METABOLIC DAMAGE & CALORIE COUNTING

and have around 4% body fat.

:huh:

Very cool! Great job!
I had a similar concern as I ate low calorie for a while. Question: How "high fat" do you eat (percentage or grams)? I have trouble eating low fat on my vegetarian diet, even though I try, and I would like to know what is working for you.

You have 4% body fat? If that is an actual number, and you are woman, that's probably too low. I'm guessing you aren't actually 4%. That would be stupid low for a male, even.

Calories in vs calories out is true for everyone, even those who have "messed up" metabolisms. The out part of the equation is just lower.

If you have some weight to lose yet, a calorie deficit will get you there, but it may need to be a modest deficit and a slow loss if you are on the low end of the body fat spectrum.

Your basal metabolism is going to be very closely related to how much lean mass you have. If you increase muscle, you are theoretically increasing your metabolism, but not by leaps and bounds.

Edit: Nevermind about the 4% thing. Got it.

Great, thanks for the info!

TYPOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!



LOST**** 4%



Lmao.

Phew :happy:

Bump to watch video later

I am realizing these days that I have been living on very little calories for years. 2 years ago I lost 18 kg in 4 months on Dukan diet, sure I lost very quickly when only proteins, slowlier but not slow when on proteins and veggies, but I reached a point when I was losing weight without control even eating carbs and little fat: I didn´t know then that I was losing lean body mass, and I had never measured my %BF by then. I kept my usual workout activity which was backhorse riding.
I guess I became a skinny fat woman!
I worked hard on putting some 4 kg when I noticed I was not as strong as I used to be. It was not easy, though, as my stomach rejected any carb or fat food. And it was right for a few months, but then my daughter had a broken leg and I quitted all sports activity for 4 months and stayed at home with her when I was not at my sedentary work. I put 6 kg during this time. And 2 more kg when trying to quit smoking.
So from 79 to 61, then to 65, ok, then to 71, finally up to 73.5. I am 170 cm tall (5´6´´)
So I went back to dukan diet and started to walk, and started to lose weight again, but I was hungry all day long 8not as first time). I swithched to a low calorie diet, but better balanced than dukan´s. I was still losing, better nurtured but still hungry. And I started to smoke again!
I promised myself to quit smoking again when I reach down to 65 kg, so I don´t fear to gain some weight. But in March I stalled at 67 kg, and there I was by the end of April. This was not working any more. I measured my body fat % for the first time in my life, and I was at 34%. BMI was right, 23.7, but I was fat!
I had been reading here about eating at TDEE-20%, but that meant eating a lot more than I was eating until then, I was not sure. But low cal diet was not working, so I had nothing to lose but some few weeks.
I got me a Fitbit Zip and prayed for success, not being very confident. I had read that I may gain some weight until my body adjusted, and for goodness sake, I gained 2kg in 2 1/2 weeks! I was completely discouraged, I thought that this was all a big mistake.
I had bought some resistance elastic bands at Decathlon and that was all the light weight "lifting" I was ready to do. And it worked for me, meaning that I was getting stronger.
But suddenly all my body changed. I started to lose weight very quicky, I started to look leaner in a daily basis, I lost those 2 kg I gained during the first weeks of may, and 800 g more. in just a week and a half. I walk and run quicker and longer, I am stronger, I look leaner and I am starting to feel that I may be nicely ripped for the first time in my 43 years life.
I eat a lot more, I am never hungry any more. Some days I find hard to eat the much I should, I simplily would get a tummy ache if I eat more.
%BF down to 26.1%
I am not fat any more.
Eating at -20% TDEE and lifting, even light, works well.

Clean is NOT normal eating in this day and age. LOL 4% for a woman is it? :huh:

It is HEALTHY.

Ok I'll have a 200 calorie snickers for lunch instead of 200 calories worth of chicken and veg.




Duh.

That's a strawman argument.
I'm not telling you to skip a healthy lunch but a snickers every once in a while wont kill you and might make adherence easier.

Eating variety is healthy. Eating purely "clean" (whatever you want to include in that) has not been shown to be healthier than infrequent indulgences.

Edit: duh. You'll learn.

Trust you to post this after I've just had a crazy carb binge.....bread, processed sugary cereals.....urgh....!!!!

TOM.....so don't judge me lol!!!!!!

Wow I thought you have wasted away being 4% body fat...but realised nope....your still here.....typo error....lol

Keep up the hard work girl, determination and willpower is key,,..have fun in Ibiza.....I'm there in sept....so I have 4 months to drop my body fat too....!!!

Xxx

Clean is NOT normal eating in this day and age. LOL 4% for a woman is it? :huh:

It is HEALTHY.

Ok I'll have a 200 calorie snickers for lunch instead of 200 calories worth of chicken and veg.


Duh.

I'm with you on metabolic damage and LN, but a\re you saying that you eat 200 calorie lunches? If it was me I'd eat the 200 calorie snickers bar and several hundred calories in chicken and veggies, along with some milk and maybe an avocado. Hell, I broke my fast today with a Krispy Kreme donut while making my afternoon omelet.