Why am I skinny but my stomach is jiggly?

Author: Dr. Earl Fritsch DVM  |  Last update: Monday, January 26, 2026

One reason for belly fat is a sedentary lifestyle. Even skinny people can spend too much time in front of the television or computer screen, and this can encourage what little extra fat they have to settle into the stomach. A diet high in processed foods can also cause belly fat, even in skinny people.

Why am I skinny but jiggly?

When you Do not eat much, your Fat cells Shrink, but Fat is nevertheless still there in your body. That's why your body seems ``Jiggly'' even if you have a small body. Ever wondered why you have jiggly triceps? It's because of fat. If you were to take a BMI test (Body Mass Index test) you'd most likely float on water.

Why is my stomach flat but squishy?

In most people, about 90% of body fat is subcutaneous, the kind that lies in a layer just beneath the skin. If you poke your belly, the fat that feels soft is subcutaneous fat. The remaining 10% — called visceral or intra-abdominal fat — lies out of reach, beneath the firm abdominal wall.

What does it mean if my stomach is jiggly?

As we mentioned, a squishy belly is generally indicative of an increase in body fat percentage. More specifically, it indicates an increase of subcutaneous fat in your body. These are the fat cells that sit just underneath the layer of the skin.

Why am I underweight but have belly fat?

Skinny fat, Alexander says, can happen if you eat a particularly poor diet or in people who are not typically active. Visceral fat likes inactivity. In one study, thin people who watched their diets but didn't exercise were more likely to have too much visceral fat. The key is to be active, at any size.

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Why does my belly stick out even though I'm skinny?

If you're too skinny and inactive, your body may lack core muscle strength. When your stabilizer muscles are too weak to do their job properly, your pelvis tilts forward and pushes the stomach out, causing it to protrude and look as if you have FUPA even if you don't.

What does fupa look like?

What does a FUPA look like? You might notice a bulge above your pubic bone, sometimes feeling like an extra pouch. It can create smooth lines or bumps under tight clothes, revealing its unique characteristics that many can relate to.

Why is my stomach so flabby but I'm thin?

"Apron belly" is a term commonly used to describe a sagging stomach with excess skin and fatty tissue that hangs from the abdomen. It is medically known as a pannus stomach or an abdominal pannus. This skin flap can appear after pregnancy, excessive weight gain, or significant weight loss.

Is jiggly fat harder to lose?

It is the type of loose, jiggly fat that most people think of when talking about body fat. Subcutaneous fat stores energy and protects your body from extreme temperatures, trauma injuries, and eating too much. However, too much puts you at risk for serious diseases. Losing subcutaneous fat can be a slow process.

What does a stress belly look like?

Equally unfortunate is the fact that cortisol belly doesn't have a specific appearance, despite what countless infographics on the internet will tell you. Cortisol belly simply looks like abdominal fat, and there is no way to identify it by appearance.

What does a PCOS belly look like?

It's usually large and bloated but can also be small and round, depending on genes and other factors. It involves visceral fat accumulation in the lower abdomen and typically feels hard to touch. A PCOS belly is also characterized by a high waist-to-hip ratio of >0.87 (apple body shape).

How can I firm up a jiggly stomach?

Some abdominal exercises for belly fat that you can try at home include:
  1. 60-second planks.
  2. Bicycle crunches.
  3. Abdominal crunches.
  4. Leg lifts.

Am I bloated or just fat?

One is that belly fat doesn't greatly increase as a result of one meal or even a day's worth of meals. Bloating, on the other hand, can happen rapidly and resolve just as quickly. Another way to tell the difference is that if you can physically grab the bulge you see, it's belly fat. You can't grasp your bloated belly.

What are signs of skinny fat?

In general, some symptoms or signs that very suggestive of skinny fat:
  • Feeling dizzy or light-headed after mild exercise.
  • Lack of resistance exercises for many years.
  • Flabby arms.
  • Weak muscles.
  • Increased Body fat percentage more than recommended.
  • Excess belly fat.
  • Unhealthy eating habits with a neutral weight.

How to get rid of jiggly belly fat?

8 Ways to Lose Belly Fat and Live a Healthier Life
  1. Try curbing carbs instead of fats. ...
  2. Think eating plan, not diet. ...
  3. Keep moving. ...
  4. Lift weights. ...
  5. Become a label reader. ...
  6. Move away from processed foods. ...
  7. Focus on the way your clothes fit more than reading a scale. ...
  8. Hang out with health-focused friends.

Why am I skinny but curvy?

If we're talking about a woman's figure, then curvy doesn't mean thick. Curvy means you have an hourglass-shaped body. A woman's “curves" refer to the swell of her hips and breasts in comparison to her waist. So it really doesn't matter how skinny or fat you are, as long as your breast and hip measur…

Which body part loses fat first, a woman?

Men's bodies generally respond to dieting by the loss of more weight at their trunk and women typically shed the excess weight from the hips area. The causes of it are related both to hormonal influence and the application of whole-body composition.

What body shape is the hardest to lose weight?

Endomorphs have narrow shoulders and fat deposits in the lower abdomen, hips, and thighs. This distribution of body weight and fat makes it challenging to reduce weight and needs precise training methods.

What is a hormonal belly?

Hormonal belly is when a person gains weight around the abdomen due to hormonal fluctuations. This could be due to changes in thyroid, adrenal, reproductive, or other hormone levels.

Can you get rid of an apron belly?

It may be possible to reduce a mild case of pannus stomach through diet and exercise. However, surgery is also an option for a large abdominal pannus that hinders a person's daily activities. An individual may also wish to opt for cosmetic surgery to reduce a stomach pannus.

Is a FUPA unhealthy?

Excess fat and lax skin can sometimes cause this area to hang over the pubis or genital area. While not being unhealthy to one's health, FUPA can hinder the normal aesthetics of the lower abdomen and pubic area. Unfortunately, for many women excess fat around the pubic area is highly resistant to diet and exercise.

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