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Weight loss struggle - high body fat but lost a lot of weight

florent_ven
florent_ven Posts: 18 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone,

I’m really struggling with my weight loss right now and I need some help!

These are my current stats:

Age: 22
Height: 174cm
Weight: ~ 80kg
Body fat %: 25.8
BMI: 26.6
Muscle mass: 56.7kg
BMR: 1630kcal according to Renpho scale

In terms of food, I’m eating roughly 1700kcal a day.

In terms of protein, I’m aiming to eat around 160g + a day

In terms of exercise, I aim to do 3-4 strength training sessions at home with my dumbbells and barbell, focusing on legs, shoulders, arms, chest and back. I also aim to do 2-3 (1-2 hour) walks at a steady pace a week.

In terms of general activity, I work 4 days a week and I stand all day on the job for about 7 hours.

From October 2020, I lost about 18kg. In total since 2017, I lost 35kg but the 18kg was lost in the months between Oct 2020 and April 2021.

I have lost some muscle as I realised my protein intake was low. So now, I do aim for high protein meals, etc. I also reduced my cardio.

I just feel like my body shape looks the same. I don’t feel like I’ve lost any fat even though my body fat % has gone down by 8%. I’m struggling to feel confident in myself because I’ve just pleateaud since April.

In April, I went a bit off track with my calories because it was my birthday. I’ve stepped up my game recently but I’m just worried I won’t lose fat and I’ll be putting in all this effort all for nothing.

Replies

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,542 Member
    Congratulations on your weight loss. You must feel so much lighter on your feet, particularly at your job.

    Your stats are fine, in my opinion. BMI means very little and 26.6 is fine. And, who is telling you that your BF is 25.8%? If it's not measured at a performance clinic, it's probably wrong.

    You are at the perfect age to take up a sport. Making fitness interesting and fun is the best way to keep at it for the rest of your life. Try everything and see what you like. The quarantine is ending, man!

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Very clearly you have lost fat with losing that much weight.
    And even the not very accurate method for estimating your body composition suggests that you haven't just shrunk proportionally you have reduced your BF percentage.

    As someone who is 175cm and 76kg I would say that the next few kg you lose will make quite a difference - when you have a significant layer of fat reducing the first part of that layer visually makes little difference, the last few kg make quite a lot of difference as it then reveals what's going on underneath.

    Sensible you have rectified your protein goal but I'm not understanding why you have felt the need to reduce your cardio? I do hope it not that horrible old myth that cardio burns muscle!?
    Your cardio could be a useful boost to your calorie allowance, I find it far easier to cut a sensible amount of calories from a bigger allowance boosted by exercise.

    BTW - estimating your BMR in isolation is pretty much a waste of time, it's your total calorie needs (TDEE or NEAT + exercise calories if following the MyFitnessPal method) that you need to be concerned about.

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