Body fat percent increase
19rosehill
Posts: 16 Member
Hi there, just wanted to introduce myself rather than just be a reader.my name is Jo and I've almost beaten anorexia.
I'm 5ft 10 weigh approx 140 pounds (huge achievement for me) and with helpful advice from mfp member forums am now eating between 2000 - 3000 calories because I want to build muscle.
i actually don't scale weigh myself, I get my body fat percent measured with calipers. Which brings me to my very nervous dissapointment that it seems to be going up. I got measured 2 days ago and it's gone up 1% which doesn't sound a lot but it's not the measurement I want going up.i can understand the scale weight thing about fluid etc which is why I don't weigh. With this eat more weigh less idea, is it normal for body fat to go up in the process? I sometimes can't make it to work out - so I'm afraid I'm putting on weight because my calories in are too much for when I havnt managed to get my excercise the same.
Opinions would be appreciated
I'm 5ft 10 weigh approx 140 pounds (huge achievement for me) and with helpful advice from mfp member forums am now eating between 2000 - 3000 calories because I want to build muscle.
i actually don't scale weigh myself, I get my body fat percent measured with calipers. Which brings me to my very nervous dissapointment that it seems to be going up. I got measured 2 days ago and it's gone up 1% which doesn't sound a lot but it's not the measurement I want going up.i can understand the scale weight thing about fluid etc which is why I don't weigh. With this eat more weigh less idea, is it normal for body fat to go up in the process? I sometimes can't make it to work out - so I'm afraid I'm putting on weight because my calories in are too much for when I havnt managed to get my excercise the same.
Opinions would be appreciated
0
Replies
-
Bodyfat will only go up, along with weight, if eating more than you burn. No matter the plan you are using.
You must ALWAYS learn to eat correctly for your level of activity.
If you missed a planned workout, that had a bearing on your goal eating level, then you must eat less.
Constantly doing that slowly, eating more than you burn, is how you gain fat over the years.
1% though.
Skin fold method, in the hands of an experienced trained person, can be upwards of 5% accurate, if you present the same hydrated body to them.
So if that 1% was in your hands doing skinfolds, you are well within the level of inaccuracy.
Better would be to average together several potential 5% accurate methods, like 2 measurement calculations.
Check out the spreadsheet on my profile page, you can enter in your skin fold stats, and your measurements, and be given an average of all of them.
The Progress tab then lets you track progress of those measurements.
Since stomach is usually the first place that fat is added (may not be, so watch many places), that showing decent increase for no other reason (TOM), may be indication of eating too much.
Also, to build muscle outside the 6-9 month beginner stage, you will have to eat in surplus, and gain fat.0 -
Thanks heaps for that heybales. One question- what did you mean by - outside- of the 6-9 month beginner stage? Is that AFTER the 6-9 months.so if I'm beginner now does that mean it's too early to eat at surplace? I think that's where I've gone wrong, my thinking has been 'I'm trying to build muscle therefore I don't need to worry about 2-3 serves of gluten free cereal because I need to be bulking for lifting' - I think my eating disorder history is using it as an excuse to free for all eating, even if it is good food. Ok I better get back to macro recording.thanks again!!0
-
6-9 months (or longer) of lifting is considered beginner, and during that time you can easily tap out existing muscle for strength, and while the body is still possibly increasing strength for other reasons, there's a slow ability to add new muscle too. Only talking 1 lb every 8 weeks at best though for a woman.
So no need to eat at surplus during that time, you'll make improvements no matter what.
But after that point, eating more and accepting some fat gain will be only way to increase muscle mass. Then you may get 1 lb every 5-6 week, along with some fat lbs.
It would be like eating surplus when just starting lifting. Your body hasn't even used everything existing muscle can provide, so no need to build more yet, which means extra calories may assist recovery to the max as in time, but there will be fat gain, more than needed with no muscle added yet.
Then your nervous system improves to use existing muscle better, so that takes time too, form improves so there is more strength gains.
Just keep going for strength gains until you can get no more after several weeks. Then it's likely time to bulk.0
