How to reduce Body fat %

jennifer52484

He may suggest reducing cardio. Up until this point i've been on the weight loss track. I started at 187 June 2011 and Currently weigh 135lbs. So maybe that is the next step in his plan.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I am already on a low fat regimin of 30g or less per day. Does anyone know if this will continue to make my body fat dwindle or do i need to consume even less fat? I am also working out intense cardio 5-7 days/week along with strength training m-w-f.

Your bodyfat % is not a byproduct of your fat intake, in the slightest. I would even venture to say that the focus on any one macronutrient is unfounded.

I personally like a balanced, sustainable approach. The primary key to reducing bodyfat is preserving lean muscle. That means VERY slight calorie deficits...large deficits lead to muscle catabolism. This reduces your metabolic rate and increases the proportion of fat in your body. Exactly what you DON'T want.

It is a bit excessive, but I'd consume 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight--this will also help in not only satiety but in ensuring you are consuming enough amino acids to increase muscle mass.

Begin lifting HEAVY weights--as mentioned, NROLFW is AWESOME! I do it and love it

Incorporate HIIT (high intensity interval training) ...operative words being "high intensity" that means all out--as if your life depended on it effort. 10-15 minutes is sufficient 2-3x a week. If you're unfamiliar this is essentially going full force for 20-30sec (i sprint) and follow it with 60-90 seconds recovery (some people do an equivalent recovery period of 30 seconds but you'll burn out faster).

Lastly, patience, that's your best friend. It takes time to lose bodyfat. It is hard work but it pays off. Also, don't compare yourself to other people. Your body/genes are going to make you look different than the next person at an equivalent bodyfat.

Try to enjoy the process--remember to eat enough...eat all macronutrients...lift as heavy as possible...sprint fast. Recover. That's the secret.

escloflowneCHANGED

January-February
I was 34% body fat on January 2nd and did cardio only for 1 month and lost 22 lbs and 1.5% body fat (32.5%).

February-March
I then started Strength training and cardio (less than before) and lost 11.5lbs and 5% body fat (27.5%), I also saw a huge difference in the pictures I took.

I notice now that I really don't care what the scale says anymore because my arms and legs have gotten much bigger and I look much healthier even though i am not losing as much weight week to week.

rainbowbow

Just want to chime in because I'm curious-

Alot of you keep stressing to lose WEIGHT you must be in a caloric deficit. My question is-

If you consume your TDEE, lift heavy 3 times a week, consume your body weight in grams of protein can you lose FAT/change body composition? Or is losing fat based solely on caloric deficit.


Edit:should mention im 19% body fat looking to get to 16%

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Just want to chime in because I'm curious-

Alot of you keep stressing to lose WEIGHT you must be in a caloric deficit. My question is-

If you consume your TDEE, lift heavy 3 times a week, consume your body weight in grams of protein can you lose FAT/change body composition? Or is losing fat based solely on caloric deficit.


Edit:should mention im 19% body fat looking to get to 16%

well, if you're wanting to lose change your bodycomp you can do it by 1) adding more muscle or 2) losing fat...if you add muscle by eating at your TDEE and lifting heavy then you'll naturally shift BF% downward. So the answer is...yes. Hope that makes sense.

Helloitsdan

This is folly.
Low fat is no bueno!

Really? Thanks for you super helpful advice.

Read up.
All the big hitters already say low fat isnt good for a body recomp.
You should be hitting at least 30% fat in your macronutrients.
Protein at least 30%.
If you start cycling carbs, you should be doing this to get very low body fat, youll need to raise fat intake even higher.
So enjoy eating nuts and oils and fatty fish and meat.
Have some tic tacs for the bad breath.
Compete then decide what to do next.

Or....

Intermittent fast and eat just about everything with moderate carbs.

m60kaf

Wow a thread, I largely agree on - theres a first!!!

All slightly different viewpoints on the same common theme

More heavy weights, more protein (less carbs/fat)

To OP - I am sort of in your situation - lost a lot of weight by cal deficit.

But to get the all important last few percent what you eat is king

Annafly3

bump

psuLemon

Just want to chime in because I'm curious-

Alot of you keep stressing to lose WEIGHT you must be in a caloric deficit. My question is-

If you consume your TDEE, lift heavy 3 times a week, consume your body weight in grams of protein can you lose FAT/change body composition? Or is losing fat based solely on caloric deficit.


