Weight up, body fat down

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sblueyez
sblueyez Posts: 156 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I joined a gym some months ago and have been doing classes 4 nights per week plus sometimes a walk or lifting on my own during the weekend. Nearly all of my muscles were atrophied due to lack of use (desk job) when I started. I have since gained 10lbs. My body fat measurement was taken when I first started this journey 4 months ago. I have lost 6% body fat. I know I should be glad and I am happy to see that I'm more toned but I haven't needed to get smaller clothes and the scale has gone up. Has anyone been in this boat? Will I slim out eventually?

In case it matters: Classes are a mix of toning, compound weight training, TRX, HIIT and Zumba.

Any input from someone who has experienced similar issues would be appreciated.
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  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    How was your bodyfat % measured?
  • sblueyez
    sblueyez Posts: 156 Member
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    It was with a tape/calipers and handheld monitor by my trainer at the gym. It was part of the Polar BodyAge Assessment and also did my VO2 Max etc.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Are you tracking your food intake?
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    I'm going to go out on a limb and say that your body fat probably wasn't measured properly (probably both initially and the second time).

    If you aren't seeing a reduction in weight, measurements, clothes, etc. I'd say you aren't losing fat.

    Regardless, if this is what you're experiencing it comes down to the food you're eating. You are eating too many calories and are not in a deficit.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    Calorie deficit for weight loss, cardio and strength training for health and fitness
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    I do not have experience with this, but I'm wondering about weight accuracy. You know, everyone's weight naturally fluctuates so much during the day and day-to-day. Are you weighing at the exact same time every day and plotting a trend line? Or is it gym weigh ins? A little more info on that might help, too.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    I do not have experience with this, but I'm wondering about weight accuracy. You know, everyone's weight naturally fluctuates so much during the day and day-to-day. Are you weighing at the exact same time every day and plotting a trend line? Or is it gym weigh ins? A little more info on that might help, too.

    it's important to note that it has been a 4 month period of time. It should be a pretty clear trend at this point.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    You didn't mention anything about your diet? Are you maintaining a consistent caloric deficit, logging, weighing your food? What's your current intake level (calories)? Are you running a deficit or just counting on the exercise for the weight loss?
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,939 Member
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    A not recently trained individual who has sufficient available fat CAN gain muscle even at a deficit. Newbie gains are NOT impossible.

    Having said that... your 10lbs could be 5lbs or 15lbs. You haven't moved to smaller clothes... but you also haven't moved to larger clothes.

    sounds like you are performing a very slow bulk.
    i.e. that you are eating at a very slight degree above maintenance.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited January 2016
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    A not recently trained individual who has sufficient available fat CAN gain muscle even at a deficit. Newbie gains are NOT impossible....

    While that's true, 15+ pounds of muscle is far beyond "newbie gains". That would represent what a female eating at a solid surplus with optimal training could put on in about a year and a half. (I say 15+ pounds because she's listing a 10 pound gain plus a 6% loss in bodyfat, which would have to have been replaced by more muscle).

    Either way, I'd agree that she's eating at a surplus and the BF% measurement was probably inaccurate. There could also be anomalies involved with the consistency of weighing (was it done at the same time of day, on the same scale, wearing the same clothes, same hydration/feeding levels, etc.).
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,939 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    A not recently trained individual who has sufficient available fat CAN gain muscle even at a deficit. Newbie gains are NOT impossible....

    While that's true, 15+ pounds of muscle is far beyond "newbie gains". That would represent what a female eating at a solid surplus with optimal training could put on in about a year and a half. (I say 15+ pounds because she's listing a 10 pound gain plus a 6% loss in bodyfat, which would have to have been replaced by more muscle).

    Either way, I'd agree that she's eating at a surplus and the BF% measurement was probably inaccurate. There could also be anomalies involved with the consistency of weighing (was it done at the same time of day, on the same scale, wearing the same clothes, same hydration/feeding levels, etc.).

    We are in agreement.

    However I do not want her to go away with the impression that what she has been doing is not worthwhile, effective, and very good for her health.

