Can You Be Fat and Fit? Why Thin Doesn’t Always Mean Healthy

agfitnessandhealth

Sep 6

6 min read

Can You Be Fat and Fit? What Fitness, Health and Body Size Really Tell Us

Better to be fat and fit than skinny and unfit?

It’s a deliberately provocative question.

But perhaps we need to ask it.

I recently saw a video of a woman doing something incredibly athletic. She was strong, skilled, powerful and clearly physically capable.

Yet instead of talking about what her body could do, somebody chose to criticise what her body looked like.

And that really bothered me.

Because despite all the conversations we’re having about women’s health, strength, fitness and body confidence, we are still incredibly quick to look at a woman’s body and make assumptions about her health.

Too big? Must be unhealthy.

Thin? Must be fit.

Except human bodies don’t work like that.

Thin is not a fitness level

We have spent decades being taught that smaller automatically means healthier.

It doesn’t.

A person can be slim and have very little muscle. They can be physically inactive, have poor cardiovascular fitness, low strength and limited mobility.

Equally, somebody living in a larger body may exercise regularly, lift weights, have excellent stamina, move well and be physically strong.

You simply cannot look at somebody and know how fit they are.

Body size tells you body size. It doesn’t give you somebody’s entire health story.

So, can you actually be fat and fit?

Yes.

Someone can have a higher body weight or body-fat percentage and still have good cardiovascular fitness, strength, mobility and physical capability.

But there’s an important bit of nuance here.

That doesn’t mean body composition is irrelevant to health.

Higher levels of excess body fat — particularly visceral fat around the organs — can be associated with increased health risks.

But that is very different from saying:

Fat = unhealthy.

Thin = healthy.

Health is far more complicated than that.

Fitness, muscle mass, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress, smoking, alcohol, blood pressure, cholesterol, genetics, medical history and many other factors all play a part.

That is why I think we need to stop using somebody’s dress size as a shortcut for deciding how healthy they are.

After more than 30 years in fitness, I’ve seen this again and again

I qualified in fitness back in 1995.

And one of the biggest changes I’ve seen over those years is women slowly beginning to question whether weight should really be the only measure of progress.

I regularly work with women in their 40s, 50s and beyond who become noticeably stronger, fitter and more capable while the scales barely move.

Their weights increase.

Their stamina improves.

They can do exercises they couldn’t do before.

Their clothes may fit differently.

They feel more confident.

They have more energy.

And yet, if the only thing they looked at was the bathroom scales, they could conclude:

“Nothing is working.”

That’s exactly why I talk so much about looking Beyond the Scales.

This matters even more for women over 40

As we move through our 40s, 50s and beyond, I want women to start asking different questions about their bodies.

Not simply:

How much do I weigh?

But:

How strong am I?

Can I lift something heavy from the floor?

Can I get myself up from the floor easily?

Can I climb stairs without feeling completely wrecked?

Can I carry my shopping?

Can I walk for an hour?

Do I have enough muscle to support my bones and joints?

Is my balance good?

Can my body cope with the life I want to live?

Those things matter.

A lot.

Muscle matters more than many women realise

This is one of the reasons I’m such a huge advocate for strength training for women over 40.

Muscle isn’t simply about looking toned.

It supports our joints.

It helps protect our bones.

It helps us maintain strength and independence.

It makes everyday life easier.

It helps us continue doing the things we love for longer.

And maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we age.

So when a woman tells me she has become stronger, is lifting heavier weights and feels fitter — but then follows it with:

“But I haven’t lost any weight…”

I want to shake up the way she’s measuring success.

Because that is success.

The scales cannot measure your fitness

Your bathroom scales cannot tell you:

how strong you are,

how fit your heart and lungs are,

how much muscle you have built,

whether your balance has improved,

whether your mobility is better,

whether your energy has increased,

or whether everyday life feels easier.

They give you one number.

That’s all.

And when we give that one number too much power, it can completely overshadow all the other incredible things happening in our bodies.

You can want fat loss AND care about fitness

This is important too.

Wanting to lose body fat is not wrong.

There are plenty of women I work with who would like to change their body composition, feel leaner or lose weight.

And that is absolutely okay.

But I don't want women pursuing fat loss at the expense of their strength, nutrition, fitness, mental wellbeing or relationship with food.

The aim shouldn't be:

Get smaller at any cost.

A much better question is:

How can I become stronger, fitter, healthier and — if appropriate for me — reduce body fat at the same time?

That is a completely different mindset.

We need to stop judging women’s bodies before their abilities

This was the part of that video that really stuck with me.

Here was a woman demonstrating what her body could DO.

And somebody was still focusing on how it looked.

Women have spent long enough being encouraged to shrink.

Smaller waist.

Smaller thighs.

Smaller dress size.

Smaller number on the scales.

What if the goal wasn't simply to become smaller?

What if the goal was to become:

stronger, fitter, healthier, more mobile, more capable and more confident?

What if we started celebrating what our bodies allow us to do rather than constantly criticising how they look?

Better to be fat and fit than skinny and unfit?

If the choice is between being lighter but physically unfit, or living in a larger body while being strong, active and physically fit, I know which direction I’d rather help a woman move in.

Towards FIT.

Because thin is not a fitness level.

A smaller body is not automatically a healthier body.

And a larger body does not automatically mean somebody is unfit.

Your health deserves a much bigger conversation than:

“What do you weigh?”

So perhaps the question we should start asking instead is:

What can your body do?

That, for me, is what Beyond the Scales is really about.

Strength training and fitness for women over 40 in St Ives & Huntingdon

I help women over 40 in St Ives, Huntingdon, Wyton and the surrounding Cambridgeshire area become stronger, fitter and more confident through women’s strength training, fitness classes, nutrition support and personalised 1:1 coaching.

Whether you’re completely new to weights, returning to exercise after a break, navigating midlife or simply want to feel stronger and healthier in the body you’re living in, you don’t have to make the scales your only measure of success.

Andrea Gaynor Fitness & Health

Stronger. Healthier. Happier.

About Andrea Gaynor

Hey, I’m Andrea, founder of AG Fitness & Health.

I help women over 40 become stronger, healthier, more confident and more like themselves again through realistic fitness, strength training, simple nutrition and wellbeing support that fits around real life.

I’ve worked in the fitness industry for over 27 years, and I understand that our bodies, priorities and approach to exercise can change in our 40s, 50s and beyond.

My coaching style is supportive, practical and down-to-earth. No extremes, no punishment and no obsession with the scales — just realistic habits, strength, movement and support that help you feel better in your body and more confident in what it can do.

Want to get moving?

Grab a pair of dumbbells and try my FREE 10-Minute Full Body Dumbbell Workout — a simple at-home workout designed to help you build strength without needing loads of time or equipment.

👉 10-Minute Full Body Dumbbell Workout

https://youtu.be/3RI6AaxAphU?si=WcxmzPpkbu-VOcPQ

Ways to work with me

Face-to-face fitness classes

Community fitness and strength classes for women in St Ives, Huntingdon and the surrounding Cambridgeshire area.

View the current class timetable and reserve your place here:

www.bookwhen.com/andreagaynor

VIP Club – Online Fitness Studio

Short, manageable workouts with live sessions and recordings to help you stay consistent from home.

Message me for details or a free trial.

1:1 Coaching

Personalised fitness, strength, nutrition and lifestyle support designed around you, your goals and your life.