Losing fat
Replies
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Really, that is too little for you. You may not necessarily feel hungy because that is what your body has been accustomed to, and hunger is primarily based on hormonal signals.
This is somewhat apparent from your body pic - although you are very slim, the definition isn't there because the muscle isn't there. Which is not to say the muscle is non-existent, but rather too small to be noticable. For you to improve your definition, you're gonna have to make them bigger - and that means caloric surplus.
Just to note, after a few days of eating a bit more, the hormones will adjust and you will start to feel hungry about the time you've previously been eating your meals, which will make it easier.0 -
I agree. She doesn't appear to want any help from this site. She is disregarding what everyone has told her. Maybe she will listen to her doctor. In all actuality, that's where she should have started, especially knowing that she wasn't going to listen to strangers.0
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This may be inappropriate but your body is dope! I know that we are always striving for something better, but seriously, it's very appealing to one's eyes.
Haha, thank you !
But yeah, I'm striving for something better.I agree with the above poster that you are quite lovely just as you are. However if you are not happy, then you have to do something about it, right? I suggest you join this group:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-
Read all the threads within the group with the red pins next to them, thenTell them your goals and fill out this questionnaire:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/910257-the-new-and-improved-asking-questions-about-your-intake
These are knowledgeable members with real life experience in recomposition which is what it seems like you want.
Thank you so much ! I'm going to check out those links right now
I agree. She doesn't appear to want any help from this site. She is disregarding what everyone has told her. Maybe she will listen to her doctor. In all actuality, that's where she should have started, especially knowing that she wasn't going to listen to strangers.
I'm sorry I gave off that impression. In fact, some of the things people told me are very interesting and I decided to take them into account ASAP. I'll start eating more calories (from tomorrow on it's 1500, and then I'll upgrade it progressively), I changed my macronutrients ratios on the app (more protein) and I'll see if there's any improvement. I'm very thankful for all the advice provided. To be honest, considering how silly this topic is, I'm quite surprised so many helpful people replied.
I did disregard the BMI thing, because I felt that it wasn't that related to the topic I wanted to discuss (lowering the body fat percentage). And like I said, my doctors are my parents, both have tens of years of experience behind them and they don't consider my low BMI such a serious thing. It is possible to have a lower BMI and still be healthy, so I have no concerns in this regard. I didn't want this discussion to turn into a "woah your BMI is so low, you must be starving yourself !" thing, which is why I got a little defensive. Sorry.0 -
Hey there, as you have already identified, we all have certain genetic predispositions towards where our fat is stored. When I was 21 y.o. and in college, I busted my butt in the gym for 2 or 3 hours a day doing a combination of weights and cardio, and I ate extremely clean. At one point, the school trainers measured my bodyfat at 4.5% using skin calipers (though I think I was probably closer to 6% since 4.5% is competitive bodybuilder level and they only maintain that for a short time). Even at this level, I still had the appearance of love handles (not huge, but I noticed them!), though I was completed ripped. Go figure.
The funny thing is, now I'm 39 years old and have gone through a few cycles of being "in-shape" and "out-of-shape" due to this thing called life. But my current performance levels (based on running and powerlifting), are much higher than they were back then. I can lift more, and run further, faster than my 21 y.o. self, even though I am now around 17% bodyfat (and at about the same weight). The main change is that instead of training for looks, I am training for performance and really enjoying it!
Right now you going for a specific look, and that's cool. You said you wanted more muscle definition, and you are starting from a low fat/low muscle point right now (based on metrics and pictures) - so I agree with the others who said you need to make it your first priority to build that muscle. I would skip the cardio (except for a 5 - 10 minute warm-up) and focus on lifting weights in the 8 to 12 rep range. Do lots of squats, and introduce yourself to the deadlift if you haven't already. For it to be effective, pick weights that are hard to finish the reps. i.e. if you can do 3 sets of 15 reps, the weight is way to light. Err on the side of heavier weights rather than lighter once you've got the form down. Eat more protein and make sure to get plenty of fats in there too. Many people underestimate the role of fats in the diet for producing the hormones your body needs. Adjust your carbs based on how many calories you have left for the day and energy levels. I find I function very well on ~100 g of carbs a day, and try to make the rest of my calories come from carbs and fat, but everyone is different. You will need to bump up your overall calories to build muscle, and the person that said to do it slowly is right on. Add a couple hundred daily calories for a week or two, see how it's going and progress from there.