    Now, depending on goals, she probably needs to control food intake a bit to change the slight surplus she is eating at into a slight deficit. And while she is at it, she may want to invest $0 in a trending weight application to better track her underlying weight level changes.

    web trendweight and weightgrapher
    android Libra
    iphone Happy Scale.
  • cthakkar1985
    cthakkar1985 Posts: 137 Member
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    My body fat % can fluctuate about ~4% in a given day. I use the Omron handheld monitor that you see at most gyms. My lowest reading is when I'm on a full stomach and fully hydrated, while the highest reading is early morning empty stomach. If I had to guess, I'd say you put on a little bit of muscle (newbie gains). Are you lifting a lot more weight then when you started i.e. have you gotten stronger? This would support my hypothesis. Is your goal to put on muscle or lose fat? If your goal is to continue putting on muscle, I'd say keep doing what you're doing. If you want to drop fat, you'll probably want to drop your calories (by eating less or burning more during your workouts).
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    cthakkar1985 wrote: »
    My body fat % can fluctuate about ~4% in a given day. I use the Omron handheld monitor that you see at most gyms. My lowest reading is when I'm on a full stomach and fully hydrated, while the highest reading is early morning empty stomach. If I had to guess, I'd say you put on a little bit of muscle (newbie gains). Are you lifting a lot more weight then when you started i.e. have you gotten stronger? This would support my hypothesis. Is your goal to put on muscle or lose fat? If your goal is to continue putting on muscle, I'd say keep doing what you're doing. If you want to drop fat, you'll probably want to drop your calories (by eating less or burning more during your workouts).


    To clarify your body fat is not fluctuating itself, the omron meter you are using is fluctuating that much. **
  • cthakkar1985
    cthakkar1985 Posts: 137 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    cthakkar1985 wrote: »
    My body fat % can fluctuate about ~4% in a given day. I use the Omron handheld monitor that you see at most gyms. My lowest reading is when I'm on a full stomach and fully hydrated, while the highest reading is early morning empty stomach. If I had to guess, I'd say you put on a little bit of muscle (newbie gains). Are you lifting a lot more weight then when you started i.e. have you gotten stronger? This would support my hypothesis. Is your goal to put on muscle or lose fat? If your goal is to continue putting on muscle, I'd say keep doing what you're doing. If you want to drop fat, you'll probably want to drop your calories (by eating less or burning more during your workouts).


    To clarify your body fat is not fluctuating itself, the omron meter you are using is fluctuating that much. **

    Sorry - that's what I meant to say. Thanks for clarifying.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    cthakkar1985 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    cthakkar1985 wrote: »
    My body fat % can fluctuate about ~4% in a given day. I use the Omron handheld monitor that you see at most gyms. My lowest reading is when I'm on a full stomach and fully hydrated, while the highest reading is early morning empty stomach. If I had to guess, I'd say you put on a little bit of muscle (newbie gains). Are you lifting a lot more weight then when you started i.e. have you gotten stronger? This would support my hypothesis. Is your goal to put on muscle or lose fat? If your goal is to continue putting on muscle, I'd say keep doing what you're doing. If you want to drop fat, you'll probably want to drop your calories (by eating less or burning more during your workouts).


    To clarify your body fat is not fluctuating itself, the omron meter you are using is fluctuating that much. **

    Sorry - that's what I meant to say. Thanks for clarifying.

    No worries, just wanted to make sure OP knew. I also have an omron which can fluctuate from 22% down to 14% depending on my hydration levels, so I feel you there!
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    cthakkar1985 wrote: »
    My body fat % can fluctuate about ~4% in a given day. I use the Omron handheld monitor that you see at most gyms. My lowest reading is when I'm on a full stomach and fully hydrated, while the highest reading is early morning empty stomach. If I had to guess, I'd say you put on a little bit of muscle (newbie gains). Are you lifting a lot more weight then when you started i.e. have you gotten stronger? This would support my hypothesis. Is your goal to put on muscle or lose fat? If your goal is to continue putting on muscle, I'd say keep doing what you're doing. If you want to drop fat, you'll probably want to drop your calories (by eating less or burning more during your workouts).

    When I joined a new gym last year, they offered me a free initial consultation with a trainer where they'd weigh me, measure my BF% and give me a complimentary orientation workout. I asked how they measured bodyfat and she said it was with a handheld monitor. I said no thanks. I can get a more accurate estimate by looking in the mirror, or with the calipers I have at home.
  • sblueyez
    sblueyez Posts: 156 Member
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    Yes, I've become much stronger. I went from barely being able to squat to a 35lb goblet squat. I started at 20lbs for tricep pull downs and now max out at 60. I couldn't do a kettle bell swing with rotation at all without cramping and now I can. I also wasn't able to even do glute bridges.

