For ladies who worked to get low body fat...

bubaluboo

Now I'm assuming that you got there by lifting but I'd also be interested to know if you didn't do that but just lost the weight. I'm most likely way off that stage yet with a BMI of 23.5 but I just wondered when (BMI may be the best indicator?) you decided that you no longer needed to lose weight but to start converting to muscle? If and when you did go down that route, how much work did it take to get results and other than upping calories, did you substantially change your diet? One more question ...do you trust scales (electrical impedance) to give you an accurate BF reading? Thank you :flowerforyou:

Mokey41

Depends what you mean by low body fat. I'm at 19% and I don't lift heavy. My main way to cut fat was running mixed with cycling and a good diet. I had my BF tested by dunk tank which I think is way more accurate than any scale.

bubaluboo

That's about the percentage that I was thinking of

bubaluboo

I just googled the dunk tank method but it looks like its not available anywhere near me (in the UK) :ohwell:

PriceK01

I ate at a deficit and did a lot of low weight / high rep work first. When close to weight goal and BF%, I bumped up my calories and started lifting heavy. I've since increased calories one more time to maintain.

My BF% from heybales' spreadsheet (which is the average of USNC and CB methods) is 19%. Sara and Sidesteel gave me a guesstimate of 17-18%. I've never tried one of those scales or any other form of measurement. I do have calipers, but haven't tried to figure out how to use them, yet.

bubaluboo

Thank you for the info. I've found the spreadsheet and it appeals to my inner geek :bigsmile:

linsey0689

I don't really trust scale but I just want to say my BMI is 34 and I still do strength training so really your BMI doesn't have to be something before you can start doing it. I mean I also do cardio because my main focus is weight loss but also toning.

RobynLB83

I don't lift. I box, run, and climb. Boxing was the main thing that got my body fat down and my LBM up. Those scales don't work. I have calipers, but I'm not that confident in those either. Lol. I think my BF is in the 16-18% range, but I'm not certain.

michellechawner

Thanks OP this is just what I needed too!

I'm trying to lower body fat (I have no clue what I'm at now), but I still have pudge around my stomach, and I know I can't target areas to lose fat... but I also can't heavy lift due to medical reasons I want a flat stomach and yes I will work for it but within my limits.

lovelylela415

I have been doing it all at once. lnstead of focusing on weight loss first, i just went for strength and fitness, and the weight loss came with it. it's slow, but i have successfully changed and am changing my entire body composition while losing weight. I'm told this is the best way to avoid creating loose skin or becoming "fat skinny/thin"

either way, the mental effects of lifting combined with the weight loss and strength increase and body fat loss....it's all so worth it (to me)

NavyKnightAh13

bumping as I am at the point where I think it might be time.

VicPuff

I don't have low body fat but I just had a Dexa Body Scan (which is supposed to be the "bench mark" of body fat testing). I'm at 26%. I have a handheld device that gives you body fat and it had me at 22-23%. So not all that accurate. I imagine the calipers aren't all that accurate either (unless someone very experienced is doing it).

I'm 5'6" and 122 lbs. I found a calculator on Fat to Fit that told me if I want to be at 18% body fat I'll likely weigh around 110 lbs.
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ibw/

I've also found some great information on www.aworkoutroutine.com

Especially this post

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/can-you-lose-fat-or-gain-muscle-without-losing-or-gaining-weight/

I really want to lower my bodyfat as well. I think at the end of the day keep you need to continue a weight training program but you have to keep a calorie deficit.

Edited to add: I just used that calculator for my husband and it put him at a VERY low weight, so clearly it isn't really all that accurate. But generally speaking, I think the point is the same. You have to lose fat (weight) to lower your bodyfat (but maybe not as much as that calculator indicates! :noway:

thesophierose

All I did was aim for a healthy BMI (19.1, now ) , but I did at least 30 minutes of strength training 3 days a week during my weight loss. It helps preserve muscle loss overall during your calorie deficit to do this. Mind you, I'm still losing weight and I'm not exactly supposed to. I need to start upping my calorie intake. But you need to be mindful that you lose LBM when dieting especially i you don't do anything to tone it up. Muscle is the first to go actually on top of body fat... so i'd suggest toning all the way through. Start slow and build up. It's such a great feeling.