Experiment around with different programs and keep good records. Make sure you stick with something for at least 2 months so you can really see the effects of a given program/eating plan.
Since you are going for a look, start taking photos every two weeks, in the same clothes, lighting, distance from mirror, time of day, etc. It's amazing how one salty meal can cause bloat and make "cuts" go away! The scale and tape measure can still be a good tool, you'll probably want to see the number on the scale go up while your waist measurement stays the same!
Once you've got more muscle, you can add in some cardio to really make them stand out if that's what you are after.0 -
Hey there, as you have already identified, we all have certain genetic predispositions towards where our fat is stored. When I was 21 y.o. and in college, I busted my butt in the gym for 2 or 3 hours a day doing a combination of weights and cardio, and I ate extremely clean. At one point, the school trainers measured my bodyfat at 4.5% using skin calipers (though I think I was probably closer to 6% since 4.5% is competitive bodybuilder level and they only maintain that for a short time). Even at this level, I still had the appearance of love handles (not huge, but I noticed them!), though I was completed ripped. Go figure.
The funny thing is, now I'm 39 years old and have gone through a few cycles of being "in-shape" and "out-of-shape" due to this thing called life. But my current performance levels (based on running and powerlifting), are much higher than they were back then. I can lift more, and run further, faster than my 21 y.o. self, even though I am now around 17% bodyfat (and at about the same weight). The main change is that instead of training for looks, I am training for performance and really enjoying it!
Right now you going for a specific look, and that's cool. You said you wanted more muscle definition, and you are starting from a low fat/low muscle point right now (based on metrics and pictures) - so I agree with the others who said you need to make it your first priority to build that muscle. I would skip the cardio (except for a 5 - 10 minute warm-up) and focus on lifting weights in the 8 to 12 rep range. Do lots of squats, and introduce yourself to the deadlift if you haven't already. For it to be effective, pick weights that are hard to finish the reps. i.e. if you can do 3 sets of 15 reps, the weight is way to light. Err on the side of heavier weights rather than lighter once you've got the form down. Eat more protein and make sure to get plenty of fats in there too. Many people underestimate the role of fats in the diet for producing the hormones your body needs. Adjust your carbs based on how many calories you have left for the day and energy levels. I find I function very well on ~100 g of carbs a day, and try to make the rest of my calories come from carbs and fat, but everyone is different. You will need to bump up your overall calories to build muscle, and the person that said to do it slowly is right on. Add a couple hundred daily calories for a week or two, see how it's going and progress from there.
Experiment around with different programs and keep good records. Make sure you stick with something for at least 2 months so you can really see the effects of a given program/eating plan.
Since you are going for a look, start taking photos every two weeks, in the same clothes, lighting, distance from mirror, time of day, etc. It's amazing how one salty meal can cause bloat and make "cuts" go away! The scale and tape measure can still be a good tool, you'll probably want to see the number on the scale go up while your waist measurement stays the same!
Once you've got more muscle, you can add in some cardio to really make them stand out if that's what you are after.
Thanks, this was a very informative post. I have the same problem too; not love handles in this case, but saddlebags and cellulite which don't go away no matter how much I train.
I'll start lifting heavier and eating more protein and calories.0 -
I'm glad you found something useful. 0
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weights weights weights!!!0
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I think you should go to see your GP/doctor and explain your body image/weight loss goals.
I don't think you will listen to a bunch of strangers on the internet. But, hopefully, if your doctors explains the risks to you of aspiring to maintain a BMI below 18.5, you will listen to your doctor.
Both my parents are doctors. They see me everyday, they know my health state in detail, my father has taken ultrasounds of all my organs, they know what I eat and they will disagree with you that BMI is not an absolute measure of health. Some people just naturally have lower BMIs, because of fast metabolism or their body configuration. I am aware that I am underweight, but I am perfectly healthy and my parents wouldn't prescribe a forced weight gain simply because I don't fit an arbitrary number.
This being said, I will increase my caloric intake and try to eat 1500 calories daily. I'll also increase the ratio of protein in my diet.It doesn't matter if you don't think BMI is an accurate indicator of health. At that height/weight, you can say you're not hungry, but your body is telling you that it cannot create muscle because you are not giving it any building blocks to do so.
Eating at a steep deficit while lifting weights can allow fat loss which reveals the muscles under the fat. If you do not have muscles then there is nothing to reveal.
I do have muscles, I can feel them and see them when I contract them. It's just that in some areas, they're covered by a layer of squishy fat which won't go away. My thighs are rather thick compared to my upper body, because of that fat.
