If you think being overweight/obese is not a big problem, think again! Yes, BMI is outdated and does not tell you the complete story.

A study spanning almost four decades and involving more than 100,000 adults in Denmark has found that those with an ‘overweight’ body mass index (or BMI) were more likely to live longer than those in the ‘healthy,’ ‘underweight,’ and ‘obese’ categories. ¹https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2520627

A 2013 meta-analysis of 97 studies found that being overweight was associated with a lower risk of death than having a normal BMI. This surprising finding echoed a 2005 study by the same researchers. ²https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1555137 There is no guarantee that if you are in the normal range of BMI, you are healthy and fit.

A new epidemic has started to come up, and it’s called TOFI (Thin on the Outside, Fat on the Inside).

This term is coined by Professor Jimmy Bell, head of the molecular imaging group at the Medical Research Council’s center at Imperial College, London. Dr. Bell concludes that TOFI’s need to worry more about their health than others. ³https://www.theguardian.com/science/2006/dec/10/medicineandhealth.health

In his own words:

We commonly call this condition Skinny Fat. I have been Skinny Fat most of my life and hated it. However, in the picture below, I made the mistake of eating Big to get Big.

Related Article: 3 Biggest Skinny Fat Mistakes You Are Making That You Don’t Know About

Instead, I just got big on my belly with hardly any muscle gain. 🙁 See the picture above. In this post, I’ll give you 5 Skinny Fat Diet and Lifestyle tips that will help you become LEAN (as it helped me, see my recent pics) and not Skinny Fat.

Let’s get started!

1) Runaway From The Word ‘Bulk’

Bulk means to gain weight. So it’s a license to eat. And when we, as Skinny Fat people, get this license out of desperation, we foolishly think that eating more food is the best way to gain muscle. Isn’t that what the muscle-bound gurus or the bros in the gym preach? A one-fit solution to all your problems.

Just going to eat big…Bro. Unfortunately, your Skinny Fat genes convert those extra calories into fat. So you see, you don’t need many calories to build muscle, just a few hundred calories over your TDEE.

Related Article: TDEE Definition: Total Daily Energy Expenditure

If you are a newbie or haven’t gained enough muscle, you can gain muscle even by staying in a caloric deficit!

Related Article: How To Lose Fat Without Losing Muscles

2) Prioritize Protein And Healthy Fats Over Carbs

Your favorite macronutrients should be protein and healthy fats. If you still haven’t got over the low-fat craze, then my friend, you are ruining your body with excess carbs, mostly refined ones. I highly urge you to get a clear idea about fats and how they have been unfairly demonized.

Related Articles: 

Saturated Fat: Good Or Bad?

Good Fat Vs. Bad Fat | Complete List & Chart

Always strive to get enough protein and healthy fats in every meal. And if you have read my blog and know about me, you know I swear by Intermittent Fasting, where I eat only two meals a day. You can read about my eating pattern in my article on Intermittent Fasting.

Related Article: Intermittent Fasting: The Definitive Guide

 3) Cycle Your Carbs Intelligently

Hey, carbs inherently are not bad. I do eat around 40% of my calories from carb sources. I have tried to lift weights both on a low-carb diet of <100g per day and on a moderate-carb diet of ~200-250g, and I can say with reasonable confidence that higher carbs result in better workouts and better pump in the gym.

Don’t forget each gram of carb holds 3g of water, and combine that with glycogen stores in your muscles; your muscle is bound to look bigger!

Related Article: Good Carbs Vs. Bad Carbs | Complete List

4) Sleep A Lot & Take Naps If Needed

How much should you sleep? More than 6 hours for sure. That’s how much an average person sleeps.

How much do I sleep? 8 hours. I tried 6 hours for a short time, but I always felt low on energy. My work suffered, and so did my workouts. I average between 7-8 hours per night (including naps). That should be good enough for you.

Most people are worried more about how many grams of protein their whey powder has rather than how many hours of sleep they are getting! Don’t be that person, and do things that matter; sleep matters a lot. Nap whenever you can if you cannot get more than 6 hours a night due to whatever reason.

5) Don’t Feel Sorry For Your Genetics

Instead, use it to fuel your desire. I used to play the genetic card a lot., especially with my brother, who is naturally more broad than me.

Guess who’s who?

But I am at peace with it now. Genetics plays a very important role (here I go again) in how you look and how much and how soon you’ll build muscle and lose fat, but hard work beats talent (in this case, it’s one’s genetics) every time talent doesn’t work hard.

Note: I am not comparing myself with my brother. To each his own. He is amazing..:)

Now that you know what to do, you can stop being a crybaby and cursing your genetics. Instead, use it to fuel your desire, become obsessed with it, and build a Lean & Healthy Physique that you could be proud of!

Fast track your results by enrolling in my new course LEAN which I specially designed for Skinny Fat people.

If you have any doubts or queries, let me know in the comments below!