Best way to lose body fat?

ProjectSYD

Okay so I'm trying to cut back on body fat but I honestly can't tell if it's working or not. I've been doing an hour of cardio (now an hour and a half) a day for 6 days a week. I've been told that its excessive and maybe that's my problem. I've made changes in my diet in the sense that I no longer eat at work (I work at a fast food restaurant and I now go home to eat). I also no longer consume anything other then water/milk - I used to drink 3-4 energy drinks a day due to lack of energy (but I feel like I have more energy now that I've started working out again). I'm just looking for advice as to why I'm not losing weight or at least tips on how to properly measure myself to figure out my BF%. I change up cardio routines too, I try not to do the same thing all the time.

ritchiedrama

First thing is cardio doesn't actually burn that many calories and if you're consuming too much food (from your post it sounds like it)

you ain't gonna lose any weight.

You need to work out your TDEE and -15%/-20% from it

and count your calories.

ritchiedrama

Height, age, weight?

ritchiedrama

So you're either miscalculating or counting wrong.

If you ate 1500 calories everyday, you would be losing weight.

ritchiedrama

Maybe, I'm also taking creatine and protein supplements, I don't just do cardio.

I went from 200ish lbs down to 140 lbs

Zero cardio

Cardio is not needed for fat loss and doesn't change how your body composition is

weight training does


Regardless of any of this, if you're not dropping weight after 3-4 weeks,, you're eating more than you think you are.

Amberonamission

So you're either miscalculating or counting wrong.

If you ate 1500 calories everyday, you would be losing weight.

Not true. I am 5'9" 250 and eat under 1500 everyday. I workout daily, cardio and strength alternating.. and I am not losing. Some bodies are stubborn.

Edit: and I weigh my food to the gram. So it is not a miscalculation.

Mikej77

Aside from getting calipers or paying big money for a accurate BF% test, you can take a few measurements and input them into the web for a decent body fat estimate. Just google body fat calculater and see what you feel is the best bet. Try more then one and get an average. Most of what I have been told on this site says strength training is one of the best ways to decrease body fat when it comes to excersise. Calorie counting is also important, you want to maintain a calorie deficit almost daily. Hope this helps

ritchiedrama

So you're either miscalculating or counting wrong.

If you ate 1500 calories everyday, you would be losing weight.

Not true. I am 5'9" 250 and eat under 1500 everyday. I workout daily, cardio and strength alternating.. and I am not losing. Some bodies are stubborn.

No, they are not. I'm sorry but if you're truly eating 1500 calories everyday at 250 lbs and work out that much - you have a medical condition.

ritchiedrama

On top of cardio I also do strength training.

Regardless again, what is your point? haha.

If you are not losing weight, after 3-4 weeks of eating 1,500 calories you are not eating, 1,500 calories.

Amberonamission

So you're either miscalculating or counting wrong.

If you ate 1500 calories everyday, you would be losing weight.

Not true. I am 5'9" 250 and eat under 1500 everyday. I workout daily, cardio and strength alternating.. and I am not losing. Some bodies are stubborn.

No, they are not. I'm sorry but if you're truly eating 1500 calories everyday at 250 lbs and work out that much - you have a medical condition.

Nope. Just got back from the Dr. My blood work is exactly where it is supposed to be. I even did a fasting blood sugar. No health problems at all. Just stubborn.

ritchiedrama

So you're either miscalculating or counting wrong.

If you ate 1500 calories everyday, you would be losing weight.

Not true. I am 5'9" 250 and eat under 1500 everyday. I workout daily, cardio and strength alternating.. and I am not losing. Some bodies are stubborn.

Nope. Just got back from the Dr. My blood work is exactly where it is supposed to be. I even did a fasting blood sugar. No health problems at all. Just stubborn.

No, they are not. I'm sorry but if you're truly eating 1500 calories everyday at 250 lbs and work out that much - you have a medical condition.

You are in denial I am afraid. Human error then, you are miscounting calories.

LoraF83

So you're either miscalculating or counting wrong.

If you ate 1500 calories everyday, you would be losing weight.

This.

OP are you weighing and measuring your food? You state that you have a protein shake every day - do you count those calories?

Amberonamission

I weigh my food in grams. ALL of it. Every bite. No exceptions. I log gum.

Go ahead and say that everyone is the same. It is just not true.

ritchiedrama

I weigh my food in grams. ALL of it. Every bite. No exceptions. I log gum.

Go ahead and say that everyone is the same. It is just not true.

It is true. I am afraid. You are not a special snow flake, you are a human without medical conditions (Your words).

The sooner you begin to accept you are wrong, the sooner you can improve your weight.

Good luck!

hookilau

So you're either miscalculating or counting wrong.

If you ate 1500 calories everyday, you would be losing weight.

Not true. I am 5'9" 250 and eat under 1500 everyday. I workout daily, cardio and strength alternating.. and I am not losing. Some bodies are stubborn.

Edit: and I weigh my food to the gram. So it is not a miscalculation.

This happened to me as well but it turned out to be an underlying medical issue. My weight gain and inability to lose turned out to be secondary and medical issue to be the primary problem.

I had never had any medical problems before this so I had no reason to even suspect medical. I ate at a modest deficit, lifted heavy (for years) doing yoga, classes at the gym, etc. I finally started counting calories on MFP and when *that* didn't produce more than a 4# loss during the course of a couple of months, a visit to the Doctor's office for pain in my abd. revealed my primary issue. Metabolic disorder :noway:

If weighing food to the gram, eating TDEE <20% deficit (give or take) and the addition of moderate exercise doesn't budge the scale for you after a reasonable amount of time, and you have 30+ pounds to lose, see a doctor or start looking into the possibility that food intolerance may be holding you up. :drinker:

ETA: since addressing my primary medical issue, weight has been falling off me effortlessly.
I no longer count calories.

Edited again to add: specific food intolerance...not the inability to tolerate food :laugh:

LoraF83

I weigh my food in grams. ALL of it. Every bite. No exceptions. I log gum.

Go ahead and say that everyone is the same. It is just not true.

You've only been logging calories for a couple of weeks. You didn't log for the entire month of July.

And your ticker shows a 2lb loss. I'd say you're doing fine and don't have anything to complain about.

Amberonamission

You can say I am doing something wrong all you like. I KNOW the effort being put in. And I know the lack of result.