I trust professional scales. The ones you find at certain gyms, doctors offices' etc... not so much the crappy ones you buy at the store. I find they are more likely to fluctuate in mass than others. And, if you are looking to tone after awhile, you will go up in pounds because after all muscle does weigh more than fat, but you'll also slim out doing this.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Now I'm assuming that you got there by lifting but I'd also be interested to know if you didn't do that but just lost the weight. I'm most likely way off that stage yet with a BMI of 23.5 but I just wondered when (BMI may be the best indicator?) you decided that you no longer needed to lose weight but to start converting to muscle? If and when you did go down that route, how much work did it take to get results and other than upping calories, did you substantially change your diet? One more question ...do you trust scales (electrical impedance) to give you an accurate BF reading? Thank you :flowerforyou:

I'm just below 16% (reading via calipers) and I lift. I stalled out around 20-ish% until I started lifting. It definitely helps. Even just 30 minutes three times a week makes a huge difference.

OP, why don't you want to lift?

stephanielynn76

Now I'm assuming that you got there by lifting but I'd also be interested to know if you didn't do that but just lost the weight. I'm most likely way off that stage yet with a BMI of 23.5 but I just wondered when (BMI may be the best indicator?) you decided that you no longer needed to lose weight but to start converting to muscle? If and when you did go down that route, how much work did it take to get results and other than upping calories, did you substantially change your diet? One more question ...do you trust scales (electrical impedance) to give you an accurate BF reading? Thank you :flowerforyou:

First of all... what is your end goal? What do you want to look like?

So to answer your question... yes, you can lose body fat without lifting. In fact, you can lose body fat without any exercise at all. All you have to do is eat at a caloric deficit. Be aware, however, that when you diet without training you will lose muscle as well as fat. You may not like the end result of that. You will be smaller but you likely won't look very firm. If you train (lift weights) while dieting it will signal your body to retain the muscle you have. Cardio is optional. It will help to further increase your deficit if you are trying to lose... it might also help you to have more energy and cope with stress... but it is not critical for fat loss. If your end goal is to be "toned" I suggest starting a weight-training program now whether you are in a surplus (trying to gain muscle) or deficit (trying to lose fat but hold on to as much muscle as possible).

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Oh, and those body fat scales are crap. Last time I used one it said my fat *kitten* was 10.8% body fat. Lol one day, but not today.

bubaluboo

Thank you all so much for your replies. It's really interesting to read your different approaches. To answer the questions...

How do I want to look? slim and firm but not super muscular (I have no illusion that that could ever happen to me anyhow lol). I was thinking that a BF% of around 18-20% would be healthy and look good??

Why don't I want to lift heavy? I am happy to lift heavy if that's what it takes but it's going to be a learning curve for me so I just wanted to know whether it was necessary. I do things like JM 30 day shred (I've run through that twice), very brisk walking, swimming and when I start my new job in July I'll be cycling to work (14 mile a day) which would really up my cardio so I wanted to know whether I needed to add the weights to achieve the results. If you're looking at my diary, the lack of recent activity has been due to my and family illness...I am so eager to get back on it.

I have done the heybales spreadsheet and am shocked! According to my scales I have 27% fat which I thought 'looked' about right. The spreadsheet tells me it's 31%!!! Is it possible to be well into a healthy BMI and yet sooo flabby??? I wonder whether it's biased against my big, pear shaped hips! Anyhow, either way I have a ways to go yet so more exercise and calorie deficit is in order!

Lyadeia

The spreadsheet tells me it's 31%!!! Is it possible to be well into a healthy BMI and yet sooo flabby???

