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

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Replies

  • eastonna
    eastonna Posts: 30 Member
    Bump. Lots of good info here. I'm in the same boat.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I'm right around 19%. Got there being really careful with my diet and running, biking and lifting on alternate days. Maintaining lean muscle mass is key. Also, I'm 55, so for all the older ladies who moan about not being able to lose.......
  • GlassslippersAndFairyDust
    GlassslippersAndFairyDust Posts: 518 Member
    nice thread, thanks :flowerforyou:
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    Thanks to OP for wonderful thread! I really am dying to know how everyone has done what they've done to be at extremely healthy/awesome Body Fat % levels!

    My Body Fat % is at 32% now (ironically, BMI is healthy ugh), and I'm really wanting to know how long it'll take to get down to 25%? I do understand different bodies are made differently, and it depends on your diet and stuff. I work out everyday, weights 3x, cardio everyday, and strength train 3x.

    My BF% was probably also about 30 when I entered the healthy BMI range, so I feel for you!

    Now my BF% is at 24.5%, and it's taken about a year. Just eat a moderate deficit and exercise as much as you can, but make sure you get sufficient rest and calories to sustain that exercise.
  • grace42d
    grace42d Posts: 156 Member
    Bump
  • vicmonster
    vicmonster Posts: 297 Member
    I'm about 19.5...Mostly through heavy lifting and some running for fun. Right now I'm training for a sprint tri so I stopped lifting for a month and really miss it.
  • kerryradz
    kerryradz Posts: 81 Member
    Bump
  • salgalbp
    salgalbp Posts: 218 Member
    I want this in my topics! I'm at 26% BF and I don't give a rats what the scale says but I want that 20% BF! Thanks for all the helpful hints folks!
    Sal
  • trdepalo
    trdepalo Posts: 106
    I'm at 19-20% right now at 5'5.5" and about 131-3. I've been trying to loose weight for years now and have done a lot of things - first I weight trained for like three years while not really dieting ever and actually probably over eating now that I know what calories are so I gained a lot of LBM. I only really started focusing on my diet around last August when I switched to yoga instead of training and now I'm trying to get into running but finals. I think I'm aiming for about 16% body fat, maybe though 17-18% will be okay. I still have a belly I'd like to loose!
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    Wow, this topic took off while I was away from my computer! Thank you all SO MUCH for your tips, I'm definitely going to try to mix things up a little, maybe throw in some HIIT, push myself a bit more on my weights, make sure to hit my protein goals, and see how it goes. Also, it's good to hear how long it took people; makes me feel more like I'm on the right track, and it's just a long process.
  • elleryjones
    elleryjones Posts: 88 Member
    bumping to follow...
  • kstahlke
    kstahlke Posts: 11 Member
    Just interested to know how you all are measuring your body fat. We have a body fat scale at work and it says my body fat is 18% but I think I'm more like 20%. I bough a cheap set of calipers to see and it says 30%. I'm 5'4" and 120 pounds.

    But back to the issue at hand, I have been using the scale and if it's consisent, I've dropeed 15% body fat. I run a lot, do a little weight training and try to eat a lot of protein but it's hard since I am a vegetarian. I think a clean diet is very important. I try to limit processed food. I'm not great at it. But I'm getting better.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    18% here. Want more like 17.5...
    I just went the 1200 calorie route. Dropped a few pounds in a couple weeks. Nothing lost this week..but we'll see how it goes.

    EDIT: Crap, was confusing body fat and BMI. Nevermind xD

    You want to be underweight?
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    Personally, I use a body composition scale. I know that they aren't the most accurate thing ever (things like where you are in your digestive cycle can mess it up) but I feel like at least it lets me know if I'm moving in the right direction! I don't actually care SO much about what the percentage is when I get to it, it's more about looking the way I want to, i.e. less pudge on the belly and thighs, more visible muscle!
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    Just interested to know how you all are measuring your body fat. We have a body fat scale at work and it says my body fat is 18% but I think I'm more like 20%. I bough a cheap set of calipers to see and it says 30%. I'm 5'4" and 120 pounds.

