I have no clue what I am doing anymore!
dakotababy
Posts: 2,407 Member
I am 5'7, currently 155lbs. I have went from 250lbs over the last 3 years.
My body is currently really flabby in my stomach area (still fat), but I want to get more of a ripped look, lower my BF%. So I am in a deficit right now, lifting weights with cardio.
How do I start to lower my bf% without continuing to lose weight on the scale? Do I stay in a deficit or just hit maintenance? I will attach a photo as soon as I can.
My body is currently really flabby in my stomach area (still fat), but I want to get more of a ripped look, lower my BF%. So I am in a deficit right now, lifting weights with cardio.
How do I start to lower my bf% without continuing to lose weight on the scale? Do I stay in a deficit or just hit maintenance? I will attach a photo as soon as I can.
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Replies
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I dont know how to turn that right side up
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Eat at maintenance or a small defecit (-250 cals max) and a progressive compound lifting programme...and expect it to take a while0
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What would be a good weight to even stop at? I know I hear a lot about "focus on inches and how your clothes fit, not the scale". At 155lbs, I am at the high end of healthy according to BMI. I just have no clue when to stop my focus on a deficit/weight loss and focus more on inches/BF%0
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No Idea ..I'm 5'8, my target was 165, I'm currently 160-162 and struggling to know when to stop0
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This is tricky because you either:
Go on a deficit- lose body fat therefore lose kg.
Surplus- Gain muscle and a little fat.
To be honest, I recommend you sticking to one goal (deficit or surplus) and work on that then the other. It's faster and its easier.0 -
#1
First decide on your weight goal - that determines if you eat at maintenance or deficit.
#2
If you want to look like an athlete you are going to have to train like an athlete. "lifting weights with cardio" doesn't really give any clues to what you are doing. What are you doing in detail? What do you enjoy? What facilities can you use? Any restrictions on what you can do?
#3
You want to reduce BF - the quickest way is a calorie deficit (see #1). With not much to lose you would want a small deficit/slow weight loss.
#4
What is your timescale? Happy with slow and patient or want to see results quicker?
By the way losing 95lbs is one hell of an achievement so try to keep your success in mind and not focus on what you see as problem areas. I'm all for continuous improvement but keep some perspective as well.
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prasadsurve wrote: »
Eating at deficit produces a reduction in body mass... There isn't enough calorie to build muscles because it requires a surplus not a deficit. At best she will maintain muscle mass and lose body fat resulting in a smaller number on the scale which she doesn't want...
Wondering if it is really not wanting to lose anymore weight on the scale or just not wanting to get any smaller????? I'm there myself, but honestly if I gain muscle and some how manage to have a smaller number on the scale (currently 133lbs) then so be it... I doubt that will happen though. I myself started lifting weights about a month or so ago so most days I eat more calories than I have been for the last year, I still do my cardio but it is more like 30 minutes cardio, 1 1/2 hours of weights... on days that I don't work out I stay at my calorie goal. This is working for me, I am seeing definition in my arms, legs and even my belly has little muscles starting to show
It's a slow process so don't try to rush it, and concentrate on the inches not the scale... who cares what that number says, if you are healthy that's all that matters. 0 -
prasadsurve wrote: »
Eating at deficit produces a reduction in body mass... There isn't enough calorie to build muscles because it requires a surplus not a deficit. At best she will maintain muscle mass and lose body fat resulting in a smaller number on the scale which she doesn't want...
Building muscles requires adequate nutrition including calories - it does not need a surplus.
There may well be a difference in speed of results but recomp while maintaining weight is entirely possible, it's worked for me.0 -
mandychowx wrote: »This is tricky because you either:
Go on a deficit- lose body fat therefore lose kg.
Surplus- Gain muscle and a little fat.
To be honest, I recommend you sticking to one goal (deficit or surplus) and work on that then the other. It's faster and its easier.
Or eat maintenance, lift heavy, lose fat and gain muscle. This is the route I'm going.0 -
You look great for all the weight you've lost. I'd post this to the forum for people who are trying to gain muscle.
A lot of people on the 'gaining weight' forum are trying to do that.0 -
set MFP for .5 pound per week loss
eat to that number
get on a structured lifting program like starting strength, strong lifts, etc
do cardio on off lifting days if you want
when you get to 18-20% body fat then do a bulk.
OR
eat at maintenance and do a recomp for six months and see how you like the results….
those are your options..
it is not that complicated0 -
set MFP for .5 pound per week loss
eat to that number
get on a structured lifting program like starting strength, strong lifts, etc
do cardio on off lifting days if you want
when you get to 18-20% body fat then do a bulk.
OR
eat at maintenance and do a recomp for six months and see how you like the results….
those are your options..
it is not that complicated
Okay, so if I am understanding this correctly - I want to focus on the body fat now? Get down to 18% in a deficit (while still lifting) and then re-evaluate? That is the thing, I hear about some females to are just as tall as me, weight MORE THAN ME, but have muscles that would have you guessing they weigh waaaaay less than me.0 -
#1
First decide on your weight goal - that determines if you eat at maintenance or deficit.
