FAT LOSS vs WEIGHT LOSS

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hulk666
hulk666 Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
As an adult male going through the transformation, I embrace small victories along the way. If you know that you have been restricting calories AND exercising but your weight has remained the same for several days--maybe you have lost fat and actually gained some muscle instead.. I am currently at 297# (started at 340). My stats are a little different because I am very tall (6'7") and have been weightlifting for 25+ years. At 340#, I checked my body fat using one of those gadgets that run a flow of electricity throughout your body (the current travels through muscle faster than through fat)--at that time--I have 108 pounds of fat. Now, at 297# I have 90 pounds of fat. I actually lost another 2 pounds of fat over the past 4 days even though my weight has stayed the same at 297#. You need to monitor both numbers. At my height, my goal is actually about 275#--anything less and I will look anorexic.

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  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Just a word of warning - those bioelectrical body fat devices (scales or handheld) (even the "good ones" ) are notoriously inaccurate/unreliable. They're okay for looking at overall trend, but not for day-to-day changes. You're best off getting a periodic hydrostatic, dexa or bodpod body composition test. They're not always easy to find or cheap, but MUCH more reliable. Another alternative (less reliable, but much easier to find/less expensive) is to get skinfold testing done by someone trained/experienced in doing these. The downside is if the person doesn't do it right, it can be pretty inaccurate.

    For more info: http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/bodycomp.html
  • caprica
    caprica Posts: 80 Member
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    I have a theory that you can't loose fat and gain muscle at the same time. You can have one or the other just not both. If you focus on muscle gain exclusively expect your fat loss to stall. If you focus on fat loss exclusively then expect to loose some muscle in the process. It has something to do with the body trying to hold on to fat just in case it needs it later - so it will burn some muscle as well when you loose fat. You can slow down muscle loss during a fat loss phase by adding strength training but you can't stop it.

    If you want to do both you need to cycle your approach. For example have a month on maintenance calories and lift heavy weights. Then a month on low calories and lots of cardio.

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