    But back to the issue at hand, I have been using the scale and if it's consisent, I've dropeed 15% body fat. I run a lot, do a little weight training and try to eat a lot of protein but it's hard since I am a vegetarian. I think a clean diet is very important. I try to limit processed food. I'm not great at it. But I'm getting better.

    There are two body fat percentage calculators at fat2fitradio.com, the military one and the covert-bailey one. I do both and take an average of the two. I've compared this number to descriptions/pictures of people with known BF%'s and it seems reasonable to me. Even if it's not 100% precise, it's a good way to measure progress at least.

    I don't think I'd pay to get my BF% measured precisely unless it was super cheap or I was experiencing medical issues.
  • brazilnut05
    brazilnut05 Posts: 40 Member
    Cardio, cardio and more cardio! 30 minutes is a good goal. Try to run for a longer distance rather than a faster pace. If running isn't your thing, hop on the elliptical or ride a bike. Best of luck!
  • verzanie
    verzanie Posts: 54 Member
    I dropped from around 23% to 16.5% with HIIT work (Insanity) and now I do a lot of cardio and started weights but the cardio seemed to do the trick..I also eat low carb as I have PCOS
  • septbride2
    septbride2 Posts: 14 Member
    I'm at 20% now, which is where I maintain, eating pretty much whatever (although still fairly healthy, vegetarian food). I workout 6 days a week for 45 minutes, kickboxing & strength training. I was at 17% a year ago when I followed a nutrition plan - 6 smalls meals a day, lots of water, higher protein, lower carb.
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    Just interested to know how you all are measuring your body fat. We have a body fat scale at work and it says my body fat is 18% but I think I'm more like 20%. I bough a cheap set of calipers to see and it says 30%. I'm 5'4" and 120 pounds.

    But back to the issue at hand, I have been using the scale and if it's consisent, I've dropeed 15% body fat. I run a lot, do a little weight training and try to eat a lot of protein but it's hard since I am a vegetarian. I think a clean diet is very important. I try to limit processed food. I'm not great at it. But I'm getting better.

    There are two body fat percentage calculators at fat2fitradio.com, the military one and the covert-bailey one. I do both and take an average of the two. I've compared this number to descriptions/pictures of people with known BF%'s and it seems reasonable to me. Even if it's not 100% precise, it's a good way to measure progress at least.

    I don't think I'd pay to get my BF% measured precisely unless it was super cheap or I was experiencing medical issues.

    This is an excellent point. Seeing pictures of women with body fat percentages helped me figure out that the online calculator at fat2fitradio was totally off for me. Way too low. Seeing pictures helped me figure out a range that I believe I'm somewhere between.

    If anyone needs a visual check out this site:

    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
  • Toadlily
    Toadlily Posts: 17
    bump - want to follow this.
    weight loss seems to be okay for me - but having trouble getting the body fat % to come down.
  • JewelSmith
    JewelSmith Posts: 155 Member
    Fantastic post..I am positing to keep up with it! Thanks!
  • wordpainter09
    wordpainter09 Posts: 472 Member
    Interesting. Following.
  • Redptlmtd
    Redptlmtd Posts: 14
    Great topic!! Following.
  • kopmom
    kopmom Posts: 491 Member
    Good post and advice!
  • Miss_Krissy87
    Miss_Krissy87 Posts: 214 Member
    I am also trying to get down to 20% body fat. I am at 22 % right now. I will be watching to see what people say to get an idea of what i can do.:)
  • Mock_Turtle
    Mock_Turtle Posts: 354 Member
    You could try doing a round of Lyle McDonald's RFL diet .... you'll probably be miserable given how rough the eating requirements are but a lot of ppl vouch for it.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    bump.
  • NavyKnightAh13
    NavyKnightAh13 Posts: 1,394 Member
    bump
  • chymerra
    chymerra Posts: 212
    i found that bumping up my weights and lowering my reps helped a lot. i plateaued for a few months and i was a size 4 pants but when i increased my weight and dropped my reps, i went down to a size 2 (to my surprise). however, i also increased my cardio intensity and really pushed myself to keep my heart rate in my maximum zone so i think a combination of the two really did it.
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    My body fat percentage is currently pretty low, but I'm running. A lot. I'm currently training for my first full marathon. I'm also (for the most part, still transitioning here and there) following a plant based diet (so no meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, etc.).

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