Which prevails...weight loss or bodyfat?

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tyraun_b
tyraun_b Posts: 65
in Fitness and Exercise
just like a lot of people, i use to be so caught up by the numbers on the scale. don't get me wrong we all like to see the numbers go down. But we shouldn't get all strung out when the numbers don't decrease as fast as we would like them to. so if you had a choice to lose alot of weight or to drop your body fat by a significant amount, which would you choose and why?

Replies

  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    just like a lot of people, i use to be so caught up by the numbers on the scale. don't get me wrong we all like to see the numbers go down. But we shouldn't get all strung out when the numbers don't decrease as fast as we would like them to. so if you had a choice to lose alot of weight or to drop your body fat by a significant amount, which would you choose and why?
    I would be more concerned about your lean body mass.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    I don't walk around holding a banner with my weight on it, so if I have a nice, slender body with a healthy amount of BF and I look good, the scale can go 'eff itself.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I would much rather lose body fat than body weight if I had to choose only one.

    I currently weigh more than I did this time last year, but my body fat is considerably lower...and I am wearing smaller clothes to boot.
  • gvdoliver
    gvdoliver Posts: 106 Member
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    For me I'm looking for the numbers to go up as I'm bulking but it needs to be dam slow for muscle, otherwise it's fat! You're spot on, I focus on how much I can do compared tomy last workout and how I look in the mirror, the numbers are always secondary
  • sarahcuddle
    sarahcuddle Posts: 349 Member
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    I am still 30lbs overweight so I like to see both go down but I would qualify that by saying that it's the fat you can't see that is the most dangerous to your health. Even someone of a normal bodyweight on the scale who doesn't exercise or eat right can have lots of visceral fat, that is fat around your organs. This fat is the most dangerous in terms of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
  • TT_luvs_fitness
    TT_luvs_fitness Posts: 274
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    The scale can lie so I would say if I have to choose it would be body fat. I have a trainer tell me I am at 12.4% body fat and 122lbs lean muscle at 136 lbs now so I am now gonna focus on getting more lean muscle since 12.4% is low for a female. I don't mind if the scale goes up or stays the same I just wanna be lean and healthy and as long as my clothes still fit and I am not gaining fat I am happy. we can't always focus on the scale we have to look at our changes in your clothing, pictures and measurements cause thoe all tell you how your doing much more then the scale. I am 11 pounds heavier then I was in high school and in so much better shape then I have ever been in my life
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
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    I haven't worried too much about the scale for the last two years and it's worked well for me - over 100 lbs. lost, I can squat 300 lbs, run a 30 minute 5k, etc.
    But I still have 30 or so pounds of fat right in the gut. And that's exactly where all the studies say the fat is the worst for you. So I am focused on losing the 30 lbs. However, I don't see how I can lose that much weight without my body fat going down as well (unless I go on a starvation diet and sit my fat behind on the couch for the next 3 monthd>0
  • Bumdrahp
    Bumdrahp Posts: 1,314 Member
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    For me, I am nowhere near my EVENTUAL 150. ( who knows, I may lose more if I reach 150 and still seem fatty). So... at the moment I am still looking for the numbers on the scale to go down. Sometimes, they don't go down for weeks.. I accepted this as possible muscle gain, since I have lost almost 50 lbs, and I am now around 195-197 lbs... yeah, sometimes I get bummy about it.. but so long I keep working hard, I'll get there!

    I should really consider buying a measuring tape, though.
  • cayadear
    cayadear Posts: 79 Member
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    I would rather lose BF% rather than weight, tbh. Plzkthx.

    You could be 110# and look sexy in clothing.
    Or you could be 120# and look amazing naked.

    Nowamsayin. ;)
  • margaretturk
    margaretturk Posts: 5,084 Member
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    I too think body fat prevails. I did learn when I had my body fat checked that you need a certain amount of fat for your body that is essential fat. It iis also good to have 5-10 pounds of reserve fat for if you get sick such as the flu. The fat you need to worry about is the excess fat and like others have pointed out the fat you carry in the middle. I also learned when trying to rid your body of excess fat it is important to get enough protein . Our bodies cannot store protein so if we do not get enough our bodies will go after the protein in our muscles. I know this is a discusssion about bodyfat, but your lean muscle does effect your abiility to shed excess fat, so that is why I mention it. Thanks for all the posts and good luck to all of you in your quest to get in shape and stay in shape. I know this myfitnesspal web site has really helped me work on my own personal fitness goals and I recommend it to friends who are trying to improve their fitness levels.:heart:

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