Weight loss and BF the same

nikijh
nikijh Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, so today I've done a weigh in. I started the gym January 2nd and today being the 6th I've lost 8lbs in total. Which is great but...

My body fat is still 40.6%
The only thing which has changed is my body fat mass which has decreased from 44.4% to 40.6%

I'm just a bit confused as to why fat is the same.

I eat mainly chicken & steak.
Have banana & protein pancakes for breakfast
Drink around 7litres of water per day.

Work out wise -
Cycle for 45mins/18miles
Swim for 16lengths/mile at least per day 5 days a week

Replies

  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    Can you please explain your metrics a little more? How are you coming up with those numbers (a scale that gives those readings, online calculator via measurements, etc)? What's the difference between "body fat" percentage and "body fat mass" percentage? I think knowing that will help people to answer your question.

    In a general sense, though, as you lose weight, you will reduce your body fat as well as some lean mass (muscle). However, in the first 4 days, especially having lost 8lbs in that time, you can expect that much of that is water weight, rather than fat or muscle. Your water weight will even out after the first 2 weeks or so (though it can still fluctuate day-to-day, it won't make up as much of your total weight loss).
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    If your BF% is the same, then it means you are losing fat and muscle. It is common to lose some muscle as you lose weight, especially if you lose a lot of weight. Your body simply doesn't need as much muscle to carry 150 lbs as it does to carry 250 lbs.

    You can keep more muscle as you lose fat by incorporating more strength training - weights, resistance bands, bodyweight exercises - into your workout.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    It has been FOUR days. Not a whole lot is going to happen in 4 days. Especially not a full change in your body. Give it time.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    If your BF% is the same, then it means you are losing fat and muscle. It is common to lose some muscle as you lose weight, especially if you lose a lot of weight. Your body simply doesn't need as much muscle to carry 150 lbs as it does to carry 250 lbs.

    You can keep more muscle as you lose fat by incorporating more strength training - weights, resistance bands, bodyweight exercises - into your workout.

    Goods points, and to reiterate....It has only been 4 days and lost 8lbs. To lose that much weight in such a short amount of time, you probably lost a ton of water weight at well.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    It has been FOUR days. Not a whole lot is going to happen in 4 days. Especially not a full change in your body. Give it time.
  • birdiecs
    birdiecs Posts: 237 Member
    The initial big drop people experience tends to be primarily water weight. This is why many give up when they don't maintain that pace of loss. In only a few days you aren't likely to see much fat loss.
  • nikijh
    nikijh Posts: 32 Member
    Hey, thanks.

    Weight is from the machine at the gym.
    I know it's not actually going to be the fat that's burning it's also helping that I'm taking in nearly 3 times the amount of water I previously.

    I'm just confused between body fat & body fat mass as it has 2 read outs.
  • HawkeyeTy
    HawkeyeTy Posts: 681 Member
    Yea...it's been 4 days.

    I did the math and looks like you have about 70lbs to lose.

    That should take you 10-12 months...or longer....
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    It has been FOUR days. Not a whole lot is going to happen in 4 days. Especially not a full change in your body. Give it time.

    I know you are excited to get started on this new journey, but please report back in something closer to four weeks. Log all your food and exercise, take measurements once a week, and if you still haven't lost any body fat in 4 weeks open your diary and ask again.

    Best of luck to you!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I started out with similar body fat in 2010. It took me 3 years to reach the low 20% range. Give it time and stop worrying about the changes on a day to day scale. You need to look at the trend over months, not a week.
  • Lifelink
    Lifelink Posts: 193 Member
    To lose that much weight in such a short amount of time, you probably lost a ton of water weight at well.
  • JBnyc99
    JBnyc99 Posts: 100 Member
    Hey, thanks.

    Weight is from the machine at the gym.
    I know it's not actually going to be the fat that's burning it's also helping that I'm taking in nearly 3 times the amount of water I previously.

    I'm just confused between body fat & body fat mass as it has 2 read outs.

    After only 4 days, your loss is most likely water weight. Have patience,...keep logging accurately,...and keep moving.

    Here are some good posts to read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1133812-what-is-lean-body-mass-exactly

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    It has been FOUR days. Not a whole lot is going to happen in 4 days. Especially not a full change in your body. Give it time.

    I know you are excited to get started on this new journey, but please report back in something closer to four weeks. Log all your food and exercise, take measurements once a week, and if you still haven't lost any body fat in 4 weeks open your diary and ask again.

