Strength training and still fat

believeandtry

I have been Crossfitting (cardio and heavy lifting) for about 2 years now, going about 2-4 times a week. I push myself at every session and perform well for my personal standards. The thing is, I have parts of my body, my arms and my upper thighs that still have a lot of fat. I realized that i still would like to lose 10-15 lbs, but I am comfrotable with my current weight of ~145lbs. However, I would just like my arms to and thighs to have less fat and be more defined. I know you can't spot reduce, but was wondering on if anyone else experienced this/if anyone had any suggestions. I read on many past posts that strength training helps but I have been doing it for 2 years! HELP!

Nataliaho

While you can't spot reduce, there are things you can do which may reduce inflammation and retaining water. Personally I bloat and retain water in my tummy, arms, bum and thighs if I drink too much alcohol, wheat or dairy. If you are happy with your cals maybe just play with what you are actually eating.

xraychick77

exercise is only a part of the process.

you got to watch what you eat too. our bodies adapt fairly quickly to what we do to it. your body is used to your current exercise program. you arent specific about your caloric intake or diet. that is key to losing body fat while maintaining muscle mass.

sk2775

I have similar issues...I still have about 12 more pounds to go, but I seem to be losing weight everywhere but in my arms and my abs. There is nothing else to do other then keep at it with weights and other core exercises....good luck.

gastankerdriver

Superpump 250 will take care of that problem in no time.

Glucocorticoid

How do you expect anyone to help you when you've given zero information about your diet?

our bodies adapt fairly quickly to what we do to it. your body is used to your current exercise program.

The body gets bored easily?

believeandtry

@nataliaho i dont thinks its imflammation and retianing water because i definitely know it when im bloated and what not. but even when im not, i am still have jiggly arms and thighs.


@xraychick the great thing about crossfit is that there is a new workout every day so i dont think my body is adapting to it. i have been eating around 1500-1600 for the past year and stuck at 145lb. im a creature of habit so i eat a lot of same things: oatmeal and peanut butter, turkey, egg whites, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, chicken salad, turkey sandwiches, rice+meat, apples, banana, greek yogurt and vita muffins are all things i eat at least once a week if not more!

maryloo2011

Definitely take a look at your diet/what foods you are consuming and become hyper-HYPER aware of how certain foods/drinks impact you. Your diary is not open to the public so it is hard to assess the situation right now.

believeandtry

regarding my diet, i eat the same food more or less and have strayed away from logging as i became a bit obsessive with the numbers to the poin where it kind of got unhealthy. i just generally know how much calories i am eating...but as listed below, i usually eat some combo of these foods in a day

oatmeal and peanut butter, turkey, egg whites, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, chicken salad, turkey sandwiches, rice+meat, apples, banana, greek yogurt and vita muffins are all things i eat at least once a week if not more!

Rae6503

You're going to have to "diet" but you'll have to be careful to not eat too little, which could harm your lifting.

believeandtry

i wish there was a way to break out of my weight plateau (around 145 for a year now!) and lose this fat on my trouble spots! any advice on certain lifestyle changes whether it be food/exercise? i dont believe in cutting a food group out but limiting certain food groups is fine . i think i need to find easy go to meals that will fit my busy work life. thanks for everyone's reply so far!

ninerbuff

It boils down to your nutrition and food intake.


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

toriaenator

i don't think you're eating enough! to build muscle you need a surplus. i think ur tdee is probably much higher than way ur eating so this could cause your body to be stubborn and cling to fat!

believeandtry

thanks @ toriaenator! i think ive been eating below what i need to. ive read so many posts lately about tdee and im still trying to understand bmr, how much to eat, how to factor in exercise and what not. im debating whether i should
1)get bmr tested
2) get fitbit or bmf (not sure what is best)
3) save some $ and not do 1) or 2) but trust the tdee and eat more.


i must admit that its been different eating back exercise calories for first time! maybe it will help.

lisakyle_11

...gotta pay attention to the food you eat. it's even more of a factor in regards to being overweight or not.

Rae6503

thanks @ toriaenator! i think ive been eating below what i need to. ive read so many posts lately about tdee and im still trying to understand bmr, how much to eat, how to factor in exercise and what not. im debating whether i should
1)get bmr tested
2) get fitbit or bmf (not sure what is best)
3) save some $ and not do 1) or 2) but trust the tdee and eat more.


i must admit that its been different eating back exercise calories for first time! maybe it will help.

