CrossFit Nutrition - Body Fat %

MallisaMott
MallisaMott Posts: 30 Member
edited November 28 in Fitness and Exercise
I'll try my best to keep this as short as possible!

Most of my life I was obese and I lost 70 lbs about 7 years ago. Since then, I've tweaked my nutrition and cleaned up my diet more and more as I learned more about nutrition.

I've been at the same weight (about 139-144) for years now- losing fat and gaining muscle as I increase my weight lifting game. My goal is to get my body fat percentage down (hopefully to around 23 or 24%) and feel good in a bathing suit for once in my life!

Right now I'm tracking calories and macros and do 4-5 WODs a week (and trying my hardest to stay away from the scale so I'll stop obsessing over pounds). While the workouts are difficult and intense, I'm wondering if it's enough cardio to achieve what I want. Here are some details, so maybe someone can offer me some insight!

Female
26 years old
144 lbs
5'5"
29% body fat
BMR: 1463 (avg. from a few different calculators)
TDEE: 2200 (avg. from a few different calculators)
Calories per day: 1730
Macros: 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat


I'm considering doing only 4 WODS a week and incorporating two 30 min fasted cardio sessions a week. Do I need to tweak my exercise? Or do I need to adjust my nutrition? So tired of working so hard and seeing so little.

Also, I don't enter my workouts in MFP, I sync my FitBit so only the activity which exceeds what is predicted based on my TDEE is logged and "eaten back".

Replies

  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    Fasted cardio workouts, 40/30/30 and 5 sessions of intense exercise per week are all pretty excessive things taken by themselves but adding them together seems like a recipe for disaster (and burn out).

    Generally the recommendation is to eat less and move more to lose weight, but your diet and exercise routine sounds extremely stressful. My advice would be to scale back a bit and see how that works.

    If you want to run or cycle instead of doing a WOD one day a week I think that sounds like a great idea, but do it because it's fun and make sure you're all fueled up for it. Nutritionally, I think your calorie goal is reasonable. Try adjusting your macros more toward the recommended protein and fat requirements for someone of your age, size and activity level. And I mean recommended by accredited nutritionists, not crossfit.
  • DrifterBear
    DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
    If your goal is body fat, I would think sticking to WODs would be best. It get's your heart rate up and builds strength. You have a deficit so you should be losing weight. You want to maintain (or build) as much muscle as possible to reach your goal.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    How are your energy levels in the wods?
    Are you getting stronger?
    How accurate is your food logging? (Do you weigh everything )
  • MallisaMott
    MallisaMott Posts: 30 Member
    holothuroidea wrote: »
    Fasted cardio workouts, 40/30/30 and 5 sessions of intense exercise per week are all pretty excessive things taken by themselves but adding them together seems like a recipe for disaster (and burn out).

    Generally the recommendation is to eat less and move more to lose weight, but your diet and exercise routine sounds extremely stressful. My advice would be to scale back a bit and see how that works.

    If you want to run or cycle instead of doing a WOD one day a week I think that sounds like a great idea, but do it because it's fun and make sure you're all fueled up for it. Nutritionally, I think your calorie goal is reasonable. Try adjusting your macros more toward the recommended protein and fat requirements for someone of your age, size and activity level. And I mean recommended by accredited nutritionists, not crossfit.

    I think I will re-adjust my macros (I haven't been striving for super high protein for too long. I have typically always went my what MFP suggests for macros)

    As far as my workouts go, CrossFit is pretty intense, but only during the MET-CONS which typically only last 10-20 minutes, which is why I thought I maybe should incorporate more cardio.

    Or maybe just quit stressing myself out so much! Then maybe I'd see some progress.
  • MallisaMott
    MallisaMott Posts: 30 Member
    rybo wrote: »
    How are your energy levels in the wods?
    Are you getting stronger?
    How accurate is your food logging? (Do you weigh everything )

    Energy level is always great. I work out in the evening so I have most of the day's calories down before a WOD. I am getting stronger, but slowly.

    I'd say my food logging is pretty accurate. Aside from actually weighing things, I measure mostly everything.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Well given what you have explained, I don't think any more cardio is going to help. Try eating a little less.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    edited January 2016
    I think your current plan is fine without dropping wods as long as you are recovering ok. Your deficit may even be a little aggressive if you are being really accurate with your logging. Do you use a food scale?
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
    MallisaMott wrote: »
    rybo wrote: »
    How are your energy levels in the wods?
    Are you getting stronger?
    How accurate is your food logging? (Do you weigh everything )

    Energy level is always great. I work out in the evening so I have most of the day's calories down before a WOD. I am getting stronger, but slowly.

    I'd say my food logging is pretty accurate. Aside from actually weighing things, I measure mostly everything.

    ^this If you're not weighing, no matter how "accurately" you measure, you could be off by a lot. If you've maintained the same weight for years, then something has to change. Based on your TDEE and what you "think" your eating, you should be losing about a pound a week. Buy a scale...they're like $10 on amazon...and start weighing your food. If you really are eating what you think you are and you're still not losing, reduce your intake by 100 calories per day and hold for a week until you start to see the scale drop again.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    edited January 2016
    MallisaMott wrote: »
    I'll try my best to keep this as short as possible!

    Most of my life I was obese and I lost 70 lbs about 7 years ago. Since then, I've tweaked my nutrition and cleaned up my diet more and more as I learned more about nutrition.

    I've been at the same weight (about 139-144) for years now- losing fat and gaining muscle as I increase my weight lifting game. My goal is to get my body fat percentage down (hopefully to around 23 or 24%) and feel good in a bathing suit for once in my life!

    Right now I'm tracking calories and macros and do 4-5 WODs a week (and trying my hardest to stay away from the scale so I'll stop obsessing over pounds). While the workouts are difficult and intense, I'm wondering if it's enough cardio to achieve what I want. Here are some details, so maybe someone can offer me some insight!

    Female
    26 years old
    144 lbs
    5'5"
    29% body fat
    BMR: 1463 (avg. from a few different calculators)
    TDEE: 2200 (avg. from a few different calculators)
    Calories per day: 1730
    Macros: 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat


    I'm considering doing only 4 WODS a week and incorporating two 30 min fasted cardio sessions a week. Do I need to tweak my exercise? Or do I need to adjust my nutrition? So tired of working so hard and seeing so little.

    Also, I don't enter my workouts in MFP, I sync my FitBit so only the activity which exceeds what is predicted based on my TDEE is logged and "eaten back".

    ***The bolded part*** And definitely a food scale is more accurate. Your circuits are a bit cardio, right? The progressive lifting is what makes the biggest difference with me as far as body composition.
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