Crossfit for fat loss?

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  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    There is no way from the look of your pic are you 40% BF, also 1200 calories are way too little. I can't comment on how you eat b/c your diary is closed. Also, I think you need a new trainer b/c the ratios are not a good fit.....Also, you won't build a lot of muscle eating at a dif. Fat loss will be mostly from what you eat and how much along with exercise. If you do crossfit and consume fast food or processed foods than no it won't help you with BF.

    Thanks for your thoughts. Sorry about my diary, it's only open to friends. I have not had fast food in months :) My breakfasts are usually eggs + veggies or a whole grain cereal + almond milk. Lunch is usually a baby spinach salad with berries, LF blue cheese, and a vinaigrette. Snacks consist of homemade protein bars, veggies, or the occasional fruit. Dinner is usually 3-4 oz lean grilled/baked chicken/fish with two sides of veggies. I have an after-workout protein shake and then a post-workout snack, which -was- usually a banana or something. I also make a nice broth-based chicken/veggie soup once per week.

    I'm still at a loss as to how the whole "eating back your burned calories" thing works, as it seems that everyone has different thoughts on it. I definitely don't want to be "skinny fat" which is where running always gets me (lower weight but still flabby). It's interesting that you don't see many people posting about how crossfit has made them lose weight, but rather that it has shaped them up a lot...
  • Cindym82
    Cindym82 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    There is no way from the look of your pic are you 40% BF, also 1200 calories are way too little. I can't comment on how you eat b/c your diary is closed. Also, I think you need a new trainer b/c the ratios are not a good fit.....Also, you won't build a lot of muscle eating at a dif. Fat loss will be mostly from what you eat and how much along with exercise. If you do crossfit and consume fast food or processed foods than no it won't help you with BF.

    Thanks for your thoughts. Sorry about my diary, it's only open to friends. I have not had fast food in months :) My breakfasts are usually eggs + veggies or a whole grain cereal + almond milk. Lunch is usually a baby spinach salad with berries, LF blue cheese, and a vinaigrette. Snacks consist of homemade protein bars, veggies, or the occasional fruit. Dinner is usually 3-4 oz lean grilled/baked chicken/fish with two sides of veggies. I have an after-workout protein shake and then a post-workout snack, which -was- usually a banana or something. I also make a nice broth-based chicken/veggie soup once per week.

    I'm still at a loss as to how the whole "eating back your burned calories" thing works, as it seems that everyone has different thoughts on it. I definitely don't want to be "skinny fat" which is where running always gets me (lower weight but still flabby). It's interesting that you don't see many people posting about how crossfit has made them lose weight, but rather that it has shaped them up a lot...


    Your food sounds good, I would calculate your TDEE and BMR, there's a bunch of calculators on the internet and than figure out your calories that way. You need to fuel your body for the workout you are doing. I'm 5'1, weight 124.4 and have hypothyroid and eat 1360 on my low days and was doing insanity (finally completed it saturday) and would eat back exercise calories if I was hungry. It's really a personal preference of what works for you. The calorie thing takes some time to adjust, as far as being less "flabby" you have to incorporate weights and lose at a slow pace and drink lots of water. I started out at 1200 calories and realized it wasn't doing me any good and saw better results when I upped them.
  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
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    I'm currently 24 and sitting at about 40% fat, which is no bueno.

    Hmm you sure don't look it. How confident are you in this 40% number??

    We took measurements at the beginning of crossfit... :( It's all in my gut area. But how confident am I in this number? I have no idea how to calculate it, so I'm just trusting the trainers.

    Look in the mirror and at this page and take a second opinion: http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages

    Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?? That is crazy. According to those pics I should be in the 25%-ish area...

    That's what I figured, unless you're REALLY good with flattering photography :wink:

    Always apply critical thinking and fact checking to what "trainers" tell you....

    Aughhhhh everything I know is a LIE! lol

    I'm glad you and Taso had this interaction. I HATE it when people trying to sell you crap tell you that you are way fatter than you are. I'm sorry, but NO friggin way in HADES are you in the 40% range!

