BF

Bansh3e
Bansh3e Posts: 71 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Salute guys, I am John and I am actually new to MFP, nice to meet you.
I have one question, can you lose weight but not lose body fat?.I was on a 500-800 caloric deficit (lost 0.5 to 1kg per week) but i feel that my body fat is the same.What do you think?

Replies

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    I suppose it's possible...but not very likely.

    Going by "feels" isn't really the most accurate method of assessment.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Yes, you can, but like ceoverturf said, it's not likely.

    Depending on your size, losing 1-2 pounds is not really going to be too noticeable feelings-wise.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    It would be next to impossible to lose weight over the long run and not lose any fat. I can't even dream up a circumstance where it would be possible. 5-800 calories is shockingly low. How long did you maintain that? I would bet money your methods of measuring calories might have been off. No matter what your height and weight, eating so few calories for any decent length of time would have certainly resulted in fat losses. Eating that little is a very bad idea for a myriad of reasons...
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    edited June 2015
    vismal wrote: »
    It would be next to impossible to lose weight over the long run and not lose any fat. I can't even dream up a circumstance where it would be possible. 5-800 calories is shockingly low. How long did you maintain that? I would bet money your methods of measuring calories might have been off. No matter what your height and weight, eating so few calories for any decent length of time would have certainly resulted in fat losses. Eating that little is a very bad idea for a myriad of reasons...

    5-800 DEFICIT, not total what he ate, per OP's post.
  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    You could be losing very evenly, which might create the impression that you're not actually losing inches. That has happened to me. I've stayed the same shape, I'm just becoming a smaller version of it. It really created the illusion that I wasn't losing depsite the scale going down. Then one day, I realized my pants were getting a lot bigger and the illusion shattered.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    vismal wrote: »
    It would be next to impossible to lose weight over the long run and not lose any fat. I can't even dream up a circumstance where it would be possible. 5-800 calories is shockingly low. How long did you maintain that? I would bet money your methods of measuring calories might have been off. No matter what your height and weight, eating so few calories for any decent length of time would have certainly resulted in fat losses. Eating that little is a very bad idea for a myriad of reasons...

    I think you misread that; 5-800 deficit, not gross intake. That's a pretty mild deficit, so I would think it would be especially difficult to not lose fat (and just lose muscle?) on that.

    That said, I feel a lot squishier after losing fat because my skin remains as loose as it was, but the fat is not stretching it to it's limit. You get softer, especially when you lose a little and your skin hasn't adapted. I agree that going by "feel" is not a good indication of weight loss. I like using the scale, taking measurements, and taking progress photos. Between the three, I think I have a pretty good idea of where I stand each month.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Even if it's possible to lose weight without losing body fat, you aren't.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Bansh3e wrote: »
    Salute guys, I am John and I am actually new to MFP, nice to meet you.
    I have one question, can you lose weight but not lose body fat?.I was on a 500-800 caloric deficit (lost 0.5 to 1kg per week) but i feel that my body fat is the same.What do you think?

    You are losing, it's just not noticeable when it comes in small bits. Did you take measurements when you started? You've probably lost a few inches all over, it just might be in increments of .25 or .5 inches in the different areas. You also lose fat from the places people usually don't measure: neck, wrists, ankles, feet, etc. It would certainly be more encouraging if we could direct fat loss to certain areas, but unfortunately it doesn't work that way.
  • Bansh3e
    Bansh3e Posts: 71 Member
    edited June 2015
    i lost 9 pounds during 1 month of strengh training and 500-800 caloric deficit my waist got down from 33 to 31.88 ,but i look the same. My abs are not gaining any visual effects or sth like this.This is why i think that i didnt lost body fat.My abs look the same as when i didn`t cut,even if now i can see my obliques better.
  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Bansh3e wrote: »
    Salute guys, I am John and I am actually new to MFP, nice to meet you.
    I have one question, can you lose weight but not lose body fat?.I was on a 500-800 caloric deficit (lost 0.5 to 1kg per week) but i feel that my body fat is the same.What do you think?

    You also lose fat from the places people usually don't measure: neck, wrists, ankles, feet, etc.

    ^Truth. My feet are downright boney now. They actually freak me out a bit. My shoe size has also gone down. Wish I could've directed that fat loss elsewhere. =\
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited June 2015
    Bansh3e wrote: »
    i lost 9 pounds during 1 month of strengh training and 500-800 caloric deficit my waist got down from 33 to 31.88 ,but i look the same. My abs are not gaining any visual effects or sth like this.This is why i think that i didnt lost body fat.My abs look the same as when i didn`t cut,even if now i can see my obliques better.
    The abs aren't the only places your body stores fat, though.