Edit:should mention im 19% body fat looking to get to 16%

Well you can eat at maintenance or even a caloric surplus and still cut body fat. If your goal isnt' weight loss but rather increasing lean muscle mass, the you wouldn't eat at a deficit. In my case, I am trying to cut body fat while maintaining weight (aka - increasing lean muscle mass). I do eat at a small deficit (10-20% of tdee). Now my diet isn't always clean, but I have seen progress in my arms, back and legs and a little in my abs as compared to previous pictures.

I will note, if you eat a surplus, there is a good chance that some of your weight gain will be from fat. It can be very difficult to gain 100% lean muscle mass from your surplus.

HoosierMomma1

This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

I've lost 10% body fat over the last 10 weeks (over 6 inches overall and about a dress size) without losing a single pound. I do 30-60 min of interval elliptical 4-5 times a week, 25 pound kettlebell swings ~3 times a week (50 swings) and also toning with hand weights. This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

-5 x a week i do 69 min Cardio elliptical (interval training)
25 pound kettle bell swings 50 each 3 x week
Core toning with hand weights 3-4 times a week

I work at a desk job but I have a fit bit and try for at least 10,000 steps a day, 5 miles of distance and at least burn 2300-2500 on cardio days. I don't have the average handy but I'd guess a conservative 2,100 calorie burn per day

My goal is 1400 calories intake and I usually try to eat at least half my additional exercise calories

jacksonpt

This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

I've lost 10% body fat over the last 10 weeks (over 6 inches overall and about a dress size) without losing a single pound. I do 30-60 min of interval elliptical 4-5 times a week, 25 pound kettlebell swings ~3 times a week (50 swings) and also toning with hand weights. This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

-5 x a week i do 69 min Cardio elliptical (interval training)
25 pound kettle bell swings 50 each 3 x week
Core toning with hand weights 3-4 times a week

I work at a desk job but I have a fit bit and try for at least 10,000 steps a day, 5 miles of distance and at least burn 2300-2500 on cardio days. I don't have the average handy but I'd guess a conservative 2,100 calorie burn per day

My goal is 1400 calories intake and I usually try to eat at least half my additional exercise calories

Just so you're clear... you're not doing what most of us are suggesting. I'm not trying to put a damper on your spirits or your progress (great job, BTW), but 50 reps of anything isn't heavy lifting. And anyone who actually is heavy lift wouldn't call it "toning" and probably isn't using "hand weights".

Heavy lifting, which is what a lot of us are recommending (along with improved diet) is a max of 10 reps, and really struggling to get through the last couple. 50 reps is a cardio exercise.

psuLemon

This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

I've lost 10% body fat over the last 10 weeks (over 6 inches overall and about a dress size) without losing a single pound. I do 30-60 min of interval elliptical 4-5 times a week, 25 pound kettlebell swings ~3 times a week (50 swings) and also toning with hand weights. This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

-5 x a week i do 69 min Cardio elliptical (interval training)
25 pound kettle bell swings 50 each 3 x week
Core toning with hand weights 3-4 times a week

I work at a desk job but I have a fit bit and try for at least 10,000 steps a day, 5 miles of distance and at least burn 2300-2500 on cardio days. I don't have the average handy but I'd guess a conservative 2,100 calorie burn per day

My goal is 1400 calories intake and I usually try to eat at least half my additional exercise calories

Just so you're clear... you're not doing what most of us are suggesting. I'm not trying to put a damper on your spirits or your progress (great job, BTW), but 50 reps of anything isn't heavy lifting. And anyone who actually is heavy lift wouldn't call it "toning" and probably isn't using "hand weights".

Heavy lifting, which is what a lot of us are recommending (along with improved diet) is a max of 10 reps, and really struggling to get through the last couple. 50 reps is a cardio exercise.

He's right, anything really above the 10-12 rep mark is more for muscle endurance as opposed to increase strength. This can probably be tested by increase the weight and seeing if you can maintain form and reps. It's quite awesome though you have cut a lot of body fat. May I ask how it was measured?

mousepaws22

I'm sorry, I'm a complete newbie to exercise- what exactly do you mean by muscle endurance? Just training yyour muscle to do more and being stronger in terms of the amount you can do rather than strength as in the weight that you can lift?

psuLemon

I'm sorry, I'm a complete newbie to exercise- what exactly do you mean by muscle endurance? Just training yyour muscle to do more and being stronger in terms of the amount you can do rather than strength as in the weight that you can lift?

It's the ability to sustain an exercise for an extended period of time. Where strength is the ability to lift heavier (increasing the amount of weight).


