I still have a lot of body fat despite major weight loss??
AcerPink23
Posts: 7 Member
Hope my question isn't confusing. I started off at exactly 300 pounds, and after a year and a half, I am now 190. I know I still have about 40-50 pounds to be at a healthy/goal weight, but something I don't understand is that I still seem to have A LOT of fat on my body despite over 100 pounds lost. I admit I don't exercise as much as I should, I go for a 60 minute walk twice a week, and that is all the exercise I've been doing through out my entire weight loss.
Majority of my weight is in my stomach and thighs, you can tell a difference, but not by as much as I would expect to see for as much weight as I've lost. I've had a few mistakes, but for the most part I've been following the diet carefully.
I've been told maybe I'm not eating enough protein or I should start building muscle? Hopefully I can get help here. What could I be doing wrong?
Majority of my weight is in my stomach and thighs, you can tell a difference, but not by as much as I would expect to see for as much weight as I've lost. I've had a few mistakes, but for the most part I've been following the diet carefully.
I've been told maybe I'm not eating enough protein or I should start building muscle? Hopefully I can get help here. What could I be doing wrong?
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I'd say it comes down to a few things working together against you
1. Probably not consuming adequate protein while losing weight.
2. Probably did not utilize strength training while losing a large amount of weight.
3. Probably ran too high of a calorie deficit and lost weight too fast causing a high rate of muscle loss.0 -
Because you cnat spot reduce, so it comes off where it comes off. As you arent doing resistance, then part of your loss will be muscle and you risk the danger of being skinny fat as and when you get to goal. You are highly unlikely to build muscle, but you do resistance to help you preserve the muscle you have left.0
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I'd say it comes down to a few things working together against you
1. Probably not consuming adequate protein while losing weight.
2. Probably did not utilize strength training while losing a large amount of weight.
3. Probably ran too high of a calorie deficit and lost weight too fast causing a high rate of muscle loss.
They need a like or up it button.
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Thank you for your help. I definitely have not done any strength training during my journey, just cardio twice a week. I've been eating enough calories I don't think I've created too much of a deficit, I lost around 120 pounds in a year and a half I'm not sure if that was too quickly?
I eat about 60g of protein and I'm 190 pounds, thats the amount I was given. But I guess muscle loss sounds like it could be a possible problem.
How do I prevent further muscle loss? Should I start strength training?0 -
I'd say it comes down to a few things working together against you
1. Probably not consuming adequate protein while losing weight.
2. Probably did not utilize strength training while losing a large amount of weight.
3. Probably ran too high of a calorie deficit and lost weight too fast causing a high rate of muscle loss.
Agreed. These are probably the three largest contributors to this phenomenon for those that focus only on scale weight. Speaking as someone who's come from the century club themselves, I can also say that if you have loose skin, it can serve to give the appearance of fat, or exaggerate the appearance of how much fat is still on your body. How are you measuring your body fat? Electrical impedance? Bodpod? Calipers/pinch test? Looking in the mirror?0 -
From what I understand (if I'm wrong, any of the more knowledgeable members feel free to school me
) and this is put really simple, but while you're in a caloric deficit, your body is basically eating itself alive.
If you're not getting enough protein from your food sources, your body is going to eat your muscles to make up for it.
Likewise, if you're not using your muscles (from strength training, etc.) your body is going to think, "Cool, I don't really need these. Guess I'm free to eat them!
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AcerPink23 wrote: »Thank you for your help. I definitely have not done any strength training during my journey, just cardio twice a week. I've been eating enough calories I don't think I've created too much of a deficit, I lost around 120 pounds in a year and a half I'm not sure if that was too quickly?
I eat about 60g of protein and I'm 190 pounds, thats the amount I was given. But I guess muscle loss sounds like it could be a possible problem.
How do I prevent further muscle loss? Should I start strength training?
60g is much, much too low, especially if you're trying to lose weight. You should be consuming a minimum of 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass on your body, in order to retain lean body mass while reducing your body fat.0 -
OP, how tall are you?0
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I am 5'7 190 pounds.
60g is the calculation I got from my nutritionist when I started. I eat 4 smaller meals a day and 60g is usually what I fit in within those meals. How much protein do y'all recommend I should be having?0 -
I'd say it comes down to a few things working together against you
1. Probably not consuming adequate protein while losing weight.
2. Probably did not utilize strength training while losing a large amount of weight.
3. Probably ran too high of a calorie deficit and lost weight too fast causing a high rate of muscle loss.
All of this. Fat comes off where it wants to come off. You are unlikely to build significant muscle while in a deficit, so focus right now on hitting a good protein goal per day, and lowering your weight loss down to 1lb/1.5lb a week now that you are closer to your goal.0 -
AcerPink23 wrote: »I am 5'7 190 pounds.
60g is the calculation I got from my nutritionist when I started. I eat 4 smaller meals a day and 60g is usually what I fit in within those meals. How much protein do y'all recommend I should be having?
Congrats on the loss. But yes, at 190 and 5'7" you are still over weight, so yes, you will still see fat.
The others are mentioning strength training/losing muscle. It's not too late to start saving LBM now. You can use a body weight program if not a lifting program.0 -
These. Absolutely these, though from her description I'm not entirely convinced #3 applies here.AJ_G wrote:I'd say it comes down to a few things working together against you
1. Probably not consuming adequate protein while losing weight.
2. Probably did not utilize strength training while losing a large amount of weight.
3. Probably ran too high of a calorie deficit and lost weight too fast causing a high rate of muscle loss.
2 hours of walking a week isn't much exercise, and certainly hasn't prevented muscle loss.