    I went to a herbalife place that "tested" my body fat and insisted that it was accurate and told me I was 30% bf. This was after losing 50 lbs. I went to a hydrostatic test the same week and i was actually 19%.

    This isn't to say crossfit is bad. I like doing crossfit stuff. But don't let the *kitten* tell you that you are 40% body fat.
    SMH
  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
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    There is no way from the look of your pic are you 40% BF, also 1200 calories are way too little. I can't comment on how you eat b/c your diary is closed. Also, I think you need a new trainer b/c the ratios are not a good fit.....Also, you won't build a lot of muscle eating at a dif. Fat loss will be mostly from what you eat and how much along with exercise. If you do crossfit and consume fast food or processed foods than no it won't help you with BF.

    Thanks for your thoughts. Sorry about my diary, it's only open to friends. I have not had fast food in months :) My breakfasts are usually eggs + veggies or a whole grain cereal + almond milk. Lunch is usually a baby spinach salad with berries, LF blue cheese, and a vinaigrette. Snacks consist of homemade protein bars, veggies, or the occasional fruit. Dinner is usually 3-4 oz lean grilled/baked chicken/fish with two sides of veggies. I have an after-workout protein shake and then a post-workout snack, which -was- usually a banana or something. I also make a nice broth-based chicken/veggie soup once per week.

    I'm still at a loss as to how the whole "eating back your burned calories" thing works, as it seems that everyone has different thoughts on it. I definitely don't want to be "skinny fat" which is where running always gets me (lower weight but still flabby). It's interesting that you don't see many people posting about how crossfit has made them lose weight, but rather that it has shaped them up a lot...

    I keep having to expalin this eating thing over and over so I will just link to a time I explained it, rather than do it all again:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/847625-for-ladies-who-eat-a-lot-and-are-actually-losing-weight

    There are two ways to do this thing:

    (1) The MFP WAY which is use MFP to calculate your NET cals a day and then eat back any exercise cals. So if you do nothign all day, you eat 1380. If you run three miles, you get to eat about 1600. This works fine if your exercise is mainly cardio, especially steady state cardio.

    (2) The TDEE way. Calculate your TDEE. This is how much you'd eat every day to stay the same. It already takes into account how much you exercise. Then you reduce it by 20% to lose weight. Under this method, you eat the same regardless of whether you went running. But don't make the mistake of giving up exercise thinking it's all cool- you'll gain weight that way! This is good for peopel who lift or do HIIT or any other exercise that is more than just the calories you burn when you are actively exercising.

    At least that's how I understand it.

    ETA: I think when I was doing 1200 +, I was eating 1500 a few days a week because I regularly ran 3 miles

    So OP...if you are eating 1200 cals, you are DEF not doing the TDEE method, so you ought to be eating back your exercise cals. You should be NETTING 1200 cals. Not grossing.
  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    Your food sounds good, I would calculate your TDEE and BMR, there's a bunch of calculators on the internet and than figure out your calories that way. You need to fuel your body for the workout you are doing. I'm 5'1, weight 124.4 and have hypothyroid and eat 1360 on my low days and was doing insanity (finally completed it saturday) and would eat back exercise calories if I was hungry. It's really a personal preference of what works for you. The calorie thing takes some time to adjust, as far as being less "flabby" you have to incorporate weights and lose at a slow pace and drink lots of water. I started out at 1200 calories and realized it wasn't doing me any good and saw better results when I upped them.

    Thanks. I just calculated my BMR and it was about 1300 calories. Outside of my 30-45 minute workout per day, I have a relatively sedentary lifestyle (yay grad school). A lot of the good ol' calculators say that if I want to lose 1 lb per week I would need to eat about 800 calories per day, which I know is unhealthy.
  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    I'm glad you and Taso had this interaction. I HATE it when people trying to sell you crap tell you that you are way fatter than you are. I'm sorry, but NO friggin way in HADES are you in the 40% range!

    I went to a herbalife place that "tested" my body fat and insisted that it was accurate and told me I was 30% bf. This was after losing 50 lbs. I went to a hydrostatic test the same week and i was actually 19%.

