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MyFitnessPal Community

Crossfit for fat loss?

eevincheezburger

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?

Replies

metacognition

I have never done Crossfit, but I am curious about it. I currently do circuit training with aerobic segments, so it may be something similar. I do not gain weight from workouts anymore, but my stomach will look kind of bloated a few hours after I finish. When I first started exercising, I gained four pounds the first week, from water alone!

I noticed that your calories are kind of low for someone so active. I started to burn out at 1200 calories and do much better when staggering between 1200 and 1500 calories per day. I need more food to sustain that intense exercise for multiple days over the week, and to keep cravings down. Hope that your program goes well, best wishes.

eevincheezburger

I have never done Crossfit, but I am curious about it. I currently do circuit training with aerobic segments, so it may be something similar. I do not gain weight from workouts anymore, but my stomach will look kind of bloated a few hours after I finish. When I first started exercising, I gained four pounds the first week, from water alone!

I noticed that your calories are kind of low for someone so active. I started to burn out at 1200 calories and do much better when staggering between 1200 and 1500 calories per day. I need more food to sustain that intense exercise for multiple days over the week, and to keep cravings down. Hope that your program goes well, best wishes.

Thanks- I am in the middle of figuring out how to trade carbs for protein, and it's left me a little empty on the calories

that and budget issues, lol. I'm a short person who is relatively sedentary aside from the workouts, so 1200 calories usually feels like enough for me.

Also props to your user name, I am doing a PhD in cognition and metacog is part of my research

devastation77

My gym is starting a class of this soon, they're calling it Grit. When it gets going I'll be going along to try it.

wmoomoo

If you are burning that much, you should be eating more. 1200 calories/day is too low for the activities you do. I do crossfit too, the first 3 months, I gained 5 lbs and was eating at 1200. So I stopped doing crossfit for a month and still eating the same calories, but the weight didn't drop. I started doing crossfit again 2 weeks ago and eating at 1700-2000 calories/day and the weights are starting to fall off. If you are wondering, I am 5'3" at 133lbs. Hope this help

eevincheezburger

If you are burning that much, you should be eating more. 1200 calories/day is too low for the activities you do. I do crossfit too, the first 3 months, I gained 5 lbs and was eating at 1200. So I stopped doing crossfit for a month and still eating the same calories, but the weight didn't drop. I started doing crossfit again 2 weeks ago and eating at 1700-2000 calories/day and the weights are starting to fall off. If you are wondering, I am 5'3" at 133lbs. Hope this help

Hmm... I'll think about bumping it up some. I'm 5'3" 135 (140 as of yesterday... ugh). It's nice to see I'm not the only one who bloated up immediately, haha. Are you seeing a difference in fat loss yet? Or just numbers?

Rayman79

Your trainer is right about why you are gaining the initial weight, don't worry about that at all. Remember the process is more important than the number on the scale, you know eating well and exercising is good for your body, so why should the number make you question that?

As for the diet, it is not uncommon for trainers to suggest that sort of breakdown. In my opinion it is too high in protein and too low in fat. You need more fat than this for proper physical and mental function. Something like 40P/30C/30F would be more balanced and easier to adhere to long term.

FYI, people will have different ideas on the importance of the macro split and what it should ideally be. Just try to keep protein and fat at >1g per lb and fat at around .35-.4g per lb, and fill the rest with whatever you like (more protein, fat or carbs) as a general guide.

taso42

Calorie deficit is for fat loss
Crossfit is for fitness

PikaKnight

Calorie deficit is for fat loss
Crossfit is for fitness

^ This

thatjulesgirl

Stop weighing yourself for a month (or if you do, ignore the weight and concentrate on your body fat%). Instead, take measurements RIGHT NOW - both biceps, forearms, quads and calves (the body is not symmetrical), hips, belly, waist, bust and neck. Measure once a week (or more if you're really OCD like I can get) and you'll see you're not actually "gaining". It's fluid in your muscles.

I definitely think you should up your calories though - even for someone so little, with the workouts you're doing you should be on at least 1500 a day and still be in a decent deficit.

Good luck!

eevincheezburger

Calorie deficit is for fat loss
Crossfit is for fitness

I understand that completely. Which is why I am trying to find a good combo. I'm assuming that crossfit will *help* with fat loss, as there seem to be varying opinions on that. Build muscle while losing fat. I'm also aware that one can still retain fat and be 'fit' for what crossfit calls for, which is not what I'm going for.

eevincheezburger

Your trainer is right about why you are gaining the initial weight, don't worry about that at all. Remember the process is more important than the number on the scale, you know eating well and exercising is good for your body, so why should the number make you question that?

As for the diet, it is not uncommon for trainers to suggest that sort of breakdown. In my opinion it is too high in protein and too low in fat. You need more fat than this for proper physical and mental function. Something like 40P/30C/30F would be more balanced and easier to adhere to long term.

FYI, people will have different ideas on the importance of the macro split and what it should ideally be. Just try to keep protein and fat at >1g per lb and fat at around .35-.4g per lb, and fill the rest with whatever you like (more protein, fat or carbs) as a general guide.

It's so interesting to hear the different takes on the protein/carb/fat breakdown. Before I started really working out, my ratios were much different. I'm still such a noob at fueling with food that I'm having to completely re-vamp my nutrition to help me get through these crossfit workouts while still lowering my fat. I used to do "boot camps" like these back in high school and I was always shredded by 3 months into it.

I'm currently 24 and sitting at about 40% fat, which is no bueno.

taso42

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??

eevincheezburger

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.

taso42

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

wmoomoo

If you are burning that much, you should be eating more. 1200 calories/day is too low for the activities you do. I do crossfit too, the first 3 months, I gained 5 lbs and was eating at 1200. So I stopped doing crossfit for a month and still eating the same calories, but the weight didn't drop. I started doing crossfit again 2 weeks ago and eating at 1700-2000 calories/day and the weights are starting to fall off. If you are wondering, I am 5'3" at 133lbs. Hope this help

Hmm... I'll think about bumping it up some. I'm 5'3" 135 (140 as of yesterday... ugh). It's nice to see I'm not the only one who bloated up immediately, haha. Are you seeing a difference in fat loss yet? Or just numbers?

Yeah. I started at around 35% body fat and last time I checked, it's at 29%. Inches are down too. I want to get it to 21-24%, so i am only weighing myself once every 2 weeks. Just make sure you drink a lot of water during this time, and keep doing what you are doing. You will get there.

wmoomoo

Oops, sorry double post

eevincheezburger

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...

taso42

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

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

eevincheezburger

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

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

Aughhhhh everything I know is a LIE! lol

Cindym82

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.

eevincheezburger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!