Overweight but better body composition

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slmillerxo97
slmillerxo97 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So over the past 3 months I have changed my body composition from:

35% body fat
40 something water
and 29% muscle mass

To:
25.7% body fat
56% water
36% muscle mass

I have worked hard at the gym and clean eating. I feel like those changes are really good right? I am a bit smaller overall but not by much. I have maintained 164 throughout those 3 months (5' 3" female). I am confused as to why the number hasn't changed at all and a bit frustated that I don't look lean (er). Am I missing something? Do I need to tweak anything moving forward?

Any advice or encouragement would be appreciated!

Replies

  • Nikki10129
    Nikki10129 Posts: 292 Member
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    Biggest bet is you're eating more calories than you think you are. Sounds like you're doing some body recomp and eating at maintenance, therefore body composition is slowly changing but you are maintaining your weight since you're eating at maintenance. If you want to lose weight you have to eat fewer calories, if you think you're eating in a deficit you most likely aren't if you aren't losing weight.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Have you been tracking how much you are eating?
    Do you use a food scale to weigh all solid foods and measuring cups/spoons ONLY for liquids?
    Are you sure that the entries you are selecting from the database are accurate? (there is a lot of stuff that is very inaccurate in there)
    How are you determining your BF%? It is highly unlikely that you gained 11 lbs of muscle mass (i believe my math is right) in 3 months while maintaining your weight. I think (if I remember correctly) the average man can add 1-2 lbs of muscle a month. Women typically put on muscle at a slower rate then men.
  • pcpop7
    pcpop7 Posts: 161 Member
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    Are these measurements taken from one of those body scales. If I were you I would disregard the information, other than weight which seems to be the only accurate measure they give.
  • ammo7
    ammo7 Posts: 188 Member
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    slmillerxo97 wrote: »

    25.7% body fat
    56% water
    36% muscle mass

    Why do the percentages total more than 100%?

  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    Bathroom scales are very poor at estimating body fat%. You need to use callipers to estimate your BF%.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
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    The technology that these scales use, BIA, is so poor that it is best to completely disregard these scales for anything but a weight reading.

    BIA can be thrown by the amount of moisture, dirt, grime, dead skin on the soles of your feet, or how well hydrated you are at the time. It's not even accurate for tracking trends as you can't rely on ever being anywhere near the same state at each use.

    The inaccuracies are quite clear in your figures, as unless there's some serious pharmaceutical trickery going on you haven't gained 11 lbs. of muscle mass, dropped body fat, and maintained scale weight in 3 months.

    You really have two options, continue as you are, which is basically eating at maintenance. You have said you are a bit smaller overall, so continuing in the same vein will continue to add to that over prolonged period (read: ages).

    Or you can diet down to your desired level of lean, whilst maintaining the required macronutritional intake, and continuing to resistance train.

    This all assumes your logging is on point.

    Then you'll either want to maintain, or pack on some mass.

    Then you'll want to lean out again.

    Then you'll decide your shoulders need some more mass.

    Then you'll lean out again.

    Then someone will comment on your poor back, so you'll bulk again.

    Then you'll lean out again.

    "*kitten*, my legs look awful in that photo", so you'll build some mass again.

    Then you'll lean out again

    Welcome to the never ending journey of aesthetic body composition.
    ammo7 wrote: »
    slmillerxo97 wrote: »

    25.7% body fat
    56% water
    36% muscle mass

    Why do the percentages total more than 100%?

    Holding a glass of water?
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    I have a very hard time understanding why these numbers add up at considerably over 100%.

    Anyway, are you a professional or at least very enthusiastic bodybuilder/powerlifter? If not, you are most probably nowhere close to the body fat you think you are at your weight and height.
    For reference here is a draft idea of how a woman looks at different body fat percentages:
    http://fitbuthow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/body-fat-percentage-women.jpg
    For a woman with a borderline obese bmi to be at 25% bf, it would mean some pretty impressive muscle. The kind you do not get in 3 months.

    So, back to basics: 3 months, scale not moving = you need to eat less. Cut by 300-500 calories per day, reevaluate in a month or so.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    aggelikik wrote: »
    I have a very hard time understanding why these numbers add up at considerably over 100%.

    Anyway, are you a professional or at least very enthusiastic bodybuilder/powerlifter? If not, you are most probably nowhere close to the body fat you think you are at your weight and height.
    For reference here is a draft idea of how a woman looks at different body fat percentages:
    http://fitbuthow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/body-fat-percentage-women.jpg
    For a woman with a borderline obese bmi to be at 25% bf, it would mean some pretty impressive muscle. The kind you do not get in 3 months.

    So, back to basics: 3 months, scale not moving = you need to eat less. Cut by 300-500 calories per day, reevaluate in a month or so.


    I agree to what you say mostly except for the picture. It is not helpful as the women progressively get fatter and fatter with the BF%. They should be all the same weight and different BF% to make the point.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Not accurate at all, plus it's completely impossible to gain that much muscle in 3 months (at least for a female eating at a deficit). Sorry.
  • slmillerxo97
    slmillerxo97 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thank you all for the info. Clearly I do not understand the percentages or the obvious errors in the scale as many of you not so kindly said. I am glad I have a clearer picture of what is going on and know how to move forward. This is a HARD journey as you all know.
  • slmillerxo97
    slmillerxo97 Posts: 3 Member
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    So thank you for the tough love. Kindness would have worked just as well and wouldn't have left me in tears but oh well.
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
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    I'm sure it was hard to hear the responses because it means you did not lose 10% body fat while staying the same weight. However, no one was being rude here, just saying the truth. You probably did recomp a little and lose some body fat, but if you stayed the same weight then you were eating at maintenance. You need to get more accurate in your tracking or lower your calorie goal.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    I don't think anyone was rude; I wouldn't even call that tough love to be honest. The reason why so many people were straightforward is because one has to have a pretty unrealistic outlook to think they are 25% body fat at 5'3" and 164 pounds. It's wishful thinking at best. Body composition improvement takes an immense amount of time and effort. One Google search on body fat percentage and it would be evident. I'm 5'3" as well and 111 pounds. My scale constantly tells me I'm around 17 to 18% body fat but I know by photos it's more like 21 to 22% if I had to guess. I was 190, and therefore 160, at a point in life and I know the reality of what that weight looks like.

    Keep pushing forward, invest in a food scale, and watch the weight come off.

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