High percentage of body fat, please HELP!
RainbowInTheDark
Posts: 37 Member
Hello again MFP friends.
I have very high percentage of fat (40%) and i would love if any of you could help me, because i have no idea what to do.
Let me explain my situation first so you can understand better. I'm a female, almost 29, started my journey at 220+ lb about 3 years ago and i've stopped at 190+ few months later. Until this summer, where i started again but did a whole lifestyle change and started eating healthy. I'm not done yet, at the moment i weigh about 149lb and my goal is around 123lbs.
I own one of those devices which calculate BMI and body fat, which i know it's not the most accurate thing ever but i decided to use it anyway. My BMI is normal right now, but the device showed 40% body fat, which is insane and shocked me.
I do not excersise to be completely honest (dancing every now and then but that's pretty much it). I've been reading online about high body fat and most people said diet it's the most effective way to reduce it, and obviously training to build muscle which i definetely need.
Is it possible that when i lose my last 25pounds my body fat will drop to a more acceptable percentage, or i need to do something ASAP for it?
I am kind of freaking out, any help would be extremely appreciated.
I have very high percentage of fat (40%) and i would love if any of you could help me, because i have no idea what to do.
Let me explain my situation first so you can understand better. I'm a female, almost 29, started my journey at 220+ lb about 3 years ago and i've stopped at 190+ few months later. Until this summer, where i started again but did a whole lifestyle change and started eating healthy. I'm not done yet, at the moment i weigh about 149lb and my goal is around 123lbs.
I own one of those devices which calculate BMI and body fat, which i know it's not the most accurate thing ever but i decided to use it anyway. My BMI is normal right now, but the device showed 40% body fat, which is insane and shocked me.
I do not excersise to be completely honest (dancing every now and then but that's pretty much it). I've been reading online about high body fat and most people said diet it's the most effective way to reduce it, and obviously training to build muscle which i definetely need.
Is it possible that when i lose my last 25pounds my body fat will drop to a more acceptable percentage, or i need to do something ASAP for it?
I am kind of freaking out, any help would be extremely appreciated.
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Replies
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What device are you using? It may be that the bf % is way off..
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This one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Omron-BF306-Body-Composition-Monitor/dp/B000178RVG
I hope it's not against the rules that i'm posting this.0 -
RainbowInTheDark wrote: »This one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Omron-BF306-Body-Composition-Monitor/dp/B000178RVG
I hope it's not against the rules that i'm posting this.
You will not get an accurate BF% from those.
Short of getting a DEXA scan or hydrostatic test, the best method is to go by what you see in the mirror.
If you still feel/look like you have a high BF%, you'll want to ensure you're lifting weights while you continue your weight loss. The goal here is to encourage the body (as much as possible) to shed fat instead of lean mass while you drop weight.
Once you're at or near your goal weight, then you can either do a recomp or up your calories to a small surplus and try to build back a bit of muscle.0 -
40% at 149lb seems high. I mean, it could be possible, but is unlikely.
Anyways, those types of units is bio-electrical impedance, which can vary wildly depending on hydration level. If you drank a huge bottle of water before using it, BF% will be unrealistically high. If you wait until after you sweat it out with an exercise it'll be unrealistically low. The tool can be useful, but you have to understand the limitations of the tool and how to use it to get the best results. A single reading is generally meaningless.
What you can do, is use a mirror and a tape measure and you'll probably get a more accurate picture of BF%.
If you want to reduce BF%, then at this point what you need to do is lose fat (eat at a deficit) and maintain/build muscle (eat sufficient protein and do resistance training).0 -
Thank you very much, this is very helpfull.juggernaut1974 wrote: »If you still feel/look like you have a high BF%, you'll want to ensure you're lifting weights while you continue your weight loss. The goal here is to encourage the body (as much as possible) to shed fat instead of lean mass while you drop weight.
Once you're at or near your goal weight, then you can either do a recomp or up your calories to a small surplus and try to build back a bit of muscle.
I am doing this as i type and i will update with the result. I have one question though, just incase anyone knows. Where do i measure my waist? I've read people say that i'm supposed to measure the narrowest part of my waist while others say to do it where my bellybutton is.nordlead2005 wrote: »What you can do, is use a mirror and a tape measure and you'll probably get a more accurate picture of BF%.
If you want to reduce BF%, then at this point what you need to do is lose fat (eat at a deficit) and maintain/build muscle (eat sufficient protein and do resistance training).
