Body fat estimate, pics

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NickHall1988
NickHall1988 Posts: 30
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
I think I originally posted this in the wrong place. Either way is this fat, flab, or loose skin and what do you think my body fat % is?

http://s11.postimg.org/b4t5wzhar/img_20131008_195735.jpg
http://s11.postimg.org/ldln2t5cj/img_20131008_195739.jpg
http://s11.postimg.org/5vy4z3yvn/img_20131008_195747.jpg

http://s11.postimg.org/f50b987rn/img_20131014_093640.jpg
http://s11.postimg.org/qet146csz/img_20131014_093645.jpg
http://s11.postimg.org/dr8odx8ib/img_20131014_093701.jpg

Sorry I don't know how to post pictures so had to put up direct links. Basically I lost about 60 pounds, down from 200 to between 135 and 140 pounds. I'm 5' 8". Sadly I am incredibly unhappy with my results, and believe that I look like utter ****. I lost basically all my LBM while I feel retaining a lot of fat. Instead of changing my body composition I think I really just became a smaller version of the same body I had before, only now I don't carry the fat anywhere near as well proportioned as I did at 200 pounds. I don't know what to do...I can't really cut down much further, and I'm scared to bulk up to try and put on lean mass from too high of a BF%. But I can't find a way to get an accurate read on my BF% no matter what test I do, calipers, BIA, measurements I'm anywhere between 5% and 15%. So guesses and estimates would be HIGHLY appreciated. Help me out friends.

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,692 Member
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    Looking at what definition you have and some vascularity, I'd guess about 12%-15% body fat.

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  • NickHall1988
    NickHall1988 Posts: 30
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    Should I start concentrating on building some LBM or loose a couple more pounds to build up from a lower body fat %? Suggestions?
  • loricshields47
    loricshields47 Posts: 134 Member
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    I am not going to guess fat% as that would further add to your confusion lol. What I will suggest is that you get to work on building some muscle. Your body fat % is low enough to start to bulk up from, it will change more as you build muscle. But get started before you loose any more of the muscle mass you still have. Much easier to get an established muscle to grow than start all over. The muscle will help fill in that loose skin Your weight sounds a little low for a man of your height, so losing more could be dangerous. So pick up some weights. I highly recommend gaining muscle from where you are at now.
  • NickHall1988
    NickHall1988 Posts: 30
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    isn't 15% body fat much to high to bulk up from?
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
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    There is no hard and fast rule about ideal body fat percentages to start a bulk. In this case, it would be advisable to slowly increase your calories each week by 100-150 until you reach maintenance intake, and then continue that increase until you reach a caloric surplus of 100-300.
  • NickHall1988
    NickHall1988 Posts: 30
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    Alright well sedentary I burn about 2000 calories a day. But I'm far from sedentary, I walk at least 5 miles a day and try to get in one daily run a day of at least 3 miles. Plus lighting 3-4 times a week (just started a few weeks ago) so I'm roughly estimating that my maintenance requirements are probably around 2500. So I'm going to work my way up to there, and hold that to the end of the month and see what happens. I suppose. I hate being this high of a BF%, but I can't exactly loose anymore weight so the only choice I have is build some muscle to give me something to cut down too.
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