Newbie here... looking for advice for those last 10 pounds.

neanderthin

The last 10lbs of fat is where the work really starts and it doesn't resemble the normal course of action for losing weight. Consume just over maintenance and up your training intensity and duration and when weight loss stalls, up your calories and repeat.

euphoria13824

The last 10lbs of fat is where the work really starts and it doesn't resemble the normal course of action for losing weight. Consume just over maintenance and up your training intensity and duration and when weight loss stalls, up your calories and repeat.

Thanks for the reply, neanderthin. May I know why I have to consume over maintenance? I'm quite confused because it goes against the lose-weight-by-eating-at-deficit logic that I've always be taught. I thought eating above maintenance was only for bulking.

TavistockToad

I would suggest going slower (TDEE -10% or less) and doing more resistance/weight training than cardio. The last pounds are the hardest to lose.

this

ignore the scales and go on pictures/measurements

neanderthin

The last 10lbs of fat is where the work really starts and it doesn't resemble the normal course of action for losing weight. Consume just over maintenance and up your training intensity and duration and when weight loss stalls, up your calories and repeat.

Thanks for the reply, neanderthin. May I know why I have to consume over maintenance? I'm quite confused because it goes against the lose-weight-by-eating-at-deficit logic that I've always be taught. I thought eating above maintenance was only for bulking.

I know and it may not be the best course of action for many people, but I like it. Basically eating just over maintenance signals the body to grow initially because of increased stress from exercise, which can signal building muscle and/or gaining fat just in case there's a shortage while Introducing a higher intensity and duration with exercise also signals the body that it may also be in some kind of appending danger which again signals hormonal responses that try to make the job easier which is build more muscle and because the increased load on the body your actually creating a situation where the energy out side of the EBE dictates that body fat will be used for this load, trying to preserve lbm. Basically you've created a deficit and also given the body a very good reason to preserve or build muscle and shed fat. Eventually you'll lose some of that strength and intensity and see no workout progress, that's the time to up calories again and you start over again......it's about the workouts. Conversely you can eat in a slight deficit from the get go and continue with your normal exercise regime but hormonally that basically signals famine under stress and more lbm is used or basically you lose weight with less fat loss in the equation. This is my own theory, so take it for what it's worth. It seems to work for me.

euphoria13824

I would suggest going slower (TDEE -10% or less) and doing more resistance/weight training than cardio. The last pounds are the hardest to lose.

this

ignore the scales and go on pictures/measurements

Okay, I will focus more on resistance/weight training. The thing is I haven't lose inches either...

euphoria13824

The last 10lbs of fat is where the work really starts and it doesn't resemble the normal course of action for losing weight. Consume just over maintenance and up your training intensity and duration and when weight loss stalls, up your calories and repeat.

Thanks for the reply, neanderthin. May I know why I have to consume over maintenance? I'm quite confused because it goes against the lose-weight-by-eating-at-deficit logic that I've always be taught. I thought eating above maintenance was only for bulking.

I know and it may not be the best course of action for many people, but I like it. Basically eating just over maintenance signals the body to grow initially because of increased stress from exercise, which can signal building muscle and/or gaining fat just in case there's a shortage while Introducing a higher intensity and duration with exercise also signals the body that it may also be in some kind of appending danger which again signals hormonal responses that try to make the job easier which is build more muscle and because the increased load on the body your actually creating a situation where the energy out side of the EBE dictates that body fat will be used for this load, trying to preserve lbm. Basically you've created a deficit and also given the body a very good reason to preserve or build muscle and shed fat. Eventually you'll lose some of that strength and intensity and see no workout progress, that's the time to up calories again and you start over again......it's about the workouts. Conversely you can eat in a slight deficit from the get go and continue with your normal exercise regime but hormonally that basically signals famine under stress and more lbm is used or basically you lose weight with less fat loss in the equation. This is my own theory, so take it for what it's worth. It seems to work for me.

Thank you very much, neanderthin, for your advice.

I do agree when you say "just in case there's a shortage while Introducing a higher intensity and duration with exercise" since I don't really exercise in general and have only started doing it to lose weight.

For now I've upped my calories and change my ratio of strength training to cardio exercises to 2:1. L'll see how it goes in a few weeks' time. Thanks!

Lleldiranne

I would suggest changing your exercise routine and ignoring the scale.

At your current weight, the scale won't show the most of your progress if you want to "tone up" (look lean and strong, lowering body fat %). Pay more attention to the mirror (take before photos because, if you're like me, you won't notice the progress otherwise), how your clothes fit, the tape measure, and possibly the body fat % readings.

I would also suggest adding more weights. I'm not super familiar with fitness blender, but if it's like a lot of other cardio-weight programs, it really isn't enough weights to get those goals you want. Lifting heavy things is what will do it. Look into either New Rules of Lifting for Women or Starting Strength, both are books which help you understand the compound lifts (and the second helps set up a good program). You won't get bulky if you're eating at a deficit, but you will lose fat while mostly preserving muscle (even though the scale might not show your progress which is why I say to ignore it).

Just for reference, I'm 5 feet tall, perhaps 5'1" on a good day :laugh: I weigh between 128 and 130. I've been lifting heavy since August, 2-3 times a week, and while my calories are set to 1600 I've been really lazy about measuring or logging, so I'm sure I've averaged more like 2000 a day or more :ohwell: Still, in that time, I've gone from 26.8% body fat to 22.4% and from snug size 6 jeans to comfortable 4 and occasionally size 2 depending on cut & brand. My profile picture (the one in the blue top) is from August, and I'll post one here from a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I have some work still to do, but my point is you don't need to starve yourself … with the right kind of work and diet (aim for ~100g protein a day, at your size), you can look great even if the scale is higher than you expected.

{pictures removed for smaller post}

Wow I'm looking to reduce me body fat % down to about 20~22% as well. Those abs of yours looks fabulous, by the way!

Thanks :blushing:

I dont' do a lot of targeted abs work, mostly planks when I'm reading (I tend to lie on my tummy as I read, so I figured it's a good addition once in a while :laugh:) and sometimes Russian twist. The rest of it is from the heavy compound lifts - they engage the core along with other muscles. It's really as the body fat goes down that you see the results.


And that's another reason I say to take pictures. I'm probably quite sloppy with my measuring tape so I'm not seeing the results as much there as in the photos.