#2
If you want to look like an athlete you are going to have to train like an athlete. "lifting weights with cardio" doesn't really give any clues to what you are doing. What are you doing in detail? What do you enjoy? What facilities can you use? Any restrictions on what you can do?
#3
You want to reduce BF - the quickest way is a calorie deficit (see #1). With not much to lose you would want a small deficit/slow weight loss.
#4
What is your timescale? Happy with slow and patient or want to see results quicker?
By the way losing 95lbs is one hell of an achievement so try to keep your success in mind and not focus on what you see as problem areas. I'm all for continuous improvement but keep some perspective as well.
I will answer all of this!
1 - My question was originally - how do I know what weight I want to be at? I could go down to 130lbs, or stay where I am. Is it better to keep losing weight to keep getting rid of the body fat?...I just want to avoid the skinny fat look as much as possible. Really, I think I would be happy where I am at, except my stomach is still carrying so much damn fat on it. In fact, my arms and legs are all "tight" its just that mid section.
2 - I have my gym membership, which I stopped going in December. I typically used the machines (just saying I have access to this option). I am currently using my barbell at home and doing squats, dead lifts, cleans, overhead, chest press. I also recently have done Insanity. I am doing les mills combat now, along with my barbell workouts 3-4x per week. 30 mins cardio, 30 mins lifting. I would say I prefer cardio, but I dont mind doing lifting since I notice some difference in my body comp (mainly my arms at this point).
3 - Thank you for the straight forward answer
4 - No timescale, I have been at this for 3 years. I just want to make sure I am going in the right direction. I just dont want to stick to a deficit and doing cardio, get skinny fat and then realize I should have been lifting more/maintaining.
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First off, congrats on losing 100 pounds! That's amazing. Second, I don't think your stomach looks flabby. Third, what is there might be lose skin, not fat, and that might be something that just takes time to retract. Sometimes it doesn't completely go away, depending on age, genetics, etc.
If you're happy with your overall size, and just want to tighten things up a bit, I'd eat at or just below maintenance with heavy lifting, and see how you feel after a couple months.0 -
Timorous_Beastie wrote: »First off, congrats on losing 100 pounds! That's amazing. Second, I don't think your stomach looks flabby. Third, what is there might be lose skin, not fat, and that might be something that just takes time to retract. Sometimes it doesn't completely go away, depending on age, genetics, etc.
If you're happy with your overall size, and just want to tighten things up a bit, I'd eat at or just below maintenance with heavy lifting, and see how you feel after a couple months.
Thank you for your reply. It definately is not loose skin..as it does not hang all that much, but you sure could grab at it by the handful! It is very thick still too...like "rolls". Everywhere else is looking great, just the stomach area is not tightening at all, though through my measurements I have lost inches, but there is just no muscle showing.
I am thinking I will just continue with a deficit and lifting and hopefully my stomach will just work its self out.0 -
...it came out to 155lbs. with 18% BF
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nm0
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OKAY! Awesome, thank you, I will save this equation (which, BTW you did not include last time - Just the pictures) this is exactly what I wanted. I will aim for about 130lbs.
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Keep in mind that hitting 130 pounds doesnt mean you also hit 18% body fat... It assumes you do not lose any muscle mass at all - meaning you should not eat at a large deficit to get down there quickly (as that is more likely to cause muscle loss I think) . So shoot for 18% body fat as your primary goal, knowing that you will probably end up around 130 pounds, but dont make the 130 pounds your primary goal... does that make sense? Small deficit and heavy lifting to lose fat slowly and minimize muscle loss/maintain muscle.0
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Keep in mind that hitting 130 pounds doesnt mean you also hit 18% body fat... It assumes you do not lose any muscle mass at all - meaning you should not eat at a large deficit to get down there quickly (as that is more likely to cause muscle loss I think) . So shoot for 18% body fat as your primary goal, knowing that you will probably end up around 130 pounds, but dont make the 130 pounds your primary goal... does that make sense? Small deficit and heavy lifting to lose fat slowly and minimize muscle loss/maintain muscle.
I had the exact same thought, because I am the same height (5'7) and currently weigh 132, and I sure don't have 18% body fat.0 -
Keep in mind that hitting 130 pounds doesnt mean you also hit 18% body fat... It assumes you do not lose any muscle mass at all - meaning you should not eat at a large deficit to get down there quickly (as that is more likely to cause muscle loss I think) . So shoot for 18% body fat as your primary goal, knowing that you will probably end up around 130 pounds, but dont make the 130 pounds your primary goal... does that make sense? Small deficit and heavy lifting to lose fat slowly and minimize muscle loss/maintain muscle.
Yes, Basically I am just going to keep doing what I am doing until I get to around 130lbs. I realize that the numbers are never perfect, and I will have to re-evaluate as I go (which is what I am doing right now at my current weight).
