HELP! I need to go from 27% Body Fat to 17%!

apmunozh

Hi! I just got a 3D body scan and my fat ratio is at 27%.
I need to drop down to 17% in 3-4 months. I would like support in figuring out my macros.
BMR is 1457
BMI is 24.5
Current Weight: 148lbs (39.1lbs of fat)
Goal: I'd like to lose 25lbs of fat and gain muscle

I am currently a clean eater, low carb paleo and ready to hit the gym and do spin and circuit training. Thank you for your support !

LivingtheLeanDream

3 to 4 months isn't enough time as you don't have much to lose weight wise going by your bmr. What's the rush?

It doesn't matter what kind of eater you are, being in calorie deficit consistently leads to fat loss. 0.5 to 1lb per week is a healthy aim when you don't have much weight to lose.

apmunozh

Hi, thank you but being in too much of a calorie deficit also stalls my weight loss.
The rush is that I feel terrible right now.

williebeamin

@apmunozh what’s ur wrk out schedule?

apmunozh

@williebeamin I've just started a new program where I will go in at least 5x per week to an hour of spinning or circuit training.

Is there something you recommend more?
Thanks!

kommodevaran

apmunozh wrote: »

Hi, thank you but being in too much of a calorie deficit also stalls my weight loss.
The rush is that I feel terrible right now.

That's having it backwards
A calorie deficit is what makes you lose weight. The less you eat (the bigger the defcit), the faster you lose. But you can't eat too little for very long. So it's not about having a larger calorie deficit, but a more consistent one.
Eating too little, eating boring food, and exhausting yourself, plus the impatience, is a more likely culprit for feeling terrible.

Momepro

27% isn't terrible, and 17% is often on the lowest end of normal, if not slightly underweight, so I personally would suggest aiming at 20% instead, just to be on the healthier side.
In your case, I wouldn't worry as much about losing quickly, since you also want to gain muscle. It would probably be better to concentrate on the excercises, and maybe add some lifting. As the muscle builds, the fat will go away as long as you are eating at a healthy rate.

andreascjonsson

If you look at American Council on Exercises chart you see that you are already on average and you want to get down to athlete level fitness. That takes a tremendous amount of work and you also state that you want to lose 25lbs wich is 2lbs a week and GAIN muscle. I would say that this is impossible in the timeframe you have put up for yourself

MichelleWithMoxie

Why?

sardelsa

It is going to take a lot of work and way more time to achieve that goal than 3-4 months. As mentioned 17% is very athletic and isn't just a matter of losing weight and getting into shape, you really have to have adequate body composition at that level of leaness. These kind of goals shouldn't be rushed.

Also you probably won't be gaining much muscle in a deficit especially at the speed you want to do this.
My advice..

-You want to eat in a calorie deficit (nothing too fast)
-Follow a progressive resistance program (for best results)
-Adequate protein (around 0.8-1g per lb lean body mass /goalweight minimum)
-Lots of patience and consistency. --> emphasis on that last point

apmunozh

@sardelsa thank you for you comment, its super helpful!

I will eat in a calorie deficit without going lower than my BMR.
Add some resistance training. Should I still be doing spin?
I think I will try the following macros: 15% Carbs (54g) / 25% Protein (91g) / 60% Fat (97g) <- does that sound pretty good?

quiksylver296

apmunozh wrote: »

@sardelsa thank you for you comment, its super helpful!

I will eat in a calorie deficit without going lower than my BMR.
Add some resistance training. Should I still be doing spin?
I think I will try the following macros: 15% Carbs (54g) / 25% Protein (91g) / 60% Fat (97g) <- does that sound pretty good?

That sounds horrible to me, personally. 15% carbs would make me cry.

If it works for you, go for it. If you find yourself freaking out and binging, maybe try a different macro split. 40c/30p/30f is a nice basic starter split.

goatg

I honestly can't imagine having enough energy to workout on 15% carbs (remember, voluminous vegetables are good complex carbs!).