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As has been stated, those machines are not accurate. But let's say that it is accurate...
At 149 lbs and 40% body fat, that means you have 59 pounds of body fat. If you were to lose 26 pounds of fat (which is extremely optimistic, as losing weight without losing LBM is pretty much impossible, but let's look at this anyway) you would have 33 pounds of fat on a 123 pound frame. That would put you at 27% body fat, which is within the healthy range for a woman.
As I said, it is impossible to lose only fat while dieting. I've never read anything showing what the fat:lean loss ratio is likely to be but it is commonly accepted that doing some sort of resistance training and eating sufficient amounts of protein will maximize it.
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Compare yourself to photos on the internet of different BF percentages - it is likely more accurate than your device.
OR ...
How tall are you ? An "ideal" body weight for females that includes the healthy minimum 13% fat is ~ 1.75 pounds per inch. You can figure out your BF% from there.
Lastly, and probably the question you really want answered: Continue to lose weight and the fat will drop off too -- however much remains that you do not want. Just be sure to eat a varied, nutritious diet to stay healthy. That means vegetables, a multi-vitamin a day for good luck, and at least 0.7 grams/Kg lean body weight a day of protein.0 -
First of all getting you to 123lbs would not just be losing 26lbs of BF - you can't just lose BF . . . it doesn't work like that; you might lose some muscle mass or LBM in there too, depending on your habits. Your body breaks down like this (if you truly have 40% BF, which I'm not sure you do but we'll go with it)
Total Weight: 149 lbs
Lean Mass: 60% of 149lbs, or 89.40 lbs
Fat Mass: 40% of 149 lbs, or 59.60lbs
These aren't exact, but just a rough estimate. It's possible you have a higher percentage of body fat because you haven't been working out than someone with the same total weight does . . . how tall are you? Here's how I compare - which I know I have a way different frame than you, but for comparison.
Height: 5'10
Weight: 250 lbs aprox
Lean Mass: 56 % of 250lbs, or 140 lbs
Fat Mass: 44% of 250lbs, or 110 lbs
So I'm a lot bigger than you are, but I have a large amount of muscle on me. I have 50lbs more lean body mass than you do and I'm potentially taller. As someone else said, losing just that weight in fat mass would leave you at 27% BF which is totally normal for a woman but it's difficult to lose just fat. So for me, I would have 22% BF if I weight 180 lbs approximately. And that's not gaining anymore muscle . . . which I do a lot of heavy lifting so I'm trying to gain muscle . . . I also run, but that's neither here nor there.
Also, what you read about fat mass and cleaning up your diet is very true: if you want to increase your lean mass work out, if you want to decrease your fat mass clean up what you eat.
If you can work out, it would definitely help you. Women don't gain a lot of muscle and we gain it at a much slower rate than men, but increasing your LBM will definitely help to decrease the percentage of fat mass you have in your total body weight.
Good luck
ETA: I started at 340+ lbs, so I know I still have a long way to go but even if I've gained 10lbs of muscle in 3 years . . . I would have started out with almost 62% BF, as a rough guess. It takes time, but it's worth it.0 -
Thank you all.
I'm 167cm which is around 5'4 or 5'5 (not really sure).
I definetely have fat to lose still, i can tell just by looking at my self.
I follow a pretty healthy diet i believe,which is very effective so far for me, i eat mostly veggies with some lean meat or fish, and legumes. All my meals are boiled or steamed, i don't eat white bread/rice/pasta. I usually have 1 tbsp worth of sugar daily for my cup of coffee and that's pretty much it for drinks, no sodas or alcohol, maybe a cup of green tea here and there.
I'm pretty new to nutrition, so i'm definetely doing some things wrong, i'm trying to do the best i can with my knowledge, and mfp community has helped tons with that.
Which foods you would suggest for protein? Meat?
I did the measuring tape body fat calculator, and result were 25%bf when measuring the narrowest waist part, 30% when measuring the area were my waist is largest.
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acorsaut89 wrote: »First of all getting you to 123lbs would not just be losing 26lbs of BF - you can't just lose BF . . . it doesn't work like that; you might lose some muscle mass or LBM in there too, depending on your habits. Your body breaks down like this (if you truly have 40% BF, which I'm not sure you do but we'll go with it)
Total Weight: 149 lbs
Lean Mass: 60% of 149lbs, or 89.40 lbs
Fat Mass: 40% of 149 lbs, or 59.60lbs
These aren't exact, but just a rough estimate. It's possible you have a higher percentage of body fat because you haven't been working out than someone with the same total weight does . . . how tall are you? Here's how I compare - which I know I have a way different frame than you, but for comparison.
