How to lose body fat

Stacimfit
Stacimfit Posts: 298 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay so that topic about abs has me so confused that I wanted to post my own. So what is the difference between losing body fat and gaining muscle?? Will working out on exercise machines make me heavier? I have tons of muscle to begin with and I need to lose 20-30 lbs and I've been on here for 18 days almost below my calorie count and I'm not losing anything!! I want to know how to go about losing the fat that is there and just having my muscle... Some one please help me I am really lost.

Replies

  • Angylgrrl
    Angylgrrl Posts: 159 Member
    The only way to lose fat is through a calorie deficit. MFP sets you up with one when you set your goals (how much you want to lose per week). Exercise helps in different ways. Cardio exercises (running, elliptical, aerobics, dancing, jumping rope, etc.) will help you burn calories/fat because your goal is to get your heart rate up to a fat-burning level for a prolonged period. Strength exercises (resistance training, body-weight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, dips and such, and weight-lifting) will help you to retain lean muscle mass when you are eating at deficit. Lean muscle mass is important because it helps to burn calories as well, even at rest. Strength training also helps you be strong, as the name implies, and will give you a more toned look once you body fat % lowers.

    You can just eat at deficit and lose weight, but exercise certainly helps the process. At least, this is what I have come to understand in my time here.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    To lose body fat, you lose weight slowly -- 1-2 lbs per week. Losing more than that will likely include significant loss of lean body mass (aka-- muscle).

    As for not losing weight, there are several possibilities...

    1. Over estimating activity
    2. Settings set too high for activity level
    3. Under estimating portion size or under estimating caloric intake -- can be when a similar or inaccurate item is counted.
    4. Eating too little -- calorie settings too low so that your metabilism is slowed down
    5. Some medical conditions such as hypoactive thyroid or hormone imbalance

    Can cardio machines cause you to bulk? Not likely... As a woman, it is unlikely that even weight training will cause you to bulk. I do suggest weight training as a help to lose inches. It will not help the scale but it does help with losing inches since lean body mass takes up less space per pound than fat does. Best wishes on attaining your goals.
  • lynnette26
    lynnette26 Posts: 9
    Body fat is stored under the skin and around internal organs, excess body fat is linked to a number of health problems etc.
    To lose fat (stored energy) you need to reduce calorie intake and increase the amount of exercise to do each day.
    Cardio is the best place to start; cycling, running, swiming etc (interval training is even better- uses the most calories per session)
    Strenght training is needed to ensure the body retains muscle and doesn't break it down to use as fuel.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    In a nutshell, the only difference between losing body fat and gaining muscle is the level of caloric intake. To cut body fat, you eat at a deficit, combined with adequate protein intake and strength training to preserve muscle mass. To gain muscle, you eat at a caloric surplus, combined with adequate protein intake and strength training to build muscle mass. In both cases, cardio is of secondary importance. While losing body fat, it serves to deepen the deficit - which may or may not be a good thing - but it does not create an impulse for your body to preserve muscle mass in the manner strength training does.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    How do you know you have tons of muscle?

    ETA: not a snark question - its just that it is hard to tell when you are above a certain BF%
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Moderate calorie deficit, adequate protein (equal to ~1g/lb LBM), strength training. Boom.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Moderate calorie deficit, adequate protein (equal to ~1g/lb LBM), strength training. Boom.
    bam
  • Stacimfit
    Stacimfit Posts: 298 Member
    Thanks everyone for your responses. I learned allot tonight. After all this research and your info. This is new to me, I never tried losing weight before or cared about my health. It sounds pretty common sense. I am enjoying learning about it all. I still need to research what protein 1 g/lb LBM is.

    sarauk2- I only think its all muscle BC I always lifted, did squats, ran at my jobs and my skin is real tight and can't grab any fat. That and i haven't lost any thing in 18 days since i started this and I've been under my calorie intake mainly. But not losing could be bc of many factors (eating wrong food, few to many bad day, stress, idk) i do know I have to get it measured at a gnc or figure it out to know for sure. But since i started this, I've been using exercise equipment and I've gained, not lost.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    To be honest - don't sweat the 'how much' at the moment - it's too hard to tell due to water weight, inaccuracies in estimates etc etc. The main thing is, are you getting smaller? If yes, you are doing something right. If you started exercising you will have additional water weight from glycogen /water in your muscles - it can add 4lb or more. So, if you are staying the same weight, and as long as you are in a deficit, you are losing 'real' weight - it's just masked by water weight gains.

    As MoreBean said. eat at a reasonable caloric deficit, get 1g/lb of protein and lift weights...and be patient. The weight will come off.
  • wmagoo27
    wmagoo27 Posts: 201 Member
    1 g/lb LBM

    1 gram per pound of lean body mass (NOT the same as 1 grame per pound of bodyweight)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    1 g/lb LBM

    1 gram per pound of lean body mass (NOT the same as 1 grame per pound of bodyweight)

    ^^yep (I forgot to type the LBM in my post).
  • Stacimfit
    Stacimfit Posts: 298 Member
    Okay yes I do feel smaller.. The pants fit better and I feel lighter... So I guess im trying to push the results but im just trying to get through my head that what I'm doing is going to work. I always forget about water weight.. I got discouraged BC a few family members who know nothing said, if its working you should be loosing already.. Get a new diet, get med weight loss.. I think I need to give it time, this is a healthier option to weight loss I think! Plus I changed my active to lightly active in settings so it lowered my calorie intake, this should help to. Thanks guys.

    Oh..how do I know what the 1 g/lbs lbm is.. How do I know that's what im getting.. Silly question im sure.. So I don't want to go over that?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Okay yes I do feel smaller.. The pants fit better and I feel lighter... So I guess im trying to push the results but im just trying to get through my head that what I'm doing is going to work. I always forget about water weight.. I got discouraged BC a few family members who know nothing said, if its working you should be loosing already.. Get a new diet, get med weight loss.. I think I need to give it time, this is a healthier option to weight loss I think! Plus I changed my active to lightly active in settings so it lowered my calorie intake, this should help to. Thanks guys.

    Oh..how do I know what the 1 g/lbs lbm is.. How do I know that's what im getting.. Silly question im sure.. So I don't want to go over that?

    You calculate your LBM by getting an estimate of your body fat% (it is everything that is not fat, so if you are 30% BF, your LBM will be 70% of your weight) If you do not know your body fat percentage, I would assume that it equates to about 0.7g per lb of body weight for now.
  • Stacimfit
    Stacimfit Posts: 298 Member
    Okay thanks for all the help
  • Adw7677
    Adw7677 Posts: 201 Member
    My biggest problem has always been eating too FEW calories. I hate when people blindly say "reduce your calories". Today I found a message here at MFP where the guy tells you how to figure how many calories YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL, UNIQUE PERSON should eat to lose weight. Let me find the link....


    Here it is!
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    I only started this about half an hour ago (when I ate an apple and pnut butter cuz I'm not eating enough), so I can't personally vouch for it. But it makes a LOT of sense. I'm definately not losing anything at 1200 calories per day. And a ton of people have commented that it is the right way to figure out how many calories you should be eating.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    That 1lb protein /g lean body mass - is that for just maintenance of lbm as well? I thought that level was for if you were trying to build muscle, not maintain what you already have?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    That 1lb protein /g lean body mass - is that for just maintenance of lbm as well? I thought that level was for if you were trying to build muscle, not maintain what you already have?

    Are you talking about being on a deficit or at maintenance?
  • prudism
    prudism Posts: 149 Member
    great good to know I was a little confused too
    thankyou everyone

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