I'm a pear shape, and while everything I gain on my upper body is easily visible, my lower body is where my fat is stored, so despite my gaining muscles, they are hard to see, being covered by the fat. Trust me, I know my body.For some people, maybe like yourself, keeping a diary or weighing your food isn't something you want to do and I understand that. Many people find it more useful to eat a plate of food 3-4 times a day and eat until they are satisfied and they can still lose the fat. That's fine and there is nothing wrong with eating and not keeping a diary. But having said that, I would highly suggest that you try and keep a track of all that you eat so others can help if you ever need it.
I am already doing that ! And thanks for the advice and linksThe issue is you are still associate eating higher calories with more food. You can eat the same quantity of food at 1200 calories and 1700 calories. It's your perception that is off. Like I mentioned, eat higher calorie foods. Also, if you say you hav ea high metabolism, why are you eating so little? If you do have a naturally high metabolism, then you are burning even more calories which means you will catabolize more lean body mass. Keep in mind, muscle is very inefficient and your body will more likely deplete that before your fat stores. Saying that, eating more will allow your body to drop fat, but like I mentioned the issue you have, you do not have enough muscle to support and protrude through your skin.
Unfortunately, you still associate weighing less with a tighter body; while in fact, is if you gained muscle, your body would be tighter and more lean. You do that while eating a surplus of calories, and heavy weight training.
Could you please suggest some higher calorie foods ? *o*
I have no idea why I'm eating so little, I just eat when I'm hungry and whatever I like. Sometimes I force myself to eat more than I want to, for protein reasons, but generally, I just eat according to what my body demands.
I didn't know the body burns the muscle mass first, before the fat ! Thank you, that's very useful information !
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If anyone is interested, you can check out my workout routine, I've added it in my exercise diary.
Look back at my initial post for some foods. Also, it's not that your body will attack muscle first because it doesn't, it actually will attack fat first, but if you do not supply it enough over an extended period of time, the body will look for alternative methods of energy... aka the amino acids from your lean body mass.
Also, it may not be that you have a fast metabolism, and many of us don't, but rather it's the eating habits you pick up from your parent and your perceptions of food. If you truly have a fast metabolism, you would be able to eat a ton more calories and not lose weight. If you really want to test your metabolism theory, start eating 1000 calorie hamburgs and see how long it takes for you to gain weight. The more likely scenario is, you tend to eat smaller quantities of food based on your eating habits you developed or you might be a meal skipper. Even if you have a fast metabolism, you will generally only burn a few hundred more calories than the normal person.
Although you suggest you have a muscle (because you can see it or feel it under the fat), I would suggest that you do not. Even if you were 16% body fat, that would leave your body with 96.6 lbs of lean body mass. LBM is muscle, tissue, bone, organs, water, etc.... everything not fat. The average women your height is around 140 lbs. Even at 20% body fat (still lean) they would have closer to 112 lbs of lbm. Believe it or not, the difference between the two can make a world of definition when it comes to look and definition. This is why, myself and others, have suggested a bulk phase. I know it's scary to gain weight and mass, but if you go through bulk and cut cycles, you might be surprised how much stronger and better you will look and how much you can really eat. During a bulk cycle, since you are young, you will probably need close to 2400 calories. I would also suggest a progressive load bearing weight training program to maximize hyperthrophy and minimizing cardio to 1 day a week. After 60 days of a bulk, then start a cut. With woman, ~ 50% of your growth will be new fat, which means you will have to do a cut to eliminate the fat. So if you gain 10 lbs, you will cut for 5 weeks to eliminate the fat. At this point, you would do a slow cut to minimize muscle loss. And then you do another bulk/cut cycle until you see the results you want. But gaining 20 lbs of muscle will give you the body you want.0 -
I've started eating more (aiming for 1500-1800 calories today) and it's such a burden, I've been forcing myself to eat all day to reach that protein target. Bland meat, and eggs and protein bars and protein shakes... bleh, such dull, frustrating food. And my tummy feels like it's going to explode.
Is there no way to reduce my body fat percentage in a constant way ? I don't like the idea of bulk/cut cycles, I hate cardio and I wish I could have a stable diet, not having to go from overfeeding myself with boring, bland protein foods to depriving myself of everything good and having to do cardio. It all sounds like a yo-yo nightmare and I cannot live my entire life going between extremes.0 -
Just stick to lifting in Strength and Hypertrophy* ranges regularly and your fat gain will be minimal. Cardio is just a tool for increasing calorie deficit or being better at cardio, so it's not really necessary for your goals. Supplement with Yoga or a mobility and stretching programme and you'll be good to go.
