Hi.
It’s me.
I just had a baby. And by “just” I mean “7 months ago.” I also “just” haven’t had time to go to the gym. And I “just” eat boxes of gluten free cookies in a day. Because I “just” think that they don’t count. And so I have become something.
This something, is something that makes people mad. Like woah mad.
You’re mad if you are it, but you’re more mad at people who say they are it.
SKINNY FAT.
I’ll wait while you roll your eyes at me.
Okay, cool.
this angry mob scene, maaaay be a rational/irrational fear of mine.
I totally get it. There is a large part of the population who are actually fat. And they don’t want to hear some little nothing putting the word “skinny” in front of it. Because skinny anything is a good anything.
Maybe some of you don’t know what skinny fat is. I’ll tell you.
Skinny fat is when a skinny girl is like, Wah wah wah I’m fat. Okay, no that’s not totally accurate. But kind of. Skinny fat is someone who can pretty much cover up their fat parts with clothes and from the outside… look pretty damn skinny.
But underneath it’s a big old saggy soft pouchy mess.
This is a real thing! I promise.
So like I said, I had a baby. Things are real padded around here now. Like squishy marshmallow soft. Let’s just say that my nursing pillow is a fairly accurate representation of the squish loaf residing around my waist. But I feel like I can’t talk about my skinny fat because true fat people will hunt me down. And also those people who really aren’t fat but think they are fat and are still pissed that I’m complaining.
I get it. But this is a safe place. We’re all friends here.
And now it’s summer. Hooray for sun and fun and bathing suits.
NO. NOT hooray for bathingsuits. It’s what outs all of us skinny fat girls. I mean, let’s face it…swimwear is the great equalizer among us all. We have nowhere to hide and we can pretty much drop the skinny. And what are you left with? Exactly.
So tell me your thoughts on skinny fat? Are you skinny fat? Do you want to acid spear someone who claims to be skinny fat? Did I overestimate the safeness of this place?
Let me know. And if you need me, I’ll be trying my bikini on over my spanx.
PS. If you thought I’d actually put a skinny fat picture of myself here, we were never that close of friends.
About Amanda MODG
I love this post. And I hate you. I know your type. My best friend is one of your kind. And I’d hate her too if I didn’t love her so much. So I don’t HATE you hate you. Not like, ANGRY MOB hate you. But still. I’m a little pissed.
Twitter Name: robinobryant
I totally understand and don’t hate you for saying this!! I used to be skinny too. I ate anything I liked. Now I have a nice tummy that my toddler tries to suck milk from occasionally. He also likes playing it like a drum. And summer is the worst. There’s no hiding from anyone at the beach and everyone thinks I’m pregnant (which I am not), they even say ‘are you sure??’ hence why I am still wearing my maternity clothes…
Oh my gosh. This is the perfect way to define the same situation that I have. I completely understand. Skinny fat. I love it.
And I (sometimes, other times I’m just being a mean bitch) feel the same guilt you do about complaining about it.
Yup. Skinny fat over here. The worst part is that exercising only makes you BIGGER! Wait, maybe that’s the best part.
Anyways, can’t wait for it to be cold again. Skinny fat works best in jeans.
WTF, Amanda. I’m skinny fat. (wait, i *wish* i were skinny fat), but I only have two dogs. No beach or public anything for me this year.
I love skinny fatties. I love them because they are no longer skinny but have joined the ranks of the fatties. I’m a fattie. I’m a white South African with African, sturdy, give-birth-in-the-bush-while-squatting legs and have never been skinny. So I love when the skinny fatties come over to our side. LOVE IT! Welcome ladies.
I’m totally skinny fat too! I used to be a size 0 (and way too skinny actually). I’m now a healthy size 4, but I can’t stand my jiggle. People hate me when I talk about fitness and eating right. I totally know how you feel. I feel amazing in most clothes, but not naked or in my bathing suit.
“Skinny Fat” is the equivalent to “More Money, More Problems.”
Give me a break. What the fuck are you complaining about?
Skinny fat leads to the same problems normal fat does. It just looks like someone is skinny because they have carry it differently. It’s better by far health-wise to be “fat and fit” than “skinny and sedentary.”
I completely agree with you and thank you for explaining it so well! I was always that annoying girl who could eat anything and never gain a pound. After having a child (4 years ago) things have never been quite the same. I am not fat by any means but I am definitly “skinny fat” now.
Yeah, I think I am skinny-fat, too. I am carrying a good 30 pounds more than I was when I got married 16 years ago. I had to watch what I ate back then, but I didn’t have a squishy, bread dough-like tummy (thanks to my 2 c-sections, no number of crunches will make my belly flat again) or the thigh chafing that I have now. I use the treadmill and do some weight training, but I still have jiggly arms and a vast need for spandex. So, yeah, “skinny-fat” sounds about right.
Twitter Name: MamaKaren
YES! I am skinny fat all the way. People hate me when I say I’m fat so this is the PERFECT new phrase. I will forever be chasing the skinny mixed in with a bit of jalapeno-chip-inhaling (my Gluten free cookies…except not Gluten free. I suck.)
Sorry, but I still hate you. :)
Oh yes. Skinny fat perfectly describes me, too. People always comment “oh I hate you, you just had a baby 6 months ago??” Obviously I love this, but what I really want to say is “you wouldn’t be saying that if you could see me naked.” Everything looks different naked. So I’ll just stay fully clothed and blush at the comments like there is no “fat” after the “skinny.”
