passed goal weight, but still have 18% body fat what now?

DeeJayTJ

Hello,

I've passed my goal weight by far, I am 5'7" and started off at 205lbs. I was almost 30% body fat when i started in april of 2010.

I'm now down to 159lbs and 18% body fat, i want to be about 11%. people say i look so skinny and little now. thats not the affect i was looking for.

i run 3 miles a day and i do a lot of weight lifting but still eat about 1400-1900 calories a day.

I just want to lose body fat, i have about 1.5inches i have to lose on my stomach that looks just awful before its flat. and i have some on my neck/chin i want to lose. oh and my face, i want a thinner face.

I know we cant choose where we lose fat from, so thats why i have continued to just lose more weight and keep running 3 miles a day and lifting some good weights.

whats the best way to go about this? continue on my low calorie diet and exercise ? or just cardio and weight lifting and maybe 2000 calories?

i still think i need to lose 10lbs of body fat.

any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

deshaine

depends on what you're eating... can't see a food diary, so I can't pin point a suggestion for ya.... GL

greenbean74

I would shift to a weight maintenance diet but continue with the exercise (and possibly increase the strength training component).

As you build more muscle, it will not only replace the fat that's there, but it will also burn more fat. But that takes time... more time than it takes to take the weight off. Just stick with the exercise regimen, and give yourself time for your body composition to really change.

erickirb

Change your settings to lose 0.5 pounds per week, since you are so close to your goal, and eat back your exercise calories. It is also recommended that you change up your workout routine every 4-6 weeks to shock your body. Maybe try a program like P90X or insanity or change up your weight lifting routine (change the exercises and the way you do it, if you lift heavy for a few reps, change to light for many reps) You may also want to add in HIIT traning in place of one or 2 of your runs per week. Google HIIT to see how you can incorporate it into your routine.

I do HIIT on the treadmill, after a warm up I will jog at 6.0 for 1 min then run at 11.0 for 45 seconds, I do this for about 15 min (7 or 8 intervals) Good luck.

SHBoss1673

oh I would say to go much further than 1/2 lb a week.

I would say, set your calories to maintenance, and look into high intensity training and a more tailored nutrition program. If you want fat loss but really don't want to lose much more weight, that means you need to add muscle. You can't add muscle in caloric deficit, it just doesn't work.

I'm in a similar situation. Well, to be clear, I was in a similar situation about 18 months ago. I was 165, dropped from 230, and was very pleased with my progress, but didn't want to lose any more weight. So the answer for me was to change from a 55/25/20 (carbs/protein/fat) to a 50/30/20 plan, start doing a lot less straight cardio, start replacing those cardio sessions with hiit training and circuit training (anaerobic workouts basically, like boot camps and such), and keep my other weight training days.

It's a slow road, but my body fat went from 14.5% down to 10.5% and my weight went from 165 to 180 in about 8 months. It takes patience, and some will power, but it's so worth it.

DeeJayTJ

thanks for the advice! i do appreciate it!

tgh1914

Hey man, I think I was in a similar situation - still am kind of. I'm also 5'7" and have done a lot of running to get me down to where I was a few months ago, which was around 17% BF. Then I started P90X and only run occasionally & mix in some sports (cuz I do enjoy it). P90X involves more weight training & more careful nutrition. I'm currently keeping my macronutrient levels around where Banks suggested you do, (a little more protein maybe).

Anyway, it has gotten me down now to about 12-13% BF and I'm finally without the gut. I still have further to go; I want to get real abs now. So I'm doing a second round - I highly recommend it.

SHBoss1673

Hey man, I think I was in a similar situation - still am kind of. I'm also 5'7" and have done a lot of running to get me down to where I was a few months ago, which was around 17% BF. Then I started P90X and only run occasionally & mix in some sports (cuz I do enjoy it). P90X involves more weight training & more careful nutrition. I'm currently keeping my macronutrient levels around where Banks suggested you do, (a little more protein maybe).

Anyway, it has gotten me down now to about 12-13% BF and I'm finally without the gut. I still have further to go; I want to get real abs now. So I'm doing a second round - I highly recommend it.

nice work dude. I used to do P90X and (believe it or not) it got to easy for me. I know I know, it's not what you think. I was exactly the type of athlete that P90X trains you to be when I was younger, so I was super familiar with all the stuff he was doing, I went on to build my own boot camp and it's super brutal, but I love it. I loved P90X, and it was a great workout, but eventually everyone moves past it I think. I thought about doing insanity, but I couldn't bring myself to spend the money, and since I had to build a boot camp anyway....

DeeJayTJ

i decided to bump up my calorie intake to 2090 which says its to maintain my weight. i dont mind gaining weight as long as its muscle.

im going to continue my workouts and cardio i think im going to do cardio every other day, or in the mornings but not all in the same session as my weight lifting.

i was NEVER scrawny looking even when i was growing up and before some weight gain, but now... to me.. clothes just look so big on me and when i tuck in my shirt... im so freakin small. thin! never been that way before lol people make comments like "hey i hear its windy out side becareful u might fly away... :-/