Imaging lifting a box, you can hold a 10 lb box for extended periods of time where as a 50 lb box would be more difficult. Strength would allow you to lift a 50 lb box while endurance will allow you to hold that box for longer.

mousepaws22

Thanks!

Cheri_Moves

BUMP...I recently started strength training and just ordered the NROLFW book. I have about 12 pounds to lose to my ultimate goal, but I need to gain lean muscle mass and want to lower BF% so it seems to be a VERY tricky balancing act.

HealthyThinFit2012

bump

jennifer52484

Found out tonight that my body fat % is 17% which is down 20% since June.:happy:

littlemsmuffet

This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

I've lost 10% body fat over the last 10 weeks (over 6 inches overall and about a dress size) without losing a single pound. I do 30-60 min of interval elliptical 4-5 times a week, 25 pound kettlebell swings ~3 times a week (50 swings) and also toning with hand weights. This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

-5 x a week i do 69 min Cardio elliptical (interval training)
25 pound kettle bell swings 50 each 3 x week
Core toning with hand weights 3-4 times a week

I work at a desk job but I have a fit bit and try for at least 10,000 steps a day, 5 miles of distance and at least burn 2300-2500 on cardio days. I don't have the average handy but I'd guess a conservative 2,100 calorie burn per day

My goal is 1400 calories intake and I usually try to eat at least half my additional exercise calories

Just so you're clear... you're not doing what most of us are suggesting. I'm not trying to put a damper on your spirits or your progress (great job, BTW), but 50 reps of anything isn't heavy lifting. And anyone who actually is heavy lift wouldn't call it "toning" and probably isn't using "hand weights".

Heavy lifting, which is what a lot of us are recommending (along with improved diet) is a max of 10 reps, and really struggling to get through the last couple. 50 reps is a cardio exercise.

He's right, anything really above the 10-12 rep mark is more for muscle endurance as opposed to increase strength. This can probably be tested by increase the weight and seeing if you can maintain form and reps. It's quite awesome though you have cut a lot of body fat. May I ask how it was measured?

ok this is really interesting to me - i started trying to lift heavy at the gym (exactly as suggested here) and it worked in the sense that there was some improvement quickly but it didn't last for very long because i was sore for days and i tended to overeat, as i was absolutely ravenous. i recently started going for less weight and more reps and it works a lot better for me - i am not unusually hungry and i can get through 3 sets without any sudden/surprise pain. i am not so sore afterwards that it takes days to recover either. so if i were only trying to keep body fat low, rather than improve strength, wouldn't endurance training be best?

watboy

I'm also on a low-fat regimine.
This has helped me tremendously in reducing bodyfat, lowering cholesterol levels, and losing weight.

I am already on a low fat regimin of 30g or less per day. Does anyone know if this will continue to make my body fat dwindle or do i need to consume even less fat? I am also working out intense cardio 5-7 days/week along with strength training m-w-f.

psuLemon

This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

I've lost 10% body fat over the last 10 weeks (over 6 inches overall and about a dress size) without losing a single pound. I do 30-60 min of interval elliptical 4-5 times a week, 25 pound kettlebell swings ~3 times a week (50 swings) and also toning with hand weights. This discussion is interesting since I've kind of done this on my own and while I'm happy with how awesome my butt looks now, I really need to focus on other areas

-5 x a week i do 69 min Cardio elliptical (interval training)
25 pound kettle bell swings 50 each 3 x week
Core toning with hand weights 3-4 times a week

I work at a desk job but I have a fit bit and try for at least 10,000 steps a day, 5 miles of distance and at least burn 2300-2500 on cardio days. I don't have the average handy but I'd guess a conservative 2,100 calorie burn per day

My goal is 1400 calories intake and I usually try to eat at least half my additional exercise calories

Just so you're clear... you're not doing what most of us are suggesting. I'm not trying to put a damper on your spirits or your progress (great job, BTW), but 50 reps of anything isn't heavy lifting. And anyone who actually is heavy lift wouldn't call it "toning" and probably isn't using "hand weights".

Heavy lifting, which is what a lot of us are recommending (along with improved diet) is a max of 10 reps, and really struggling to get through the last couple. 50 reps is a cardio exercise.

