How to decrease body fat %? - help!!

Dragonfly1996

Hello

Brief synopsis on self: have been on here just over a year & lost 18lb & a few inches - happy with that so far. I would like to shift another 10lb to my target weight but as I am 1st marathon training at the moment I am not currently stressing about weightloss as am sure it will come & what I am currently doing is maintaining my weight.

BUT

I have also lost 6% body fat (from 36 to 30%) in that tinescale. I have been trying to get that figure down by another 5 to 25% but am really struggling. I have stayed the same for about 8/9 months now. I am 5ft 3in.

I have been told the way to lose body fat is to decrease carbs & increase protein. Have been trying a split of 40% carb/ 30% protein / 30% fat for the past 3 months but to be honest I am finding it virtually impossible to get my protein above 15%!!! The fat side is fine most days which leaves the carbs higher. I am a semi vegetarian who eats fish.

Roughly how much protein should I be eating ie fish or quorn to bring my level up as a normal portion doesn't seem to be cutting it?!! Also should i avoid the carbs in the evening & just have them during the day?

As previously mentioned I am marathon training so am aware I can't just cut out carbs otherwise I would lose muscle energy & what little I have I want to hang on to!!!!

Any tips would be great or things people have tried & found to work on getting that % down would be much appreciated!!

Cheers all - DF:flowerforyou:

Dragonfly1996

Sorry I sHould add that I also spin once a week & do a kettle bells class plus 15 mins of strength training in addition to the running!!
:ohwell:

kateroot

What do you do for strength training, and how much weight are you using?

ninerbuff

Hello

Brief synopsis on self: have been on here just over a year & lost 18lb & a few inches - happy with that so far. I would like to shift another 10lb to my target weight but as I am 1st marathon training at the moment I am not currently stressing about weightloss as am sure it will come & what I am currently doing is maintaining my weight.

BUT

I have also lost 6% body fat (from 36 to 30%) in that tinescale. I have been trying to get that figure down by another 5 to 25% but am really struggling. I have stayed the same for about 8/9 months now. I am 5ft 3in.

I have been told the way to lose body fat is to decrease carbs & increase protein. Have been trying a split of 40% carb/ 30% protein / 30% fat for the past 3 months but to be honest I am finding it virtually impossible to get my protein above 15%!!! The fat side is fine most days which leaves the carbs higher. I am a semi vegetarian who eats fish.

Roughly how much protein should I be eating ie fish or quorn to bring my level up as a normal portion doesn't seem to be cutting it?!! Also should i avoid the carbs in the evening & just have them during the day?

As previously mentioned I am marathon training so am aware I can't just cut out carbs otherwise I would lose muscle energy & what little I have I want to hang on to!!!!

Any tips would be great or things people have tried & found to work on getting that % down would be much appreciated!!

Cheers all - DF:flowerforyou:

Lift some heavy weights! Conditioning your muscle burns more FAT than long endurance cardio.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

kdiamond

The best way to decrease body fat is to increase muscle, and yes, you need protein and extra calories to do so!!

I would add in a couple of protein shakes a day, if you find you can't get above 15% from food.

I love EAS 100% Whey vanilla - 23 grams per scoop, 130 calories and 3 g of carbs.

Do you like greek yogurt? It is full of protein. Cottage cheese and eggs are other non-meat ways to get protein.

I really like the 40/30/30 structure, I've stayed in that macro ratio for years and have seen great results. I'm about 18% body fat.

Dragonfly1996

Actually I always forget about protein shakes & I do have some promax powder in the cupboard so will try that & see if that bumps my levels up. Will also try the yoghurt & cottage cheese. Thanx for that.

I usually just do core resistance gym equipment (20kg), squats & lunges on a bosu ball (20 mins a week) plus the kettles bells once a week (4lb & 8lb bells). Should I be doing heavier weights and / or more often?

DF

HotBodUnderConstruction

The best way to decrease body fat is to increase muscle, and yes, you need protein and extra calories to do so!!

I would add in a couple of protein shakes a day, if you find you can't get above 15% from food.

I love EAS 100% Whey vanilla - 23 grams per scoop, 130 calories and 3 g of carbs.

Do you like greek yogurt? It is full of protein. Cottage cheese and eggs are other non-meat ways to get protein.

I really like the 40/30/30 structure, I've stayed in that macro ratio for years and have seen great results. I'm about 18% body fat.

I'm not the OP...but I'm also interested in losing body fat % I'm currently at approximately 24.2% but would like to drop down to approximately 20%. I understand that I cannot gain muscle while on a caloric deficit...but is it possible to EAT MORE and at the same time LOSE FAT if I'm eating more/lifting weights? In other words, is it better to eat more/build muscle than to simply eat at a caloric deficit?

kateroot

Actually I always forget about protein shakes & I do have some promax powder in the cupboard so will try that & see if that bumps my levels up. Will also try the yoghurt & cottage cheese. Thanx for that.

I usually just do core resistance gym equipment (20kg), squats & lunges on a bosu ball (20 mins a week) plus the kettles bells once a week (4lb & 8lb bells). Should I be doing heavier weights and / or more often?

DF

Heavier weights for sure, and use more free weights. Free weights activate more muscles than machines. At minimum you should be lifting 60% of your max load. For example, if you can do just one perfect chess press with 30 lb. dumbbells, you should be doing your chest presses with a minimum of 18 lb. dumbbells. 3 sets of 12 reps of each exercise is a good place to start when you're lifting 60% of your max load. I'd suggests New Rules of Lifting for Women, or Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer on bodybuilding.com. Both are great resources.

chipembele

Out interest if I have a normal non weight gain/loss calories of 2000 and I'm taking in 1500 to lose 1lb a week what sort of calories should i be taking in to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat %?

I do free weights twice a week.

DorisR184

Bump

ladykate7

Awhile ago I tried to figure out what my protein range should be and what I found was I should aim for about a gram per pound of muscle. Some people think that's overkill, but I tend to agree that more protein is better then too little. I'm 5'6, 148lbs and aim for 100g a day, but it's been nearly impossible to reach that consistently. But 60-80g has been do-able for me.

I second adding protein shakes to your day. I'm pretty sure there are vegetarian friendly shakes, so that part shouldn't stand in your way if you're concerned about it. Depending on the brand they can add 20 or 40 grams in one drink. I've found a couple that I actually like. And you can mix with things other than water to help the taste too. A shake would help bump your calories up too. Chocolate Muslce Milk mixed with milk is what I used to have after runs while training for a half marathon. Lately I've bought CNP's Pro MR Adanvced Meal Replacement - Creamy Vanilla, so good on its own, just mix with water. Its 42g Protein, so I use half a serving. Does tofu have a fair amount of protein? I'll have that as a snack sometimes. Do you eat dairy? Could throw in a cheese stick everyday. See if you like Kefir - its a probiatic yougurt based drink.

Personally, I'd have a light carb snack after every run regardless of what time of day it is. Helps replenish what you've torched off and gives your body a little something to chew on the next couple hours.