    Best of luck to you!

    Congratulations on your new journey but as others have stated it is just primarily water weight you've lost which is what your body retains (water retention) and doesn't correlate to how much you drink (from my layman knowledge), you'll find this fluctuating alot since you've just started a radical lifestyle change and your body may start to retain water again for muscle repair (so don't give up if the scales increase and you don't know why) in a months time you'll start seeing slow body composition changes and less dramatic water weight fluctuations, but personally I would only check my BF again in a months time and just do weekly weigh ins inbetween. xx
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    The BF% readouts on those machines are notoriously inaccurate anyway. Great job on losing 8 pounds! Keep it up, and you'll keep losing weight.
  • nikijh
    nikijh Posts: 32 Member
    Just want to clear up I'm not like moaning that my BF% hasn't changed and my weight has...I just wanted some advice on why.

    I plan on loosing 32kg/70lbs as a first aim then revising and seeing what else can be improved.

    But thanks for good inputs :)
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I like to play with the scales that show body fat. I weigh in the morning, go drink a bunch of water (no food) then weigh again. Usually my body fat goes up 2%, but sometimes I can make it go up 5% in 30 minutes.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Those BIA devices are not completely accurate, it is probably coincidental that you got the same reading 4 days apart. I have one too and I use it every day. From one day to the next I can fluctuate 5%. It's just a ballpark number at best.

    Hopefully that answers your question. Take the readings once a month I'd say, if ever.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I don't think this is the right way to track your body fat change....
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Just want to clear up I'm not like moaning that my BF% hasn't changed and my weight has...I just wanted some advice on why.

    I plan on loosing 32kg/70lbs as a first aim then revising and seeing what else can be improved.

    But thanks for good inputs :)

    four days of loss could be water weight, with some fat/muscle (maybe). I am not trying to discourage you but we just have to be realistic. :)
  • dontgobacktosleep
    dontgobacktosleep Posts: 144 Member
    First, google catabolism. Second, how many grams of protein are you getting down the hatch?
  • nikijh
    nikijh Posts: 32 Member
    Lol at how many people have said I'm not loosing fat and be realistic...


    I have pointed out that I'm not asking about the weight loss I'm wondering what the difference between body fat % and body fat mass % is seen as it's my body fat mass % which has decreased.
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    I have pointed out that I'm not asking about the weight loss I'm wondering what the difference between body fat % and body fat mass % is seen as it's my body fat mass % which has decreased.

    I think your best bet would be to get the brand and model number of the scale the next time you use it and then find the users manual. If you don't want to wait then perhaps you can go to Amazon and search through their body fat analyzers to see if you recognize it.

    If I had to guess, I would say that it is trying to differentiate between body fat and visceral fat, as this particular scale does: http://omronhealthcare.com/wp-content/uploads/hbf-514c-instruction-manual.pdf

    Or it could be trying to do something like tell you the percentage of fat when compared to your total weight (body fat %) and showing the percentage of fat when compared to your lean body mass only (body fat mass %).

    Again - I don't know for sure and likely no one will, except the maker of that particular scale.

    Hope this helps!
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Scales which give body fat numbers are notoriously unreliable. How can they accurately calculate such a thing just by you standing on them? Buy a set of calipers (they're cheap) and measure weekly and keep a log of your measurements. That's a much more accurate way to determine what your body fat is. The body fat number is the percentage of your body that is made up of fat. The index is your BMI. That just means whether your weight is in a normal range for your height.

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/body-fat-measurement
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Not sure this is right, but with a quick google, Body Fat Mass looks to equate to your BMI....Maybe?
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    Not sure this is right, but with a quick google, Body Fat Mass looks to equate to your BMI....Maybe?

    I thought so too - but she said Body Fat Mass %, which threw me. I dunno. Maybe she isn't recalling what the scale actually reported and one item was a % and the other was just a number.

    Anyway, it's a mystery.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Not sure this is right, but with a quick google, Body Fat Mass looks to equate to your BMI....Maybe?

    I thought so too - but she said Body Fat Mass %, which threw me. I dunno. Maybe she isn't recalling what the scale actually reported and one item was a % and the other was just a number.

    Anyway, it's a mystery.

    My scale shows weight, body fat % (which is wrong and fluctuates based on hydration), BMI (which is calculated from height that I input as well as weight) and finally it calculates how many calories it thinks I maintain weight at.

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