It is very possible, and many people call this "skinny fat" because it tells us that a person looks healthy and appears slim, but they are still holding on to a lot of body fat.

This described me before I started my heavy lifting program. At one point, weighed 128 pounds, wore size 6 US clothes...yet was measured at 28% body fat. I am currently 135 pounds, wearing sizes 4 and 6 (couldn't wear 4's before), and I have around 20-21% body fat. I've been in a "healthy BMI" range for a loooong time. I think BMI is NOT the best indicator and that it is much more important to go by body fat.

I currently lift 4 days a week and do cardio a maximum of 2 days a week. I eat between 1800-2000 calories everyday, and I am dropping fat like crazy. The scale might be a b**** to me sometimes, but the fact that my measurements are shrinking and so are the clothes that fit me correctly tell me something's working in my favor.

To get to 128 pounds of skinny fatness, all I did was diet and cardio with no real lifting. I did "sculpting" videos with stupid little dumbbells for a million reps (similar to JM videos or other similar home videos) but you don't see progress using a max of 10 pounds over and over, week after week, month after month. To get to where I am now, I drastically reduced cardio and started picking up heavy weights.

insyweensy

bump

abideedum

Hey, in the UK a lot of uni's with sport science departments offer body fat percentage measurements check out one near you

stephanielynn76

The spreadsheet tells me it's 31%!!! Is it possible to be well into a healthy BMI and yet sooo flabby???

It is very possible, and many people call this "skinny fat" because it tells us that a person looks healthy and appears slim, but they are still holding on to a lot of body fat.

This described me before I started my heavy lifting program. At one point, weighed 128 pounds, wore size 6 US clothes...yet was measured at 28% body fat. I am currently 135 pounds, wearing sizes 4 and 6 (couldn't wear 4's before), and I have around 20-21% body fat. I've been in a "healthy BMI" range for a loooong time. I think BMI is NOT the best indicator and that it is much more important to go by body fat.

I currently lift 4 days a week and do cardio a maximum of 2 days a week. I eat between 1800-2000 calories everyday, and I am dropping fat like crazy. The scale might be a b**** to me sometimes, but the fact that my measurements are shrinking and so are the clothes that fit me correctly tell me something's working in my favor.

To get to 128 pounds of skinny fatness, all I did was diet and cardio with no real lifting. I did "sculpting" videos with stupid little dumbbells for a million reps (similar to JM videos or other similar home videos) but you don't see progress using a max of 10 pounds over and over, week after week, month after month. To get to where I am now, I drastically reduced cardio and started picking up heavy weights.

QFT! Very good real-life example of why lifting heavy is important!

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Thank you all so much for your replies. It's really interesting to read your different approaches. To answer the questions...

How do I want to look? slim and firm but not super muscular (I have no illusion that that could ever happen to me anyhow lol). I was thinking that a BF% of around 18-20% would be healthy and look good??

Why don't I want to lift heavy? I am happy to lift heavy if that's what it takes but it's going to be a learning curve for me so I just wanted to know whether it was necessary. I do things like JM 30 day shred (I've run through that twice), very brisk walking, swimming and when I start my new job in July I'll be cycling to work (14 mile a day) which would really up my cardio so I wanted to know whether I needed to add the weights to achieve the results. If you're looking at my diary, the lack of recent activity has been due to my and family illness...I am so eager to get back on it.

I have done the heybales spreadsheet and am shocked! According to my scales I have 27% fat which I thought 'looked' about right. The spreadsheet tells me it's 31%!!! Is it possible to be well into a healthy BMI and yet sooo flabby??? I wonder whether it's biased against my big, pear shaped hips! Anyhow, either way I have a ways to go yet so more exercise and calorie deficit is in order!

Check out starting strength and add in some pull ups and dips. It's a simple program, you'll be doing three exercises each workout. Watch Ripptoe's videos for the different exercises. He does a good job of explaining them. They're simple movements, it's just really important to get them just right.