It would have been much easier to keep them than to rebuild them, but start where you are now.
At the very least, do body weight exercises (see youtube or google) twice a week. If you have access to
a gym and weight machines or free weights, head there.
This calculator will tell you not only your BMI, but how many calories and how many servings of the food
groups to eat to maintain that weight.
If you enter your healthy goal weight, or play with it to get the BMI in the healthy range (18 - 24.9), this
will help you plan your food intake.
https://www.bcm.edu/cnrc-apps/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html
Or you can just look at the calories it tells you, and play with the macros.
Here's a table explaining the healthy ranges for macros, from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/88/1/1/T1.expansion.html
carbs, 45 - 65% of calories (4 cal per gram)
fat, 20 - 35% of calories (9 cal per gram)
protein, 10 - 35% of calories (4 cal per gram)
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AcerPink23 wrote: »I am 5'7 190 pounds.
60g is the calculation I got from my nutritionist when I started. I eat 4 smaller meals a day and 60g is usually what I fit in within those meals. How much protein do y'all recommend I should be having?
I'm 138 and strive for 120-140g a day. Also, lift weights, to help maintain muscle mass.0 -
So I should be consuming 190g or so of protein?
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AcerPink23 wrote: »So I should be consuming 190g or so of protein?
150 +, yes0 -
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http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/how-much-protein-per-day/AcerPink23 wrote: »So I should be consuming 190g or so of protein?0 -
I am not sure I can incorporate so much more protein in my meals? That seems really difficult to do. Currently I'm eating about 1700 calories within my 4 meals, if I would add so much more protein I would go way over my calorie limit right?0
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AcerPink23 wrote: »I am not sure I can incorporate so much more protein in my meals? That seems really difficult to do. Currently I'm eating about 1700 calories within my 4 meals, if I would add so much more protein I would go way over my calorie limit right?
Nope. Can you open your diary?0 -
Maybe you had overestimate your muscle mass. I was 205 and now I'm 183. I'm still chubby, despite the weight loss, but my strenght has increased.0
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AcerPink23 wrote: »I am not sure I can incorporate so much more protein in my meals? That seems really difficult to do. Currently I'm eating about 1700 calories within my 4 meals, if I would add so much more protein I would go way over my calorie limit right?
I can get 150 in 1200-1500 calories. Like Lis said, we can help a little if you open your diary.0 -
I've lost over 200 pounds so far. Sorry to say, my doctor says that sagging skin is here to stay unless you get plastic surgery. I've also been to a plastic surgeon to see about a panneculectomy to remove the hanging stomach skin/fat and it's not covered by most insurances. Yes, it's unsightly, but still easier to lug around than being at a top weight. You've done well -- be proud of your accomplishment!!0
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Lots of good thoughts above.
Another thing to think about is your body shape (genetically determined). If female is a normal body weight they might be pear shaped or apple shaped or whatever, ie their body tends to store fat in their bottom or hips (pear), or tends to store in tummy and arms (apples). Once you put on enough weight that you are up to 300 pounds, the body is storing weight everywhere so it is less obvious what your shape is. Once your weight is down in the overweight category you might start to see your shape again.
I am an apple and I can lose 10kg and still have the same waist measurement but have smaller hips and thighs. Then I drop below a certain weight and bang 5cm comes off my waist. Then nothing happens for ages, lose another 8kg and lose cm off my waist. So maybe that is where you are at and the last of your weight is hanging about your tummy and thighs and they will get smaller as you lose your last bunch of weight.
I know for me, the places I gain weight first are the places I lose weight from last.0 -
@arditarose Thank you for your help. Can you give an example of your daily meals so I can understand a little more? thanks0
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AcerPink23 wrote: »@arditarose Thank you for your help. Can you give an example of your daily meals so I can understand a little more? thanks
I eat a protein bar for breakfast, meat in my salad for lunch, along with a greek yogurt, another snack later in the day that has at least 10-20 grams of protein (cottage cheese, protein chips, etc), and meat at dinner again. You can look at my diary, it's open.0 -
AcerPink23 wrote: »So I should be consuming 190g or so of protein?
No. To calculate your protein you need to use you weight in kg x .8 (190/2.2=86, 86*.8=69. So 69 is the minimum you should take in. If you increase your exercise or start strength training, you can increase it 86*1.2=103.0 -
I bet if you incorporate some strength training (bodyweight exercises are the most convenient) you would see some changes in your body composition. A great resource for information on this is nerdfitness.com
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AcerPink23 wrote: »So I should be consuming 190g or so of protein?
No. To calculate your protein you need to use you weight in kg x .8 (190/2.2=86, 86*.8=69. So 69 is the minimum you should take in. If you increase your exercise or start strength training, you can increase it 86*1.2=103.
Nope, it's .8* bodyweight in pounds, as referenced by the posters above.0 -
barbecuesauce wrote: »AcerPink23 wrote: »So I should be consuming 190g or so of protein?
No. To calculate your protein you need to use you weight in kg x .8 (190/2.2=86, 86*.8=69. So 69 is the minimum you should take in. If you increase your exercise or start strength training, you can increase it 86*1.2=103.
Nope, it's .8* bodyweight in pounds, as referenced by the posters above.
It is not based on pounds, it is based on kg. This is based on the DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) which is the standard used in the USA & Canada.0 -
I had a crap-ton of fat to lose starting at 204 ... not far from where you are now. It didn't really disappear until below 160.
The fact is: you still have a lot of fat to lose.
So what? Nothing strange or unusual.
Carry on with losing it, right?0
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