high body fat percentage

myltlisa24

well, I just got my body fat reading...and it was HIGH..i am just under 5'2, and over a third of my body is fat! YIKES...So, I am wondering, to all the fitness guros, if I continue to exercise, and eat the proper meals, will my fat go down? I just don't get how I am supposed to lose the fat!?

mousepaws22

Hi, I'm 5 foot tall and started at 206- my body fat was 47%! I couldn't believe how bad it was. I've now lost 25 pounds just by eating healthier and doing cardio 4 times a week and my body fat is now 33%. It's still very high but I was so pleased that it had come down. I'm looking to lose at least another 50 pounds and I would like to get to about 20% body fat. I've just started working with a trainer and the next target she's set me is to get it to 26%. I'm sure your percentage will come down if you stick to the healthy eating and exercise.

AnninStPaul

Just for context...a fit female has 21-24% body fat, and that range increases slightly with age. A fit male will have body fat in the 14-17% range.

In the low teens, a woman is likely to stop menstruating as the body believes it's in a starvation mode (such that there would not be enough food to sustain a pregnancy).

magnum6

Absolutely will go down. If you are eating and exercising correctly, your body will use fat stores for energy. If you are eating at a calorie deficit (burning more calories in the day than the calories your are eating), the body has to get the energy from somewhere. For the most part, the body gets the additional energy requirement from fat. So, as you are losing weight, a big part of that weight loss is from fat.

Also remember, though, your body needs some fat stores. The recommended "healthy" body fat percentages for women under age 39 are 21%-30%. For healthy female athletes, those numbers can be as low as 10%-20%. Even at 35%-40% body fat, you aren't too far away from the healthy range. If you were at 40% body fat now at a total body weight of 160 lbs, that means you have 64 lbs of fat and 96 lbs of lean mass. If you dropped 32 pounds and kept your current lean mass, you'd be at 25% body fat. Those are just example numbers,

I'm new here, but reading through these forums, dropping 32 pounds is very possible with consistent clean eating and exercising. At 2 pounds a week - you'd be there in 4 months. And not too far off from the "athletic" range.

kitkat4141

My body fat percentage was 32.5% when I started eating clean and exercising. I am 5'4" and weighed 176 pounds at that time. Now I am 125 pounds with 21% body fat. Strength training was a part of my program from the beginning. It's true that your abs will suddenly appear after you've lost enough fat. I used to think all those women with beautiful abs were sucking in their stomachs but to my amazement I look a little like that too. Unfortunately for me, I have some loose skin that spoils the effect so you won't see any photos of me any time soon! LOL

blessmy5

I'm right there with you. My BMI is 22%, which is good, but my body fat is 32%, which is borderline healthy/obese. I was shocked as I wear a size 6. The most important number is the body fat as it's a more accurate determination of overall fitness. I'm working to gain muscle and lose fat. At 48, strenght training is REALLY important!!!