Body fat %

Honeycat89
Honeycat89 Posts: 149
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there :)

I started off at around 54.5 kg, I've been working out since September and increasedy weights routine. I've put on about 2kg but my body fat mass is below average at 18.5%. (I'm 5.5, 23 yo) I eat around 1600-2000 CALS a day. Excuse me if this is an obvious question but is the weight gain gaining muscle? How much can I expect to gain doing weights?

Thanks,

Sophie.

Replies

  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
    If you’re lowering your body fat percentage then you are likely accomplishing your goals. Do not worry about your weight at all. Eat your daily macro/micro goals and continue lifting weights. If you can do this then get rid of your scale. For real.....put it in your closet.
  • Jade1x
    Jade1x Posts: 166
    I'd like to understand this aswell my body fat goes down when I gained weight :/
    I think it may be muscle (the weight gain)
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
    Oh my goodness people!!! If your body fat is going down then guess what? YOU ARE LOSING BODY FAT. Stop worrying about weight so much. Your loosing fat, is that not what you wanted in the first place. The number on the scale is not important if your reducing your body fat percentage.


    So frustrating.
  • Jade1x
    Jade1x Posts: 166
    I don't think there's any need to reply like that.
  • Honeycat89
    Honeycat89 Posts: 149
    For us females it's hard to let go of the scales! This is the first time I've ever gained and not put on fat so it's hard to not rely on weight! I think I might just measure my fat% once a fortnight from now on. Would anyone recommend measuring it any more or less?
  • tmaryam
    tmaryam Posts: 289 Member
    I totally get what you ladies are saying because I get that mini panic attack when I see the scale number going up too. But he's right, throw it out, put it away and don't let that gauge your success. Measure inches not pounds, you'll feel better seeing one number shrinking, and forget about the other number. :flowerforyou:
  • jackielou867
    jackielou867 Posts: 422 Member
    jdad, just for you I have put my scale in the cupboard. I have been avoiding the issue. I know you are right. I want to get leaner, I need to stop caring about the weight :-)
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
    I totally get what you ladies are saying because I get that mini panic attack when I see the scale number going up too. But he's right, throw it out, put it away and don't let that gauge your success. Measure inches not pounds, you'll feel better seeing one number shrinking, and forget about the other number. :flowerforyou:


    YUPP, YUPP.:drinker:
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
    jdad, just for you I have put my scale in the cupboard. I have been avoiding the issue. I know you are right. I want to get leaner, I need to stop caring about the weight :-)


    You da bomb!!!
  • FitnessGuruToBe
    FitnessGuruToBe Posts: 4 Member
    Maybe it's easier to say that what you're changing is your BODY COMPOSITION, and the amount of body fat versus muscle, bone and water is what you're trying to change. If you think of your body in an overall state of what it's actually made of (again, the fat, muscle, bone, etc) and NOT gravity's effect on that MASS (weight) then you can focus on the positive changes you're making.

    Your body fat has gone down but your lean mass has stayed the same or improved as a result of weight/resistance training. Mission accomplished, and congratulations. This is where you should easily be able to place more importance on your overall level of fitness and health, and less on something as arbitrary as weight. A measurement that can change by several pounds daily with hormone fluctuations, carbs and stress response.

    Good job all!
  • Fredhatfield2
    Fredhatfield2 Posts: 75 Member
    Hi there :)

    I started off at around 54.5 kg, I've been working out since September and increasedy weights routine. I've put on about 2kg but my body fat mass is below average at 18.5%. (I'm 5.5, 23 yo) I eat around 1600-2000 CALS a day. Excuse me if this is an obvious question but is the weight gain gaining muscle? How much can I expect to gain doing weights?

    Thanks,

    Sophie.

    You'll have to do some math. First off there's no way to tell if you gained, lost or maintained body fat based on the data you gave because there was no bodyfat percentile before your 2 kg weight gain. For now, simply take 18.5% of 54.5 kg and that's how many kilos of fat you currently have. Now, next time you measure your bodyfat and weight, do the same math and compare.

    If your bodyfat goes down after weight gain, it may not actually be that you lost fat, but maintained what you had and gained muscle (ladies, don't be afraid of a little muscle gain!). If you really want to know, it's simply a matter of crunching numbers.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    To help set the mind of people who can't let go of worrying about weight, take a look at some of these:

    4.5lbs difference from first pic to last one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1248583-what-heavy-weights-can-do-for-you-pix

    Gained 10lbs between first pic and last: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1242250-an-update-on-a-lady-who-lifts-2-years-down

    Gained 10lbs, lost 8% body fat, between first pic and last: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1222939-look-what-3-years-of-lifting-can-do

    3.4lb diff between first picture and last one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1241092-update-pics-to-another-heavy-lifting-nsv

    Staci went from 170 to 117 and is now 142 and looking way better than at 117, or when she was 131: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

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