Fat los not muscle loss

Jopanni
Jopanni Posts: 27 Member
edited November 26 in Fitness and Exercise
Can anyone please advise, i have successfully lost 6lb since starting a new healthy eating and exercise regime, I posted on an FB page that my first noticeable weight loss has come off my wrist and someone replied saying to ensure i was eating enough protein as it sounds as though i have lost muscle not fat.

I have my macros set for
P - 35%
F - 35%
C - 30% - Does this sound about right I currently weigh 139lb and am 5ft 2.

My main question is how do I measure what I am losing ( I currently use scales which monitor fat/water and bmi) and how do I ensure that it's fat i lose not muscle - maybe this is just the initial weight loss. I run/walk daily 30 mins and have started doing an exercise DVD daily soon to start swimming 2-3 times a week

I', trying to get my head round it all but am finding it difficult (not too bright).

If anyone can recommend any reading source which is easy to understand i would really appreciate it.

Thanks for any help

Replies

  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
    edited May 2018
    The MFP defaults are actually fine unless you’re actively trying to gain muscle. What makes a difference is whether you do strength training; you need to keep using those muscles to their utmost in order to keep them.

    What exercise are you doing? Do you do any lifting or other strength work, and if so how often?
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    • 35/35/30 sounds pretty reasonable... but at your calorie intake, how many grams of each do those percentages work out to? Grams are a little more telling than %.
    • I would take advice/info from FB with, at most, a grain of salt.
    • There isn't really a good, inexpensive way to track/monitor what exactly you're losing. You trust the process, monitor your weight and/or take measurements and/or notice changes in how clothes fit and/or take progress pictures... all of those things together offer a pretty good indication of whether or not what you're doing is "working"
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    How fast did you lose the weight? Losing too fast is what usually causes muscle loss. if it was at a reasonable pace, you probably didn't lose much muscle.
  • strongwouldbenice
    strongwouldbenice Posts: 153 Member
    I always lose weight from my wrists first.. it's just the way your body is!
  • dlm7507
    dlm7507 Posts: 237 Member
    To measure fat loss try using calipers and skin fold test. To maintain muscle you must do strength training. If you are not, part of your weight loss is muscle and lean mass. That is a given.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    The first 6 to 10 lbs will normally drop quite fast as most is likely water weight as you exercise more and change your diet. If you are losing 1-2 lb per week thereafter that would be quite healthy. If you find you are losing more then remember your weight drops faster if you lose lean mass instead of fat. Don’t over exercise and don’t under eat. CICO just keep it simple and don’t go to extremes.
  • Jopanni
    Jopanni Posts: 27 Member
    edited May 2018
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    The MFP defaults are actually fine unless you’re actively trying to gain muscle. What makes a difference is whether you do strength training; you need to keep using those muscles to their utmost in order to keep them.

    What exercise are you doing? Do you do any lifting or other strength work, and if so how often?


  • Jopanni
    Jopanni Posts: 27 Member
    ceiswyn wrote: »
    The MFP defaults are actually fine unless you’re actively trying to gain muscle. What makes a difference is whether you do strength training; you need to keep using those muscles to their utmost in order to keep them.

    What exercise are you doing? Do you do any lifting or other strength work, and if so how often?

    Hi thanks for your reply. I don’t do any strength training as such I’ve started running and usenhand weights doing my dvd
  • Jopanni
    Jopanni Posts: 27 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    • 35/35/30 sounds pretty reasonable... but at your calorie intake, how many grams of each do those percentages work out to? Grams are a little more telling than %.
    • I would take advice/info from FB with, at most, a grain of salt.
    • There isn't really a good, inexpensive way to track/monitor what exactly you're losing. You trust the process, monitor your weight and/or take measurements and/or notice changes in how clothes fit and/or take progress pictures... all of those things together offer a pretty good indication of whether or not what you're doing is "working"

    Hi. Thank you for your reply. My calorie intake is 500 1-2 days a week then 1508 the others although I tend to go over slightly at the weekend.

    The grams work out to be 113g carbs, 132 protein and 59g fat.

    I did think the same about FB advice. The weight is coming off slowly about 1/2 of a week which I’m happy with and I’m measuring weekly and that is reducing slightly as well so all must be good
  • Jopanni
    Jopanni Posts: 27 Member
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    How fast did you lose the weight? Losing too fast is what usually causes muscle loss. if it was at a reasonable pace, you probably didn't lose much muscle.
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    How fast did you lose the weight? Losing too fast is what usually causes muscle loss. if it was at a reasonable pace, you probably didn't lose much muscle.

    Hi thanks for your reply. The initial weight loss was in approx 2-3 went from 10.6 to 10. Last week saw a 1/2lb reduction so has reduced to a slow loss
  • Jopanni
    Jopanni Posts: 27 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    “Someone” has no idea what they’re talking about regarding losing only muscle not fat from the wrist![/quote

    Thanks for your reply and reassurance. I need to educate myself
  • Jopanni
    Jopanni Posts: 27 Member
    dlm7507 wrote: »
    To measure fat loss try using calipers and skin fold test. To maintain muscle you must do strength training. If you are not, part of your weight loss is muscle and lean mass. That is a given.

    Hi thanks for your reply I will have a look at calipers
  • Jopanni
    Jopanni Posts: 27 Member
    tennisdude2004 wrote: »
    The first 6 to 10 lbs will normally drop quite fast as most is likely water weight as you exercise more and change your diet. If you are losing 1-2 lb per week thereafter that would be quite healthy. If you find you are losing more then remember your weight drops faster if you lose lean mass instead of fat. Don’t over exercise and don’t under eat. CICO just keep it simple and don’t go to extremes.

    Brilliant advice thanks for your reply as I said earlier I really need to re-educate myself
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