Any tips on how to reduce Body fat %

markph65
markph65 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,
I am new to getting fit and trying to improve my body but I am greatly incouraged by how things are going and the help or this app and the community. I am 52 years old and overweight. I have lost a steady amount of weight in the last 5 weeks and my BMI is now 27.1 which is a lot better than it was. However I have noticed that on my last 2 weigh ins that my Body Fat% is creaping up, all be it very very slowly but I wonder if anyone has any tips as to how I can get this to start dropping again. Currently it is 31.1% two weeks ago it was 30.1%. I have trouble with running as my knees are not good but I do walk a lot. Please help if you can. I am not interested in taking tablets as they tend to be out of my price range. I am looking for advise on lifestyle/ diet changes that will help.

Thanks

Replies

  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    cheldadex wrote: »
    By having a caloric deficit

    This.

    Or liposuction.
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
    First of all, readings from those machines are highly inaccurate. Secondly, if you want to reduce body fat, maintain a calorie deficit to burn fat and lift heavy and consume adequate protein to preserve muscle.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,130 Member
    Eat at a deficit and incorporate some strength training if you want to keep your muscle.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Since I got a scale that shows BF%, I've lost about 10 lbs and gained about 3% BF.

    I ignore the BF reading.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Since I got a scale that shows BF%, I've lost about 10 lbs and gained about 3% BF.

    I ignore the BF reading.

    If you haven't been weight training at the same time then it is entirely possible that the reading is in fact correct.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    Eat at a deficit and incorporate some strength training if you want to keep your muscle.

    ^^^

    Yes.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,994 Member
    Don't rely on bio impedance to accurately read body fat %. How hydrated you are changes the reading.
    Best way to tell if you're losing body fat................you have less when you look in the mirror.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • markph65
    markph65 Posts: 4 Member
    edited March 2017
    Thanks for that. Using using the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation I have calculated

    my Calorie maintenance level as 2486.

    For the last 5 weeks my daily calorie intake has been, except for 3 days has been around or under 1500

    my net calorie intake is around but usualy under 1000.

    The machine I use is not a domaestic device it is the one used at my surgery. I always go at the same time (within about 20 mins) and have had exactly the same food and fluid prior to going to try to reduce the variables as much as poss.

    so is it safe to lower this further. Please bear in mind I am a type 1 diabetic so have to be careful about my food/ carb intake.

    I really apreciate all your inputs.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Consider increasing your protein level, but do stay at a caloric deficit. It takes time to burn fat, but it'll come off eventually. The Macro calculator over at IIFYM.com helped me quite a bit. I use it exclusively and plug the numbers/macro percents into MFP.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    markph65 wrote: »
    my net calorie intake is around but usualy under 1000.

    That's way too aggressive. It won't be sustainable in the long term. While you do it, you'll lose fat but you'll also lose a lot more muscle than necessary. That's especially bad because muscle is harder to build as we age.

    Aim for a deficit of about 500 kCal per day.
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