Skinny Fat
Definition: Skinny fat is a self induced syndrome where an individual is fairly close to their healthy weight, or even at their healthy weight, but they have little if any muscle definition. The sufferer generally does not exercise regularly or is a habitual on and off again exerciser. The sufferer also generally does not follow any type of healthy nutrition plan, rather they eat anything and everything they want. The skinny fat syndrome can and does lead to the sufferer becoming overweight and even obese if the condition is not dealt with. Also, even if the skinny fat sufferer never becomes overweight or obese they ARE at a high risk for obesity related diseases and illnesses.
The First time I heard this word, I blew it off thinking 'yeah right, people are either skinny or fat.' God was I naive.
Through my years, I have always thought myself as skinny and thin. I was one of the lucky ones who had a fast metabolism and still kept my thin frame. Growing up in my tween years my diet consisted mostly of junk food. Chips Ahoy, Doritos, Coke, Pizza anything I could get my hands on.
I remember one day I was sitting in my room watching The Disney Channel after school. I got home around 3:00pm, plopped my ass in my room in front of the TV with a box of Cheez Its and a bag of Oreos. After about an hour (non stop eating mind you.) I decided I wanted something else to eat. I grabbed a bag of Potato Chips and a cup of Chocolate Pudding and dipped my chips in the pudding (Something salty and something sweet.) My mom comes in my room and I hide the food behind my pillow, she asks me what I want from McDonalds. I told her my order and she left. 30 minutes later my dad hands me my bag of food. I unwrap the bag and pull out : A Big and Tasty with Cheese, a Large Fry, 10 piece Chicken McNugget, a McChicken and a large Diet Coke.
Holy Shit.
Just the McDonalds alone I consumed 1838 calories and 110 grams of FAT.
Let me just say, my parents always cooked great healthy meals every night for us, we ate out on occasion but my parents always gave us good lunches and dinners and always had the kitchen stocked with good food. The way I ate was either at a friends house or buying it with my allowance.
I ate like that until about high school. In high school I was not as piggish but I still ate what I wanted too. I considered myself a grown up and if I wanted a bag of chips, gosh darn it I will have a bag of chips, If I wanted Taco Bell, gosh darn I will have Taco Bell. I was somewhat active in high school besides the mandatory two year gym class, I was a Theater major , I was a cheerleader for two years, I danced in the school musicals. I tried out Track junior year but decided to quit telling people "It interferes with the theater." The truth was, I was lazy. I was still a pretty slim person, I have a big bubble butt that I'm known for, I am a bit curvy for a petite person but all in all, I had a flat stomach and good legs awesome booty and I never really worked out
2002 Weigh In- 105lbs
This is a picture of Me (middle) Freshman in High School 2002
2006 Weigh In-110lbs
After High School all my girlfriends went off to college mostly to University of Oregon, my best friend to CSU Long Beach and all my guy friends to Oregon State while I decided to stay home and go to Beauty School. I got a fake ID when I was 18. I would go out on the weekends to bars in Portland with my older friends. When I was not doing that I was traveling down to Eugene to party it up with my ladies. Most of my weekends consisted of college parties,drinking, drunk munchies,late night taco bell and hung over hash browns with sausage gravy. I started to notice a tiny bit of cellulite starting to show, but I shrugged it off. Through the years 18-21 years old I "attempted" to get in shape. My girlfriends and I joined this gym by our house. We went when we had a spark of motivation telling ourselves 'We are gonna go EVERYDAY!' which lasted maybe 2 days most the time. So much for motivations. Every month for 8 months $29.99 came out of my account for a gym membership. I think I went maybe 12 times? 29.99x8= 239.95/12= 19.99 for one day at the gym. I was always made excuses to not go to the gym, I was a server at Red Lobster at the time and running around serving and working split shifts was a work out in itself. Well, that's what I told myself. While employed at Red Lobster, I learned to eat a bit more clean and healthy. I would have grilled tilapia and steamed broccoli, crab legs and asparagus and grilled shrimp salads. That is where I learned the gist of eating better.
2007 Weigh In-112lbs
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| Halloween of 2008 |
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| Me in Summer of 2007 U of O |
Through those years I always cared about the way I looked, what clothes I wore, my makeup and hair making sure I look cute for everyone, I would spend so much money on clothes that looked good on me but never spent the money to actually take care of my body. In 2008 my metabolism started to slow down a little, I was doing my 'Server Workout' and just being a young and fun young adult.
2008 Weigh In-115lbs
After I turned 21, I was FINALLY able to go out with all my friends to bars! We were all so excited. Every time one of us turned 21, we had 3 week celebrations per birthday. We would go out and being fresh 21ers we would order the sweet, fruity, calorie exploding drinks. Long Island, Tic Tacs, AMF, Tokyo Teas etc. Those drinks run 276 calories and 33 grams of sugar per drink. Not to mention Don Pedro's the next morning.
