Last bit tummy fat

YorkApples
YorkApples Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need some suggestions please.
I am 43, female, 1.6m high, 48.5kg. My scale says the body fat is 14.8%. I don’t think it is true. I still have a bit excess tummy fat I want to lose. I do regular exercise such as HIIT, skipping, running, dumbbell at home, using MFP daily 1200cal. Now I am thinking to have exercise with an empty stomach to get rid of the tummy fat. Anyone any insight, warning?

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Scales are a notoriously inaccurate way to measure body fat.

    If you want to reduce your body fat and you're already close to or at your goal weight, I highly recommend focusing on resistance training. It's going to be way more effective for what you want than fasted cardio will.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited May 2018
    14.8% on a female is awfully low, and scales are notoriously inaccurate. So, probably not true.

    If you felt comfortable posting a picture, many people on this site are pretty good at guesstimating body fat % based on a picture.
  • YorkApples
    YorkApples Posts: 10 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Scales are a notoriously inaccurate way to measure body fat.

    If you want to reduce your body fat and you're already close to or at your goal weight, I highly recommend focusing on resistance training. It's going to be way more effective for what you want than fasted cardio will.

    Thanks, Jan. I have added dumbbells in my exercise as I realise the importance to build up muscle. But I thought to get rid of the excess fat, I need to do Cardio at the same time to increase the calories burnt.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    YorkApples wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Scales are a notoriously inaccurate way to measure body fat.

    If you want to reduce your body fat and you're already close to or at your goal weight, I highly recommend focusing on resistance training. It's going to be way more effective for what you want than fasted cardio will.

    Thanks, Jan. I have added dumbbells in my exercise as I realise the importance to build up muscle. But I thought to get rid of the excess fat, I need to do Cardio at the same time to increase the calories burnt.

    Like @sardelsa said, your body weight is already very low. It could be that you need to build muscle, not lose fat. You don't want to be losing more weight right now.
  • YorkApples
    YorkApples Posts: 10 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    With your stats being close to being underweight, if your stomach is not as defined as you want to be, it is not so much a matter of fat but lack of muscle.

    I would consider gaining some weight/muscle... eat in a surplus (set MFP to gain 0.5lb per week), get adequate protein (0.8-1g per lb bodyweight) and make sure you are following a lifting program where you are progressing over time. At the very least maintain your weight, although with your stats you probably won't make as much progress in terms of muscle gain as you would if you gain some weight.

    Hi Sardelsa
    I have set my protein goal on MFP to 103g a day, about the level your recommended. What the ratio between lifting and (Hiit, running, skipping) you suggest? How many times a week? The intensity?
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    YorkApples wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Scales are a notoriously inaccurate way to measure body fat.

    If you want to reduce your body fat and you're already close to or at your goal weight, I highly recommend focusing on resistance training. It's going to be way more effective for what you want than fasted cardio will.

    Thanks, Jan. I have added dumbbells in my exercise as I realise the importance to build up muscle. But I thought to get rid of the excess fat, I need to do Cardio at the same time to increase the calories burnt.

    Like @sardelsa said, your body weight is already very low. It could be that you need to build muscle, not lose fat. You don't want to be losing more weight right now.

    This is usually the case when women are already at such a low weight. But it may be an issue of body dysmorphia as well.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    YorkApples wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    With your stats being close to being underweight, if your stomach is not as defined as you want to be, it is not so much a matter of fat but lack of muscle.

    I would consider gaining some weight/muscle... eat in a surplus (set MFP to gain 0.5lb per week), get adequate protein (0.8-1g per lb bodyweight) and make sure you are following a lifting program where you are progressing over time. At the very least maintain your weight, although with your stats you probably won't make as much progress in terms of muscle gain as you would if you gain some weight.

    Hi Sardelsa
    I have set my protein goal on MFP to 103g a day, about the level your recommended. What the ratio between lifting and (Hiit, running, skipping) you suggest? How many times a week? The intensity?

    Cardio is for health, good for your heart and if you enjoy it, as well as adding to your calorie burn. In your case since you should be maintaining or ideally gaining, cardio is fine as long as you can eat and fuel for it to hit your calorie goal. That all said, cardio is not necessary for fat loss or muscle gain. If you follow a lifting program it will tell you how often to run it, a beginner program is typically 3-4x per week. Here is a link with a list of programs

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • YorkApples
    YorkApples Posts: 10 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    14.8% on a female is awfully low, and scales are notoriously inaccurate. So, probably not true.

    If you felt comfortable posting a picture, many people on this site are pretty good at guesstimating body fat % based on a picture.

    Thanks Quiksylver. To be honest, I don’t really concern much what exactly % of body fat the scale telling me. It just gives an indication if it goes up or down for me week by week. I have lost 1.6kg so far and I can tell the belly fat thinner now. But there is still a bit sitting there, which I would like to find a way to get rid of.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited May 2018
    YorkApples wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    14.8% on a female is awfully low, and scales are notoriously inaccurate. So, probably not true.

    If you felt comfortable posting a picture, many people on this site are pretty good at guesstimating body fat % based on a picture.

    Thanks Quiksylver. To be honest, I don’t really concern much what exactly % of body fat the scale telling me. It just gives an indication if it goes up or down for me week by week. I have lost 1.6kg so far and I can tell the belly fat thinner now. But there is still a bit sitting there, which I would like to find a way to get rid of.

    The issue is even if you do get rid of it with continued weight loss, you will risk becoming underweight.. as well there is no guarantee fat will come off there. Not only that but your body composition will probably look quite similar or worse especially if you don't have much muscle under there is nothing else to take away.
  • YorkApples
    YorkApples Posts: 10 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    YorkApples wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    14.8% on a female is awfully low, and scales are notoriously inaccurate. So, probably not true.

    If you felt comfortable posting a picture, many people on this site are pretty good at guesstimating body fat % based on a picture.

    Thanks Quiksylver. To be honest, I don’t really concern much what exactly % of body fat the scale telling me. It just gives an indication if it goes up or down for me week by week. I have lost 1.6kg so far and I can tell the belly fat thinner now. But there is still a bit sitting there, which I would like to find a way to get rid of.

    The issue is even if you do get rid of it with continued weight loss, you will risk becoming underweight.. as well there is no guarantee fat will come off there. Not only that but your body composition will probably look quite similar or worse especially if you don't have much muscle under there is nothing else to take away.

    Thank you very much, Sardelsa. You have offered me what I want for my post. I don’t want to become unhealthily obsessed with certain things, and get an distorted view like what @rainbowbow pointed.
    Thanks for your insight, Sardelsa. :)

Categories