Lost most of my weight, But not Body Fat %! WTH????

amandavictoria80

I'm a little worried about my body fat percentage. How accurate are scales that measure body fat? How accurate are calculators that go by body measurements to calculate body fat %?
My scale says my Body Fat is 37%. Wowzers!

I have lost lots of weight. My BMI is now 24. And I am roughly 15lbs away from complete goal weight.

My goal is to get a toned body with muscle definition. I planned on starting my strength/weight training today.
Isn't is impossible for me to get muscle definition with that much body fat?

I would love suggestions on how to work towards getting rid of body fat. I was under the false impression that with lbs lost, body fat would follow.
I ave been doing cardio (which I change up) and some basic strength (push ups, squats, lunges, etc). What now?

I feel like I have come to a screeching halt. Can't seem to lose any more pounds either.

Maybe this strength/weight training plan is exactly what my body needs at this point. What do you think?

Thanks everyone for letting me vent. I really appreciate any help/advice. Thanks.

Can I just go to my doctor to get body fat measured accurately?

docktorfokse

You should start weight training last week. It sounds to me like you've lost considerable lean mass while losing weight. Just be prepared to gain weight with water retention, bone density increase, etc.

DocGu

Those body fat scales are way too inaccurate to think twice about.

obum88

Get caliphers and have someone measure you. Maybe consider a handheld body fat analyzer and also if you can go get dipped that is the most accurate way. Also how is your body inches wise?

turquoise_elephant

The most accurate body fat measurement is the immersion method, but it's pricey! The scales won't be completely accurate, but they'll give you a good idea. You don't say what your body fat percentage is so it's difficult to say much about muscle definition, but strength training should have been in your workout routine from the very beginning. As docktor said, it sounds like you've lost lean mass.

Keep up with the cardio to help shift more excess fat, and incorporate strength exercises to build your muscle mass again. Expect the scales to stay the same or even go up as you introduce strength workouts, but after a few weeks it will balance again, and you'll start to see the numbers decrease again.

I don't know what diet you've been following, but if it's low calorie, that could be another reason for losing lean mass. Up your calorie intake if you need to (it should be above 1200 at all times) and make sure you're getting lots of protein in. Good luck!

littlewitch1973

Definitely do more strength training. Before you do though, take your measurements and put away the scale. You will see the numbers on the scale go up, but the inches go down.... this will mess with your head, so make sure you hide the scale. Take measurements once a week, or once every two weeks - watch how your clothes fit, and also monitor how you feel. I can tell you since starting my strength training, my endurance is WAY up, I am stronger in everything I do, and although I havent lost pounds (I actually gained 5 pounds at one point!) I lost 2 clothing sizes!!

I had a trainer measure my body fat percentage over a period of 3 months. I lost 6% of my body fat once I started strength training, and lowered my cardio considerably. Good luck!!

Debbe2

Start lifting as heavy as you can and keep going back for more heavy. Build muscle and a nice healthy look that way. Also make sure that your getting enough protein each day. You've done well now you'll finish strong. :flowerforyou:

Madux1818

Definitely do more strength training. Before you do though, take your measurements and put away the scale. You will see the numbers on the scale go up, but the inches go down.... this will mess with your head, so make sure you hide the scale. Take measurements once a week, or once every two weeks - watch how your clothes fit, and also monitor how you feel. I can tell you since starting my strength training, my endurance is WAY up, I am stronger in everything I do, and although I havent lost pounds (I actually gained 5 pounds at one point!) I lost 2 clothing sizes!!

I had a trainer measure my body fat percentage over a period of 3 months. I lost 6% of my body fat once I started strength training, and lowered my cardio considerably. Good luck!!

Madux1818

what kind of strength training do you do?

aegisprncs

I am in the same boat and getting ready to start focusing on strength instead of cardio. I, too, am ready for looking firm & fit. Here's to good work outs!

amandavictoria80

You should start weight training last week. It sounds to me like you've lost considerable lean mass while losing weight. Just be prepared to gain weight with water retention, bone density increase, etc.

I really don't think so. :-/
I've done basic strength and worked my muscles. I also have muscles where I never did before. Such as my legs.

