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Getting Body Fat % down

Posts: 3 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
What are some ideas to get my body fat % down I've done great with my weight and BMI just need to get my body fat to start dropping as well I've been working real hard since April 4 tho and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. I have great support at home as my husband had Weight Loss surgery at the end of June and is already down 50 pounds himself so he's doing awesome himself. Please feel free to send me advice or a friend request

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Replies

  • Posts: 5,424 Member
    Strength training, while continuing to maintain a calorie deficit.
  • Posts: 32 Member
    Ditto on the strength training. Always, ALWAYS strength train when you're in a caloric deficit, otherwise at some point your body is going to start eating up muscle. You need to tell your body "we need these muscles, so don't burn 'em up!" because muscle tissue is metabolically more costly than fat tissue. It's a case of "use it or lose it" with muscle mass and calorie deficits. People that lose overall body weight but don't exercise end up "skinny fat" or a smaller size but still with a high body fat percentage. What you need to do is improve LEAN body mass, which includes muscle and bone. Strength training not only does this, but assists in burning off the fat as well.
  • Posts: 13,575 Member
    If you exercise regularly including resistance exercises and lose weight your body fat % will drop.
  • Posts: 102 Member

    This is often said when someone asks about weight loss because it's true. If all you want is to lose weight you can achieve that eating anything you want as long as there is a calorie deficit. It should go without saying that this is barring medical needs for specific diets.

    But the OP asked about improving her body composition, not just about losing weight. That a different subject and rarely gets the "eat anything you want" responses.

    Gotcha
  • Posts: 36,171 Member
    If you're approaching maintenance weight, this thread has a great deal of useful information:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat#latest

    If you're not yet near maintenance weight yet, then I'd second the advice to continue losing weight, do progressive strength training to preserve existing muscle and get stronger, and eat adequate protein (IMO a bare minimum of 0.6g daily per pound of a healthy goal weight, anywhere on up to 1.0-1.2g, if you like it, can fit it in, and have no medical contraindications . . . and yes, I do mean "pound" not "kg", and " healthy goal weight" not "lean body mass" - it's my opinion ;) !).
  • Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited September 2017
    To the OP, lift heavy (for you) and continue to eat in deficit, making sure to get enough protein. Use a proven weight lifting program, don't try to wing it. There are lots of options in this thread.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

  • Posts: 16,011 Member
    What are some ideas to get my body fat % down I've done great with my weight and BMI just need to get my body fat to start dropping as well I've been working real hard since April 4 tho and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. I have great support at home as my husband had Weight Loss surgery at the end of June and is already down 50 pounds himself so he's doing awesome himself. Please feel free to send me advice or a friend request

    Stay at a small deficit (including cardio if you need it to be in a deficit) and focus on strength training. Once you hit your goal weight, eat at maintenance and get on a progressive strength program to build muscle. Make sure you are getting enough protein to help you hang onto muscle while you're losing and gain muscle once you start eating more. And I disagree on cutting back carbs universally, you have to find what works for you here. I find I am able to progress better in my workouts when I'm eating a decent amount of carbs (I'm usually around 50% carbs/200g).

    Just keep at it! Changing your BF% is slow work, we're talking about months and years here :)
  • Posts: 102 Member

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/119686-the-filthy-eaters-of-mfp



    Oh. Wrong group, I guess. I'm sure there's one out there for "clean" eaters, if you look.

    Lol, I'm sure there is
  • Posts: 679 Member
    Because I like to offer different advice...
    https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/fat-loss-blunders-8-reasons-youre-not-losing-body-fat.html
    https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/brewster26.htm
    https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/6-ways-to-reduce-body-fat-while-increasing-muscle
    https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson175.htm (I kinda like where this one is going, as it discusses the diff between OBESE - OVERWEIGHT - SMOOTH - IN-SHAPE -- keep in mind the last 2 are from the perspective of bodybuilders, so under 12% bf for men, 15% for women)
  • Posts: 13,575 Member
    Morgaath wrote: »
    Because I like to offer different advice...
    https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/fat-loss-blunders-8-reasons-youre-not-losing-body-fat.html
    https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/brewster26.htm
    https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/6-ways-to-reduce-body-fat-while-increasing-muscle
    https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson175.htm (I kinda like where this one is going, as it discusses the diff between OBESE - OVERWEIGHT - SMOOTH - IN-SHAPE -- keep in mind the last 2 are from the perspective of bodybuilders, so under 12% bf for men, 15% for women)

    under 15% BF is considered 'in shape' for women? That's not even in the healthy range from most charts I've seen.
  • Posts: 744 Member
    I do have cookies occasionally. I buy the mini chocolate chip ones from Trader Joes and use a melon ball scoop for their vanilla ice cream... 75 calories for 6 cookies and about the same for the ice cream.
  • Posts: 11,750 Member
    What are some ideas to get my body fat % down I've done great with my weight and BMI just need to get my body fat to start dropping as well I've been working real hard since April 4 tho and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. I have great support at home as my husband had Weight Loss surgery at the end of June and is already down 50 pounds himself so he's doing awesome himself. Please feel free to send me advice or a friend request

    You have another thread about having 50lbs to lose - you have lost a chunk of body fat already! Just keep being consistent with your deficit, and definitely consider adding resistance training to help maintain muscle. (if this type of exercise is new to you, you may even benefit by initially gaining a bit of muscle!)
  • Posts: 4,658 Member
    Eat less, move more, repeat.
  • Posts: 19,588 MFP Moderator
    edited September 2017
    Dear Posters,

    Please use this thread to continue answering the OP's questions about decreasing her body fat percentage.

    If you would like to have a calorie is or isn't a calorie debate there are several great threads in the debate section already discussing this, or you can make your own new one if you would like.

    Thanks for your cooperation,
    4legs
    MFP moderator
This discussion has been closed.