Skinny with belly fat? 9 steps to lose fat and get jacked!

skinny with belly fat person

Are you skinny with belly fat? 

Perhaps you are skinny with love handles or muffin tops?

If so, you are skinny fat. My friend, you are not alone.

When you look at me with my clothes on, you’d think I’m healthy but…

Appearance can be deceiving. Although I look skinny outside, I am all gooey and soft inside.

I did try to lose the belly fat by going to the gym 5 days a week. But, no matter how many kilos I benched or dumbbells I curled, I could not get rid of my pot belly.

Gradually, 5 days a week of exercise became 3, then 2. Eventually, I stopped going to the gym altogether. 

Years of trying without results led me to stop. Lots of binge eating and not a whole lot of training had me belly up. 

As if that wasn’t bad enough, I became a Dad. Now, I love my daughter, and I think she is our miracle baby. But, I became more sedentary and developed what I call the obese Dad bod.

A little clarification about what a Dad bod is, according to Mckenzie Pearson from Clemson University in an article from Odyssey about Dad bod.

“The dad bod is a nice balance between a beer gut and working out. The dad bod says, ‘I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time.’ It’s not an overweight guy, but it isn’t one with washboard abs, either.”

I do believe my stomach size is in the realm of beer guts, disqualifying me from having a Dad bod. 

I finally realized I was very unhealthy when I couldn’t get up the stairs without rest. 

God only knows what will happen if I let my sedentary lifestyle go on.

Straightforward steps to stop being skinny with belly fat

skinny fat belly buster

Having used to the relaxed lifestyle, and taking care of an energetic baby which stresses the life out of me; change is not going to be easy.

However, thinking about my daughter’s future, I needed to stop my downward spiral to obesity.

Looking back, losing my Dad at an early age had a significant impact on my life growing up. I didn’t want the same thing to happen to my daughter. 

You see, my father had a belly fat too. He wasn’t obese, but he had a significant amount of belly fat.

Research has shown there is a direct correlation to belly fat and sudden natural death. In a study by Obesity Science and Practice, 241 subjects were measured for visceral and subcutaneous fat.

The subjects were divided into two groups, 174 who suddenly died from natural causes and 67 who died from different causes.

The study showed, there was a significant amount of abdominal fat in the natural death group compared to the random group.

In summary, having a high amount of belly fat has a direct correlation to sudden natural death.

[source: Relationship between sudden natural death and abdominal fat evaluated on postmortem C.T. scans]

If you want to know more about belly fat and why it’s crucial to get rid of it, read this article: What causes belly fat and why you should not ignore it.

1) Stop eating cakes

guy eating cake

Some don’t need to, as for me, not eating cake was and still is—hard to do. You see, I love cake like an alcoholic loves his Jack Daniels. 

Cakes are full of sugar and fat, a deadly combo, making this tasty treat a must miss. 

How do you stop eating cakes when you have the biggest sweet tooth? 

Well, it’s very hard, almost impossible. If you can’t stop it, learn to manage it, and you need to know when is the best time to have one if you “really” need to.

You can time your unhealthy carbs feed after your strength training.

Although, more studies are needed about the so-called “post-workout anabolic window,” where you stuff as many carbs in to help restore lost glycogen and build muscles. 

You can use this time to have your cake. It can help restore lost glycogen levels very quickly. However, don’t make this an excuse to get greedy and start eating a whole cheesecake after a workout. 

The quality of food you put into your body is still an essential factor in staying healthy.

Limit yourself to 1 piece of cake, alternatively, have fruits instead to get you closer to your goal quicker.

2) Water is life

woman drinking water

Ever heard the saying, “water is life”? Well, some brilliant biochemist by the name of Albert Szent-Györgyi, deemed it so, calling it the matrix of life. He also stated that there is no life without water.

[source: Biology and pathology of water]

How I see it, this is true. Just look at our planet. Earth is covered in water by 71%. Our body is made up of water, about 65%. 

Without going into the exact Science of justifying this statement, think about it for a second. 

What will happen if we don’t have water in our oceans, rivers, and lakes? When we get dehydrated, what happens to us?