Silvercivic

my scale said I am at 28% BF... then I had a trainer use a caliper to determine my BF and she said that I am at 25% BF. So in my experience the scale isn't so accurate...

amandavictoria80

what kind of strength training do you do?

Push Ups, Planks, Squats, Lunges, Abs, etc. Just basic.

I also do them a lot on a WBV machine.

Huffdogg

Start doing heavy compound lifts.

Barbell Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Standing Barbell Shoulder Press

Eat plenty of protein and lift every other day.

Profit.

Michelle81285

The scales are so in accurate with body fat, you can not believe them. My husband who trains as a body builder has literally no body fat it says he has like 30%!!

Susan923

Hit that strength training!! Thats what you need. You will be very happy with what happens to your body. Good luck!!

mandypooh2103

bump

now_or_never12

I agree with those who have said up the protein and lift heavy. If you lost weight but your body fat hasn't really changed (provided your calculation method is right) you've lost muscle mass. There's nothing else to lose if you lost weight but body fat hasn't changed much.

Increase cals, increase protein and lift heavy will build muscles and lower your body fat %.

amandavictoria80

The most accurate body fat measurement is the immersion method, but it's pricey! The scales won't be completely accurate, but they'll give you a good idea. You don't say what your body fat percentage is so it's difficult to say much about muscle definition, but strength training should have been in your workout routine from the very beginning. As docktor said, it sounds like you've lost lean mass.

Keep up with the cardio to help shift more excess fat, and incorporate strength exercises to build your muscle mass again. Expect the scales to stay the same or even go up as you introduce strength workouts, but after a few weeks it will balance again, and you'll start to see the numbers decrease again.

I don't know what diet you've been following, but if it's low calorie, that could be another reason for losing lean mass. Up your calorie intake if you need to (it should be above 1200 at all times) and make sure you're getting lots of protein in. Good luck!

My body fat is 37%. I don't think I've lost lean mass because I have been incorporating strength into my workouts. Just not a weight training plan. Which is what I plan to do now.
MFP put my calories at 1200 so I don't go above that. And I eat a ton of protein everyday. My nutrition is spot on.

turningstar

I have one of those scales too, and it told me a while back that I was 40% body fat. No way that was accurate. I looked at your diary, and wanted to say that if you really start lifting, you need to eat a lot more. Especially protein. I am doing new rules of lifting for women and love it. I also eat anywhere from 150-200 grams of protein a day and eat at least 2000 calories a day. That is the best way to build REAL, STRONG muscle. If you were doing some strength, but were eating a deficit, you probably did lose some muscle mass. You really have to fuel your muscles to build them. You will never regret it!

Check out the group- eat more to weigh less. A lot of us do weight lifting. Good luck!

StarvingDiva

They aren't very accurate, you could drink a glass of water and then weigh again and it would change

teinepalagi

They scales are not accurate....but good for detecting changes. So ignore the number and watch what it does (up? down?). I had my body fat tested with the "dunk method" and the dunk method told me my bodyfat was 4% HIGHER than what the scale told me it was. The calipers my trainer had at the gym agreed with the scale, strangely enough.

Check out your local university. If they have an exercise science department, sometimes you can get your percentage tested for cheap. I bought 2 at one time (so I can see the difference after starting a weighlfting program) and it cost me $60 for both ($30 a piece).

Good luck....and I agree with all the other posters about upping cals and upping the protein while strength training.....

meshashesha2012

You should start weight training last week. It sounds to me like you've lost considerable lean mass while losing weight. Just be prepared to gain weight with water retention, bone density increase, etc.

I really don't think so. :-/
I've done basic strength and worked my muscles. I also have muscles where I never did before. Such as my legs.

the thing is though, when you eat at a deficit your body will use fat, muscles and glycogen as fuel. just because you work the muscles doesnt necessarily signal to the body that the muscle is off limits. basic strength training isnt good enough because your body is going to keep what it needs to jut do the basic stuff and go after what's over and beyond.

dont forget that muscle is active tissue and therefore requires lots of calories. if you're eating at a deficit then your body wants to find ways to efficiently use the calories it's getting. one the best way to preserve muscle on a calorie deficit is to lift for strength, lift heavy, increase the weights every time if possible.

also just because you are seeing muscle doesnt mean it's new muscle. it more than likely just means you have burned off some of the fat on top of it and can see it better.

and it's also possible your scale is off. are you keeping track of measurements and using calipers?

persilcolours

I had the scale tell me I was 30 percent body fat, and the calipers (done by a trainer who does this often) said I was 18 percent. And when she eyed me up beforehand, she said I looked to be about 20 percent.

