Bodyfat and weight

knittinlady

Hi y'all. I'm looking for advice about revising my weight goals. First of all, I'm 33, 5"2', 147 pounds. I started losing weight just over a year ago(yeah, I was a "resolutioner"). I was 180 when I started, and now that I'm getting close to the "healthy" BMI range, I decided to change my goals. I went from 1300 net cals/day to 1780(near maintenance for me), and I started lifting heavy. I've been lifting heavy for about a month, and I've lost inches, but not pounds. That doesn't bother me, because I know that muscle is heavier than fat, and that muscles retain water to repair themselves.

This morning, I measured my bodyfat, and came up with 16%. I thought, "That can't be right." So I gave myself a margin of error of 1mm for each measurement, which would make it 17%. Which means I have 25 pounds of bodyfat. I've read that it isn't safe for women to get below about 12%, so I'm trying to figure out what my weight goal should be.

My original weight goal (when I started on this journey) was 120. I've been 120 before(and at that time I wore the size that I wear now). I wasn't fit, but I looked healthy. I got really thin (105) after the birth of my first child, but I had hardly any muscle at all. So I knew there was no chance of me getting to that weight and being fit. I figured 120 was doable. Now, with bodyfat measurements, it doesn't appear to be. If I were to lose 25 pounds of fat, I would be near that goal, but I would have 0% bodyfat. I would have to sacrifice muscle, and a lot of it. And I'm not willing to do that. I like my new muscles. I don't know that I could even get down to 135(just barely in the "normal" BMI range for my height) without being in the "dangerous" range of less than 12% bodyfat.

I know what I need to do to reach my goal; I just don't know what the goal should be.

jwdieter

Congratulations on your weight loss of the the last year. Nice job.

Don't think you're even close to 16% bodyfat though. Something is amuck with the measuring. Should be pretty easy to get to 135 at 5'2, without any particular low bodyfat risk.

FindingMyPerfection

Curious you you measured your bf. I have used the scales, handheld device and the navy system and come in at between 20.6-31.2. These methods have a huge margin of error. Your best bet is to go by how you look in the mirror and how you feel(energy, focus, mood).

ninerbuff

Find out what your lean body mass is. Then figure out what body fat % you'd like to be. Then use this equation:

lean body weight divided by (1 minus body fat percentage) to see what weight goal you should be at.

IE

Lean body mass= 100lbs
Desired body fat %= 20%

100/ (1 minus.20 which is .80)
100/.80= 125lbs

Easy peasey.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

MoreBean13

Please don't take this as a criticism, it's really not, but I think your measurement is probably inaccurate. Have you compared yourself to visual representations at different body fat percentages as a sanity check on your numbers? What calculator did you use to check the caliper measurements? Are you sure the settings were all adjusted correctly?

I mean, it's not impossible that you're 16% at 147lbs and 5'2" but it would be pretty unusual, especially since you've only been lifting for a month.



It might be worthwhile to post some current progress shots to assess your bodyfat, if you feel comfortable. It would be a shame if you adjust all your goals based on incorrect assessments.

Stage14

Unless you had your body fat measured at a facility (preferably through hydrostatic weighing or DEXA scanning), I wouldn't trust the accuracy of your results. Things like measurements, calipers, and bioelectric impedance are okay for tracking progress, but notoriously questionable in accuracy, especially when self-administered.

I wouldn't worry about doing complicated math to set a weight loss goal. Instead continue to focus on measurements/how your body looks. When those get where you want them, that will be the right weight whether it's 110lbs or 150lbs.

naurugirl

I think your caliper measurements are probably off. At your height/weight, and only a month into lifting, 16-17% bf seems very low. Is someone helping you with the caliper measurements? It's near impossible to measure certain spots (anywhere on the back of the body) correctly by oneself.

And congrats on the weight loss! Keep up the great work!

ninerbuff

As mentioned above, at 16% body fat for a female, you'd be pretty defined and ripped up. If you aren't seeing ripped abs and legs, then you're not likely at 16% body fat.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

knittinlady

I used calipers, and the booklet that came with them. I actually measured twice, because I wasn't believing the measurements I was getting. I thought I might be doing it wrong. I'll have my husband help me this evening, and see if we come up with a different number. Forgot to mention I have a "medium frame" according to the calipers, if that matters.

I look more like the photo that says 25%. So if I'm at 25% bodyfat, then I have about 36 pounds of bodyfat. And my lean mass is about 110. Using ninerbuff's calculations(thank you!), it says I could get to 129, at 15% bodyfat, if my lean mass doesn't change. But I expect it to increase, since I'm lifting heavy and building muscle. But I guess that's a place to start.

jwdieter

Keep in mind that lean mass includes everything that isn't fat. It's not just muscle, it's water, connective tissue, skin, etc. That stuff will shrink too. If you're losing weight, you should expect your lean mass to go down, rather than up.

knittinlady

I'm not really losing weight, right now anyway. I'm just trying to figure out what I could possibly get to when/if I do switch back to a calorie deficit. I'm focusing on building muscle, so that the muscle does some of the work of burning the fat.

Stage14

I used calipers, and the booklet that came with them. I actually measured twice, because I wasn't believing the measurements I was getting. I thought I might be doing it wrong. I'll have my husband help me this evening, and see if we come up with a different number. Forgot to mention I have a "medium frame" according to the calipers, if that matters.

I look more like the photo that says 25%. So if I'm at 25% bodyfat, then I have about 36 pounds of bodyfat. And my lean mass is about 110. Using ninerbuff's calculations(thank you!), it says I could get to 129, at 15% bodyfat, if my lean mass doesn't change. But I expect it to increase, since I'm lifting heavy and building muscle. But I guess that's a place to start.

You can't really build muscle on a deficit. At best you can preserve what you have, but if you're eating at anything more than a very slight calorie deficit, you can expect to still lose a little LBM even while lifting heavy.

ninerbuff

Keep in mind that lean mass includes everything that isn't fat. It's not just muscle, it's water, connective tissue, skin, etc. That stuff will shrink too. If you're losing weight, you should expect your lean mass to go down, rather than up.

Yes. So the OP may have to readjust the calculation for every 5lbs of weight lost, but the number won't be too significantly lower.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

spoiledpuppies

Several years ago, I did similar calculations for myself. And I was pretty convinced that I only had a very limited amount I could lose.

I'm so glad I was inspired by MFP success stories several months ago that I decided to give it a try anyway! I would say go for it and see how you look/feel.

(I'll finally be getting a DEXA scan on Monday, so I'll have some real data to work with.)

DopeItUp

I used calipers, and the booklet that came with them. I actually measured twice, because I wasn't believing the measurements I was getting. I thought I might be doing it wrong. I'll have my husband help me this evening, and see if we come up with a different number. Forgot to mention I have a "medium frame" according to the calipers, if that matters.

I look more like the photo that says 25%. So if I'm at 25% bodyfat, then I have about 36 pounds of bodyfat. And my lean mass is about 110. Using ninerbuff's calculations(thank you!), it says I could get to 129, at 15% bodyfat, if my lean mass doesn't change. But I expect it to increase, since I'm lifting heavy and building muscle. But I guess that's a place to start.

I would expect your LBM to stay the same or decrease as you lose weight. By the time you reach your goal weight, I would estimate your LBM to have dropped by around 5lbs. This is assuming you're doing it right.

knittinlady

Thank you, everyone, for your help! I really appreciate it!