There must be a direct correlation between life and water. So, drink water, plain water. 

Drink plenty when you get hungry, especially at night when you are mostly sedentary and don’t use up calories.

Water is life, but if you add extra junk, it will be junk — garbage such as sugar, preservatives, and additives. 

Please avoid beverages with added sugar as it will quickly add to your daily caloric intake. Avoid drinks such as Coke, Fanta, Sprite, and Beer if you want to see actual results.

Take these sugar-laden beverages out of your diet, and you will shrink your belly fat.

You see, sugar hangs around and turns to fat if you don’t burn it off. Thus, it makes sense not to overdo it with cakes and all the good stuff that is bad for you. 

I know how you are feeling right now listening to my food hating babble. Trust me; I hate myself.

I know how decadent a perfectly made thin slab of chocolate is on top of a soft sponge cake—the delightful taste of a finely ground cookie crust as the base of a perfectly baked cheesecake. I know, I love cheesecakes. Write cheesecake in the comment if you feel me.

Look, you probably notice how much I love food, by now. In particular, desserts. Also, If you are anything like me, you know how impossible it is to avoid such good things. 

However, as my partner says in his book about belly fat, you can curb the sugar cravings with a simple trick. 

3) Hit the weights

skinny guy lifts

Hitting the weights and building muscle mass will help you lose any excess fat off your belly. 

Don’t feel intimidated to hit the weights at the gym because you lack in size. So many times, I’ve heard the, “I don’t want to go to the gym because I am embarrassed by how skinny I look.”

People don’t go to the gym to make fun of others. If you are too busy concerning yourself with what others are doing, then maybe you need to change your thinking.

Look, I was that skinny guy benching just the bar, the skinny guy trying to figure out how a leg press works. 

Everyone knows you have to start somewhere. Those jacked-up gym junkies you always see in the gym were noobs once.

There will always be a few exceptions—the haters. People who love to hate on others instead of focusing on themselves don’t waste your time on them, instead, concentrate on your health. 

You are doing this for you, and for your loved ones: not for the haters. Let the spark of hatred increase the burn of your desire to achieve your goals.

Do you know what I use as one of my motivations to lose my pot belly? My friend’s comment, “fat ass,” after seeing me with my shirt off.

I know it was just words, and she meant it as a joke, and I don’t know why I even cared, but I still recall those words when I see an ice cream sundae. 

Haters are going to hate, high achievers leverage haters.

4) A cardio a day

bike cardio machine

A cardio a day can keep the doctor and fat away. The benefits of cardiovascular activity are widely known, yet the statistics of heart disease-related deaths are on the rise. Why?

Simply put—we are lazy. 

We are now going into the age where automation is a part of life. Soon, technology will reach the point of advancement where human interactions and physical activities are not needed.

I fear that technology does more harm than good to the overall health of the population. Let’s face it; we want things easy. We’d rather drive to McDonald’s that is a block away. Call Ubereats, Menulog, Grab or food delivery system to get our food fix. 

Food chains, warehouses, companies around the world are implementing automation which will put millions of jobs at risk.

In the not too distant future, we will all be incredibly obese and too slow, too fat, to fight the rise of the machines. 

Resulting in humans being slaves, and The Matrix becomes a reality. Humans will be the fat cows that feed A.I.

Grim assumptions or grim expectations? Perhaps the government will build a fail/safe device which will blow everything to kingdom come.

I will not go on a tangent and focus on the present and what we know. 

Being physically active will keep your heart and body in great shape.

You can start with a 7 minutes workout to burn some fat. The following is the link to how you can lose belly fat in just 7 minutes a day:

Slowly progress to a 45 minutes cardio to burn the fat encasing your organs—visceral fat.

What is visceral fat? You have two types of abdominal fat. The one you can pinch is called subcutaneous fat. 

And you have the visceral fat which slowly poisons your body, is found deep inside your stomach. 

The longer it attaches to your organs, the unhealthier you become. Emphasizing this visible killer is my mission. 

If you are interested in getting rid of this nasty fat which may potentially put you in an early grave, find out how to lose belly fat.