    This isn't to say crossfit is bad. I like doing crossfit stuff. But don't let the *kitten* tell you that you are 40% body fat.
    SMH

    Haha!! Well crap. What is the true way to find out what your body fat percentage is?! Since apparently nobody can calculate it correctly... lol. Also, what are your thoughts on crossfit for fat loss?
  • rebeccap13
    rebeccap13 Posts: 754 Member
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    Set it up for moderate activity when calculating TDEE. I'm thinking you'll be around 1700 cals per day, but that's just a guess. Create a moderate deficit from that, 0.5-1lb/week, hit protein and fat minimums (1-1.5g pro/lb LBM and I *think* I've seen fat gram minimums to be about 30% of bodyweight, so me at 168 I try to get at least 55g of fat a day), fill in carbs to your preference.

    ETA: CrossFit, similar to lifting, will have a bigger affect on measurements rather than weight. I was going diligently 3 times a week for about 3 months, scale moved barely like 2lbs but I lost a jean size. My body feels less squishy than it used to. But I'm also seeing the same results with Starting Strength/Wendler's with some HIIT a couple times a week, I only get to a CF gym a couple times a month now.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    I'm glad you and Taso had this interaction. I HATE it when people trying to sell you crap tell you that you are way fatter than you are. I'm sorry, but NO friggin way in HADES are you in the 40% range!

    I went to a herbalife place that "tested" my body fat and insisted that it was accurate and told me I was 30% bf. This was after losing 50 lbs. I went to a hydrostatic test the same week and i was actually 19%.

    This isn't to say crossfit is bad. I like doing crossfit stuff. But don't let the *kitten* tell you that you are 40% body fat.
    SMH

    Haha!! Well crap. What is the true way to find out what your body fat percentage is?! Since apparently nobody can calculate it correctly... lol. Also, what are your thoughts on crossfit for fat loss?

    BodPod, Hydrostatic, Dexa scan, or calipers in the hands of an experienced professional will get you within +/- a few percentage points. But on the other hand, who really cares about finding your accurate body fat percent? Look in the mirror. If you want to be leaner, get leaner. Doesn't matter what the number is.

    As mentioned upthread, Crossfit is a perfectly good fitness routine. Fat loss is a function primarily of diet and calorie deficit. Exercise does of course play a role - specifically strength training - for limiting how much lean body mass is loss during your weight loss. Crossfit is appropriate.
  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
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    I'm glad you and Taso had this interaction. I HATE it when people trying to sell you crap tell you that you are way fatter than you are. I'm sorry, but NO friggin way in HADES are you in the 40% range!

    I went to a herbalife place that "tested" my body fat and insisted that it was accurate and told me I was 30% bf. This was after losing 50 lbs. I went to a hydrostatic test the same week and i was actually 19%.

    This isn't to say crossfit is bad. I like doing crossfit stuff. But don't let the *kitten* tell you that you are 40% body fat.
    SMH

    Haha!! Well crap. What is the true way to find out what your body fat percentage is?! Since apparently nobody can calculate it correctly... lol. Also, what are your thoughts on crossfit for fat loss?

    Hydrostatic test or dexa scan.

    As for "crossfit for fat loss" I think you know you don't want to just lose fat... You said you ran until u were skinny but didnt like how you looked. You want decent "tone" and fat loss combined. With proper diet, I think crossfit sounds like a good method. I always advocate for heavy lifting + HIIT. But you have to eat enough. It's confusing, I know.
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
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    Crossfit is great for weight loss. Not really my cup of tea as it is tends to burn through muscle pretty fast, too. However, what I see with most people just starting out on Xfit is that they tend to eat much more to sustain the activity. If you maintain your 1200kcal daily intake, you will definitely lose weight. If the Xfit is making you crave or eat alot more, then that needs to be addressed.