How about cheeses, nuts, fish (good Cod or Haddock is sublime with lemon pepper), milk, chocolate milk? All reasonable protein sources, though some are higher in fats. Oh, cottage cheese too, if you can dig it.
*Typically 1-5 reps per set for Strength, 6-12 for Hypertrophy.0 -
I've started eating more (aiming for 1500-1800 calories today) and it's such a burden, I've been forcing myself to eat all day to reach that protein target. Bland meat, and eggs and protein bars and protein shakes... bleh, such dull, frustrating food. And my tummy feels like it's going to explode.
Is there no way to reduce my body fat percentage in a constant way ? I don't like the idea of bulk/cut cycles, I hate cardio and I wish I could have a stable diet, not having to go from overfeeding myself with boring, bland protein foods to depriving myself of everything good and having to do cardio. It all sounds like a yo-yo nightmare and I cannot live my entire life going between extremes.
Have you had your body fat percentage evaluated professionally?
You're young, you work out, and you are not at all overweight. If you want to get to the fitness model level of lean, get out the photoshop or be prepared to eat abnormally.0 -
You don't need to lose fat. At all. Period. You just need to gain muscle. You should eat at a caolorie SURPLUS of about 10%, proper macro split for building muscle, and lift heavy 3-5x per week. With that, you will get the results you are looking for.0
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Whoever told you that you need to gain muscle or eat more calories is terribly wrong. The calories are the opposite of fat loss.
You should combine a good nutrition with some good exercises and some healthy supplementation and only then you will see some results.
I hope it will help you!0 -
Whoever told you that you need to gain muscle or eat more calories is terribly wrong. The calories are the opposite of fat loss.
You should combine a good nutrition with some good exercises and some healthy supplementation and only then you will see some results.
I hope it will help you!
No one needs to supplement their nutrition. They can get all their macro nutrients without supplementing. I suspect you want to sell her those supplements don't you? And why do you suggest she not gain muscle, She is already 10 lbs under the minimum suggested weight for her height.0 -
I've started eating more (aiming for 1500-1800 calories today) and it's such a burden, I've been forcing myself to eat all day to reach that protein target. Bland meat, and eggs and protein bars and protein shakes... bleh, such dull, frustrating food. And my tummy feels like it's going to explode.
Is there no way to reduce my body fat percentage in a constant way ? I don't like the idea of bulk/cut cycles, I hate cardio and I wish I could have a stable diet, not having to go from overfeeding myself with boring, bland protein foods to depriving myself of everything good and having to do cardio. It all sounds like a yo-yo nightmare and I cannot live my entire life going between extremes.
Why are you eating bland meats? You can marinade, cook in EVOO, etc... Just because it's protein doesn't mean it has to be bland. I love peppercorn steak. And I love adding pico de gallo on top of my chicken. I also have a good fish recipe that you take a piece of salmon, 5-8 oz, top it with a nectarine or peach and then top that with cilantro. Eating is about enjoyment, not sucking down some crappy bland food. Hit up sites like pintrest or even MFP's recipe section for some good ideas. Just make sure you add the calories into your accounting. Learning to cook will make things much easier. If you want, send me a message and I can give you some recipes.
BTW, I hate cardio too. I weight train 5 days a week and 1 day of cardio, but it's more endurance weight training than it is cardio, lol.0 -
I've started eating more (aiming for 1500-1800 calories today) and it's such a burden, I've been forcing myself to eat all day to reach that protein target. Bland meat, and eggs and protein bars and protein shakes... bleh, such dull, frustrating food. And my tummy feels like it's going to explode.
Is there no way to reduce my body fat percentage in a constant way ? I don't like the idea of bulk/cut cycles, I hate cardio and I wish I could have a stable diet, not having to go from overfeeding myself with boring, bland protein foods to depriving myself of everything good and having to do cardio. It all sounds like a yo-yo nightmare and I cannot live my entire life going between extremes.
Also, keep in mind, you do not need to take our advice, you can always just maintain you current body. But if you want to reach a specific goal, it's going to require work (like getting a college degree). And it's not like you need to do it much. You can do a few bulk/cut cycles until you get that image and then you go into maintenance mode, which means eating enough calories to neither lose or gain. The bigger question is, are you willing to put in the work to get the image you want... If the answer is no, they you can't expect to see the results you want.0 -
Also, keep in mind, you do not need to take our advice, you can always just maintain you current body. But if you want to reach a specific goal, it's going to require work (like getting a college degree). And it's not like you need to do it much. You can do a few bulk/cut cycles until you get that image and then you go into maintenance mode, which means eating enough calories to neither lose or gain. The bigger question is, are you willing to put in the work to get the image you want... If the answer is no, they you can't expect to see the results you want.
Ah, so the bulk/cut thing is just temporary. That makes it a lot more bearable ! I'll do it.Why are you eating bland meats? You can marinade, cook in EVOO, etc... Just because it's protein doesn't mean it has to be bland. I love peppercorn steak. And I love adding pico de gallo on top of my chicken. I also have a good fish recipe that you take a piece of salmon, 5-8 oz, top it with a nectarine or peach and then top that with cilantro. Eating is about enjoyment, not sucking down some crappy bland food. Hit up sites like pintrest or even MFP's recipe section for some good ideas. Just make sure you add the calories into your accounting. Learning to cook will make things much easier. If you want, send me a message and I can give you some recipes.
BTW, I hate cardio too. I weight train 5 days a week and 1 day of cardio, but it's more endurance weight training than it is cardio, lol.
Because that's what was in my home, lol. I'll have to start cooking by myself. Thanks for the salmon recipe ! Another amazing website full of yummy recipes is thefitnessrecipes.com ~
Haha, me too, cardio sucks, I cannot run for the life of mine.Just stick to lifting in Strength and Hypertrophy* ranges regularly and your fat gain will be minimal. Cardio is just a tool for increasing calorie deficit or being better at cardio, so it's not really necessary for your goals. Supplement with Yoga or a mobility and stretching programme and you'll be good to go.
How about cheeses, nuts, fish (good Cod or Haddock is sublime with lemon pepper), milk, chocolate milk? All reasonable protein sources, though some are higher in fats. Oh, cottage cheese too, if you can dig it.
*Typically 1-5 reps per set for Strength, 6-12 for Hypertrophy.
Yeahhh, all those foods send my fat count through the roof. I tried to eat as clean as possible yesterday (and it was all disgusting and dull so I ate two slices of pizza in the evening) and still my fat limit was exceeded.Have you had your body fat percentage evaluated professionally?
Yeah, by some people at Herbalife who tried to sell me their products. Apparently it's around 25% (can't remember exactly). Though I don't really know how accurate that is (I had to press my fingers against a device which then told me the body fat percentage)0 -
What do you have your fat limit at?0
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60. Check out my food diary. I read yesterday on a fitness website that I should have at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (done) and 0.4 grams of fat per pound (but I cannot, by any means, eat only 48 grams of fat per day).
Also, I've been eating all day, I'm really full, I've reached a nice protein count and yet I'm barely at 1000 calories. I don't think I'll be able to go past 1300 today, unless I force feed myself (but that makes me nauseous) 0 -
Yeah your protein is looking really good today, so that's part 1 of the equation sorted
Fiber is low and your carbs are reasonable, so my suggestion would be fruit to snack on, and a glass of milk will help you out with the fat a bit. You could indulge a bit and have whatever "junk" food you enjoy - not going to do any harm at all with carbs, fat, and calories where they are at the moment.
Having your fat at 60 is all good.
What time is it were you are? Many more hours in the day yet, at least for me 0 -
Done. I've exceeded the limit on fiber and had an extra protein bar, which brought some extra protein, while my carbs are under 100
It's almost 8 PM now, I don't think I can eat any more. 1400 calories will have to do for today, I can feel my stomach being stretched out already.0 -
Small steps. Keep it up 0
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Hello!
From what I can help is that I know you said you are eating 1000-1500 calories but try 1200-1500 (1000 calories is too low)
although to get an accurate calorie intake you should include also your height besides your weight and calculate it = I usually like to go to caloriemaintenance.com and it will help you with that also here myfitnesspal.
I am like you, I can't be on a restrictive diet I have to to be able to eat what I want but I always try to keep my calories low and eating healthy with lots of protein but I do tend to go way over my calorie goal because I do get cravings all the time
Also, when you lift weights, lift heavy weights and progressively lift heavier over time try: 3 sets/8-12 reps with 60 sec. rest (for maximum results).
This is what I do and it works great for me... I hope that helps:)0
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