GETTING TONED AND FIT???

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I have been noticing that people are still on diets, even if they are in a healthy weight rage. Myself included. I am 23, 133 pounds and am 5'2. I want to lose weight in order to get toned and fit, and healthy. I exercise 6 days a week doing an hour of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training. I did a body composition test where you measure your wrists, waist, neck, and hips. The test said I was overweight and should be anywhere from 108- 115 pounds. But when I tell people this they think it is a crazy goal. But I want to gain muscle definition and I still have a lot of weight on my thighs and mid-section. I would say I have 20 pounds to lose before the fat is gone, at least until I see muscle definition.

I know it depends on what I eat and what exercises I do. I also know muscle weighs more than fat and my weight could vary. Does this sound like an appropriate amount of weight to lose? I am not paying attention to BMI because I am in my BMI and I am still heavy. So that is why I am trusting the Body Composition test because it is based on my measurements.

Replies

  • ally_nicole_k
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    If you want some muscle....... I would recommend Insanity! I have seen AMAZING results! Just look it up on youtube and there is some free videos! Hope i helped :) -Ally
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    If your main goal is body composition, I.e. decreasing your body fat percentage, then you should be eating a small deficit or at maintenance and focussing on strength training over cardio.

    If you want to increase muscle then you'll need to eat above maintenance to put on muscle mass, then go back into a deficit to cut the fat. Rinse and repeat until you've reached the body composition you're happy with.

    ETA You are right not to focus on BMI but it would also be wise not to focus on scale weight either. Read this: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • vgirl21
    vgirl21 Posts: 37
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    My body fat percentage is 24%.
  • mdizzle99
    mdizzle99 Posts: 169 Member
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    Karen is right. You may want to use a site like bodybuilding.com to define specific goals of lean body mass and weight based on desired body type goals. You can continue losing weight until muscle definition is visible, but you might be happier if you first focused on building muscle and strength, and then cut down the fat.
  • koing
    koing Posts: 179 Member
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    If your diet is good you need to train more affectively.

    You are doing way too much cardio and not enough strength training.

    http://24.media.tumblr.com/5998405f1dd94ac94ef42ad31840ae5b/tumblr_mgyk94fto81s1u8aoo1_500.jpg

    The above is the classic image I highlight to girls. Your weight is irrelevant if you are not where you want to be in terms of looks, if you want to look better.

    Please look in to stronglifts or any progressive weight training routine and drop the cardio to 2-3x a week.

    Koing
  • vgirl21
    vgirl21 Posts: 37
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    So if I do cardio 2-3x a week, I can do more strength training exercises? Should I just equal out my cardio and strength training per day?
  • mdizzle99
    mdizzle99 Posts: 169 Member
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    So if I do cardio 2-3x a week, I can do more strength training exercises? Should I just equal out my cardio and strength training per day?

    Really depends what your goals are. I'm currently focused on gaining muscle so I actually have something to cut down to. That being the case, I am eating a caloric surplus to give my body what it needs to build muscle. I am not doing cardio, just lifting 3 times a week. When I start cutting, I will incorporate cardio back into my workouts in order to assist my calorie deficit which is necessary to cut fat.