  • Bansh3e
    Bansh3e Posts: 71 Member
    Yeah, but its killing me :)).I did actually lost inches everywhere,but abs are the same.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Bansh3e wrote: »
    Yeah, but its killing me :)).I did actually lost inches everywhere,but abs are the same.

    Join the club. Midsection/abs/stomach are slow to lose for a lot of people.
  • Bansh3e
    Bansh3e Posts: 71 Member
    Yeah...but i am not that kind of sad because now i can see my chest/shoulder striations and my muscle look bigger,i mean they are not covered in fat.The sad thing is that now i am smaller in clothes and my abs didn`t changed.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Bansh3e wrote: »
    Yeah...but i am not that kind of sad because now i can see my chest/shoulder striations and my muscle look bigger,i mean they are not covered in fat.The sad thing is that now i am smaller in clothes and my abs didn`t changed.
    Blame your parents.

  • Bansh3e
    Bansh3e Posts: 71 Member
    I can`t, I love my parents. Bet you do too :))
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Bansh3e wrote: »
    Yeah...but i am not that kind of sad because now i can see my chest/shoulder striations and my muscle look bigger,i mean they are not covered in fat.The sad thing is that now i am smaller in clothes and my abs didn`t changed.

    Wear a tube top to cover your abs and show off your lovely shoulders?

    I don't know. I think you just need to be patient :p
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited June 2015
    Bansh3e wrote: »
    I can`t, I love my parents. Bet you do too :))
    I don't even know your parents. Even so, you lose fat in some areas before others because of genetics. It is what it is.

  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Bansh3e wrote: »
    i lost 9 pounds during 1 month of strengh training and 500-800 caloric deficit my waist got down from 33 to 31.88 ,but i look the same. My abs are not gaining any visual effects or sth like this.This is why i think that i didnt lost body fat.My abs look the same as when i didn`t cut,even if now i can see my obliques better.

    I don't think 1 month and 1.12 inches is really enough to see the change. Keep working on it; as others have said, abs are often the last place to see the change.

    As far as whether you're losing body fat, even if your bf% didn't change as you lost weight, you'd be still losing fat, just in the same proportion as muscle. But again, 1 month and 9 pounds aren't going to show a lot of difference either way unless you're quite close to goal.

    You should be pleased as punch, IMO, to have made such good progress in just 1 month!
  • Bansh3e
    Bansh3e Posts: 71 Member
    mathjulz wrote: »
    Bansh3e wrote: »
    i lost 9 pounds during 1 month of strengh training and 500-800 caloric deficit my waist got down from 33 to 31.88 ,but i look the same. My abs are not gaining any visual effects or sth like this.This is why i think that i didnt lost body fat.My abs look the same as when i didn`t cut,even if now i can see my obliques better.

    I don't think 1 month and 1.12 inches is really enough to see the change. Keep working on it; as others have said, abs are often the last place to see the change.

    As far as whether you're losing body fat, even if your bf% didn't change as you lost weight, you'd be still losing fat, just in the same proportion as muscle. But again, 1 month and 9 pounds aren't going to show a lot of difference either way unless you're quite close to goal.

    You should be pleased as punch, IMO, to have made such good progress in just 1 month!

    Thanks, I don`t think that i lost muscle because now i can do muscle ups,more pull ups and i improved my push ups,bench..etc.Thanks for your support.

  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    When you lose weight, you are usually losing water, fat or muscle if you're not working out.
  • Bansh3e
    Bansh3e Posts: 71 Member
    aippolito1 wrote: »
    When you lose weight, you are usually losing water, fat or muscle if you're not working out.

    And if I am working out ?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Almost certainly the same. Only the ratios would be different.
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
    edited June 2015
    aippolito1 wrote: »
    When you lose weight, you are usually losing water, fat or muscle if you're not working out.

    As opposed to skeletal mass if you are working out? *SMH*

    How have you amassed 4000+ posts and still spewing crappy advice like this? It's like you didn't even read the thread
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    aippolito1 wrote: »
    When you lose weight, you are usually losing water, fat or muscle if you're not working out.

    As opposed to skeletal mass if you are working out? *SMH*

    How have you amassed 4000+ posts and still spewing crappy advice like this? It's like you didn't even read the thread

    You do lose water, fat, and muscle during weight loss. An adequate protein intake and resistance training help minimize muscle loss, but even doing that, some muscle is still lost during weight loss even when exercising.
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
    Yeah I realize that but her post makes it sound like you won't lose any of the three if you workout...
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Yeah I realize that but her post makes it sound like you won't lose any of the three if you workout...

    I think that may have been a case of sentence structure and she was referring to mainly the muscle being lost as a result of not working out. Either way, types of tissue being lost during weight loss is relevant, especially in a thread asking about why body fat appears to be the same - many people have the misconception that weight loss is exactly the same as fat loss, and expect big changes just because the number on the scale decreased.
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