Hello There.. ? about body fat

Hi Suzymac....

I'm in the same boat. I've always been pretty fit but wanted to really tighten up my abs to get that "fitness magazine" look. haha. I've been really committed to it now for 2 months. I have to say, and this may not be what you want to hear, but I haven't SEEN any real results. I think it's more difficult at this point because it's really trial and error to see what works for YOU. And you can't just try for a week, because you aren't going to see results that quickly. I definitely feel better though, which that in itself is awesome.

One thing I noticed is that you have your weight set to lose 10 lbs. If you really are ONLY trying to lose body fat, that probably isn't realistic. As I'm sure you know, muscle weighs more than fat and in order to lose body fat, you're probably going to be gaining some muscle. I'm actually expecting to gain a bit of weight and I don't focus on the scale at all.

So 2 months into this and the only changes that I can actually SEE.... are in my arms. I've built a bit of muscle in my arms. However, I build muscle very easily and was expecting that. My stomach still has a layer of fat on it. And by layer, I mean I can't see my ab muscles until I flex them.

One thing that this site really seems to be big on is eating back your exercise calories. You will find a lot of threads on it and I've asked about it myself. I can see the logic behind it, but I can also remember having a rock hard stomach and I didn't eat nearly the amount of food I'm eating now. Though that was also 7 years ago. So I've been eating back most of my exercise calories for the last 2 months because I love eating and well.... I've been hoping that this method would work. I'm going to continue doing this for maybe another month. If I don't see SOME results after 3 months, I will stop eating back most of my calories and try it that way.

I think I've sort of gone off on a tangent here and maybe I'm not providing you with motivational words. haha. But I'm pretty straight forward and I will say that trying to get rid of body fat when you don't have a lot of weight to lose.... is VERY frustrating. Just keep in mind that it takes a LONG time to achieve this. It doesn't come over night. Somehow I've managed to stick to it and I am very much somebody who doesn't like doing things when I can't see results.

Good luck. Let me know if you come across any great advice!

Hello and welcome to MFP. :flowerforyou:

Bathedinshadow~

No offense taken whatsoever....I was simply trying to convey that eating a more appropriate diet and sticking with a cardiostrenght program is something that has worked for "me"....I do agree that it will take much longer for me to achieve "optimal" results, but, I have seen a big difference in my body in the short time that I have stayed committed. I would not want to relay this info to give anyone false hope and false expectations, our bodies are all soooo different. The only thing I can think of is with being so petite, my body/muscles may respond easier or it may "appear" to respond earlier since they are much shorter (my limb lengths - my inseam is only 26") than most of the people I know. Same goes that a pound will show quicker on me than on my 5'8" counterpart.... I also think, going from my previous eating habits, to what I consume today...my body is hip hip hooraying me....lol.

I also agree with you that many folks do not even try to understand that even if you appear to "look" okay, why you still would put so much energy into building a healthier, stronger body. Since weight was not too much of an issue, I have gotten alot of grief and sabotage since starting a healthier eating pattern. I find it very frustrating that someone can find fault in a person wanting to be healthier...whether they have weight to lose or not.....

Anyway, I would never take offense to anyone showing concern over a post....I certainly would not want to sabotage anyones efforts...I have found mfp to be so motivational and supportive since I have started my journey. I hope that anyone that reads our posts, understands that we may all have different opinions, goals, methods, down days and up days, but we are all here for very similiar reasons.

To anyone that read my original post....please note that I was only stating what was working for me...if any helpful info can be gained from it great.

Again, bathedinshadow, I do appreciate your insight and what seems to be genuine concern for all parties here...no one should ever find fault for this.

P.S. Are you a vegetarian? I am assuming since you mentioned the meat in my diet????

I train REALLY, REALLY hard. Initially, it was about 90% diet and 10% training to lose most of the body fat. But now, in order to cause muscular changes, my training needs to be very specific and challenging.

I don't have a huge deficit most of the time, and I cycle my calories, but in the long-term. Your body will not react hormonally to one day of over or undereating; it takes about 40 hours for changes to occur. I cycle by weeks. After being stuck at a plateau for a couple months, I ate maintenance for a month, then a 200 calorie deficit, and now I'm back to a 500 calorie deficit, and I've lost two lbs to get me down to the 120's. I eat 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. High protein diets have become popular as of late, but eating a lot of protein at the expense of carbohydrates just means that your body will convert the amino acids to glucose to meet its needs. It doesn't translate to more muscle mass. The carbohydrate and fat should be high enough to spare the protein for muscle repair.

My training consists of three lifting days: a power day, a functional strength day, and an endurance day. I also do a variety of cardio to waste extra calories: running, spinning, step aerobics, cardio kickboxing. But I don't do hours a day because I don't want over production of cortisol ruining any muscle gains or maintenance.

In order to maintain your muscle mass and lose fat, you have to give your body a REALLY good reason to maintain that muscle--that means, REALLY use it. My sessions have me sweating just as hard as if I were doing cardio. I time my breaks, I don't socialize, I work to failure.

If you have a small amount to lose, it takes a lot of patience and hard work. You have to make sure you're not undereating too drastically, but you also have to recognize the point at which you'll have to take those calories really low for the short home stretch (still no less than 1200/day though).

Most fitness models have a body fat of about 14-19%. At around 15% a woman will have visible abdominal muscles. Don't expect to feel great at 14% body fat, and make sure that you're menstruating normally. The level of work required to look like a fitness model is intense and not appropriate for everyone. :flowerforyou:

I didn't assume you had poor intentions at all! I could just see it providing a little bit of false hope, but tis the way with this form of communication. So more than make commenting on your post, I just wanted to add. :happy:

I too find it frustrating when I go out to eat with somebody, particularly those that are larger than me, and I express concern over the fat content in something, that they feel the need to tell me not to worry about it. It's almost as if they get angry with me. My mom is overweight and will often try to make me feel bad about caring about what goes into my body. I get it from thin people as well, but just not as often. So let us all keep in mind that it is NEVER wrong to want to eat healthy regardless of size. I know it's completely common sense, but you wouldn't think that by the comments I've received over the course of my life!

Yes I am a vegetarian. I have been a very strict vegetarian for about 9 years now. It is definitely harder to go out and eat, but as we've all probably learned, going out to eat isn't usually the healthiest anyway. People seem to have a problem with me not eating meat often too. haha. I can't escape it! But I wasn't trying to make comments on your eating habits. I was just saying it all sounded good to me... except for that part.

Hello again....I don't want to get off track for Suzymac's sake, but am curious what your protein intake is with your vegetarian diet? I have often heard that it may be a struggle with protein consumption and wondered if it were true. I can only imagine the extra "issues" people may have when you are in a group setting. Can't say it enough - it is never wrong to want a healthier lifestyle......whether it be food choices, exercise or both!!! Oh, I didn't feel you were commenting on my eating habits...it just made me curious if you were a vegetarian or not......

Yes we have stolen this thread a bit, but not intentionally! I'll give it back, I swear.

I don't have a problem getting protein at all. The soy bean! It is virtually identical to meat in terms of protein. There is a difference of about 1% in terms of protein absorption. Though there are some people who don't like soy, or it makes them not feel well. Luckily I'm not one of them. But protein is in a lot of things - fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, etc... It takes some planning to get it all in there if you aren't eating soy, but it's definitely doable. Where I tend to lack is in iron, so I take natural supplements.

I now return the thread to it's owner. :drinker: