Looking to lower body fat %

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hipsdontlie1
hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,
I'm on a goal to lower my body fat percentage.. I recently went for naturopath testing and here are some stats on me:

Weight: Approx 156
Height: 5'9"
Age: 24
Body composition:
Fat: 27%
Muscle: 37% (she told me this was above average)

I'm really looking to get my body fat % down to 24 or somewhere around there. I'm just looking for some tips to get there because I've been working on this for awhile.

I drink a **** ton of water
I do hot yoga 3-4 times per week along with weight training approx 3 times per week 20-30 minute sessions with 10-15 minutes of cardio at the end (usually treadmill running/walking on and off)
I try to atleast eat 100g of protein per day, lots my healthy fats, right now eating approx 1850 calories per day.

What else can I do? What macros do you guys think I should be trying to hit? Right now I'm trying to lower grain intake because that's what my naturopath said to do to lower fat.... anyways, I'd appreciate all the help I can get! :)

Thanks!
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Replies

  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Naturopath huh.

    Question. How did they measure your percent muscle and distinguish it from say water weight? How did they measure your percent bodyfat?

    Bodyfat measurements are notoriously innacurate and the fact you got one from a naturopath does not instill me with confidence that your readings were accurate.
    Right now I'm trying to lower grain intake because that's what my naturopath said to do to lower fat.

    This also doesn't instill me with confidence about your naturopath.
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    Cut the cardio, cut the yoga.

    Lift heavier and for more than 20-30 minutes a session.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I don't think you need to change your workout routinue if that is what you enjoy doing.

    To lose fat you need to eat at a caloric deficit. That is it. There is no magic there, its really that simple.

    I think with your activity level and exercise that 1850 seems reasonable and that with time you will continue to lose fat. So just keep at it basically.

    My guess is you have seen progress doing this but you just wish it was faster....don't we all. If you keep at it though the progress will keep coming.
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    And can you elaborate on naturopath testing?

    I have never heard the term.

    Who did it and how were you tested?
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    And can you elaborate on naturopath testing?

    I have never heard the term.

    Who did it and how were you tested?

    Naturopaths are people with no medical degree who want to practice medicine but don't like actual medicine.

    Sorry OP but the last person I would get diet advice from would be a naturopath.
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
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    Well I got my body fat taken at the gym over a year ago on some machine I would stand on and hold the bars, they would put in my age, weight, etc. and at that point it read 31% and I know it's gone down since then I can tell.

    For the naturopath she hooked me up to some little hand held machine and stuck stickys to my arms haha sorry I really don't know the technical terms for them. and it spit out a piece of paper that said all this information on it.

    I'm just assuming it's somewhere's around there, I know it could be anywhere in between 25-30 more than likely. My main point is that I just want to lower it.

    I still eat my grains regardless (quinoa, rice, bread here and there) but mainly my carb sources come from fruit and vegetables.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
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    I had to look up "naturopath". Do you go to her with things like broken bones?
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
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    And can you elaborate on naturopath testing?

    I have never heard the term.

    Who did it and how were you tested?


    I went to a naturopath and she tested me. You can google naturopathy I suppose. Mainly I went there for food intolerance testing but this was some other information she has given me.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Well I got my body fat taken at the gym over a year ago on some machine I would stand on and hold the bars, they would put in my age, weight, etc. and at that point it read 31% and I know it's gone down since then I can tell..

    That sounds like a bioelectric impedence measurement. Those are the least accurate of all possible measurements, you'd do better with a tape measurer honestly. I would not at all trust that 31% reading.
    For the naturopath she hooked me up to some little hand held machine and stuck stickys to my arms haha sorry I really don't know the technical terms for them. and it spit out a piece of paper that said all this information on it.

    Sounds like magic. If you don't know how it works or what it is even doing not sure why you would trust that it is accurate, it probably isn't. I wouldn't even believe it is anywhere near accurate, things like that can tell you you are 33% bodyfat when you are actually 20%...they can be wildly innacurate.

    Frankly to me it sounds like what you are doing is perfect and the right way to go about it and you are just getting doubts based on some bullsh*t you are being fed by a naturopath with a machine that puts stickies into you.

    Honestly I'd stick to doing what you are doing and use the following to track your progress:

    A tape measurer, your appearance, your energy level, your strength.
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
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    And can you elaborate on naturopath testing?

    I have never heard the term.

    Who did it and how were you tested?

    Naturopaths are people with no medical degree who want to practice medicine but don't like actual medicine.

    Sorry OP but the last person I would get diet advice from would be a naturopath.

    It's all good. I just went there for intolerance testing orginally and they have actually helped me alot with those issues! These are just extra things she did for me.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    And can you elaborate on naturopath testing?

    I have never heard the term.

    Who did it and how were you tested?

    Naturopaths are people with no medical degree who want to practice medicine but don't like actual medicine.

    Sorry OP but the last person I would get diet advice from would be a naturopath.

    It's all good. I just went there for intolerance testing orginally and they have actually helped me alot with those issues! These are just extra things she did for me.

    I'll admit some bias against naturopaths. If they have helped you then I'm not going to argue against that but honestly I would be very skeptical about their bodyfat measurement or their diet advice.
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
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    Good to know Aaron. I know what I'm doing is definitely working for me and I just need to stick with it, I guess I was just looking to see if anyone had anything extra to add that they think I should be doing. and yes a quick fix would be awesome but I know that wouldn't stick in the long run anways. Thanks for the info!
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I took a look at some of your pictures and you look great. Think you have a pretty healthy weight. You could probably get more athletic than you currently are from losing a little extra fat and continuing strength training but really doesn't look like you have much to lose.

    I would think you were in the 22% range but I am totally guessing. Definitely healthy though, not overweight at all.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Good to know Aaron. I know what I'm doing is definitely working for me and I just need to stick with it, I guess I was just looking to see if anyone had anything extra to add that they think I should be doing. and yes a quick fix would be awesome but I know that wouldn't stick in the long run anways. Thanks for the info!

    1850 calories, good protein intake, regular strength training for muscle retention, yoga for flexibility and strength, some cardio...sounds great to me. Don't think you are doing a thing wrong.

    From your pictures seems to me like you are doing pretty well.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Body-Fat-Women.jpg

    Percent bodyfat will look different on different people dependent on their amount of muscle and overall bodyshape but I think you can tell you are definitely under 30% bodyfat and are probably somewhere in the 20-25% range.

    For a woman 18-20% is going to look very fit and athletic...you drop below that you start looking like you are getting ready for a competition.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Eat at a caloric deficit

    Get proper macros

    Lift weights while eating in deficit, to preserve the muscle

    Be patient

    Enjoy the results
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Eat at a caloric deficit

    Get proper macros

    Lift weights while eating in deficit, to preserve the muscle

    Be patient

    Enjoy the results

    Sounds like she has steps 1-3 on lock and just needs to practice step 4 to continue enjoying step 5. ;-)
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
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    Cut the cardio, cut the yoga.

    Lift heavier and for more than 20-30 minutes a session.

    This yes. I've tried this and trust me, I'd be out squatting 115lb right now if it wasn't for my f'ing back. I messed up my lower back and I'm working on it now with a chiropractor. I'm hoping to get back to heavy lifting. and not my yoga! I love my yoga and it's great for the back and a stress reliever. I wouldn't miss the cardio- that's for sure.
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
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    Thanks Aaron! It's nice to hear that :) I will stick to what I'm doing.. I know I'll get there someday. I guess our goals are always changing when we change!

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