trying to lose a bit of body fat

shaneshaneshaneshane

I guess I'd be considered an ectomorph with a bit of extra muscle and lean everywhere on my body except for my lower back. I have this stubborn accumulation of fat directly above my glutes that I want to get rid of. I'm also trying to get more shapely glutes.

I think I'm starting to thin out there, but sometimes it's hard to tell. I was wondering if I should change my macros. I think the default for me was as high as 55/2x/2x on 1,600 calories. Should I try dropping that down a bit to 45/25/30? 120g of protein seems like too much for me, and 100g seems about as high as I can go. I do moderately heavy leg workouts 2-3 times a week with some cardio.

Also, I eat a big breakfast 600-700 calories. I think most people eat half that, but my appetite is bigger in the morning; I'm not sure if this is good or bad news for my goal.

vespiquenn

Meal timing doesn't matter. If 700 cals in the morning keeps you satisfied that you do not go over your calorie goal, you're fine.

Macros do not necessarily aid in fat loss. Only a calorie deficit does in the simplest terms. You mention your calorie goal, but how are you measuring? Do you use cups or a scale?

Also, that body type stuff is just woo science. No backing to it.

In the end, you cannot spot reduce. It will come off where it comes off.

Helloitsdan

You're more aware than most.

Stubborn fat, usually colder than the rest of the body, takes longer to lose. Feel the spot above your glutes and you should find the skin significantly cooler. That's because it lacks blood flow.
Before modifying macros try the following:
1-2x a week do 10 mins of sprints.
You'll sprint for 15 seconds, rest for 90 seconds and repeat.
The following week check measurements.
Do this for a couple weeks and you should see a drop in measurements.

How that helps.

shaneshaneshaneshane

vespiquenn wrote: »

Macros do not necessarily aid in fat loss. Only a calorie deficit does in the simplest terms. You mention your calorie goal, but how are you measuring? Do you use cups or a scale?

I'm using both cups, and I use a scale when it comes to raw meat. This is my first serious journal attempt at calorie counting, so should I try and be as precise as possible? I recently just weighed the biggest and smallest chicken tenders that I buy, then I take those numbers and average them instead of weighing them individually. That's really the only lazy shortcut I take, but I still try to account for going over by eating a little less calories. I still put forth the effort to measure most low cal foods like ketchup and carrots.

I've been doing exercises like weighted butt bridges in hopes of getting rounder glutes, and I've read from some sources that say you need higher protein levels of like 130g daily for my body type/weight. Others claim that 80 is plenty and anything more is just harder on your body. I'm mostly worried that while trying to cut fat, I may lose a lot of my glute progress if I'm not getting enough protein especially. Forcing myself to eat more chicken doesn't feel right. I drink plenty of water, 3-4 liters a day, so maybe a bit more protein wouldn't hurt?

Helloitsdan wrote: »

You're more aware than most.

Stubborn fat, usually colder than the rest of the body, takes longer to lose. Feel the spot above your glutes and you should find the skin significantly cooler. That's because it lacks blood flow.
Before modifying macros try the following:
1-2x a week do 10 mins of sprints.
You'll sprint for 15 seconds, rest for 90 seconds and repeat.
The following week check measurements.
Do this for a couple weeks and you should see a drop in measurements.

How that helps.

Thanks, I did not know that about the stubborn fat. Could dancing replace the sprinting for the time being? I know both are completely different creatures, but they likely do have similarities and during the cold months I can't really do much jogging or running. I've noticed that during both sprinting and dancing my soul away, I get very similar feelings in my hips/stomach/lower back area. Maybe they both share similar blood flow levels, or at least with the high intensity dancing.

Helloitsdan

Absolutely. The trick is to get your heart rate up high for short duration then rest.

dragon_girl26

vespiquenn wrote: »

Meal timing doesn't matter. If 700 cals in the morning keeps you satisfied that you do not go over your calorie goal, you're fine.

Macros do not necessarily aid in fat loss. Only a calorie deficit does in the simplest terms. You mention your calorie goal, but how are you measuring? Do you use cups or a scale?

Also, that body type stuff is just woo science. No backing to it.

In the end, you cannot spot reduce. It will come off where it comes off.

^^this
"Stubborn" body fat isn't really a thing. You lose body fat through a calorie deficit. It's just math. There isn't a way to spot reduce, either. I've lost almost 85 lbs, yet I still have a good amount of fat on my belly. No special exercises will get rid of it, unfortunately. The only thing for it is to just keep losing weight. It comes down to genetics. The rest of my family has the same shape. The belly fat for me will be the last to go.
Also, the best way to ensure your calorie counting is accurate is to weigh all solid foods on a food scale that measures grams. Otherwise, you might be eating more than you think.

beastier

Reduce the sugar intake within your carbs

sardelsa

Keep eating at a deficit and be patient. However, eventually you might find that stubborn fat just doesn't let go despite being at a reasonable body weight. In that case you may have to switch to a recomp or bulk (depending on what you want) to build up muscle.

Also to shape the glutes I recommend following a progressive lifting program if you aren't already.. in particular Strong Curves. Keep in mind when losing you likely won't build up the glutes but you can shape them to an extent (again, depending on your starting point).
Meal time doesn't matter. And cardio can help you reach a deficit (and is good for heart health etc) but ultimately it comes down to eating less than you burn, lifting and eating adequate protein to lower your bf%.

vespiquenn

I suggest ditching the cups aside from liquids and stick to your scale. Because you are losing vanity fat, you need to be as precise as possible. You don't have much room for error.

I also second looking into recomposition. That means a weight lifting program that is progressive while eating at maintenance or your TDEE -20%.

AnvilHead

beastier wrote: »

Reduce the sugar intake within your carbs

^ Won't make a single bit of difference. Sugar doesn't make you fat, excess calories do.

trigden1991

A calorie deficit is all you need. What you eat & when you eat won't make any noticeable difference.