Reducing Body Fat %

Oooh I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, I've got about 10 lbs to lose but definitely want to get my body fat % down x

I am recently back on MFP after a long break. My weight loss goal is not much - perhaps 5 pounds. What I am really working toward is reduciong my body fat% from about 22-23% to 17-18%. I want my muscles to show more!

Can anyone point me in the direction of some good Forum threads about this topic?

Eating clean and plenty of protein to promote muscle growth is very important. Also lifting heavy is key. As you build more muscle, you will burn more fat. Most women say to me "I don't want to get bulky"! Don't worry about that, because without certain supplement/drugs, you won't.

Here is some information with a more step by step approach

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson175.htm

I am reducing my body fat, as well. I believe this piece is ALL diet-related....meaning, more calories expended than calories ingested.

For "shape", I lift heavy.

I don't mix up the two! Diet piece takes care of the fat loss and weight-training piece takes care of morphing my shape.

Do you use calorie staggering?

I peronally don't but it won't hurt to mix it up. Any change can shock the body and will promote results so long as you don't go too high on your higher calorie days. It's the same theory as carb cycling...you load up to get you through for a couple days and then you substitute the carbs with good fats on no/low carb days.

Just afoot note...make sure that your high calorie or high carb (if you try carb cycling) days are on a day when you are lifting and generally I recommend a leg day since that is the largest group of muscle and you need a lot of fuel to really get a good work out in!

To achieve fat loss you have to get your body to use your fat stores as energy. This is achieved through a mixture of weight training and cardio along with a low-fat diet.

Your body will use fat as energy LAST because it takes more effort for your body to metabolize fat into glycogen. So, you have to burn through your glycogen stores (weight-lifting), tell your body not to use muscle for energy because you need it for work (weight-lifting), then completely deplete your glycogen stores (cardio after lifting). This puts your body in a state where it has no choice but to utilize fat stores to replace the glycogen in your system.

You do not lose fat in the gym... you lose it during the rest of the day and while you sleep. This is why exercise is so key to a healthy lifestyle. Couch dieting won;t get the job done.

This is also where the high-protein, medium carb, low fat eating comes into play.

Bottom line, it takes patience, nutrition and a lot of sweat... but it works.

Good Luck!

@bgelliott - Thanks for the great link. I am already doing HIIT regularly and lifting with KBs and bodyweight exercises (switch lunges, tuck jumps, push-ups, pull-ups, etc.). I will start to add in heavier weights at the gym. I am also upping my protein.

Do you use calorie staggering?

Do you have access to a gym? If so I would suggest one of the well established progressive loading strength training programs such as stronglifts 5 x 5. Mix that in with your HIIT and KB and body weight exercises.

@bgelliott - Thanks for the great link. I am already doing HIIT regularly and lifting with KBs and bodyweight exercises (switch lunges, tuck jumps, push-ups, pull-ups, etc.). I will start to add in heavier weights at the gym. I am also upping my protein.

Do you use calorie staggering?

You don't need to increase your protein, carbs have a muscle sparing effect. Also if you don't consume that much protein you will utilize more of it. It's more scares so it will be used more efficiently. I do calorie cycling. Helped me bust through a 6 month plateau. If you want a recommendation for your situation I'd say 30% cut on your low calorie days, the next day eat at your TDEE.

What is this persons stats and current intake? I am going to assume that you either know this or you believe that protein intake is absolutely irrelevant since you're making a recommendation about their specific intake level.

To achieve fat loss you have to get your body to use your fat stores as energy. This is achieved through a mixture of weight training and cardio along with a low-fat diet.

Your body will use fat as energy LAST because it takes more effort for your body to metabolize fat into glycogen. So, you have to burn through your glycogen stores (weight-lifting), tell your body not to use muscle for energy because you need it for work (weight-lifting), then completely deplete your glycogen stores (cardio after lifting). This puts your body in a state where it has no choice but to utilize fat stores to replace the glycogen in your system.

You do not lose fat in the gym... you lose it during the rest of the day and while you sleep. This is why exercise is so key to a healthy lifestyle. Couch dieting won;t get the job done.

This is also where the high-protein, medium carb, low fat eating comes into play.

Bottom line, it takes patience, nutrition and a lot of sweat... but it works.

Good Luck!

Huh?

At rest, almost 100% of your energy needs, though low, are met by fat utilization. Unless you are post meal and that is supplying the needs.

Get up, move around daily activity, probably about 70% is fat supplied energy.

Doing cardio, you can be in lower aerobic zone for most on avg, and about 50% of your energy usage is coming from fat stores.

So do realize that the "wall" weekend-warrior marathoners hit is when the glucose stores have run out and muscle is converted to glucose, to keep burning along with the fat that has been burned the WHOLE time.

The reason lifting is using glucose is because it's anaerobic basically. Without enough oxygen you can't burn fat. But it is during the rests.

Got some physiology awfully wrong there.