Do you want to be lean, or do you want to be skinny? Do you know the difference? It's real and it matters. Deciding whether you want to be lean or skinny is like deciding whether you want to lose weight or lose fat. Which one you choose makes a huge difference.
It is easiest to show the difference between lean and skinny with two sets of women: high fashion models and the athletes who competed at the Olympics (Guys, if you would feel more comfortable, think of marathon runners and sprinters. The analogy isn't exact, but close enough for this). High fashion models are almost always skinny. They may be beautiful and sexy (that's really a job requirement), but look closer. They usually look like they haven't eaten in a while. They also look frail and fragile, like a strong breeze would blow them over or like they would have trouble carrying their own groceries.
Getting skinny is relatively easy: don't eat. I'm sure many top models do some sort of exercise as well, but there's a good reason models look like they're starving. Most of them eat very little.
Now think about the female athletes who just competed at the Olympics. They're lean and strong. Many of them are beautiful and sexy too. But they certainly don't look like they starve themselves. And they're not frail or fragile. There's no question about whether they can handle the physical demands of day to day life.
Getting lean is a lot harder than getting skinny. Athletes combine a healthy diet with serious physical training. Athletes sweat and work hard to develop their bodies, which helps them to succeed at their sport. They work both to lose fat and to build or maintain muscle.
Skinny people have little fat on them, but little muscle either. Lean people have little fat on them, but they have real muscle too. And that muscle makes all the difference. Muscle burns calories, meaning you can eat more without gaining weight. Muscle makes every physical activity easier. Muscle protects your joints and bones, making you less likely to be injured.
Getting lean instead of skinny is harder, but the benefits are undeniable. Honestly, who would you rather look like: a high fashion model or an Olympic athlete? What would you rather be: skinny and frail, or lean and strong?
If you would rather be lean and strong, then you need to focus on fat loss instead of weight loss. While you lose fat you need to build muscle or at least preserve the muscle you already have. Find a fat loss plan instead of a weight loss plan. You'll be glad you did.
I think I wanna be lean... IP protocol is getting me there!..
hugs
Last edited by Aunt Sheshie; 12-03-2010 at 05:56 PM.
Definitely lean. I think skinny/frail makes someone look fragile and weak, whereas a lean body shows strength and hard work. I have a strong personality and I'm a very independant person....I'd like a 'lean' body to match me on the inside!
On another note..it's so easy to forget that being skinny doesn't mean being in shape. A few weeks ago I was in my high intensity Zumba class and there was the skinniest girl who really couldn't keep up ( I understand it might have been her first time and if so it's a LOT of physical exertion) and she sat down on the floor the the last half of the class. I was like "wow! being small really doesn't mean that you're 'fit' or in shape!
Last edited by angelanicole23; 12-03-2010 at 09:11 PM.
Glad y'all enjoyed the article... I've been thinking about this difference for a while... my former neighbor was one of the skinniest women I've ever seen, & she honestly thought she was really sexy... I guess her husband did too, but that's just a guess!.. I saw her only as scrawny & unhealthy-looking... I knew I wanted to lose weight & be thin, but I didn't want to look like her... I wanted to have some shape, to look like a female, not like a teenage boy!.. & I knew I had to have muscles to have the shape I wanted... that's why I'm so glad to have found IP, fat loss without muscle loss...
Definitely lean. I think skinny/frail makes someone look fragile and weak, whereas a lean body shows strength and hard work. I have a strong personality and I'm a very independant person....I'd like a 'lean' body to match me on the inside!
On another note..it's so easy to forget that being skinny doesn't mean being in shape. A few weeks ago I was in my high intensity Zumba class and there was the skinniest girl who really couldn't keep up ( I understand it might have been her first time and if so it's a LOT of physical exertion) and she sat down on the floor the the last half of the class. I was like "wow! being small really doesn't mean that you're 'fit' or in shape!
I really liked your comment about the skinny girl in your Zumba class. Sometimes its easy to forget that someone who may look great in their clothes, does necisarily mean that they are in shape. Which is a nice reminder when you're at the gym working on your fitness
Okay, I have to say it, there's a part of me that wants to be skinny! Fortunately, I'm old enough and have acquired enough wisdom to know that is a bad choice and what I really want is to be fit. I don't know what skinny would actually be, but honestly I don't know what weighing much less than I am right now will be like either. Ultimately, I think my goal is healthy, no matter what the number is.
Lean Or Skinny?..
