Has bmi range changed?
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Forget BMI.
Forget the numbers on the scale.
Do you look and feel good at your present weight? Can you do the physical things you want to do without significant effort?
If yes then you are most likely at the right number for you. The numbers are just a rough guide and a way to measure progress. As long as you are happy with your looks and capabilities then you are doing OK.4 -
In terms of long term health, doing some form of resistance training is actually pretty important.14
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I’m a gardener, weed roots can be quite resistantNony_Mouse wrote: »In terms of long term health, doing some form of resistance training is actually pretty important.
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I’m a gardener, weed roots can be quite resistantNony_Mouse wrote: »In terms of long term health, doing some form of resistance training is actually pretty important.
You’ll get better at pulling them. Seriously.
I was shocked st how much easier it was to mow the yard after I started lifting.5 -
Yes you’re right, I think to a certain extent things like that get easier by repetition but I also appreciate strength training would improve my overall performance at work.
It’s something I may look into in the future from a performance point of view rather than hoping to achieve a particular aesthetic.4 -
It was an extreme example
I fully respect people who strength train, recomp etc - it’s just not something I want to aim for right now.
For what reason exactly? It's obvious you don't want to do it from your replies, but other than saying 'it'll make my next goal really far away' (which isn't necessarily true) you haven't give an actual reason why.
Which you don't have to voice on here, but i can tell you with 100% honesty I wish I'd started lifting years ago. I'm a runner and last year as I got into longer distances I became totally injury prone. I finally added in a full body dumbbell routine 2x a week (takes me 20 minutes max) and while the scale has hardly moved I'm in clothes that I previously needed to be 10lbs lighter to wear. (I'm 5ft5 and 137ish lbs) and that was within weeks of consistently adding some strength training.13 -
Ok Tavistocktoad lets do this (I’m fully aware in advance you will have an argument against each reason but they are all valid to me )
- I tried strong lifts 2 years ago and although I had good results I got to the stage where I couldn’t lift heavier given the limited equipment at my gym (there’s only so much I can lift over my head to squat without a rack)
- I’m not convinced my form is good enough, I don’t want to pay a PT and I can’t translate written instruction or diagrams into actions
- I am working, studying, mothering, housekeeping etc time is an issue
- And finally I should perhaps focus on other things and not get too gripped by body image etc2 -
Oh didn’t mention I HATE SQUATS!!
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Ok Tavistocktoad lets do this (I’m fully aware in advance you will have an argument against each reason but they are all valid to me )
- I tried strong lifts 2 years ago and although I had good results I got to the stage where I couldn’t lift heavier given the limited equipment at my gym (there’s only so much I can lift over my head to squat without a rack)
- I’m not convinced my form is good enough, I don’t want to pay a PT and I can’t translate written instruction or diagrams into actions
- I am working, studying, mothering, housekeeping etc time is an issue
- And finally I should perhaps focus on other things and not get too gripped by body image etc
I don't have an argument against it. I'm happy with my results doing what I do.
If you can say that then crack on. But given the reason you started this thread...
Good luck OP :flowerforyou:10 -
Thank youTavistockToad wrote: »Ok Tavistocktoad lets do this (I’m fully aware in advance you will have an argument against each reason but they are all valid to me )
- I tried strong lifts 2 years ago and although I had good results I got to the stage where I couldn’t lift heavier given the limited equipment at my gym (there’s only so much I can lift over my head to squat without a rack)
- I’m not convinced my form is good enough, I don’t want to pay a PT and I can’t translate written instruction or diagrams into actions
- I am working, studying, mothering, housekeeping etc time is an issue
- And finally I should perhaps focus on other things and not get too gripped by body image etc
I don't have an argument against it. I'm happy with my results doing what I do.
If you can say that then crack on. But given the reason you started this thread...
Good luck OP :flowerforyou: and thank you for your other responses too, I do appreciate it even if I don’t always agree 
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Yes you’re right, I think to a certain extent things like that get easier by repetition but I also appreciate strength training would improve my overall performance at work.
It’s something I may look into in the future from a performance point of view rather than hoping to achieve a particular aesthetic.
Yes, upper body strength training does wonders for my yoga and swimming. Before, my arms could never keep up with my legs.
My mom has extensive gardens and during the height of the season is often working in them 8 hours per day. She's been doing this since she retired in the 90s. Never-the-less, her osteoporosis doctor wishes she started strength training decades ago.
Mom finally started working out after her doctor insisted she start taking Forteo. She found a great personal trainer at the Y. This must not cost too much, as she is cheap, but hasn't complained about the cost.
I've taken small group personal training at the Y and the cost was very minimal. After only four sessions, I had a routine and was comfortable doing it on my own. And when I left that gym due to a move, I was comfortable going into the next gym as well.3 -
Sorry, me again!
Quick question - does recomp rely on having excess body fat to lose?
My scales at telling me I’m 20% (although obviously I’m not expecting high accuracy on that)0 -
You can only do what your brain allows you to do.
You can best build muscle at a caloric surplus. It will still be slow; but it is the fastest way. However the surplus also results in some fat accumulation. You will then be left with the task of dealing with that extra fat if you desire to return to a leaner level.
OK, so what would be the next best option for someone who doesn't want to gain any (or in any case the least amount of) fat ?
Well to allow for minimal or NO GAINS of weight.
I mean if there is no gain of weight, and there is extra muscle growth (even if it is slower than it COULD have been), then you're not adding any fat, right? If anything you're losing some fat (hence "re-composition")
While 20% is on the lower end for women, 20% based on BMI scale is not, I don't think, at a level of "essential fat levels".