He's right, anything really above the 10-12 rep mark is more for muscle endurance as opposed to increase strength. This can probably be tested by increase the weight and seeing if you can maintain form and reps. It's quite awesome though you have cut a lot of body fat. May I ask how it was measured?

ok this is really interesting to me - i started trying to lift heavy at the gym (exactly as suggested here) and it worked in the sense that there was some improvement quickly but it didn't last for very long because i was sore for days and i tended to overeat, as i was absolutely ravenous. i recently started going for less weight and more reps and it works a lot better for me - i am not unusually hungry and i can get through 3 sets without any sudden/surprise pain. i am not so sore afterwards that it takes days to recover either. so if i were only trying to keep body fat low, rather than improve strength, wouldn't endurance training be best?

Soreness is good though. It means your muscles are repairing itself. And the more muscle you have, the more body fat your body will break down as your metabolic rate is higher. Ever hear of the expression, that muscle burns fat? Well it does. The question comes down to how good was your diet and where you truly eating enough. Below is a response from one of the women I am working with. She is 36 years old and eats 2100 calories on lifting days, and 1800 calories on non workout days. In 2 months, she cut 4% body fat. She used to train the "old fashion way" where it involved lots of cardio, light weights and low calories. Now she uses high calories, high weights/low reps and is cutting fat like crazy. It also means she added 5 lbs of lean muscle mass.

Generally, if you don't see progress in your weigh training (strength) then there is an underlying issue. Are you training right or eating right or either? I have seen consistent improvements in my weights while doing P90X2 and improved body definition. I eat 2700-3000 calories a day.

If you want to evaluate things, then let me know. I can work with.


"I just wanted to thank you for your help. You helped me a few months back and I just wanted to give you an update on my progress. 12 weeks ago I started at 154 and 28% bf. I got my bf remeasured last Friday and it was 24%. But I only lost 1 pound. It is crazy to me but I have learned to ignore the scale. You were right that keeping consistent and not giving up my body would finally adjust.

Thanks again for your help!

Stephanie"


BTW, muscle endurance is needed. This is why I suggest doing one set of endurance reps during your workout. So if you do sets of 3, then add a forth set for endurance, then you get the best of both worlds.

psuLemon

I'm also on a low-fat regimine.
This has helped me tremendously in reducing bodyfat, lowering cholesterol levels, and losing weight.

I am already on a low fat regimin of 30g or less per day. Does anyone know if this will continue to make my body fat dwindle or do i need to consume even less fat? I am also working out intense cardio 5-7 days/week along with strength training m-w-f.

And I have done the same thing on a high fat diet. Dietary fat doesn't equate to body fat. And it doesn't necessarily equate to cholesterol.

erickirb

I'm also on a low-fat regimine.
This has helped me tremendously in reducing bodyfat, lowering cholesterol levels, and losing weight.

I am already on a low fat regimin of 30g or less per day. Does anyone know if this will continue to make my body fat dwindle or do i need to consume even less fat? I am also working out intense cardio 5-7 days/week along with strength training m-w-f.

And I have done the same thing on a high fat diet. Dietary fat doesn't equate to body fat. And it doesn't necessarily equate to cholesterol.

^ this 1000 times over

Fat is great for you helps digestive system, hair, nails, etc. It is essential, more so then carbs. Please don't eat less then 20% of total calories from fat or you may start to have some issues. It is recommend to get a minimum of 0.35 grams of fat per lb of body weight.

I am in the middle of a cut and am eating 30% of my cals from fat, around 70 grams/day

watboy

Yes I never said it wouldn't I don't count calories either though and that works for me.
My experience in the past 4 years has taught me that for me eating low-fat content has helpled me tremendously in lowering cholesterol and overall wellness. Combined with weight training and cardio it has done wonders for me. I still have some more work to do but so far so good. I also never suggest going nonfat on everything. Tons of people do that. Our bodies need fat so cutting it all out I don't agree with. But to each their own.



"The most serious risk of high fat diets is heart disease. High-fat diets typically recommend foods high in saturated fats like beef, bacon and dark-meat poultry. According to the American Heart Association, a diet high in saturated fat can dramatically raise your :flowerforyou: cholesterol, increasing your risk of heart disease. The AHA recommends limiting your total fat intake to between 25 to 35 percent of total calories with only 7 percent coming by way of saturated fats."




Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/249377-the-risks-of-high-fat-diets/#ixzz1qQSxQo7q

Notice however they don't eliminate fat completely. But overall going low-fat will have some great benefits for your health as a whole and for me it has helpled with weightloss as well

I'm also on a low-fat regimine.
This has helped me tremendously in reducing bodyfat, lowering cholesterol levels, and losing weight.

I am already on a low fat regimin of 30g or less per day. Does anyone know if this will continue to make my body fat dwindle or do i need to consume even less fat? I am also working out intense cardio 5-7 days/week along with strength training m-w-f.