5) Be informed

knowledge is health

Reading about weight loss and fitness will significantly benefit your health journey. If I knew what I know now, I would have saved tons of researching, implementing, and failing.

I have been unsuccessful many times trying to lose my pot belly. It would be best if you didn’t do the same. 

What if you already know what to do? 

What if you can learn from my 3 years worth of mistakes? 

Would that reduce the time it takes for you to be healthy? 

Will it make it easier, knowing that what you are doing is the right way?

I can tell you now that losing my fat gut was extremely taxing both physically and mentally.

It doesn’t have to be the same experience for you. Staying informed and educated are one of the critical factors to beat the bulge and stay healthy.

Massive vault of tips on how to lose belly fat forever

Once you know the best way to lose belly fat, it’s only a matter of time before you are parading your six-pack at the beach.

With this immense newfound knowledge, you can use these tips and secrets to help educate others about the dangers of belly fat and live a healthier lifestyle. 

If you want the smooth and surefire way route to a flat stomach, check the following link:

Skinny with love handles

skinny fat with love handles

We’ve covered the methods to lose belly fat when you are thin. What if you are skinny with love handles?

Belly and love handles are 2 different things as some of you may be shocked to find out. Essentially they are formed from having too much fat.

Depending on your genes, body type, disease, you are likely to form a significant amount of love handles.

Where are my love handles?

When you think belly, you touch your belly button because that is the button of your belly (ba dum chh). Also, it is where your stomach is located. 

Love handles are located on the side of your belly or stomach; I like to call them flank fats. 

Why are they called “love handles”?

I do not know, but a quick search around the web reveals Debbie Reynolds was the culprit on popularizing the term.

According to Barry Popik, author, and founder of barrypopik.com, the term love handles came from Debbie Reynolds’ dad, referring to her mother’s fat around her midsection.

Whether that is true or not, I leave it up to you. 

A Merriam Webster dictionary search reveals that it’s the fatty bulges along the sides of the body. However, there is nothing about its source.

A wiki search didn’t lead to anything either, leaving me stumped and have to rely on Barry Popik’s words.

How to lose love handles when you are skinny?

Losing love handles is substantially similar to losing your belly fat. However, more dedication is needed if you want quality results.

If you’ve followed the methods on how to lose belly fat if you are a skinny person, then you are on the right path. 

To amp your results, you should try the following additional steps.

6) Concentrate on protein and vegetables at night

salmon and vegetables

When cutting season arrives, my meal plan includes focusing on protein and veggies at night time.

However, during the day, I take in as much as carbohydrates as my calorie count would allow. 

For example: if I had a limit of 2000 kcal per day, I would make sure I leave enough calorie room for my steak and spinach later that day.

How much carbs you eat during the day is mostly dependant on your carb to fat to protein ratio.

Since we are talking about being skinny fat, we mustn’t be putting in more calories than we need.

The following is my ratio of carbs, fats, and proteins:

  • 35% carbs
  • 45% protein
  • 20% fat

Now, don’t treat these numbers religiously. Calories and ratios will differ depending on your goal, body type, and health. Moreover, sometimes, these numbers will change due to unplanned things called—life.

Look, I am not the type to be fussy on numbers but being skinny fat means we don’t have the ideal body type.

We don’t develop muscle well, hard for us to lose fat, and a piece of potato chips will ruin our diet. 

Accept the fact that we have to work harder compared to the Mesomorph types who touch dumbbells and get jacked.

Hence when a skinny fat person gets jacked, ripped, swole, I have the utmost respect for. It takes dedication, motivation, willpower, and hard work to achieve their almost impossible feat.

7) Count calories

counting calories

Counting calories can be tedious and annoying, but you have to do it. I used to count my calories using a notepad I carry around with me. 

Those were the days of walkmans and dumb mobile phones. We didn’t have apps back then; we had a noisy 56k dial-up modem to connect to the internet. 

Now, we are on the internet 24/7 and thousands of apps to make life a little easier.

One app I use to track my calories is from myfitnesspal, which Samsung phones used include in their factory setup.

There are many calorie-tracking apps, free and paid. Free apps work just as well.

8) Record changes

my diet tracker

Every week, on the same day, same time, the same condition, record your measurements; this will give you a progress report.