There are a lot of equations that'll estimate your BMR and TDEE for you without paying any money.

This is a good one, I think:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris-Benedict_equation

believeandtry

i checked the site and puts me at 2300 calories! holy smokes! ive been eating at 1500/1600 which is about 700 claories below the estimated calorie level for maintenance! i thougt my mainteance was 1500 since i havent gained anything for a year...maybe this is why im not losing either!

so this factors in exercise caloires too right? so no need to worry about eating exercise calories?

if i want to lose, i should "reset" my metabolism by increasing to 2300 caloires daily and drop about 300-500 calories for weight loss?

initial weight gain is probably likely! do you think i should invest in BMF or fitbit?

Rae6503

i checked the site and puts me at 2300 calories! holy smokes! ive been eating at 1500/1600 which is about 700 claories below the estimated calorie level for maintenance! i thougt my mainteance was 1500 since i havent gained anything for a year...maybe this is why im not losing either!

so this factors in exercise caloires too right? so no need to worry about eating exercise calories?

if i want to lose, i should "reset" my metabolism by increasing to 2300 caloires daily and drop about 300-500 calories for weight loss?

initial weight gain is probably likely! do you think i should invest in BMF or fitbit?

Yeah that includes exercise so don't eat those calories (MFP does not but MFP also seems to estimate really low for a lot of people). I think eating at maintenance for a week or two might be a good idea, but it might be good to build up to that slowly, so 200 a week. I have a BMF and honestly they aren't magical, and it's kind of annoying to wear. If I had it to do again, I might not get it.

lrreeder

@nataliaho i dont thinks its imflammation and retianing water because i definitely know it when im bloated and what not. but even when im not, i am still have jiggly arms and thighs.


@xraychick the great thing about crossfit is that there is a new workout every day so i dont think my body is adapting to it. i have been eating around 1500-1600 for the past year and stuck at 145lb. im a creature of habit so i eat a lot of same things: oatmeal and peanut butter, turkey, egg whites, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, chicken salad, turkey sandwiches, rice+meat, apples, banana, greek yogurt and vita muffins are all things i eat at least once a week if not more!

If you've been Crossfitting that long I'm sure you've heard of the paleo diet. Why not give it a try? For a lot of people it is what really helps them get over that hump. Lose the oatmeal, bread, sandwiches, rice, yogurt, etc. and replace with WHOLE eggs (not just the white), lots of veggies, lots of fat like avocados, olive oil, pastured butter, and some fruit and some nuts. Try it for a month and see how you feel. When I got grains, sugar, and dairy my body transformed.

lrreeder

@nataliaho i dont thinks its imflammation and retianing water because i definitely know it when im bloated and what not. but even when im not, i am still have jiggly arms and thighs.


@xraychick the great thing about crossfit is that there is a new workout every day so i dont think my body is adapting to it. i have been eating around 1500-1600 for the past year and stuck at 145lb. im a creature of habit so i eat a lot of same things: oatmeal and peanut butter, turkey, egg whites, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, chicken salad, turkey sandwiches, rice+meat, apples, banana, greek yogurt and vita muffins are all things i eat at least once a week if not more!

Edit, when I "quit" grains (not got them).

If you've been Crossfitting that long I'm sure you've heard of the paleo diet. Why not give it a try? For a lot of people it is what really helps them get over that hump. Lose the oatmeal, bread, sandwiches, rice, yogurt, etc. and replace with WHOLE eggs (not just the white), lots of veggies, lots of fat like avocados, olive oil, pastured butter, and some fruit and some nuts. Try it for a month and see how you feel. When I got grains, sugar, and dairy my body transformed.

lizard053

The fitbit would be useful if you're trying to get a picture as to your over all activity level, or tracking things like how far you walk in a day or how many flights of stairs you take. If you're not interested in all that, you may not want to waste your money on one. Personally, I have found it hugely motivating to get into shape. I want to see if I can do 50 flights of stairs in one day!

It sounds like you need to up your calories! Staying low for a long time will cause your body to resist weight loss. At this point, you'll gain some, but it will come back off as long as you're not eating way to much.

It's worth it to get your BMR tested. The equations don't take into account things like your personal metabolism which a test would do for you. I had mine tested once at my doctor's office. My maintenance calories were WAY higher than any equation had given me before!