Height: 5'10
Weight: 250 lbs aprox
Lean Mass: 56 % of 250lbs, or 140 lbs
Fat Mass: 44% of 250lbs, or 110 lbs
So I'm a lot bigger than you are, but I have a large amount of muscle on me. I have 50lbs more lean body mass than you do and I'm potentially taller. As someone else said, losing just that weight in fat mass would leave you at 27% BF which is totally normal for a woman but it's difficult to lose just fat. So for me, I would have 22% BF if I weight 180 lbs approximately. And that's not gaining anymore muscle . . . which I do a lot of heavy lifting so I'm trying to gain muscle . . . I also run, but that's neither here nor there.
Also, what you read about fat mass and cleaning up your diet is very true: if you want to increase your lean mass work out, if you want to decrease your fat mass clean up what you eat.
If you can work out, it would definitely help you. Women don't gain a lot of muscle and we gain it at a much slower rate than men, but increasing your LBM will definitely help to decrease the percentage of fat mass you have in your total body weight.
Good luck
ETA: I started at 340+ lbs, so I know I still have a long way to go but even if I've gained 10lbs of muscle in 3 years . . . I would have started out with almost 62% BF, as a rough guess. It takes time, but it's worth it.
Thank you very much for the reply! Helps a lot understanding how this works. I'm not expecting to just lose fat, but i wanted to see if reaching my goal weight would get me to a somewhat acceptable bf percentage!
Your story is very inspiring, thank you for sharing! I admire people like you that excersise and honestly gives me motivation to start doing it my self.
I'm no expert but i do think that i have a pretty petite build, hard to explain in english, but i can tell that i dont have a large frame, my bones are small? if that makes any sence. So my weight might seem normal BMI wise, but for me it's still a lot of weight when i look in the mirror. I might be wrong and i hope i make sence, excuse my poor english.0 -
RainbowInTheDark wrote: »acorsaut89 wrote: »First of all getting you to 123lbs would not just be losing 26lbs of BF - you can't just lose BF . . . it doesn't work like that; you might lose some muscle mass or LBM in there too, depending on your habits. Your body breaks down like this (if you truly have 40% BF, which I'm not sure you do but we'll go with it)
Total Weight: 149 lbs
Lean Mass: 60% of 149lbs, or 89.40 lbs
Fat Mass: 40% of 149 lbs, or 59.60lbs
These aren't exact, but just a rough estimate. It's possible you have a higher percentage of body fat because you haven't been working out than someone with the same total weight does . . . how tall are you? Here's how I compare - which I know I have a way different frame than you, but for comparison.
Height: 5'10
Weight: 250 lbs aprox
Lean Mass: 56 % of 250lbs, or 140 lbs
Fat Mass: 44% of 250lbs, or 110 lbs
So I'm a lot bigger than you are, but I have a large amount of muscle on me. I have 50lbs more lean body mass than you do and I'm potentially taller. As someone else said, losing just that weight in fat mass would leave you at 27% BF which is totally normal for a woman but it's difficult to lose just fat. So for me, I would have 22% BF if I weight 180 lbs approximately. And that's not gaining anymore muscle . . . which I do a lot of heavy lifting so I'm trying to gain muscle . . . I also run, but that's neither here nor there.
Also, what you read about fat mass and cleaning up your diet is very true: if you want to increase your lean mass work out, if you want to decrease your fat mass clean up what you eat.
If you can work out, it would definitely help you. Women don't gain a lot of muscle and we gain it at a much slower rate than men, but increasing your LBM will definitely help to decrease the percentage of fat mass you have in your total body weight.
Good luck
ETA: I started at 340+ lbs, so I know I still have a long way to go but even if I've gained 10lbs of muscle in 3 years . . . I would have started out with almost 62% BF, as a rough guess. It takes time, but it's worth it.
Thank you very much for the reply! Helps a lot understanding how this works. I'm not expecting to just lose fat, but i wanted to see if reaching my goal weight would get me to a somewhat acceptable bf percentage!
Your story is very inspiring, thank you for sharing! I admire people like you that excersise and honestly gives me motivation to start doing it my self.
I'm no expert but i do think that i have a pretty petite build, hard to explain in english, but i can tell that i dont have a large frame, my bones are small? if that makes any sence. So my weight might seem normal BMI wise, but for me it's still a lot of weight when i look in the mirror. I might be wrong and i hope i make sence, excuse my poor english.
