How do I break my plateau to get to 15% body fat.

Bcat42
Bcat42 Posts: 6
in Introduce Yourself
Hi,

If anyone can share insight that would be great.

My current stats are bodyweight - 151lbs, with 32lbs of body fat at 21%.
I am 5'9.5 feet tall female and 20 years old.

I have hovered around 150 for a year and want to reach my goal. Though I have begun carb cycling, there is no change in three weeks.

Macros are 50% protein (150g), 30% fat(50g) and 25% carbs (70g), with net calories averaging 1300kcal/day.

I don't know where I am going wrong as I lift 5-6 days a week and do HIIT 4 times a week with one steady state distance run on sundays.

Please help!

Replies

  • rsoice
    rsoice Posts: 212 Member
    I'm going to go way out on a limb here that if you're eating what your numbers say you're eating, then your workouts may not be sufficiently challenging for you. Lifting vs. lifting heavy are two different things. I'm not talking about heavy weight as much as a weight that challenges you. If you're able to get through a workout without reaching muscle failure, you aren't challenging yourself enough. Just my .02
  • 4Pick
    4Pick Posts: 25
    any sups? not that I'm an advocate but maybe you are low on CLA or some other fat-transporter. Three weeks or carb-cycling should be showing you something. You seem well aware of the 'how" so guessing you weigh/log everything?
  • callie006
    callie006 Posts: 151 Member
    Have you taken a recovery day or two? If you have been going full tilt and eating that low, my guess is that you are retaining water like crazy especially as you are eating at quite a large deficit for someone of your age, weight and activity level.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Hi, becb.

    I don't know the answer, but I have a similar question. I'm older than you, 49, and 5'7". Most of my adult life, I've maintained 115-120 lb. I tend to gain a few pounds in the Texas summer heat, due to less intense exercise and more margaritas. In the fall, I lose it the way I gained it--run more and drink less. Except that didn't work for me this year, and I would really like to get back to 115 before facing another summer.

    My diet sounds kind of like yours--1200 kcal/day evenly split between carbs, fats & protein. Most of my fat comes from plants (almonds, flax, chia), and I get >25g fiber/day. I eat mostly vegetables (including lots of legumes but few whole grains) and a little meat (mostly chicken & eggs, some fish). I don't have processed food or food with flour/sugar in my diet to cut out. I used to run more, but in my 40's I've moderated my mileage to 4mi/day to prevent knee problems. I added 30 sec sprints at .3 mi intervals a month ago, but that hasn't moved the dial. I do abs (Russian twists, planks, etc.) & push ups but don't lift. My blood panel is great--everything including TSH low end healthy range.

    A lot of advice out there seems to be for people with weight related health problems or a lot of weight to lose, and that just doesn't apply to my situation. It's clear what worked for me in the past isn't working now, and I'm seeking what will.
  • Bcat42
    Bcat42 Posts: 6
    I lift with training splits push day, pull day and leg day with three sets of each exercise (first set 8-10 reps, second and third just before failure) then repeat the exercise but for two sets, first 15-20 and last set 20-30. Genetically I do not gain muscle quickly and have to work hard for any gains.

    I have celiac and krohns so my diet is very clean, and I just starting eating a max of 20 g of carbs a day to see if anything changes. However, in the past I would supplement with a simple whey isolate and have been investigating creatine for some time now.

    I'm doing everything textbook as I am in nutrition sciences but my body will not change and I wondering if it's due to metabolic damage?
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    Isn't 15% body fat extremely low for a female? I thought even below 25% was pretty low. I had read that the minimum body fat for a female was around 15% and at that point, some women stop having periods.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Well, becb, you have a real edge with a background in nutrition science. Good for you. Do you have any symptoms of IR at all? E.g. what's your triglyceride/HDL ratio? Have you asked your doctor about it?
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Isn't 15% body fat extremely low for a female? I thought even below 25% was pretty low. I had read that the minimum body fat for a female was around 15% and at that point, some women stop having periods.

    American Council on Exercise says 10-13% fat is essential for women, but admittedly it may not be the most mainstream source.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Isn't 15% body fat extremely low for a female? I thought even below 25% was pretty low. I had read that the minimum body fat for a female was around 15% and at that point, some women stop having periods.

    Essential fat for a woman is between 10 and 13%. It will vary depending on the woman.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    Isn't 15% body fat extremely low for a female? I thought even below 25% was pretty low. I had read that the minimum body fat for a female was around 15% and at that point, some women stop having periods.

    Essential fat for a woman is between 10 and 13%. It will vary depending on the woman.
    Wow, is this something that most women can attain, or only body builders?
  • vmclach
    vmclach Posts: 670 Member
    Maybe try messing with your macros... How long are you working out for? Are you getting enough carbs? How do you feel during workouts & after workout?

