Body fat ? Feel dissapointed :( advice please

michelle206
michelle206 Posts: 5 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss

After having twins over a year ago I have worked hard back at the gym doing 4 spin classes a week and 3 toning classes. I eat a high protein diet most of the time but felt disappointed with my body fat and getting angry with my scales ...... My home scales say 9lb 2 but at the gym say 9lb 7lb ..... Arhh with a body fat of 27% I am 5ft 1
Can anyone advise what an idea healthily % should be ? And how best to get it down without making myself ill

Thanks in advance

Replies

  • markjacobs1987
    markjacobs1987 Posts: 162 Member
    Here's a good resource on body fat http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/. As for scales sometimes they can be off and it's not uncommon to see 2 different scales give you 2 different weights. Also if you are getting body fat % from a scale those aren't always accurate. You should be using measurements to calculate that. For getting it down it just comes down to exercising and eating healthy. If you are making yourself ill you probably aren't eating enough and need to increase your calories. Make sure you are getting a good amount of carbs too. I don't know how high protein your diet is, but remember that carbs are important. Hope this helps.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    You're within the healthy weight range for your height, albeit at the upper end. So you could stand to lose a few pounds if you choose, but it's not as though you're drastically overweight or anything.

    As for body fat percentage, how do you know it's 27%? If you're using an online calculator or one of those Fitbit scales, you should know that those methods are extremely inaccurate to the point where they're basically worthless.

    Read this: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/02/body-fat-percentage/

    And 27% is really not all that high -- for a woman, it's fairly normal / average. You could work hard and get it lower, sure, and that will mainly involve strength training and lifting heavy things. But I don't think you need to stress out about where you're at now, which is in a pretty healthy place. ESPECIALLY a year after having twins, which, (a) congratulations! and (b) that's gonna do a number on your body, so stop being so hard on yourself!
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    Lift heavy.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    I got this off the interweb :)

    Body fat: (women)
    •10-13% essential
    •14-20% athletic
    •21-24% fit
    •25-31% acceptable
    •32% & upwards obese

    I found the same figures on a few sites, but happy to be corrected.
  • EmmaFitzwilliam
    EmmaFitzwilliam Posts: 482 Member
    According to a report I saw recently (and I don't remember the source), the healthy body fat percentage for a Caucasian female is 22%, and most women in that group carry about 32%-35%. 27% may be higher than some chart maker would like, but is much better than the average.

    As for the solution - hand weights and body weight exercises.

    Upright rows with a resistance band, dead lifts, planks. It might be worth getting with a personal trainer to give you a (hopefully) informed set of exercises (as well as oversight on form!).
  • michelle206
    michelle206 Posts: 5 Member
    Thank you for all the advice I really appreciate it :) I wi take a look at the website link too

    I do lots of weights in my strength classes too so maybe add a little more this week, I know it's not an overnight thing but just want to get it right the healthy way

    So glad for these forums :)
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    michelle206 wrote: »
    After having twins over a year ago I have worked hard back at the gym doing 4 spin classes a week and 3 toning classes. I eat a high protein diet most of the time but felt disappointed with my body fat and getting angry with my scales ...... My home scales say 9lb 2 but at the gym say 9lb 7lb ..... Arhh with a body fat of 27% I am 5ft 1
    Can anyone advise what an idea healthily % should be ? And how best to get it down without making myself ill

    Thanks in advance

    Assuming 27% is accurate, I think it's a bit high for a person who wants to consider herself fit. Look for eating plans that focus on fat loss while preserving muscle. They're usually high-protein, low-fat, low-carb. At 91.2 - 91.7 (Is that right?), you obviously don't need to lose weight, but you do need to built some muscle.

    Consider buying a body fat percentage scale. It won't be 100% accurate, but will give you a baseline with which you can track your progress over time. Weigh yourself early in the morning after using the toilet, but before eating.

  • Nottafattie
    Nottafattie Posts: 140 Member
    It was over two years after my twins before I finally left Zombieland and joined the human race again, much less thought about working out. Took about two plus more years before my skin finally snapped back. At 27%, you're in a fairly good place, especially if it's only been just over a year. Are you sure it's not skin issues more that body fat issues? If so, lifting will help smooth it out. Nightly massages that increase blood flow to the area will help some too.
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