Some people naturally have smaller amounts of lean mass than others . . . your bones are actually going to be the same size as mine, roughly. Like my femur (the bone connecting your hip to your knee) will be longer because I'm taller. But your bones are relative to your size in the same way mine are. Being "big boned" is another way of saying frame size is different.
If you're only 5'4 and 149 is big for you then I'd say you are petite. I'm 5'10 and would be considered unhealthy if I weighed 149 lbs. Everyone is different.
But at the same time, I can squat 190lbs and deadlift 200lbs. But do what you do for you - exercising will bring up your LBM amount but just remember women don't gain like men do and it will take time, so don't get frustrated or give up good luck 0 -
This forum's logging function will add up protein for you.
167 cm is 5 feet , 5.75 inches0 -
A correction to my earlier post: lean body weight for OP (no fat at all) is around 105 pounds. So a weight of 150 puts her at 45/150 = 30% body fat. Somewhere around 15 more pounds of weight loss should put you in a pretty good place, which would be a BF% of mid twenties.
You are doing great OP.0 -
ericGold15 wrote: »A correction to my earlier post: lean body weight for OP (no fat at all) is around 105 pounds. So a weight of 150 puts her at 45/150 = 30% body fat. Somewhere around 15 more pounds of weight loss should put you in a pretty good place, which would be a BF% of mid twenties.
You are doing great OP.
Thank you very much.
I used an online converter for height, but i'm not familiar with feet at all, probably read it wrong.
I will try more protein for sure.0 -
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I tried the device on my boyfriend and it gave a high result too (28% i believe) which seems crazy to me, he is lean but has a lot of muscles. I can't see any visible fat on him whatsoever, he is 185cm tall and weighs 74kilos.that omron calculator is not acurate, i bought one that says im 25% bodyfat when im actually around 18-20% according to all the online calculators i tried, even the ones that ask you for basically all your measurements.
Now i just use that omron scale to track weight, not really bodyfat.
So you're definetely right, the results are not accurate.
I also tried many online calculators with my measurements and highest i got is 31%, most of them put me around 25-30%.
Thank you guys for all the responses, you helped me a lot.1 -
RainbowInTheDark wrote: »
I tried the device on my boyfriend and it gave a high result too (28% i believe) which seems crazy to me, he is lean but has a lot of muscles. I can't see any visible fat on him whatsoever, he is 185cm tall and weighs 74kilos.that omron calculator is not acurate, i bought one that says im 25% bodyfat when im actually around 18-20% according to all the online calculators i tried, even the ones that ask you for basically all your measurements.
Now i just use that omron scale to track weight, not really bodyfat.
So you're definetely right, the results are not accurate.
I also tried many online calculators with my measurements and highest i got is 31%, most of them put me around 25-30%.
Thank you guys for all the responses, you helped me a lot.
I think that those things have you change the profile based on sex. (I think, at least.) His reading may have been high due to it being set as female.0 -
No i did change it to male, set his age etc.RainbowInTheDark wrote: »
I tried the device on my boyfriend and it gave a high result too (28% i believe) which seems crazy to me, he is lean but has a lot of muscles. I can't see any visible fat on him whatsoever, he is 185cm tall and weighs 74kilos.that omron calculator is not acurate, i bought one that says im 25% bodyfat when im actually around 18-20% according to all the online calculators i tried, even the ones that ask you for basically all your measurements.
Now i just use that omron scale to track weight, not really bodyfat.
So you're definetely right, the results are not accurate.
I also tried many online calculators with my measurements and highest i got is 31%, most of them put me around 25-30%.
Thank you guys for all the responses, you helped me a lot.
I think that those things have you change the profile based on sex. (I think, at least.) His reading may have been high due to it being set as female.
We did it twice to be sure aswell
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I have a Aria FitBit scale that measures body fat % and weight. It is also WiFi and logs the readings to the fitbit app and MFP. Now before everyone chimes in that it is not accurate, its not that bad. when I got to my lowest weight it was at 15% and after I put a few pounds back on it is about 22%. My point is the change follows my weight (and size). I don't really care about the number so much as the trend. The logging is what allows me to scroll back a year and see "what was my fat % last year". The other part of your question about losing that last bit of weight, yes the fat % really drops fast when you get close to your ideal weight, just don't over do it. Good luck.0
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