In 2009 I got a job as a cocktail server at The Thirsty Lion a downtown bar. All of us would go out all the time together. For 2 years I was working at a bar, drinking at a bar and eating out at a bar.
2009 Weigh In- 115 lbs
Me (second from left) doing the cupid shuffle at Thirsty Lion 2009
Through the next couple years I would get motivated to work out and join a gym and waste a monthly membership by never going. I would work out 3 days straight then not for another month. In January of 2010 I finally took a hard look at myself, my tummy was not defined anymore, I was starting to get a belly pouch, then I turned around and looked and my butt and thighs. My god it was mountain city. I had A LOT of cellulite. When did I get THAT much? I thought skinny people don't get cellulite? How have I not noticed this? My weight had reach 120lbs After that, I cut out alcohol for 8 months. I lost 10 pounds and but did not exercise or change my eating habits.
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| Me for Halloween 2010 |
2010 Weigh In- 110
In 2011 I was diagnosed with Bi Polar Depression. I would get into the deep depressions where all I would do is stay at home, lay in bed, sleep, eat crappy food to feed the pain and drink the pain away. Most of 2011 was dealing with the really high highs and really low lows. At this point in time, my metabolism was on the fritz. I was not eating consistently, I was either not eating at all or eating too much. My body did not know what to do. At the end of 2011 I had official messed up my metabolism. I was only 23.
2011 Weigh In- 119
Into 2012 the depression was still there. I was not active at all. I was lazy. Pure lazy. I sat on the couch eating ranch sunflower seeds, Top Ramen and Mcdonalds became a simple lazy every other day solution. I was to lazy to cook. My weight in January got up to 122lbs. I would try on clothes but my preceding wine gut just made me more self conscious and depressed which made me hard on myself. In January I met a great man named Joe. We instantly hit it off and I moved it. I wasn't feeling depressed anymore. Joe would tell me how sexy I look and how beautiful I am. It made me feel great. I looked at my body in a different light and was content with myself. Joe loves beer, IPA to be exact. Sarah likes wine, Merlot to be exact. Joe and I found ourselves constantly being lazy on the couch, watching movies, ordering pizza and just drinking. We would eat all the time and I would eat what he ate. This is what you ladies know as the 'Boyfriend Diet'. My 'fat jeans' were now super tight on me, I started to worry. In April of 2012 I got laid off from my job. It took me over a month to find a job and I could not collect unemployment. I was so bored for a month that when Joe was busy at work I would walk around Downtown trying out new happy hours, new beers and new food joints. I fell into a little funk due from being let go and the stress of finding a job was hurting my body.
I decided I wanted to get healthy. So I started attempting to eat healthy. I thought I was doing things correctly, unfortunately I was not. I would only eat a tiny salad, maybe a tiny chicken breast, a handful of Natural Cheetos or just not eat at all. This messed up my metabolism even more because my body was going into starvation mode which means it was eating what muscles I had first to gain nutrients. I did drop a few pounds, but it was not good for my body.
Two days ago I decided to get on the scale we have. When I stepped on,I was nervous. The last time I weighed myself I was 117lbs a month ago. The zeros started flashing, the screen went blank and 126.5 lbs came up. I thought 'What the hell,that has to be wrong.' I weighed myself 3 more times after that and 126.5 kept coming up. I lifted up my shirt and suddenly I realized how unhealthy I look. There was a layer of fat over my stomach, my wine pouch got even bigger and my stomach skin was uneven, my face is broken out. The back of my arms and legs were getting these bumps which are associated with obesity and that cellulite was still there.
Me at 126.5lbs with clothes on.
I had decided enough was enough. I have never felt a spark of motivation like this before it has taken me like a whirlwind and I have never thrived to be fit now. I felt determined, I felt gross, and I wanted to be healthy. I went to the gym that night and did 30 minutes of cardio and leg and ab strength training. This morning I woke up at 7:30 and ran 20 minutes of cardio before I had to go to work. I have been tracking my calories on My Fitness Pal (MyFitnessPal.com) which has helped me keep on track with counting calories burned, calories consumed, fat, carbs and protein intake and I now have the tools in which I can excel. The average american woman weighs 145, average weight is 5'5 and 30% body fat.
Writing this blog I can see other people who do have it much harder and worse than I do. I am not writing this blog to brag how 'skinnier' I am compared to others. I am writing this blog because I want others to be motivated and help them be a better person not to be skinny person, but be a fit strong person. I use to be skinny and I still was unhealthy. I want to be fit and strong. I have been a lazy person for such a long time now and have made excuses why not to work out.
I will be posting a new blog everyday with my daily work outs, stats, new recipes and work out routines, great fitness and food articles as well as any one else who would like to share their weight progress. Please feel free to encourage me or even join me to a healthy, strong a new person!
May 29th, 2012
Stats
Weight: 126.5lbs
Body Fat: TBD
Weight Lost: 0
Sincerely,
Sarah Sassypants Levy
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