit me in the face. All of sudden 8 to 12 hour work days replaced my 2 to 3 hours of class. I had to make adjustments and manage my time more efficiently, so I said good-bye to running. Now I am saying hello and will fit it into my schedule.
I am going to start eating healthy by refusing to eat fast food. I will not be lazy and not make myself a lunch every morning to bring to work. This will be beneficial two fold. Less calories, fat, and grease in my system, and more money in my wallet. I have a feeling the more often I bring my lunch to work, the more money I will save overall.
Finally, I am going to start lifting weights and incorporate other forms of strength training. Running will help me shed pounds but weight and strength training will certainly firm and tone me up.