    I think it would help you help me to keep in mind that I was severely atrophied. For example, one day I picked up my computer bag and separated my shoulder. I'm pretty sure I was a sack of bones and fat.

    Now I see my butt lifting, my hamstrings have showed up and I'm seeing definition in my biceps. I haven't lost any inches in my hips but the shape is different. Weird right?

    I'm not without challenges and still have a lot of room to grow technique and ability-wise but I've really accomplished a lot here and I'm just wondering if I have hope of slimming out eventually. I would much rather be strong and a larger size than slim and weak but a little change in size or scale wouldn't make me feel terrible, you know?

    Thanks for all of the input!
  • cthakkar1985
    cthakkar1985 Posts: 137 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    cthakkar1985 wrote: »
    My body fat % can fluctuate about ~4% in a given day. I use the Omron handheld monitor that you see at most gyms. My lowest reading is when I'm on a full stomach and fully hydrated, while the highest reading is early morning empty stomach. If I had to guess, I'd say you put on a little bit of muscle (newbie gains). Are you lifting a lot more weight then when you started i.e. have you gotten stronger? This would support my hypothesis. Is your goal to put on muscle or lose fat? If your goal is to continue putting on muscle, I'd say keep doing what you're doing. If you want to drop fat, you'll probably want to drop your calories (by eating less or burning more during your workouts).

    When I joined a new gym last year, they offered me a free initial consultation with a trainer where they'd weigh me, measure my BF% and give me a complimentary orientation workout. I asked how they measured bodyfat and she said it was with a handheld monitor. I said no thanks. I can get a more accurate estimate by looking in the mirror, or with the calipers I have at home.

    I agree that they aren't very accurate, but my goal is just to get a directional (how much did it go up or down) measure over the course of several months. I don't actually care what the number says. Also, I check once a month in the morning and eat the exact same thing/drink same amount of water the day before checking to minimize any variance. Primarily, I use it to make sure I'm not losing too much muscle while cutting or gaining too much fat while I'm bulking. But I've now heard from a few people that calipers are better, so I'll look into those. Thanks.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    sblueyez wrote: »
    Yes, I've become much stronger. I went from barely being able to squat to a 35lb goblet squat. I started at 20lbs for tricep pull downs and now max out at 60. I couldn't do a kettle bell swing with rotation at all without cramping and now I can. I also wasn't able to even do glute bridges.

    I think it would help you help me to keep in mind that I was severely atrophied. For example, one day I picked up my computer bag and separated my shoulder. I'm pretty sure I was a sack of bones and fat.

    Now I see my butt lifting, my hamstrings have showed up and I'm seeing definition in my biceps. I haven't lost any inches in my hips but the shape is different. Weird right?

    I'm not without challenges and still have a lot of room to grow technique and ability-wise but I've really accomplished a lot here and I'm just wondering if I have hope of slimming out eventually. I would much rather be strong and a larger size than slim and weak but a little change in size or scale wouldn't make me feel terrible, you know?

    Thanks for all of the input!

    My questions above:

    You didn't mention anything about your diet? Are you maintaining a consistent caloric deficit, logging, weighing your food? What's your current intake level (calories)? Are you running a deficit or just counting on the exercise for the weight loss?

    The old saying goes that "You can't out-train a bad diet". If you're not eating at a caloric deficit, you won't lose weight. Great job on the strength gains, you've definitely come a long ways - but if you don't have the diet part under control yet, now's the time to dial it in if you want to see the number on the scale start dropping.
  • sblueyez
    sblueyez Posts: 156 Member
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    I log my food in MFP. I'll use today as an example...

    I try to keep around 1400 calories per day but today I ate 1690. I burned 500 working out (toning class and a treadmill walk after) So essentially I ate back some of my exercise calories but not all of them. On days where I don't exercise I don't eat as much.

    Coincidentally I have been very hungry for the past few days and I'm wondering if that's my body putting up a fight trying to avoid letting go of some fat, or if I actually do need to eat more.

    I don't do low carb but since I'm not a marathon runner I'm not intaking a ton of them either. I don't fee that great when I overdo it on carbs so that's the main reason for limiting them. I think I definitely need to pay more attention to where the calories are coming from and eat cleaner.

    Thank you so much!!

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