Any tips on how to reduce Body fat %

markph65

Hi,
I am new to getting fit and trying to improve my body but I am greatly incouraged by how things are going and the help or this app and the community. I am 52 years old and overweight. I have lost a steady amount of weight in the last 5 weeks and my BMI is now 27.1 which is a lot better than it was. However I have noticed that on my last 2 weigh ins that my Body Fat% is creaping up, all be it very very slowly but I wonder if anyone has any tips as to how I can get this to start dropping again. Currently it is 31.1% two weeks ago it was 30.1%. I have trouble with running as my knees are not good but I do walk a lot. Please help if you can. I am not interested in taking tablets as they tend to be out of my price range. I am looking for advise on lifestyle/ diet changes that will help.

Thanks

yskaldir

By having a caloric deficit

trigden1991

cheldadex wrote: »

By having a caloric deficit

This.

Or liposuction.

Chadxx

First of all, readings from those machines are highly inaccurate. Secondly, if you want to reduce body fat, maintain a calorie deficit to burn fat and lift heavy and consume adequate protein to preserve muscle.

tinkerbellang83

Eat at a deficit and incorporate some strength training if you want to keep your muscle.

Tacklewasher

Since I got a scale that shows BF%, I've lost about 10 lbs and gained about 3% BF.

I ignore the BF reading.

Seffell

Tacklewasher wrote: »

Since I got a scale that shows BF%, I've lost about 10 lbs and gained about 3% BF.

I ignore the BF reading.

If you haven't been weight training at the same time then it is entirely possible that the reading is in fact correct.

msf74

tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

Eat at a deficit and incorporate some strength training if you want to keep your muscle.

^^^

Yes.

ninerbuff

Don't rely on bio impedance to accurately read body fat %. How hydrated you are changes the reading.
Best way to tell if you're losing body fat................you have less when you look in the mirror.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

markph65

Thanks for that. Using using the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation I have calculated

my Calorie maintenance level as 2486.

For the last 5 weeks my daily calorie intake has been, except for 3 days has been around or under 1500

my net calorie intake is around but usualy under 1000.

The machine I use is not a domaestic device it is the one used at my surgery. I always go at the same time (within about 20 mins) and have had exactly the same food and fluid prior to going to try to reduce the variables as much as poss.

so is it safe to lower this further. Please bear in mind I am a type 1 diabetic so have to be careful about my food/ carb intake.

I really apreciate all your inputs.

Spliner1969

Consider increasing your protein level, but do stay at a caloric deficit. It takes time to burn fat, but it'll come off eventually. The Macro calculator over at IIFYM.com helped me quite a bit. I use it exclusively and plug the numbers/macro percents into MFP.

NorthCascades

markph65 wrote: »

my net calorie intake is around but usualy under 1000.

That's way too aggressive. It won't be sustainable in the long term. While you do it, you'll lose fat but you'll also lose a lot more muscle than necessary. That's especially bad because muscle is harder to build as we age.

Aim for a deficit of about 500 kCal per day.

Unknown

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