Body Blog: Can You Be Fit AND Fat?

June 29, 2009 - 11:00 am By Blair - Gettysburg College

Workout

When I started training for a half-marathon a few years back I was absolutely convinced that I would be in the best shape of my life. How could running at least 7 miles everyday not give me lean, sexy legs, rock hard abs, or toned arms?

Yet as D-day approached, I didn’t find myself shedding pounds; I found myself staying the same weight. Yes, I was burning thousands of calories, but my body was also demanding more fuel for those long aerobic sessions.

After weeks upon weeks without a change in my physical self, I began to wonder: Is it possible to be really fit, yet not look it? Because I was by no means “fat,” but I definitely didn’t obtain the incredible runner body I had hoped for.

Then I realized I was focusing too much on what I thought “in shape” meant. I expected to see it. When in reality my body was being transformed on the inside. My endurance improved, my muscles got used to the increased physical activity, and my knees withstood the hard impact.

This “ah ha” moment compelled me to investigate what being fit really means; could someone be considered overweight, but also in shape?

Recent research shows that regular exercise, even without weight loss, is essential to avoiding the conditions that come from a sedentary lifestyle, i.e. diabetes, hypertension and other chronic diseases. So even though a person may fall into the “overweight” category, the fact that she works out regularly ensures that she is fit and keeping her body free from these conditions.

We have to remember that the most important part of working out isn’t weight loss; it’s keeping our bodies healthy so that they can function efficiently. Psychotherapist Christopher Norris describes fitness best; it’s about stamina, suppleness, strength, speed, skill and spirit. No where in the definition is there mention of outward appearance.

Remember, everyone is born with a different body type and most of us will never mold ourselves into supermodels. It just isn’t possible. But what is possible? Being fit and, technically, fat. It is an error to believe that just because someone is”big” she is out of sharp or just because someone is “little” she is really fit.

All in all, it’s better to be fit and fat than thin and idle.

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24 Comments on "Body Blog: Can You Be Fit AND Fat?"

  1. wendy says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 200911:08 am 

    story of my life. my friend actually accused me of lying about my workout routine this weekend. honestly, i’m def way more fit than a lot of people that i’m surrounded by. too bad i don’t look it.

  2. Amy says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 200912:42 pm 

    Estrogen inhibits muscle development, testosterone increases it. That’s why guys that don’t work out can have more visible muscles than girls who DO. Estrogen slows down your rate of healing as well. Stupid hormones.

    My sister did cross country training, miles and miles of running a day, and while her leg muscles got harder, they aren’t visible at all and she still has fat thighs.

  3. Anonymous says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 200912:53 pm 

    You people are retarded. The only thing that determines your body composition is calories in/calories out. You eat less than what your body burns you lose adipose tissue (fat). You eat more than what your body burns you gain adipose tissue…or lean muscle if your a guy and you lift progressivly heavy weights then you stand to gain just as much muscle tissue. Its simple laws of thermodynamics.

  4. Anonymous says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 200912:57 pm 

    With the exception of obesity or anorexia how you look means diddly to how fit a person is. Will Ferral runs marathons for example. Alot of underwear models chain smoke and could not climb multiple flights of stairs without being winded.

  5. Sarah says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 200912:57 pm 

    This is depressing…

  6. g says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 20091:32 pm 

    you can’t out-train a bad diet.
    you can be fit, but unless your eating less calories then you burn, you’ll look the same physicially. bummer!

  7. Cass says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 20094:05 pm 

    Um, about the thermodynamics statement…That’s physics, so your argument is seriously flawed already. It really is very possible to be both bigger and fit at the same time.

  8. Jes says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 20094:06 pm 

    Yay! Just what I need to see before I head back to the gym tonight! lol :(

    And even worse, I just started a new brand of birth control pills that contain more estrogen and my boobs have already grown another cup size! My hips better not follow suit!! hahaha

  9. GL says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 20096:32 pm 

    My grandmother has a similar problem. She’s in her early sixties and is one of the most active people i know. She runs marathons, hikes, camps, competes in triatholons and is planning a biking vacation this summer.
    Despite all her physical excersice and healthy diet, she’s ‘apple shaped’.
    Someone may be skinnier than you, but you could still be fitter than them.

  10. Anonymous says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 20096:40 pm 

    Physics is the study of energy…calories are energy…if you consume more energy than what you need it gets stored…it just doesnt dissapear.

  11. Rose says:
    Mon, 29th Jun 200911:55 pm 

    I agree Miss “Anonymous” but caloric intake and expenditure, while the most important aspects of weight loss, are simply not that simple. Much more has to be taken into consideration. For instance, some people are simply blessed with speedy metabolisms, particularly males and females who are slim with no effort. Many females are not, due to hormonal differences, etc.

    However weight and BMI are not always good indicators of fitness unless someone’s in the highly overweight/obese/morbidly obese range (obviously). There are skinny fat people and fit yet slightly overweight/ borderline overweight people. The skinny fat people might eat crap all the time and have a higher risk of heart disease than the bulky fit people.

    The goal of getting fit should not be to get stick-skinny, but to get healthy! Take control of your health and exercise everyone!!!

    P.S. Toning classes can help you tone trouble spots. Pilates work like a charm for abs.

  12. Stephanie says:
    Tue, 30th Jun 200911:47 am 

    Studies show that people who work out more feel like they deserve to eat more–even though it’s not so.

