Firstly, 'skinny fat' is a term that is used to describe a figure that doesn't have much muscle mass, but isn't actually skinny - it's basically a physique that lacks muscle, has a higher body fat percentage, but isn't large.
How does someone look like that when they 'diet' and exercise? Well there are a few reasons...
Too Much Cardio!
This tends to be more popular with the females. Guys like to go in the gym and hit the weights, whereas (on average) women will head to the cardio machines. Cardio does burn fat, but it doesn't really do much with regards to building muscle. If you're after a fit, toned/muscular physique, then doing too much cardio will interfere, and will actually cannibalise muscle mass.
Not Eating Enough!
A lot of people think by starving their body, they will lose body fat, that is not true at all. Starving you body will actually cause fat retention. I can see why people think that by eating more they won't lost body fat, but starving your body is not the way to go. It's important to keep your protein intake high, lowering the carbs and consuming some healthy fats too. You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose fat, but you don't need to be in an extreme deficit.
Avoiding weights
Weights don't tend to be a problem when it comes to the guys, but women sometimes fear them as they don't want to 'look like the hulk' - well that is not going to happen. By undertaking weight training, not only are you going to burn more calories, you're also going to create shape to your physique. The reason why 'skinny fat' isn't really appealing, is because it completely lacks shape, so even though you're not 'big', you tend to look fat - hence the name. By burning more calories (fat) and building muscle mass, you're going to be in far better shape, so not only do you look better in casual clothes, but in beachwear too.
Lee Gregory Fitness
(pic - google)