Use this report to either modify or stick with what you are doing. 

Have you gained weight? Maybe it was that night out with the boys or girls and pizzas. 

Lost weight? Hell yes! High fives all around.

Same? Keep trying.

Without progress report, you have no idea the efficacy of your program. If there’s a positive change, your motivation will go up tenfold. 

If the result is negative, well, you know what to do. When you are down, this is the time when your motivation and willpower comes into play.

9) Don’t half-ass your lifts

lazy workout

So you are following number 3 and hitting the weights. You are one of the few people reading this article taking action.

Make sure though that you are exerting significant effort with every set by making each last rep to failure.

A set to failure is when you can’t complete the movement—your muscles are fatigued. Some people are not going past their limit and quite content not maximizing their lifts. 

A research from the journal of Frontiers in Physiology was conducted to find whether resistance training to failure is necessary. 

The conclusion was that resistance to failure was not needed to gain muscle mass. However, you get considerably stronger when you train to failure with high load training.

[source: Is Resistance Training to Muscular Failure Necessary?]

Look, we are not the type who has the luxury to half-ass our workouts. As I mentioned, there are people with body types that touch a dumbbell and get ripped. We are not those people, believe me, I wish I were. How easier life would be if that were the case.

Moreover, we are trying to get rid of the most stubborn fat—the love handles. Why waste your training time by not putting in the maximal effort? Also, by doing an extra rep, you are working out longer, maximizing fat loss. 

You will also get stronger training to failure. Not only will you gain muscle mass but also physical strength.

Workouts at home for a skinny fat person

Sometimes you can’t get to the gym, or you want to build up some confidence before hitting the big leagues.

Working out at home is great when the sky is grey, when you are just getting started, or when you are broke as a joke. 

Working out at home also determines if you are going to continue and how serious you are to losing your love handles. Let’s face it; some people signed a gym membership only to lose motivation and waste money. 

There are pros and cons to joining a gym and working out at home. One of the advantages of working out at home is that there is no need to buy expensive equipment and no monthly membership fee. 

When it comes to strength training, you need resistance to tear your muscles apart. That resistance can come in the form of weight plates, or my favorite, your body weight.

There are many exercises you can do using your body weight. The following are just some of them:

Tricep dips

For this exercise, you’ll need a bench or a chair. 

  1. Sit on the chair and grab the edge of the chair on the side of your thighs.
  2. Slide your buttocks off the chair.
  3. Your legs should be extended and straight. 
  4. Your heels should be the only part of your body touching the floor.
  5. Your arms should be straight with a little bend.
  6. Slowly lower your buttocks down to the floor. 
  7. When your elbows are at a 90-degree angle and your buttocks close to the floor, push your palms down to straighten yourself up back to your starting position.
  8. Repeat to failure.

You can make this exercise a little easier by bending your legs and your feet flat on the floor.

Push-ups

I love push-ups, and there are many mistakes people make. This guide will help you do a basic push up. We will target mainly our chest with this exercise. You will feel some tension in your shoulders and arms, but this exercise builds pecs.

  1. Start by kneeling on the floor arms straight on your side.
  2. Raise your arm in front of you and lower hands to the floor shoulder-width apart.
  3. Straighten your body and keep your back straight, your toes and hands should be the only part of your body touching the floor.
  4. Always keep your back straight and in line with your butt and legs.
  5. Lower your body down slowly until your chest is almost touching the floor.
  6. Push your body up slowly until your arms are almost straight.
  7. Repeat to failure.

There are things you need to keep in mind. Make sure that the pressure is felt on the chest; and not on your shoulders and back straight. Although, to make it easier, have your knee on the ground while you do the push-up.

Lunges

Lunges will work out your thigh muscles and will leave you unable to walk correctly for the next couple of days if this is your first time, just a warning. So, make sure you time your legs workout at the end of the week when you have time to recover.

  1. Stand with your legs, torso, and head straight.
  2. Take a huge step forward with your right leg and gently lower your whole body down until your left knee is touching the floor.
  3. Push your body back up to your standing position by driving your heels to the floor.
  4. Repeat to failure.
  5. Do the same with your left leg.

