Any ladies managed to get to 18-20% BF? What did you do?

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  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
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    I lose when I increase my weights.... cardio does nothing for my fat it seems, just healps my heart health and endurance... heavier weights burns my fat

    So do you do high weight low rep? I currently do most of my exercises at 3 sets of 10, do you do 5x5s or something similar?


    yep 5x5
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    My body fat has ranged from 17 to 20% over the last year. I haven't been doing any consistent exercise, but I walk a lot. I think a higher protein, lower carb diet probably helps.
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
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    I ate at a fairly moderate deficit (aimed for 1/2 a pound a week), busted my *kitten* at boxing, and ran for fun. And had patience... as in 12 months of it.

    I think the key to getting where you want to be is patience. Decreasing body fat is an extremely slow process when you have so little to lose. Keep doing what you're doing and it will come off in time.
  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    I was 19% at my lowest (bulking now)
    Just moderate deficit (not more then 20%), 1 week break, eating around TDEE every 4 weeks - I think 2 weeks every 8 weeks is better, but I do my breaks when I travel. Lifting (3x5 starting Strenght), lots of walking - keeps my NEAT high and allow me to eat a lot, sometimes swimming
  • Kidostud
    Kidostud Posts: 307 Member
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    Bump
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
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    I'm not exactly sure what my BF% but I think it's somewhere in the 17-18% range. I didn't set out for a certain number but eating a well balanced diet and lifting 3x a week has got me here. I do an A/B style full body routine with the compound moves being 4x5 and isolation type stuff being 3x8. For my eating, I try and get a good balance of macros (40c/30p/30f), eat in the 1900-2100 calorie range, focus on healthy options, drink plenty of water most days and keep my sodium close to or under 2300 most days.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
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    Decreasing body fat is an extremely slow process when you have so little to lose

    ^^^ THIS too!
  • iron_jj
    iron_jj Posts: 446 Member
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    Just keep eating at a deficit, track macros, be consistent. In that range it does take a lot of time and most of all patience.
  • hedgiie
    hedgiie Posts: 1,245 Member
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    I lose when I increase my weights.... cardio does nothing for my fat it seems, just healps my heart health and endurance... heavier weights burns my fat
    interesting
  • sbecknc
    sbecknc Posts: 27 Member
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    I'd love to just lose some body fat. I've been stuck at the same spot for a year now... can't break through the plateau without making changes that are not sustainable for my career lifestyle, but I'm always looking for things i haven't thought of.

    Posting this more so that it's easier for me to track these stories and ideas than for anything else! Thanks everyone!
  • monipie
    monipie Posts: 280 Member
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    i was 18% last i checked. lift weights 5-6 days a week i stopped doing cardio but i used to do it 5 days a week. mostly hiit.
  • Just2Bhappy
    Just2Bhappy Posts: 113 Member
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    I used to be 19% years ago. I worked retail and walked an average of 12 miles a day (pedometer) on the sales floor and then went to the gym 4-6X a week. If I didn't go to the gym I was on my elliptical at home for 1 hour. At the gym I'd alternate between classes, elliptical and swimming. Typically 2 hours a day.

    As for what I ate well being that active....I ate a lot. Nothing special. I tried to make healthy choices but I still ate junk once and a while too.
  • slimgoody05
    slimgoody05 Posts: 25 Member
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    I am interested as well. Working on lowering my BF. Last checked it said 22.2 but not sure how accurate that was since it was taken at a later time of day. Going to invest in my own monitor to try to track it more consistently.
  • hedgiie
    hedgiie Posts: 1,245 Member
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    I was 19% at my lowest (bulking now)
    Just moderate deficit (not more then 20%), 1 week break, eating around TDEE every 4 weeks - I think 2 weeks every 8 weeks is better, but I do my breaks when I travel. Lifting (3x5 starting Strenght), lots of walking - keeps my NEAT high and allow me to eat a lot, sometimes swimming
    thanks
  • smithvigsen
    smithvigsen Posts: 4
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    When I'm running a lot (spring/summer), I get down to 18-19%. THIS spring, have been trying every method imaginable to NOT have to pick up running every day, but NOTHING has given me the results that running has in all these years. It's so time consuming and I don't really enjoy it, but it's effective. Don't go crazy, though. Eat smart (avoid processed sugars), and run 3 miles/day.
  • Sheila_Ann
    Sheila_Ann Posts: 365 Member
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    I just had my BF and measurements done this morning. My BF is the same as two months ago. My tricepts went up from 18 to 19 and my thigh went up from 17 to 19...BUT my Suprailiac (belly fat) went down from 14 to 11!. Interesting considering my bf stayed the same at 20.98. I drink a lot of water and have changed up my diet to be gluten free (not every day) and no dairy. I try to eat a lot of veggies throught the day. I even bought a vitamix to drink my veggies (i'm not big into veggies). I work out with a trainer 4 days a week and I do cardio 2 days a week. I lift heavy weights with less reps. I do want to point out that before I started to eat better (I started in the beg of the year). My belly fat went from 15 to 14 (again 2 month difference). So by me changing the way I eat. I dropped 3 millimeters off my stomach in 2 months vs just 1 millimeters in 2 months prior. You will get there. The less fat we have to lose the harder it will be.

    Best of luck!
    Sheila

    Edited to say that my mini goal is 18% by June. :glasses:

    Also wanted to add. That even though my bf stayed the same...belly fat went down...
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 897 Member
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    Bump! Thanks to the OP for asking this and thanks for the great responses gals, keep 'em coming. :)
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    If you pick a weight and bulk/cut within a band around it (say 10 lbs, +/- 5 lb), every time you pass that weight on the way up or down you will be at a lower BF% than the time before.
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
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    If you pick a weight and bulk/cut within a band around it (say 10 lbs, +/- 5 lb), every time you pass that weight on the way up or down you will be at a lower BF% than the time before.

    I'm avoiding doing a bulk at the moment because I'm getting married in August and already bought a dress, so I'd like to keep my size fairly consistent until then!! Post-wedding I'll add bulk cycles back in though if necessary.
  • missprincessgina
    missprincessgina Posts: 446 Member
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    I'm 5'9" and around 20% body fat. I weigh 145 today but fluctuate between 138 - 148. When I was a teenager I was a size 14/16 and growing out of those clothes into a size 18. Thats when I decided to do something about it. I'm a size 6 now, down from a 16/18 and have maintained a size 6 for 15 years. As I got older, I hired a personal trainer to help maintain my size and add muscle. My body fat went down from 26% to 20% after I started lifting weights. Currently, I'm sitting out of all exercise besides physical therapy as I tore my meniscus cartilage in my knee. I have plenty of pictures up but only one "before" picture.

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