And I have done the same thing on a high fat diet. Dietary fat doesn't equate to body fat. And it doesn't necessarily equate to cholesterol.

Carim007

Is weight training to be started right from the begining ?

Because I have been told I should first concentrate on cardio training for the first couple of months...
And then move on to lifting weights ...

watboy

Honestly I'm not very knowledgeable in that regards as to what comes first. When I first started going to the gym I was doing nothing but cardio. I was losing weight but not building any noticable muscles. The moment I added weight training in combination with cardio not only did I lose more weight faster but got some gains in stregnth , muscle definition and size. Being overweight for so long and actually seeing some muscle definition really did wonders for my self-esteem and it also motivated me. I think the overall goal is to be healthy not just lose weight.

Is weight training to be started right from the begining ?

Because I have been told I should first concentrate on cardio training for the first couple of months...
And then move on to lifting weights ...

Carim007

Honestly I'm not very knowledgeable in that regards as to what comes first. When I first started going to the gym I was doing nothing but cardio. I was losing weight but not building any noticable muscles. The moment I added weight training in combination with cardio not only did I lose more weight faster but got some gains in stregnth , muscle definition and size. Being overweight for so long and actually seeing some muscle definition really did wonders for my self-esteem and it also motivated me. I think the overall goal is to be healthy not just lose weight.

Is weight training to be started right from the begining ?

Because I have been told I should first concentrate on cardio training for the first couple of months...
And then move on to lifting weights ...

Thanks a lot Watboy for sharing your experience ... !!!
You are right and I will follow your recommendation, starting next week ...

watboy

Good luck Carim

Honestly I'm not very knowledgeable in that regards as to what comes first. When I first started going to the gym I was doing nothing but cardio. I was losing weight but not building any noticable muscles. The moment I added weight training in combination with cardio not only did I lose more weight faster but got some gains in stregnth , muscle definition and size. Being overweight for so long and actually seeing some muscle definition really did wonders for my self-esteem and it also motivated me. I think the overall goal is to be healthy not just lose weight.

Is weight training to be started right from the begining ?

Because I have been told I should first concentrate on cardio training for the first couple of months...
And then move on to lifting weights ...

Thanks a lot Watboy for sharing your experience ... !!!
You are right and I will follow your recommendation, starting next week ...

psuLemon

I can't believe I am saying this, but like watboy said lol, there really is no reason to wait. In fact, if you really wanted to get rid of any exercise, eliminate cardio. You can make your weight training anaerobic to provide benefits to your heart and cardiovascular system.

psuLemon

Yes I never said it wouldn't I don't count calories either though and that works for me.
My experience in the past 4 years has taught me that for me eating low-fat content has helpled me tremendously in lowering cholesterol and overall wellness. Combined with weight training and cardio it has done wonders for me. I still have some more work to do but so far so good. I also never suggest going nonfat on everything. Tons of people do that. Our bodies need fat so cutting it all out I don't agree with. But to each their own.



"The most serious risk of high fat diets is heart disease. High-fat diets typically recommend foods high in saturated fats like beef, bacon and dark-meat poultry. According to the American Heart Association, a diet high in saturated fat can dramatically raise your :flowerforyou: cholesterol, increasing your risk of heart disease. The AHA recommends limiting your total fat intake to between 25 to 35 percent of total calories with only 7 percent coming by way of saturated fats."




Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/249377-the-risks-of-high-fat-diets/#ixzz1qQSxQo7q

Notice however they don't eliminate fat completely. But overall going low-fat will have some great benefits for your health as a whole and for me it has helpled with weightloss as well

I'm also on a low-fat regimine.
This has helped me tremendously in reducing bodyfat, lowering cholesterol levels, and losing weight.

I am already on a low fat regimin of 30g or less per day. Does anyone know if this will continue to make my body fat dwindle or do i need to consume even less fat? I am also working out intense cardio 5-7 days/week along with strength training m-w-f.

And I have done the same thing on a high fat diet. Dietary fat doesn't equate to body fat. And it doesn't necessarily equate to cholesterol.

Keep in mind that all those things referenced in the study are also items very high in calories. But there is a difference between eating high fat and eating unhealthy. I cook with extra virgin olive oil, eat stuff like nuts and peanut butter and my cholesterol is lower than ever. I believes its more of a mix between unhealthy eating and obesity that increase your chance for heart disease. You don't really see anyone that is fit (low body fat and lots of muscle) that has the same issues as those that are obese.