Squats

Similar to lunges, this will target your thighs.

  1. Stand with legs shoulder-width apart.
  2. Make sure you are looking forward throughout the exercise.
  3. Pretend like you are going to sit on a chair behind you while you straighten your arms in front of you.
  4. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, stop and pause for a second.
  5. Your knees should not go past your toes.
  6. Keeping your hands straight and in front of you, push your body back to your starting position.
  7. Repeats this exercise to failure.

Sumo Squat

  1. Stand with your legs wider than shoulder-width apart, and your toes pointing outwards in a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lower your body down as you straighten your arms in front of you.
  3. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, push your body back up to your original position.
  4. Don’t let your knees go past your toes.
  5. Repeat to failure.

Donkey straight leg raises

  1. Get on your knees, toes, and hands.
  2. Extend your right leg.
  3. Keeping your back, and leg straight, raise your leg high as you can go without bending. 
  4. Pause at the top.
  5. Lower your leg back down.
  6. Repeat to failure.
  7. Repeat with the left leg.

Plank

  1. Start in a push-up position.
  2. Lower your elbow to the floor and form a triangle with your arms by clasping your hands together.
  3. Keep your back, butt, and legs straight.
  4. Hold this position for as long as you can.

Sit-ups

  1. Lay on the floor and bend your knees.
  2. Your feet, back, and the back of your head should be laying straight on the floor.
  3. Cup your ears or temple with your hands, don’t hold on to them.
  4. Raise your shoulders off the floor by a few inches until.
  5. Your abs should be feeling the tension and nowhere else.
  6. Lower it back down slowly.
  7. Repeat to failure.

Leg raises

  1. Lay on your back with your legs straight and hands on the side.
  2. Your hands are only to be used for balance. Don’t cheat.
  3. Raise your legs while keeping them straight until it is pointing at the ceiling. Pause at the top.
  4. Lower your legs back down slowly while keeping everything straight.
  5. Don’t touch the floor with your feet on the way down.
  6. Repeat to failure.

As you can see, there are many exercises you can do without the need for expensive equipment.

There is no need to join if you know these exercises you can do at home. The cons of exercising at home are that there are too many distractions.

The following are just some of them:

  • Netflix
  • Computer
  • Games
  • Dog
  • Child
  • Child 2
  • Child 3
  • Beer
  • Beer
  • Bed

As you can see, there are many things at home that can sabotage our effort to get fit and healthy. Going to the gym gives you focus and do the work.

Skinny fat and anabolic steroids

Since our body type makes it almost impossible to get ripped or jacked. You might think that the answer comes with anabolic steroids. 

Just look at these people who are jacked, ripped, swole, and cut before the age of steroids according to Coach Nine.

Okay so they could be the mesomorph types, granted. However, is taking drugs with known detrimental side effects worth it?

The following table details just some side effects Anabolic steroids may give you.

Bad effects of anabolic steroid use

CardiovascularDermatological
Lipid profile changes
Elevated blood pressure
Decreased myocardial function
Acne
Male pattern baldness
Endocrine Psychological
Gynecomastia
Decreased sperm count
Testicular atrophy
Impotence and transient infertility
Mania
Depression
Aggression
Mood swings
HepaticMuscoskeletal
Increased risk of liver tumors and liver damage Premature epiphyseal plateclosure
Increased risk of tendon tears
Intramuscular abscess
Genitourinary for malesGenitourinary for females
Low sperm count
Testicular shrinks
Enlargement of the breast
Menstrual irregularities
Enlargement of the clitoris
Looking masculine
Genitourinary for male and female
Change in sex drive

[source: Medical Issues Associated with Anabolic Steroid Use: Are They Exaggerated?]

Many athletes use anabolic steroids to compete, even knowing its adverse side effects. They do so to win, but the win is short-lived. Ever heard of the athletes who lost their gold and respect? 

Anabolic steroids may quicken your journey to your perfect body, but at what cost? 

  • Baldness?
  • Sudden death from cardiac arrest?
  • Liver cancer?
  • Joint problems?
  • “Roid rage”?
  • Decreased sperm count?
  • Acne?
  • Small testicle?
  • Impotence?
  • Infertility?
  • Male breast cancer (guys get breast cancer too)?