    Also, 1200 kcal is quite low. I cannot explain why you gained the 5lbs, as it sounds like you are on a pretty heavy deficit. If your BMR is only 1200, and you're eating 1300, you are by default in a deficit (unless you are in a coma and not moving at all). No, I don't think your muscles (assuming you are not a strength athlete with alot of them), can soak up 5 lbs of water and retain it.

    Recheck your macros, log them to the T, and check back in a few days!
  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    BodPod, Hydrostatic, Dexa scan, or calipers in the hands of an experienced professional will get you within +/- a few percentage points. But on the other hand, who really cares about finding your accurate body fat percent? Look in the mirror. If you want to be leaner, get leaner. Doesn't matter what the number is.

    As mentioned upthread, Crossfit is a perfectly good fitness routine. Fat loss is a function primarily of diet and calorie deficit. Exercise does of course play a role - specifically strength training - for limiting how much lean body mass is loss during your weight loss. Crossfit is appropriate.

    Ok, so there's no accurate "at home" measurement. I do care about how much of my body composition is fat though. Ugh, this is all so confusing to me. I understand being skinny does not equal to being fit, and vice versa. I guess I just need some more insight as to what I need to do to get to the body I want. I am assuming crossfit will fit in there somewhere, as I burn a bit of calories and do circuit training in it.. I've never had any consultations on the matter, so sorry if I'm coming off as quite a noob :p
  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
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    also, regarding the 5 lbs gain... I know it's super hard to not get upset about that... but weight ain't nothing but a number. It could be water, or you could be in that time of your cycle....or it could be other things... ahem....unladylike to speak of....

    but i bet you are feeling better in terms of fitness and strenght and endurance. so enjoy that :)
  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
    Options

    BodPod, Hydrostatic, Dexa scan, or calipers in the hands of an experienced professional will get you within +/- a few percentage points. But on the other hand, who really cares about finding your accurate body fat percent? Look in the mirror. If you want to be leaner, get leaner. Doesn't matter what the number is.

    As mentioned upthread, Crossfit is a perfectly good fitness routine. Fat loss is a function primarily of diet and calorie deficit. Exercise does of course play a role - specifically strength training - for limiting how much lean body mass is loss during your weight loss. Crossfit is appropriate.

    Ok, so there's no accurate "at home" measurement. I do care about how much of my body composition is fat though. Ugh, this is all so confusing to me. I understand being skinny does not equal to being fit, and vice versa. I guess I just need some more insight as to what I need to do to get to the body I want. I am assuming crossfit will fit in there somewhere, as I burn a bit of calories and do circuit training in it.. I've never had any consultations on the matter, so sorry if I'm coming off as quite a noob :p

    I think the mirror is the best home test, to be honest. And the tape measure. The only reason i obsess over testing is because i was obese for a long time and I can't tell if my belly issue is a loose skin issue or if it's fat that needs to go. if I get to 16% bf and my belly is still the shape it is now, I'll know.
  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    Crossfit is great for weight loss. Not really my cup of tea as it is tends to burn through muscle pretty fast, too. However, what I see with most people just starting out on Xfit is that they tend to eat much more to sustain the activity. If you maintain your 1200kcal daily intake, you will definitely lose weight. If the Xfit is making you crave or eat alot more, then that needs to be addressed.

    Also, 1200 kcal is quite low. I cannot explain why you gained the 5lbs, as it sounds like you are on a pretty heavy deficit. If your BMR is only 1200, and you're eating 1300, you are by default in a deficit (unless you are in a coma and not moving at all). No, I don't think your muscles (assuming you are not a strength athlete with alot of them), can soak up 5 lbs of water and retain it.

    Recheck your macros, log them to the T, and check back in a few days!

    Sorry... What are macros, and what is a T? lol

    I've been expecting my appetite to skyrocket, but so far it hasn't. In fact I don't feel like eating at all for hours after my workout. But maybe that will come along soon enough, as it always happens whenever I do things like soccer.

    Before I even got on the scale I knew I had "puffed up" quite a bit! Jeans felt extra-uncomfortable and I looked super bloated in the mirror. The scale just confirmed it. What on earth could it be then, if not water? My nutrition has been pretty good the past week.