So if you manage to eat exactly at maintenance and are strength training... well... there is only one thing you could be losing.
But yes, this would be a slower process than if you were to allow for a very slow growth to your weight levels and yes, a person with more fat to lose would probably have more readily available energy reserves and might see some greater percentages of body composition change for a given amount of effort than you would, and you, in turn, could well see a greater percentage of change than a leaner person would for the same training effort. (Prior level of training also plays into this, i.e. a novice will have faster results than an already trained individual)4 -
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Plenty? What would a good bf% be?TavistockToad wrote: »
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Plenty? What would a good bf% be?TavistockToad wrote: »
As in plenty more than what's considered an essential amount of bodyfat.2 -
I’ve looked online for a guide to healthy bf% but can’t really find a common answer.0
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Plenty? What would a good bf% be?TavistockToad wrote: »
This depends on age, sex, etc. There are papers that consider women to be under-fat below 21%. The american council for exercise defines athletes in the 14% to 20% range and Fitness at 21% to 24%, Jackson and Pollock view 26.3% to be the ideal body fat % for a 55 year old woman, while for a 35 yo it would be 21.5%
Your body fat % is plenty good enough where it now is in terms of meeting a healthy (and low) fat level and you're at a healthy weight already... nobody here, certainly not me, is saying you HAVE to lose fat. YOU ARE THE ONE SAYING IT, and asking how to do it.3 -
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I’m just not a very good judge of what healthy looks/feels like, looking for a bit of guidance really
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I’m just not a very good judge of what healthy looks/feels like, looking for a bit of guidance really
Which you already have, right?
Am I missing something here?
Have people not mentioned that you shouldn't seek to lose weight, you are already at a fine weight especially given your height, etc, etc?
And pretty much when you continued to insist that you don't like your shape at the low weight you're already at, that just about the only thing you ought to pursue is strength training that will allow you to perhaps sculpt a body closer to your liking (as opposed to trying to lose fat and losing muscle at the same time)?
So what guidance do you seek?
You're already at a healthy weight for your height. There are no bonus points in terms of health benefits that are withing easy reach. If anything the argument strictly from a health perspective would be for a HIGHER fat percentage, not a lesser one (as in BMI above 20 for most women of your height, not below).
You are not improving health markers/outcomes by reducing your fat level. You are pursuing personal athletic and aesthetic goals... the emphasis being on PERSONAL athletic and aesthetic goals, because health-wise... you're already fine where you already are! As mentioned above: thigh gap, low end of normal weight, blah, blah: your perception of how fat you are is a bigger issue for your health than the actual amount of fat you carry ;-)11 -
Erm...damage limitation?...I’m in the habit of losing weight and find it rewarding, if it is healthy then fine, if not...I’m not sure where the line is - I know you need to be focused to achieve goals, but knowing when you are too focused is a bit difficult I guess?1
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20% is low body fat for a lady. Also keep in mind that body fat scales are best used only for trending purposes, they commonly over estimate body fat percentages.2
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EGAD, so we're back to that. I will let other people (many of whom have dealt with ED) chime in perhaps, as they did earlier. The line is that you're ALREADY HEALTHY. Anything you're doing is NOT FOR HEALTH PRIMARILY.
I am pretty sure that people on a fitness forum cannot tell you when your fat levels will become so low that they will impact your health.
For all we all know your current level is too low FOR YOU. You won't know till many years from now when the whatever health problem caused by whatever else materializes.
Almost axiomatically, if something is an obsession it is not healthy. Mental health is part of your total body health.10 -
Erm...damage limitation?...I’m in the habit of losing weight and find it rewarding, if it is healthy then fine, if not...I’m not sure where the line is - I know you need to be focused to achieve goals, but knowing when you are too focused is a bit difficult I guess?
we aren't talking about losing weight though if you're actually doing recomp.
to be honest i think just maintaining your current body weight and composition for a while would be a good idea to help you get out of the losing weight mindset.12 -
Pictures for perspective, I don’t think I’m in any danger of being skin and bones - I think 7lbs less would be ok?
You look very average to me. I’d say recomp and focus on body composition. That will do more for you than focusing on weight. I’m also 5’10” and “underweight” if we’re going by BMI starts at 128lb which is 20lb less than you. You don’t have to worry about being “underweight”. You should just focus on being healthy.
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Also why 7lb ? That seems like an odd number to choose to lose when you’re already at a healthy weight ? Like I said above, weight training will do wonders for you.3
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Erm...damage limitation?...I’m in the habit of losing weight and find it rewarding, if it is healthy then fine, if not...I’m not sure where the line is - I know you need to be focused to achieve goals, but knowing when you are too focused is a bit difficult I guess?
Actually, no, it’s not fine. When you are insisting that you still need to lose weight at the low end of a healthy weight, that’s pretty much the definition of a problem.4 -
Sorry, me again!
Quick question - does recomp rely on having excess body fat to lose?
My scales at telling me I’m 20% (although obviously I’m not expecting high accuracy on that)
The leaner you are the less effective recomp becomes. Not to say it won't work for you, but there comes a point where if you become too low in weight and leanness, it becomes harder to actually make progress and gaining weight might actually benefit you (depending on your goals of course). I don't think you are at that point so recomp will be an excellent choice for you.
20% is fairly athletic and lean for a female, if you are that lean you should start to see muscle definition in most places.. but I wouldn't pay too much attention as scales can be very inaccurate. Mine tells me I am 23-24% most of the time... and I would imagine I am a leaner than that.
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