    I'm 5'8 128 about 16% BF.. I am a marathon runner, so our diets are quite different I'm sure. I agree with the rest days!
  • Bcat42
    Bcat42 Posts: 6
    Sorry I don't know how to individually reply to each answer- which I am grateful for.

    Concerning IR, it has crossed my mind as I have many corresponding symptoms. I will ask my doctor to have blood work done, though absolutely no one in my family is diabetic, though hypoglycaemia does show up on my dad's side.


    I feel like giving up somedays, and everyone's answers have pushed me, concerning body fat, I am an elite athlete coming off of an acl injury but I believe due to fact that I sat at 12% BF until last Christmas my body is not willing to spare my new fat stores. Again, I could be wrong but most athletes I trained with were at similar body fat percentages and the norm was to have annorhea (while maintaining a little boys figure). Has anyone heard of this happening- gone from low body fat to constant blubbery state?
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,514 Member
    What is wrong with your current weight/ body fat %? They sound pretty good to me. Is it necessary to be so lean? It sounds like your chasing a # for the number's sake.

    What's ypur sport, and is the low body fat necessary for it?
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Isn't 15% body fat extremely low for a female? I thought even below 25% was pretty low. I had read that the minimum body fat for a female was around 15% and at that point, some women stop having periods.

    Essential fat for a woman is between 10 and 13%. It will vary depending on the woman.
    Wow, is this something that most women can attain, or only body builders?

    I know personally of one woman who maintains at 12% without any problems.
  • Bcat42
    Bcat42 Posts: 6
    What is wrong with your current weight/ body fat %? They sound pretty good to me. Is it necessary to be so lean? It sounds like your chasing a # for the number's sake.

    What's ypur sport, and is the low body fat necessary for it?


    Nothing is wrong with it, I didn't say that & I'm not satisfied returning to an elite level and wearing spandex shorts at a heavier weight. I'm not looking to return to 12% but within a sprint athletes range.
    And if I come off as chasing numbers, that's fine- I am not being unrealistic in my goals and goals are the driving force for action. I'm sure you have a number goal yourself, but each there own.
  • Bcat42
    Bcat42 Posts: 6
    Maybe try messing with your macros... How long are you working out for? Are you getting enough carbs? How do you feel during workouts & after workout?

    I'm 5'8 128 about 16% BF.. I am a marathon runner, so our diets are quite different I'm sure. I agree with the rest days!


    I am a runner as well, sprinter however. I think I will cycle my macros throughout the next month to see if anything changes.
  • Bcat42
    Bcat42 Posts: 6
    Isn't 15% body fat extremely low for a female? I thought even below 25% was pretty low. I had read that the minimum body fat for a female was around 15% and at that point, some women stop having periods.

    25% is considered a normal BF range, 30% being overweight. 12% and lower generally develop annorhea.
  • bc2ct
    bc2ct Posts: 222 Member
    Isn't 15% body fat extremely low for a female? I thought even below 25% was pretty low. I had read that the minimum body fat for a female was around 15% and at that point, some women stop having periods.

    25% is considered a normal BF range, 30% being overweight. 12% and lower generally develop annorhea.

    On amennorhea (From the American College of Sports Medecine - ACSM):

    Higher intensity exercise and increased frequency of training are associated with a greater
    incidence of menstrual disorders, but there is no scientific evidence for a direct cause and
    effect. Metabolic alterations and change in the body composition such as weight loss and
    decreased percent body fat are coincidental rather than causative. A positive energy
    balance (consuming enough calories for the amount of exercise performed) seems to be
    critical for maintaining ovulatory cycles. Nutritional deprivation may also result in deficits of
    calcium, iron and other important nutrients. Women with amenorrhea should consume the
    equivalent of 1500 mg of elemental calcium daily to protect their bone density.

    Psychological and emotional factors, as well as stress, play a role as well in the
    development of menstrual cycle disorders. In some sports, the tendency of coaches,
    parents, and judges to focus on body composition and percent body fat create an unhealthy
    preoccupation with body image
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Sorry to hear about the injury. I know that's really discouraging, especially for an elite athlete. Give yourself time to heal. Nutrition plays a huge role in healing, as I'm sure you know better than I. Running is something you can enjoy for most of your life if you take care of yourself now. FWIW, I had a bad ankle injury at 19, two surgeries, no weight on it for months. It healed and I was lucky enough to keep running without problems for 30 more years and counting. My mileage has decreased ~50mi/wk since my 20's, but my enjoyment hasn't.

    I'm really interested in your observations on carb cycling. What regimen(s) have you tried? How did it go?

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