My sister in law is skinny fat. And I love it. She used to just be skinny + tits.
Twitter Name: mommafo
Yup.. that’s me. Noone believes me when I say I’m fat…bc I am able to hide it well…HOWEVER..went trying on formals for a wedding…hide and seek was over!!!! Nothing fit, all they way up to size 15/16…suckage. doesn’t help that I’m only about 5’1…I carry all the excess in my belly.
OK, I’m going to be honest with you. You aren’t skinny fat. You aren’t fat. Your body has changed. It will never be the same. You could spend hours at the gym every day. You might lose some of it and some of it may stay, but either way it’s your body. You are in control of both what you put in it and what you demand out of it.
Why are you wasting your time worrying about it? You aren’t worried enough to put the cookies down. Every time you feel “skinny fat” or whatever just put your child in the stroller, grab your music device of choice, and jam through a few songs. Love yourself and your body and the rest will work itself out.
I have three children. The youngest is 8.5 months old. He loves my body. My husband loves my body. Most importantly, I love my body.
Twitter Name: cschoenfeld
Sorry, Amanda, but I have to admit that I still hate you. Mostly because I used to be skinny fat. Now I’m just fat fat. My thighs are so curdled they make cottage cheese jealous. And I’ve seen pictures of you. Skinny fat or not…you’re a freaking hottie. :P
Twitter Name: coolwhipmom
Yes. Skinny fat. This is what I am. It’s only been twelve weeks since the baby was born, but it did not help when I said something to my midwife about my new weird tummy and she said, “Yeah, most women find it hard to lose that.” Sigh. I know this is not the worst problem one can have, but I’m having trouble figuring out how to dress the skinny fat. Thanks for giving it a name. :)
Yes I hate you but not in the angry mob way, but yeah I get it. Everyone has that pooch or something that needs covered. Sadly some more than others and that is the department I’m in. I’m kind of thinking you are not one of those “muffin tops” that are on the Maury Povich show going “oh yeah I’m sexy!” in some skin tight jeans with skin hanging out all over the place chair dancing, but I get the idea of no bathing suit because little baby decided to make her mark on ya a little harder to get rid of.
And if it’s just something you can hide with some spanx I will go angry mob on you.
Twitter Name: Dochaseve
Yeah I hate you … Skinny Fat? WTF is that? I am Fat Fat … inspite of efforts on diet, exercise, breastfeeding … BOO … I’d kill to be Skinny Fat, hell, I’d kill to just be Fat but am Fat Fat … maybe I need to find some Fatter Fat Friends ….
Twitter Name: mummyinprovence
I am skinny fat. Most of my life has been just skinny, then baby came. Actually I lied. I got skinny fat before the baby… but the baby has solidified my status as skinny fat. Swimsuits are the enemy.
Skinny fat here too. My body is really lumpy and droopy and soft all over, but clothes make me magically look toned up and healthy. I really want to be genuinely healthy and toned, but I ‘just’ had a baby too (my youngest is 2.5 years old too) but I ‘just’ cant find any time to do anything about it.
Twitter Name: lucynamackay
I’m just fat fat, not skinny fat. But my MIL is skinny fat and she just had triple bypass at 50. Skinny fat will kill you just the same as fat fat. So I guess the only difference is that one of us looks better in jeans.
Dude, MODG, you should start copywriting these things! Check out what is on the front page of msn.com right now: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cholesterol/the-perils-of-being-skinny-fat?gt1=31007
I read this yesterday but I came back to post the link to the story on msn.com. I figured somebody would beat me to it!
Modg.. I like you. Really I do. But I am giving you the virtual side eye. I saw your pictures from when you took G to the pool and you passed the arm test. You can suck in your stomach, but the arms don’t lie!. So to you I’m saying.. “Bye Girl”!!! (A term used to dismiss a comment or an accusation by another person) in my ghetto voice.
You were dealt better cards than me. I “just” had my 9 month old baby and I’m busting my fat bum in the gym 6 days a week. I’m not lying. I’m training for a marathon and it’s hard even though I’ve done them before. But don’t worry…I ain’t mad at ya. Just wait until you’re through nursing and those get soft.
Oh, Amanda, I know of what you speak.
I used to call my “post CS birthed a big baby belly” my “pet”…because it curled right up next to me like a kitty on the couch. Only, it didn’t purr, it GROWLED. Growled my “oh shit you frumpaliscious souffle bellied stranger …..for the first time in your life you have big porno nursing boobs but this stupid ass PET is ruining your Pam Anderson Baywatch chance to shake it moment”.
I will say this, we CS Mama’s have a different row to hoe than the old vag birthers (I know as I had a VBAC….that shit shrunk right down).
Enjoy your body. Just love it. I can tell you as a bikini wearing Mama of three (increasingly huge) kids that it all gets better. Your body will be your body again. If it ain’t, just get knockered, and deal with it all down the road. Oh, and join somewhere amazing like ACAC ~ seriously worth every penny.
My bestie calls her “skinny fat” the “chicken nugget”. I call mine the “look at what you did to Mommy” and the “this is proof I love you so wipe that look off your face”…also to much wine.
I love this post! I think a lot of people would describe me as skinny and I am happy with how I look. But I recently used the same line about swimsuits…exactly! Swimsuits ARE the great equalizer. I made the mistake of saying it to a friend who is a lot heavier than me and she looked at me like I was completely out of my mind and said, “But you’re THIN!” Yes…but my build allows me to look thin WEARING CLOTHES. A swimsuit does not cover my thighs.