Question about Body Fat/Goal Weight
legnarevocrednu
Posts: 467 Member
Right now I have my goal weight set at 145...which is the high side in the normal BMI range for me. I know the BMI chart isn't always realistic, but regardless, that's my goal. However, I know once I start focusing more on body fat, I may gain some muscle weight. Which is fine, but I still want to be at or under 145. I have 8 more pounds to go.
I have spoke to a nutritionist about my goal weight, and she agrees that 145 is a good goal, but I haven't spoken to her since about my body fat goal. I would like to have between a 21% to 24% body fat percentage. Right now, I am 32.7% which is in the obese stage...I have a bit to go! I am thinking about changing my goal weight to 135lbs to give me some room to gain muscle. Does this make sense?
I know, I know, we should go by how we feel right? But it doesn't hurt to have goals and I just want to make sure mine are realistic.
I do weights now twice a week to tone up as I lose weight, but my focus has been more on running and some other cardio. I plan on switching my main focus to weights once I get to my goal weight. Any input is appreciated!!
I have spoke to a nutritionist about my goal weight, and she agrees that 145 is a good goal, but I haven't spoken to her since about my body fat goal. I would like to have between a 21% to 24% body fat percentage. Right now, I am 32.7% which is in the obese stage...I have a bit to go! I am thinking about changing my goal weight to 135lbs to give me some room to gain muscle. Does this make sense?
I know, I know, we should go by how we feel right? But it doesn't hurt to have goals and I just want to make sure mine are realistic.
I do weights now twice a week to tone up as I lose weight, but my focus has been more on running and some other cardio. I plan on switching my main focus to weights once I get to my goal weight. Any input is appreciated!!
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Replies
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Just forget about a goal weight as an absolute and use the bf% as your true goal with body weight as an estimate.0
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Right now I have my goal weight set at 145...which is the high side in the normal BMI range for me. I know the BMI chart isn't always realistic, but regardless, that's my goal. However, I know once I start focusing more on body fat, I may gain some muscle weight. Which is fine, but I still want to be at or under 145. I have 8 more pounds to go.
I have spoke to a nutritionist about my goal weight, and she agrees that 145 is a good goal, but I haven't spoken to her since about my body fat goal. I would like to have between a 21% to 24% body fat percentage. Right now, I am 32.7% which is in the obese stage...I have a bit to go! I am thinking about changing my goal weight to 135lbs to give me some room to gain muscle. Does this make sense?
I know, I know, we should go by how we feel right? But it doesn't hurt to have goals and I just want to make sure mine are realistic.
I do weights now twice a week to tone up as I lose weight, but my focus has been more on running and some other cardio. I plan on switching my main focus to weights once I get to my goal weight. Any input is appreciated!!
How tall are you? I'm 5'5 at 170 lbs, my goal weight is 150.. I recently tested my body fat so I now have a new goal!! I already do some strength training.. but now my plan is to get to my goal weight, then start heavy lifting and not focus on the scale as much!! my BF is 32.9% and I want to be 25%.. my muscle mass is 31.1% and I would rather be around 36%.. I don't want to be a skinny swig, but reaching my goal weight is important!! So I understand where you are coming from, but your body fat % and muscle mass % is more important the the scale! but that's just my opinion..0 -
How tall are you? I'm 5'5 at 170 lbs, my goal weight is 150.. I recently tested my body fat so I now have a new goal!! I already do some strength training.. but now my plan is to get to my goal weight, then start heavy lifting and not focus on the scale as much!! my BF is 32.9% and I want to be 25%.. my muscle mass is 31.1% and I would rather be around 36%.. I don't want to be a skinny swig, but reaching my goal weight is important!! So I understand where you are coming from, but your body fat % and muscle mass % is more important the the scale! but that's just my opinion..
I'm 5'4. If I knew how much I should weigh at the body fat percentage I want to be at, then I would know where to set my weight goal. I used a calculator I found, and even though it's just an estimate (can't really trust these things) it said I should be around 135 if I want a body fat percentage of 24%. I agree with everything you said. Thanks for your response!
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BMI and weight goals can be frustrating. I would focus on %BF. Who cares if you weigh 147 but look great and feel great? Make sure that you balance cardio with weight training. As a woman, you won't 'bulk up'. The muscle that you do develop will help burn fat and increase your basel metabolic rate, which is what you want.
The mirror and your favorite jeans are the best indicator of progress!
since you are talking to a nutrionist and on MFP, I assume that you are getting a good balance of fuel for your body.
Keep it up. You are on a good path.0 -
Thank you! You are right! I do two days of weight training (one day, top, second day, bottom) but eventually want to do more of that and less cardio. Thank you for your response!BMI and weight goals can be frustrating. I would focus on %BF. Who cares if you weigh 147 but look great and feel great? Make sure that you balance cardio with weight training. As a woman, you won't 'bulk up'. The muscle that you do develop will help burn fat and increase your basel metabolic rate, which is what you want.
