Full medical - 31% body fat

Yes, but HOW

Lift heavy weights and eat enough protein and calories to gain muscle. After you've done that for a bit, eat at a slight deficit while still lifting heavy weights, so you lose the fat. The result will not only be a lower body fat percentage, it will also be a leaner, firmer more "toned" looking body. And you might go down a dress size as well. Don't worry so much about scale weight, focus instead on getting your body fat percentage down... you may well find that by the time you finish doing this that you're actually heavier, yet a smaller dress size, or the same weight as before but still a smaller dress size.

To lose fat, you will need to have a calorie deficit. Your deficit would need to be between 250 calories and 500, closer to 250 though.

To gain muscle, you will need a calorie surplus AND a strength training regimen. Strong Lifts 5x5 and New Rules of Lifting for Women are two popular strength training programs. The calorie surplus should be between 250 calories and 500 calories.

During muscle gain, you will also gain fat. A GOOD ratio is 1 pound of fat gained for every 1 pound of muscle gained. People typically go through a period of lifting heavy and eating at a surplus to gain muscle (bulking phase) then after several months (like half a year, usually most do this in winter) switch to a calorie deficit while continuing weight training (they do this in the spring and summer usually since that's when we want to show off more). This allows them to burn off the fat they gained during the bulking phase and the weight lifting allows them to retain the muscle they worked hard to gain.

You will NOT get bulky. For a woman to get bulky like a man, she'll need around 5 years non-stop weight training and enough steroids per day to put down a small horse.

lift heavy!

Exactly what she said. Any fitness center will have people who can help you get familiar with the machines and proper form with them and the free weights. There are dozens of $10/mo fitness centers popping up all over the US and they have all the equipment you will need. Golds is also inexpensive....which I really hate even saying because when it comes to your health a gym membership is far cheaper than getting sick, not to mention most people can certainly find the money for a gym membership if they cut out the crap that they do not even need (like a McDonalds or Starbucks habit). I am a major girly girl and a cosmetologist but I decided to give up my standing nail appointment every 2 weeks and use that money for a gym membership. Best decision I ever made.

A lot of people seriously hate cardio, I am one. Once I start I am fine and I am always glad that I did it but I do cardio to keep my heart healthy....I lift heavy to build muscle, sculpt my body, and lean out. So I will say this again, lift heavy! Eat clean (meaning cut out processed crap and fast food).

Hi guys

I had a medical today and everything was virtually fine, bar my body fat percentage. I'm 5'3 1/4 and 123lbs with a BMI of 21.6 which is all pretty normal. However, I have pretty low muscle density and 31% body fat :noway: how can I reduce my body fat? I ideally feel more comfortable at 120lbs, but 3lbs difference isn't going to make much difference BF % wise.

If you can lose 3 lbs. of fat, that would reduce your BF% by 2%, so not insignificant.

How did they test you, with a calipers? Maybe google up a tape measure estimator and see what that says.

That is what the body fat scales use. I would take it with a grain of salt. If you did it first thing in the morning, it might read much lower.

Hi guys

I had a medical today and everything was virtually fine, bar my body fat percentage. I'm 5'3 1/4 and 123lbs with a BMI of 21.6 which is all pretty normal. However, I have pretty low muscle density and 31% body fat :noway: how can I reduce my body fat? I ideally feel more comfortable at 120lbs, but 3lbs difference isn't going to make much difference BF % wise.

If you can lose 3 lbs. of fat, that would reduce your BF% by 2%, so not insignificant.

How did they test you, with a calipers? Maybe google up a tape measure estimator and see what that says.

Calipers are much more accurate than tape measure estimates, especially when it comes to people with low lean mass and high body fat, as the low lean mass causes the tape measure readings to be lower, but the formula assumes a normal amount of lean mass, so like BMI it gives a misleading result for people with low lean mass and high body fat.

More accurate methods than calipers are the expensive ones, e.g. DEXA and similar.

It was bioelectrical impedance so it's a moot point. I'd ignore it.

But if they told me 31% using calipers, I might use other methods to sanity check that value. If a tape told me 20%, that's more reason to doubt the 31. They can screw up a caliper test, too.

yes they can, but calipers measure the amount of fat under your skin, while tape measures assume that you have an average frame size and an average amount of lean mass. The tape measure ones are really not that accurate and they, like BMI, can lead people with low lean body mass and high fat into a false sense of security.

If it's a biomechanical impedence test then yes get a 2nd opinion, but calipers would be better. Plus in terms of this discussion, it's important to know the relative accuracy of these different methods. Leigh Peele's blog has some excellent articles on measuring body fat percentage and also doing visual estimates (which are also very good way to determine body fat percentage) - I agree that using several methods is much better than just one, I'm just saying that tape measure ones are not a good one to use for people who may have a very low lean mass and high body fat %.