    I do like crossfit so far. It's taught me that I am capable of so much more than I originally thought. I used to do "boot camp" style classes in high school and I would always come out really toned and shredded, so I have hopes that this will mirror the gains I found back then.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    There are many ways to get there. If you're training in a way that is enjoyable to you and eating a good balanced diet with good macros (see http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets), and incorporate some strength/resistance training, you will be moving in the right direction.

    If you're liking the crossfit, by all means keep at it.

    If you'd rather lift hard in some dingy gym, and do sprints on the off days, go for it.

    If you want to do an intense bodyweight exercise circuit 5 days a week, do that.

    etc, etc

    Whatever is something you will want to stick with.

    I don't think any of the above have a huge advantage over the others for "fat loss" per se. Diet is 80-90% of it.
  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    also, regarding the 5 lbs gain... I know it's super hard to not get upset about that... but weight ain't nothing but a number. It could be water, or you could be in that time of your cycle....or it could be other things... ahem....unladylike to speak of....

    but i bet you are feeling better in terms of fitness and strenght and endurance. so enjoy that :)

    I do feel a bit more empowered :) I feel very motivated. Just annoyed that I am suddenly so puffy and uncomfortable, lol.
  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
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    also, regarding the 5 lbs gain... I know it's super hard to not get upset about that... but weight ain't nothing but a number. It could be water, or you could be in that time of your cycle....or it could be other things... ahem....unladylike to speak of....

    but i bet you are feeling better in terms of fitness and strenght and endurance. so enjoy that :)

    I do feel a bit more empowered :) I feel very motivated. Just annoyed that I am suddenly so puffy and uncomfortable, lol.

    they say that happens whenever you start something new. Something about muscles retaining water.... drink lots of water and it'll probably go away in a little bit of time.
  • KristyHumphrey
    KristyHumphrey Posts: 248 Member
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    Just started doing Crossfit 3-4 times per week, with one day a week dedicated to a long, intense running session. After one week of it, and an actual modification toward a better diet, I have actually gained 5 lbs :/ My trainers say they see this all the time, and that it's the shock of my muscles sucking up all the water they can. But still, I feel super huge!

    I have a HRM and burn around 350-400 calories per class, which lasts anywhere from 15-45 minutes. I eat around 1200 calories per day, and my trainer said to change my ratio up to 55/40/10 (protein, carbs, fat). Sooo difficult trying to get that much protein into my diet :/

    For those of you who don't know what crossfit is (the non-competitive classes, that is!), it's basically a combo of high intensity interval training, weights, and circuit training. It's very challenging and really cuts all of your energy out. I actually pulled a muscle last week too, ugh.

    I was just wondering if any of you have had success with fat loss using crossfit... And if so, did you "bloat up" the first week into it?

    check out this great article-it may help clear some things up!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/595473-why-the-scale-goes-up-with-a-new-workout-program-must-read
  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    There are many ways to get there. If you're training in a way that is enjoyable to you and eating a good balanced diet with good macros (see http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets), and incorporate some strength/resistance training, you will be moving in the right direction.

    If you're liking the crossfit, by all means keep at it.

    If you'd rather lift hard in some dingy gym, and do sprints on the off days, go for it.

    If you want to do an intense bodyweight exercise circuit 5 days a week, do that.

    etc, etc

    Whatever is something you will want to stick with.

    I don't think any of the above have a huge advantage over the others for "fat loss" per se. Diet is 80-90% of it.

    I like the way you put that. I read that heavy lifting and HIIT are the better ways to really torch fat and tone at the same time, so that when the fat comes off you have muscle tone underneath... And that muscle burns fat even when you're doing nothing. So that gives me hope!

    I also like long runs because it's relieves my stress and frankly lightens my mood considerably.

    Here's to hoping my diet is on the right track.
  • eevincheezburger
    eevincheezburger Posts: 163 Member
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    check out this great article-it may help clear some things up!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/595473-why-the-scale-goes-up-with-a-new-workout-program-must-read

    Ohhhhhh that is awesome

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