The mirror and your favorite jeans are the best indicator of progress!
since you are talking to a nutrionist and on MFP, I assume that you are getting a good balance of fuel for your body.
Keep it up. You are on a good path.0 -
Anyone else have some insight/opinion ?0
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Maybe once you get to your goal weight, focus on inches instead of pounds. If you're putting on muscle and losing fat your weight won't change a whole lot but you'll drop inches.0
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Honestly, focusing on strength training and healthy eating is going to help you get to your goal weight. I would increase strength training to 3-4 days a week and do cardio 2 days.0
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IME, it's almost impossible to know how you will look at a given weight. Set your goal, work towards it, then when you get there (or close to it), re-evaluate. I've been at this get/be healthy thing for about 4 years now, and my goal weight changes every 6 months or so.0
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Why on earth do so many people wait to start real strength training until they reach their goal weight?
It is one of the most effective things you can do to get there, and you'll significantly reduce the rate of muscle loss along the way.0 -
Honsetly, I would recommend that you do 2 days upper and 2 days lower for 4 days per week of weight training.
When you do cardio, HIIT (high intensity interval training) all the way. Please don't just jog on the treadmill at a 'reasonable' pace for 30 minutes like everyone else whose physique never changes.... Get the most out of it.
Again, it is about getting your basal metabolic rate higher for long term fat burning. Muscle training and HIIT will help that.
Less can sometimes be more.0 -
I do weight training now, but only 2 days of it. I've been doing it the whole time and I think I look pretty toned, considering I still have some pounds to lose. So it's possible to still lose pounds while increasing my focus on strength training at the same time? I've heard a lot of people say you gain pounds.Why on earth do so many people wait to start real strength training until they reach their goal weight?
It is one of the most effective things you can do to get there, and you'll significantly reduce the rate of muscle loss along the way.0 -
I was planning on switching to a schedule like that once I reached my goal weight (which I still haven't figured out what that should be). Right now, I'm doing the c25k for the second time and I want to eventually run a 10k. Running has helped me a lot with toning and fitness, so I want to keep doing that for now.Honsetly, I would recommend that you do 2 days upper and 2 days lower for 4 days per week of weight training.
When you do cardio, HIIT (high intensity interval training) all the way. Please don't just jog on the treadmill at a 'reasonable' pace for 30 minutes like everyone else whose physique never changes.... Get the most out of it.
Again, it is about getting your basal metabolic rate higher for long term fat burning. Muscle training and HIIT will help that.
Less can sometimes be more.0 -
I do weight training now, but only 2 days of it. I've been doing it the whole time and I think I look pretty toned, considering I still have some pounds to lose. So it's possible to still lose pounds while increasing my focus on strength training at the same time? I've heard a lot of people say you gain pounds.Why on earth do so many people wait to start real strength training until they reach their goal weight?
It is one of the most effective things you can do to get there, and you'll significantly reduce the rate of muscle loss along the way.
Gaining is solely about diet. If you are maintaining a calorie deficit, you won't build muscle tissue. You can't bulid tissue when a deficit in building material (calories).0 -
BF is more important. If you exercise, you build up muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so when you exercise - logically - you weight goes up, and your BF drops. Sounds like a good outcome to me.0
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Right now I have my goal weight set at 145...which is the high side in the normal BMI range for me. I know the BMI chart isn't always realistic, but regardless, that's my goal. However, I know once I start focusing more on body fat, I may gain some muscle weight. Which is fine, but I still want to be at or under 145. I have 8 more pounds to go.
I have spoke to a nutritionist about my goal weight, and she agrees that 145 is a good goal, but I haven't spoken to her since about my body fat goal. I would like to have between a 21% to 24% body fat percentage. Right now, I am 32.7% which is in the obese stage...I have a bit to go! I am thinking about changing my goal weight to 135lbs to give me some room to gain muscle. Does this make sense?
I know, I know, we should go by how we feel right? But it doesn't hurt to have goals and I just want to make sure mine are realistic.
I do weights now twice a week to tone up as I lose weight, but my focus has been more on running and some other cardio. I plan on switching my main focus to weights once I get to my goal weight. Any input is appreciated!!
If your current weight is 150 lbs, at 32.7%BF, your current lean mass is 101 lbs. Assuming you'd like to retain your current lean mass, your goal weight at 21%BF would be 101 / 0.79 = 128 lbs. At 24% it would be 133 lbs.0 -
BF is more important. If you exercise, you build up muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so when you exercise - logically - you weight goes up, and your BF drops. Sounds like a good outcome to me.
Muscle does not weigh more than fat. That is a myth and not possible. Muscle is denser so it takes less of it to reach a certain weight. For example five pounds of fat is much larger than five pounds of muscle because of their density. But they both weigh the same amount.0 -
BF is more important. If you exercise, you build up muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so when you exercise - logically - you weight goes up, and your BF drops. Sounds like a good outcome to me.
Muscle does not weigh more than fat. That is a myth and not possible. Muscle is denser so it takes less of it to reach a certain weight. For example five pounds of fat is much larger than five pounds of muscle because of their density. But they both weigh the same amount.