I do endurance cardio and don't really know anything about high-fat diets, so I'm coming from a certain perspective. The one thing I would recommend is definitely up your protein to at least 30%. Mine is at 27-30%, with a lot of fats cut out, but that's only because my carbs are 55% (I usually eat while working out). Protein will help you build muscle, increasing your metabolism over time. I really can't imagine you'd need anywhere close to that much fat.

goatg

One thing I'll also warn you about is, be very careful if you're going from 0 to 100. Whenever anyone I've known --myself included-- has hammered any new exercise (spinning, running, etc.), the body is very prone to injury. I'd highly recommend cross training and make sure you foam roll *at least every other day.*

apmunozh

@quiksylver296 @goatg I've been low carb for about 3 years at about 20-25%

sardelsa

apmunozh wrote: »

@sardelsa thank you for you comment, its super helpful!

I will eat in a calorie deficit without going lower than my BMR.
Add some resistance training. Should I still be doing spin?
I think I will try the following macros: 15% Carbs (54g) / 25% Protein (91g) / 60% Fat (97g) <- does that sound pretty good?

Is that good for you, maybe. I wouldn't be able to do that low carb, my lifting sessions and energy would suffer. If you feel best on low carb, go for it..try it out and see how you do.

batorkin

apmunozh wrote: »

Hi, thank you but being in too much of a calorie deficit also stalls my weight loss.
The rush is that I feel terrible right now.

No it doesn't, starvation mode is a myth and this has been proven in studies over and over again. You likely don't drink enough water so your body holds onto it when you are in a calorie deficit.

Macros mean nothing for fat loss. All you need to do is count calories, it doesn't matter if those calories come from chocolate or apples.

I don't know if you're male or female, but for female 17% BF is just not realistic - top female athletics hover around there. So unless you plan on fitness being your #1 goal in life, it probably won't be achievable. 21-24% is very good.

Attempting to lose 25 pounds in 3-4 months, when your BMI is already 24, is also setting yourself up to a nearly impossible task. Set realistic goals. You seem to have much to learn so I suggest lurking these forums for a bit.

sardelsa

tyrindor wrote: »

apmunozh wrote: »

Hi, thank you but being in too much of a calorie deficit also stalls my weight loss.
The rush is that I feel terrible right now.

No it doesn't, starvation mode is a myth and this has been proven and tested over and over again.

Macros mean nothing for weight loss. All you need to do is count calories, it doesn't matter if those calories come from chocolate or apples.

Good luck losing 25 pounds in 3-4 months if your BMI is already 24. You are setting yourself up to a nearly impossible task which will likely result in giving up. Set realistic goals. You seem to have much to learn so I suggest lurking these forums for a bit.

The thing is, OP wants to reduce her body fat and change her body composition.. for that macros matter

kristingjertsen

Yes, but overall health is also an issue to consider. Ideally, she will be living in her body for many years too come. Why rush the process? Getting there more slowly is still means that she can reach her goal without starving herself, overdoing her exercise, and ending up quitting in frustration.

Tankiscool

-Fat loss is 80% diet. Get your diet on first. then add working out.
-Chose one goal, loose fat first then gain mass. Yes its possible to do it at the same time and if you are lifting and eating enough protein but lets not complicate things anymore. There is a reason you hear about cutting phases and bulking phases.
-WEIGHT LIFT. Spinning and all this high cardio wont with your goal of gaining mass or keeping the lean body mass you have now, weightlifting is a great fat burner as it has a much longer after burn. There is nothing wrong with doing them but keep your high cardio sessions less than an hour because anymore of that will put your body in a catabolic state and burn hard earned muscle. You don't need to be at the gym for any longer than hour a day.
-Figure out what your protein needs are to keep the lean mass you have now. Depending on who you are, what you do for work, and what your typical day is lie the necessary protein is usually about 0.8g/lb to 1g/lb. of lean muscle mass. So for you it would be 148 - 39 = 109 lbs of lean mass x 0.8 = 87.2 grams to 109 grams.