I think part of it for me too is people saying "you dont have much left to lose" and I just feel like saying "do you want to see my stomach?" Basically causing me to question my goal weight. But ultimately, it is the bf% I want. Also, I guess I wanted an idea of if I am even going in the right direction and when I can expect to get where I want to be.
I dont want to end up being that girl that just keeps on losing expecting my stomach to disappear when I am not focusing on the right goal.
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Good for you for being reasonable. Use the mirror to reevaluate occasionally. I got to 130 pounds when I was about 25% body fat, then "recomped" over 8 months - weight stayed right around 130 but I got to 17% body fat (dexa scan). I was "bony" actually... So I spent the winter gaining 6-7 pounds on purpose while still lifting. I got back up to about 21% body fat. I am now trying to very slowly lose about 3-4 pounds to get down to the 18-19% range. I like looking "athletic" but I didnt like "bony". So trying to find a balance, and honestly whatever weight that ends up being is fine by me. I dont wear my weight or clothing size on the outside so people can see - they see my body, so that is what I care about how it looks to others (and myself
).
Funny side note - at 130 pounds and 17% body fat, my father insisted I had to be under 100 pounds and was worried about me I had to get on a scale in front of him to prove I am not "unhealthy" weight by any means. And I am 43 years old (5'5")! So the number on the scale is completely irrelevant, especially once you start getting more muscle.
In these pics, the bottom two are only 15 pounds different. Yet size went from 10/12 to 4/6. Top pics were just losing weight with no muscle training. Basically I looked like a smaller version of my fat self - still fat (no muscle) just smaller. All the lumps still there. Muscle changes your whole body shape, besides helping lose fat.
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dakotababy wrote: »set MFP for .5 pound per week loss
eat to that number
get on a structured lifting program like starting strength, strong lifts, etc
do cardio on off lifting days if you want
when you get to 18-20% body fat then do a bulk.
OR
eat at maintenance and do a recomp for six months and see how you like the results….
those are your options..
it is not that complicated
Okay, so if I am understanding this correctly - I want to focus on the body fat now? Get down to 18% in a deficit (while still lifting) and then re-evaluate? That is the thing, I hear about some females to are just as tall as me, weight MORE THAN ME, but have muscles that would have you guessing they weigh waaaaay less than me.
why are you basing YOUR goals on what OTHER people look like who obviously have different eating and training regimens then you do?
you need to choose a goal, stick to it, and then when you hit said goal re-assess…
so what is more important to you..
lose more body fat?
maintain and do a recomp?
do a bulk and add muscle?
pick one, do it, and then re-assess…
all you are doing right now is spinning your wheels...0 -
dakotababy wrote: »set MFP for .5 pound per week loss
eat to that number
get on a structured lifting program like starting strength, strong lifts, etc
do cardio on off lifting days if you want
when you get to 18-20% body fat then do a bulk.
OR
eat at maintenance and do a recomp for six months and see how you like the results….
those are your options..
it is not that complicated
Okay, so if I am understanding this correctly - I want to focus on the body fat now? Get down to 18% in a deficit (while still lifting) and then re-evaluate? That is the thing, I hear about some females to are just as tall as me, weight MORE THAN ME, but have muscles that would have you guessing they weigh waaaaay less than me.
We are all different. I'm 5'7" and I think I look 'thick' if I go over 127lb.
I've bulked and love it but there's no way I could feel comfortable with more than 135lb of mass, whatever it is made up of.
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Springfield1970 wrote: »dakotababy wrote: »set MFP for .5 pound per week loss
eat to that number
get on a structured lifting program like starting strength, strong lifts, etc
do cardio on off lifting days if you want
when you get to 18-20% body fat then do a bulk.
OR
eat at maintenance and do a recomp for six months and see how you like the results….
those are your options..
it is not that complicated
Okay, so if I am understanding this correctly - I want to focus on the body fat now? Get down to 18% in a deficit (while still lifting) and then re-evaluate? That is the thing, I hear about some females to are just as tall as me, weight MORE THAN ME, but have muscles that would have you guessing they weigh waaaaay less than me.
We are all different. I'm 5'7" and I think I look 'thick' if I go over 127lb.
I've bulked and love it but there's no way I could feel comfortable with more than 135lb of mass, whatever it is made up of.
@Springfield1970 Finally someone else my height who is a similar weight! I am currently at 133 and still have a significant muffin top, I think my goal is really around 127=129, with an increase in muscle mass too.0 -
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dakotababy wrote: »I am 5'7, currently 155lbs. I have went from 250lbs over the last 3 years.
My body is currently really flabby in my stomach area (still fat), but I want to get more of a ripped look, lower my BF%. So I am in a deficit right now, lifting weights with cardio.
How do I start to lower my bf% without continuing to lose weight on the scale? Do I stay in a deficit or just hit maintenance? I will attach a photo as soon as I can.
If you are in a sustained deficit, you will lose weight regardless of whether you lift or not. If you don't want to lose weight but want to improve body composition, eat at maintenance or a slight surplus and lift.
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