Shifting the focus from weight to body fat percentage

nickdelcastillo

I have been diligently working on getting healthier over about the last 13 months. I am 5'9" and I started at about 255lbs., and am now down to 189.4lbs. My goal is to get down around 175, but that number is based on the flawed BMI scale. I'm getting to the point now where the remaining fat is stubborn, and I've been reading a lot about how weight training is very effective for burning fat (most of my exercise over the last year has been cardio: karate, jogging, bicycling). The problem I have with moving toward weight training is that, since muscle weighs more than fat, the scale starts moving in the wrong direction, and I'm never sure if it's added muscle or fat. I've noticed this just after a couple weeks of resistance training three times a week. I guess I realize that it is bound to happen, but it's more of a psychological thing. Has anyone dealt with this issue and have any advice for making this shift? I have a body fat monitor but it doesn't seem very accurate, so it's not a lot of help here.

segacs

Simple rule of thumb: In most cases, if you're eating at a deficit, you'll be losing fat. If you're eating at a surplus, you could be gaining muscle (or fat, if you're not careful!)

Simultaneous muscle gains and fat losses are extremely rare.

markjacobs1987

The key you need to remember is that the number on the scale can be evil at times. Just because the number goes up doesn't mean you aren't making progress. As you said muscle is more dense than fat so it will make that number go up. Also remember that muscle burns fat so you want to build muscle to trim that body fat % down. Just take your measurements and if the numbers are going in the right direction on your measurements you are in good shape! For measuring body fat you can use body fat calipers which are fairly accurate and are cheap to get.

squirrlt

Yes. I lifted too much and I started to look like a linebacker. I was building muscle under a layer of fat. Not the look I was going for as a female. I thought I was blowing up like a pufferfish until I checked my bodyfat and realized my bodyfat was about the same, I was packing on muscle. Once I was more careful about eating in a deficit and eased up a bit on the weights, the weight started trending down again, while maintaining (most) muscle. So I guess my point is, the scale should probably still trend downward overall if you have still have few pounds of fat to get rid of.

And yes, BMI has it's flaws, but it's probably a good idea least shoot for the top of "normal" BMI for your height unless you are Ahhnold and super muscular. That said fat measurement is nice for keeping yourself on track, especially when the scale is moving slowly as your body composition changes. Omron handheld is supposedly within 1-2% of DEXA if used correctly. I have one and it's consistent. Maybe I'm just not adept at using them, but IMO calipers are tough, I was never sure I was grabbing the same exact spot of skin, and depending on which method (3 point, 5 point, whatever) you use, it can be hard to do on yourself.