  13. bettyharlan64 says:
    Tue, 30th Jun 20098:26 pm 

    This same thing happened to my daughter-in-law who went to the gym everyday and worked out for over an hour in hopes of getting back into shape so she could wear her favorite swim suite (her 2nd child is 19 months old). She has been doing this for 4 months and oly lost 2 pounds. She had also cut out all fried foods, snacks, etc.

  14. Megan says:
    Wed, 1st Jul 20091:33 am 

    This actually happened today in my house. My stepmom is of a slimmer build than me, and therefore looks thinner than me…but I work out every day. Today we had an episode where we cleaned the entire house for 6 hours. She was in muscular agony. I was feeling quite ok.

    The thing is, losing pounds and losing fat are really hard to determine. So, bettyHarlan64, when your daughter-in-law didn’t lose much weight…she may have gained weight in muscle mass. Muscle is a lot denser than fat…and for the same volume…weighs a lot more.

    At that rate, I know I can do more pushups than many girls who are much thinner than me. More squats, more lunges, etc. My daily workout requirement depending on what day usually has me workign up in the 100 reps zone.

  15. Becca- Clarion University says:
    Wed, 1st Jul 200910:02 am 

    Something hilarious to think about. I’m in the “morbidly obese” weight range. I hike, dance, run, bike, and work out daily. I’m very active and physically healthy. And I can do more cardio than most skinny women I know. But because of my build, and the weight on my stomach, I’m obese. But healthy… go figure?

  16. Katie says:
    Wed, 1st Jul 200911:26 pm 

    i have always thought that people in general just come in different shapes. some people are supposed to be like sticks, other people are just supposed to have more fat on them naturally. its not a simple matter of calories. nothing concerning the human body is that simple. i think it is very possible for someone to be bigger and very healthy- because those people are just supposed to be bigger! i have found that you can almost always tell how healthy someone is by their faces… people with weight problems have extra weight in their faces… healthy people do not, no matter their size.

  17. Southern61 says:
    Thu, 2nd Jul 200910:20 am 

    As a coach for girls, I see in the weight room all sizes and shapes of girls working out on the same program. Bottom line is we are born with different genetics and we need to take care of our bodies and stay healthy. Some people will never be a size “2″ and they dont need to be. However they are in good healthy shape. Our view of “healthy” needs to be upgraded not based on the cover model bodies but on our personal best. It breaks my heart to see girls think they are “fat” because they dont wear a certain size. Just get in shape and stay healthy!

  18. Anonymous says:
    Sat, 4th Jul 200911:47 am 

    Ok you guys, dont make it more complicated than it is….more calories = gain weight, less calories = lose wieght. When you lose or gain weight it can be either lean body mass (muscle) or fat depends on training. Training for a marathon (running for long distances) actually makes your body think you need more fat to support the long distances and less muscle in order to preserve energy while running. This is why most marathon runners do not have “nice” bodies. If you want to lose fat you should lift weights and train with higher intensity. As someone said earlier, you don’t have enough testosterone to build muscle, but by using the glycogen stored in muscles, your body begins to store your food as glycogen instead of fat and you metabolism starts to speed up as well. Long story short, if you want to lose FAT then eat less, lift weights, and train with high intensity (sprints). Your goal should be to lose around 2 pounds a week. Anymore than that means you are losing some of you lean body mass, which is not good as you metabolism slows down. So dont be disappointed if you dont have massive transformation anytime soon. It takes a long time and a lot of dedication, but its worth it! anyone can do it!

  19. La says:
    Sat, 4th Jul 200910:08 pm 

    I’m not sure if anyone said this already, but FAT LOSS and WEIGHT LOSS are different. Just because you don’t see a numerical difference on the scale does not mean that you’re body hasn’t experienced fat loss. There are ways to statistically determine if fat loss has been achieved, for instance, measuring arms, hips, thighs, etc at the start of new workout/diet plan with continual weekly measurements.

  20. Linda says:
    Tue, 7th Jul 20095:13 pm 

    I agree with La ‘Anonymous’, you continue to use FAT loss and WEIGHT loss, interchangeably, when they are indeed two different things.

  21. kim says:
    Wed, 8th Jul 20091:24 am 

    This has happened to me twice. Twice! I ran uphill and downhill and I stayed exactly the same weight. However, when I did interval training and weight training I lost weight. Run for two to three hours at a time or interval train for 30 minutes? It’s true though, it’s better to have a functional body than a skinny body that doesn’t work. My legs might look like stovepipes but they’ve taken me across Siberia and up mountains. It’s hard to complain about legs that can do that.

  22. Kelly Kline Engaldo says:
    Thu, 9th Jul 20094:43 pm 

    Important posts. Thank you very much for sharing.

    My heavy thigh simply need 2 more inches and then I would be fine!

    Be fit first, thin second. Be healthy first, be yourself always and you will always shine.

  23. myraceblog says:
    Sat, 11th Jul 20092:28 pm 

    Hell yeah you can be fat and fit. We had a 200-lb, middle-aged fitness instructor at my Bodysculpt class this morning. Everyone thought we would be in for an easy day…boy were we wrong. she ROCKED us. My size 2 body is humbled.

  24. Nessa says:
    Wed, 15th Jul 20094:01 pm 

    This reminds me of a documentary that was aired about a year ago. It took about twenty overweight and “unfit” people and allowed then to train with experts for a couple of months for the Boston Marathon. Scientific research showed that only a few of the people who trained for the marathon out of the group actually significantly lost weight/had a significant change in their body shape. I cannot remember the exact reason, but try searching for the documentary, it is truly fascinating.

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