So....get measured a different way!

And strength training -- I lost 4 percent body fat in 4 weeks with 3 sessions of strength training a week and eating about 1500-1700 calories a day (and tons of protein).

Cmonnowguys

The most accurate body fat measurement is the immersion method, but it's pricey! The scales won't be completely accurate, but they'll give you a good idea. You don't say what your body fat percentage is so it's difficult to say much about muscle definition, but strength training should have been in your workout routine from the very beginning. As docktor said, it sounds like you've lost lean mass.

Keep up with the cardio to help shift more excess fat, and incorporate strength exercises to build your muscle mass again. Expect the scales to stay the same or even go up as you introduce strength workouts, but after a few weeks it will balance again, and you'll start to see the numbers decrease again.

I don't know what diet you've been following, but if it's low calorie, that could be another reason for losing lean mass. Up your calorie intake if you need to (it should be above 1200 at all times) and make sure you're getting lots of protein in. Good luck!

My body fat is 37%. I don't think I've lost lean mass because I have been incorporating strength into my workouts. Just not a weight training plan. Which is what I plan to do now.
MFP put my calories at 1200 so I don't go above that. And I eat a ton of protein everyday. My nutrition is spot on.

You definitely need to start strength training with heavy weights. Pushups and lunges using body weight are better than nothing, but far from what you need to retain muscle while losing weight. Scales aren't 100% accurate but if you've been using the same one and your body fat stayed the same, it means you lost muscle when you lost weight.
If you are eating 1200 calories, even if you are hitting your protein requirement ratio it's not enough because you're not eating enough grams of protein overall. You should probably change your activity level to reflect how active you are, and aim to lose .5 a week. That is a good deficit for losing fat. Any more than that and you run the risk of losing lean body mass because your body simply cannot be burning only fat for fuel when you have a huge deficit.
My body fat started at 33% and after I lost 7** lbs eating 1200 cals, doing lots of cardio, pushups, lunges, situps, etc I was still at 33%. I spent the next two months doing heavy weight lifting 3x a week, along with some cardio 2x a week and started eating 1900-2000 calories a day. I eat 100 g of protein a day on days I lift weights. I've lost another 7 lbs and my body fat is 27% and dropping. Again, scales aren't 100% accurate, but mine has still had a consistent downward trend that I did not have before. I also take measurements and they are all consistently decreasing.

Heres a summary of what I do:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/618373-3rd-month-heavy-lifting-cardio-results-pics

I included some good links in there that will be very helpful to you.

Congratulations on your weight loss nonetheless and good luck on changing up your body composition and dropping the fat!

amandavictoria80

I have one of those scales too, and it told me a while back that I was 40% body fat. No way that was accurate. I looked at your diary, and wanted to say that if you really start lifting, you need to eat a lot more. Especially protein. I am doing new rules of lifting for women and love it. I also eat anywhere from 150-200 grams of protein a day and eat at least 2000 calories a day. That is the best way to build REAL, STRONG muscle. If you were doing some strength, but were eating a deficit, you probably did lose some muscle mass. You really have to fuel your muscles to build them. You will never regret it!

Check out the group- eat more to weigh less. A lot of us do weight lifting. Good luck!

Thank you so much for this. I would never have really known to eat more. MFP calculated 1200 calories even with my activity level so I just went by that. :-/ Geez. I am on BodyBuilding.com as well and have had many tell me to eat more as well. ANd that I should have 120g of protein a day and 58g of fat. I've been way off. However, when I make those changed in my goals, it puts my carbs down to 40g a day. How do I do that? I'd go over that with veggies alone.

Thanks again!

turningstar

Go into your settings and do custom goals. Set your calories to whatever you are upping them to, and set your carbs at 40%, protein 30%, and fat at 30%.That is the best ratio. You need a lot of protein and don't cut out too much fat. You need it for hormone regulation.