Do people actually think that one weighs more than the other? Isn't volume implied when people say that?0 -
BF is more important. If you exercise, you build up muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so when you exercise - logically - you weight goes up, and your BF drops. Sounds like a good outcome to me.
Muscle does not weigh more than fat. That is a myth and not possible. Muscle is denser so it takes less of it to reach a certain weight. For example five pounds of fat is much larger than five pounds of muscle because of their density. But they both weigh the same amount.
Do people actually think that one weighs more than the other? Isn't volume implied when people say that?
Nope, people really believe it(not saying the above poster does, but I thought I would point it out just in case). But if you do a MFP search or a google search you will see people actually asking if it's true. I don't know why, but people believe it.0 -
I'm confused that 32% bf is obese?? I'm currently 31% and I am definitely NOT obese...! Does bf go by height as well? I'm 5'2"0
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BF is more important. If you exercise, you build up muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so when you exercise - logically - you weight goes up, and your BF drops. Sounds like a good outcome to me.
Muscle does not weigh more than fat. That is a myth and not possible. Muscle is denser so it takes less of it to reach a certain weight. For example five pounds of fat is much larger than five pounds of muscle because of their density. But they both weigh the same amount.
Do people actually think that one weighs more than the other? Isn't volume implied when people say that?
Nope, people really believe it(not saying the above poster does, but I thought I would point it out just in case). But if you do a MFP search or a google search you will see people actually asking if it's true. I don't know why, but people believe it.
In the same way a rock doesn't weigh more than a feather. A rock is denser so it takes less of it to reach a certain weight.
Your point is, well, pointless.0 -
Are you using your actual body fat percentage or are you referring to the generic charts? I'm 5'7 and the charts say I should weigh 150lbs, but based on my actual body fat percentage, I would be dead if I weighed 150lbs. I'm actually healthy at around 200lbs which is abnormal for a woman who is 5'7 but everyone is built differently. My ex-personal trainer argued with me about goal weight range until we checked my body fat percentage and then he agreed I was right. If you are not using a scale or other mechanism to determine your body fat percentage, I would suggest doing so.0
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If I knew how much I should weigh at the body fat percentage I want to be at, then I would know where to set my weight goal.
The problem with this is, you could weigh a complete range of things at a certain BF percentage, because being a certain height and BF% does not mean you will always weight X amount. Find out what your Lean Body Mass is now, and make a goal to maintain or increase it, and you can figure what your realistic goal weight would be at a certain BF%.0 -
Just forget about a goal weight as an absolute and use the bf% as your true goal with body weight as an estimate.
I agree with this,
1 year ago I was 172.5lbs , 36.7%BF and 110lbs lean muscle .. and a slightly loose UK 16
now I am 173.2lbs 32.7%BF 116lbs lean muscle and fitting a UK size 12
I was originally aiming for 140lbs now Im aiming for 151 but Im only really looking at lbs because MFP dosnt have a ticker for BF
ETS I still stand on the scales, but I dont let them bother me at all any more 0 -
5'4" and 135 sounds perfectly reasonable (I'm biased though since I'm the same height and my goal is 130). If you are lifting and get down to 135, your bmi will follow you down to that as well. It might take you a longer time since you'll really be trying to shred even more fat (to make up for the extra muscle weight). Just work towards that goal and if, when you're part way there, you're satisfied with both your weight and body fat measurements, then you can stop. Goals are great in that they can change as you do.0
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My advice: Don't cut out the cardio until you hit your weight loss goal. Do weights in addition to cardio in order to build up lean muscle mass. For me, I can lift the most weight after I warm up a bit (20-30 mins cardio). How you lift is IMPORTANT - doing lots of reps with low weight is NOT going to build muscle mass. You need to challenge yourself, lift until exhaustion multiple times (I usually do three sets for each movement, first is 'warm up', second is the weight I can lift to 10 or 12 times, the third is the same weight as the second for as many repeats as possible). Your muscle should feel 'pumped' after this. Each day I do 3 or 4 movements, and I move the concentration around to different areas of my body so that I can hit each group 2x per week.
Make sure you are hydrated and that you get some lean protein just after you lift (there is a 30 minute window in which the protein is use most effectively for rebuilding the muscles).
Back to the cardio - it's important to have because it's going to allow you to eat a 'normal' amount of food, but still have a colorie deficit.
Hope this helps!0 -
I know how you feel. I have no idea what my weight will be when I've achieved my goal of being lean and fit. So I just set an interim goal of 140 and 25% body fat. (Currently 151 and 30%.) Once I get to 140, I'll reevaluate and set a new goal, which may not be my final goal. Who knows? I am losing pounds very slowly, but working hard to maintain muscle and I'm stronger, which is cool. Definitely don't neglect strength training; you don't want to lose the muscle you have! My advice is to set small goals along the way, and don't worry what your ultimate weight will be. Fitness and health, how you look and feel, will be more important than that one number.0
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Well said!0
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