Four tips for skinnyfat hobby joggers

At age 48 you won't really be getting any faster, instead you are more trying to reduce the amount of time you lose each year. That's because each year you will get slower. Not much you can do about it. That's what ageing is. Although in college I was faster than you I'm pretty sure you are faster than me now. I know I could improve my diet, improve my running, and improve my cycling. All things I need to work on to get my weight down from 205 to the 175 range. A far cry from my college days of 142 on my 5'10" frame.

Along with diet and running, core training is important if not critical to loosing that skinny fat (at least abs, pull ups, etc.).

Not as old (I’m 32) or slow as you, OP, but I started doing each of these things seriously about 4-5 months ago and have seen considerable benefits although I don’t intermittently fast on a schedule. This info is all common sense by now but it takes discipline that most people don’t have to stick with in order to see the benefits. I think it gets even more difficult for runners putting in a lot of mileage whose sole focus is running.

I was already low mileage while doing other sports/activities so the post-run lifting is now additional stimulus. My weight has stayed about the same at 5 foot 10 / 150-155 pounds. Muscle mass had gone up. I’m more powerful on short track intervald and hills. Strangely enough I feel fitter in terms of endurance despite running less volume with more days off.

My only concerns are eventually training for marathon at a level commensurate to my ability. Keeping focused / balanced life / outside interests / maintaining weight / diet.

constrained wrote:

Along with diet and running, core training is important if not critical to loosing that skinny fat (at least abs, pull ups, etc.).

yep good for posture too

You only need one tip: no booze.

Some high intensity workouts help as well.

go keto

You could have cut your post down to two words: eat less.

Or, do the following:

1. Two to three times a week do heavy ass lifting, low reps, high weights. Just the basic compund movements is all you need i.e. deadlifts, squats, bench, over head press, dips, pull ups and barbell rows. Accessory work is b.s.

2. Eat a clean healthy diet. Cut out processed foods I.e. avoid soda, "sports drinks", fried foods, white flour, and refined oil. Just eat whole foods i.e. whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

3. Hills, run more hills.

4. Look up Percy Cerutty and seek pain as he did.

Let's be honest about these skinnyfat posts. They are really not about health. They are really midlife crisis posts. Most runners who hit their masters days find out pretty quickly that their aging metabolism cannot process carbs like we did when we were in our 20s and 30s. So, we modify our diets and replace a sandwich for lunch with one of those healthy "bowl" things with quinoa, kale and whatever. We also find that we are more injury prone due to the beginning of a decline in muscle mass. So, it is time to get into the gym and use it before we lose it. So, for normal folks, a few common sense modifications are needed in midlife.

But for others, midlife is a time to freak out and find some new path of enlightenment. For lifelong runners, that takes the shape of strength training and meat eating to end the "skinnyfat" runner body. Strength training is just fine and reducing carbs is an obvious necessity. But the midlife crisis version of making common sense lifestyle modifications is out of control. Paleo is BS. It is just an excuse for heavy meat eaters to diet without giving up eating meat. Animal fats do way more damage than excessive carbs. And spending all morning in the gym is just boring. There is no great health benefit in getting big muscles. In fact, in middle age, care needs to be taken in weight training to avoid damaging knees, back and shoulders with overly aggressive weight lifting routines. Sports meds are seeing far worse injuries from aggressive weight training in middle aged people than from distance running. Knee and shoulder replacements and slipped discs are becoming very common with middle age people who are aggressive weight lifters.

What can trim down love handles? I mean what exercise can firm up that area?

Anyone?

Gravy wrote:

You only need one tip: no booze.

There are plenty of skinnyfat and just plain fat people that never touch a drop of booze homeschooler.

@Gravy wrote:

Gravy wrote:

You only need one tip: no booze.

There are plenty of skinnyfat and just plain fat people that never touch a drop of booze homeschooler.

Actually alcoholism is a good way to stay lean. Two main ways alcoholism is good for your waistline:

1. Spend all your money on booze instead of junk food.

2. You can develop a stomach condition from drinking too much alcohol that makes it hurt to eat. This will obviously prevent overeating.

Precious Roy wrote:

Let's be honest about these skinnyfat posts. They are really not about health. They are really midlife crisis posts. Most runners who hit their masters days find out pretty quickly that their aging metabolism cannot process carbs like we did when we were in our 20s and 30s. So, we modify our diets and replace a sandwich for lunch with one of those healthy "bowl" things with quinoa, kale and whatever. We also find that we are more injury prone due to the beginning of a decline in muscle mass. So, it is time to get into the gym and use it before we lose it. So, for normal folks, a few common sense modifications are needed in midlife.

40+ yrs old, 50mpw on average, eat 70% carbs & appx. 3000 cal/day to maintain weight.

If you're "skinnyfat," eat less or run more. It's that simple. You can eat high carb, low carb, all butter, whatever turns your crank. Just find the balance of calories in, calories out.

Gravy wrote:

You only need one tip: no booze.

That could be a problem!

I thought this was going to be a troll thread based on the subject, but that's some good advice in the first post.

I've been using a number of the those principles to guide my weight loss after a disatrous 20K a couple months ago.

One thing I'd like to add, no snacking after dinner, when you start to get the urge to go into the kitchen and get something else to eat, go to sleep.

"You could have cut your post down to two words: eat less."

It's not so simple. Many people have tried this approach and most have failed. A low-carb diet coupled with Intermittent Fasting is by far the most effective method I've tried to eat less.

Sand Dunes wrote:

Or, do the following:

1. Two to three times a week do heavy ass lifting, low reps, high weights. Just the basic compund movements is all you need i.e. deadlifts, squats, bench, over head press, dips, pull ups and barbell rows. Accessory work is b.s.

2. Eat a clean healthy diet. Cut out processed foods I.e. avoid soda, "sports drinks", fried foods, white flour, and refined oil. Just eat whole foods i.e. whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

3. Hills, run more hills.

4. Look up Percy Cerutty and seek pain as he did.

whole grains and fruits contain tons of carbs. This approach would not work for me.

This may work for awhile, but eventually you are going to get hurt and your mileage will drop. When that happens you are going to gain a ton of fat.