Although the study about anabolic steroids was asking for more research to be done on casual users, are you willing to touch anabolic steroids if by little chance you may get adverse side effects? 

Frankly, I wouldn’t, but hey, it’s your life, I’m only giving my perspective. 

In saying that, I’ve met people who have been taking anabolic steroids for years. These users experienced no known side effects. 

Either they are not telling the truth, or the adverse effects of anabolic steroids are hugely exaggerated.

The only advice I can give when it comes to this topic is to do your due diligence. Peruse Scientific studies about this type of drug then weigh the pros and cons.

More cons? Then go all-natural. It doesn’t mean you can’t get there. It will just take a little longer. 

Longer, but you have the peace of mind that you won’t get any long term side effects which may hamper your quality of life when you’re older.

Why am I skinny with belly fat?

You might be asking why you are a skinny fat person. I’m sorry to disappoint you because even high authority bodies do not have a clear answer. But let’s look at some research.

St. John’s research institute blames this phenomenon from the environment and lifestyle.

[source: The thin-fat phenotype and global metabolic disease risk.]

However, my theory is, your genes have a lot to do with it. Your genes determine how your body is shaped. 

If you were lucky enough to be a mesomorph who burns fat like paper and put on muscle instantaneously, you wouldn’t be a skinny fat person.

Instead, your body has a hard time putting on weight; it also has a hard time gaining muscle but quickly put on fat.

Like most things, time will tell. The more research is done, the more precise the answer becomes.

Losing fat is hard

I knew losing fat wasn’t going to be easy. I can tell you right now that there are many things you need to have and to change to be successful at losing your fats.

One thing to have is willpower. If you don’t have the will to stop yourself from devouring a sticky, original glazed Krispy Kreme donut, you will never achieve your desired outcome.

Without further ado and stop boring you with my life story, here are my 5 simple steps that helped my skinny body with belly fat to bring sexy back. 

Implement this in your lifestyle, and you will get guaranteed results.

Are you skinny fat? Tests to see if you are

Before you start trying to lose your belly fat, there are specific tests you can use to determine whether you are a skinny fat person. According to Mark Hyman M.D.’s article, the following are tests to ask your doctor to determine if you are chubby thin:

  • Glucose fast
  • Triglyceride
  • HDL (good cholesterol)
  • Blood pressure 
  • Insulin
  • Lipid particle

Alternatively, if you take a look at yourself in the mirror and you see your stomach is disproportionately bigger to the rest of your body, there’s a big chance you are skinny fat.

Perhaps your stomach is not as big, you are thin and not showing, then you may opt to take the tests to be 100%.

Either way, you still need to lose the stomach fat because other than looking unflattering, it’s also unhealthy for you to have it hanging around: skinny fat or not.

You should read What causes belly fat and why you should not ignore it.

The dangerous type of skinny fat person

There are different types of skinny fat, and the most dangerous of them all is the skinny fat person without belly fat.

You look at yourself in the mirror, and you see a sexy example of a human being. However, for all you know, you may have more fat than Fat Albert.

Studies have shown that metabolically obese normal-weight (MONW) person has a higher amount of visceral fat, higher blood pressure: higher risks to type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

The reason for their higher amount of numbers to a skinny fat person that has a belly fat is—they do not know.

Thin people that are not aesthetically fat can go on life without worrying about being overweight. 

Over time, the lard builds up until it’s too late. Take those tests.

[source: Characteristics of metabolically obese normal-weight (MONW) subjects.]

Well, I think I bored you long enough, the following should help you get started in losing your belly fat.

Conclusion

Being skinny fat is dangerous because appearance can be deceiving. You may not know how unhealthy you are. To be on the safe side, get yourself tested.

If you have returned a positive result, then follow all the 9 steps to get rid of your belly fat and get jacked.

It will take a lot of hard work and dedication to lose weight. Heck, I know how you feel because I am in your shoes. I am skinny with belly fat.

To help you in your way to losing your belly full of fat, find out how to melt off 84lbs of fat by implementing this simple habit.