Weight down but body fat % stayed the same??

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welshie007
welshie007 Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I am using fitness pal to track my diet and exercise and I endeavour to keep my cals, fat and carbs within the limits set out. I have lost a stone of weight but my body fat percentage (according to my whithings scales) has stayed at the same level? I feel slimmer and my clothes fit better......but can anyone explain why this could be?

Exercise wise I train 6 days a week combining pilates, stretching, weights and cardio.

Cheers
:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
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    Maybe you lost some muscle. What is your intake like? What about protein? Are you lifting heavy?

    ETA: Also scales can be pretty inaccurate and vary depending on your hydration levels.
  • tycholien
    tycholien Posts: 33 Member
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    How much water do you drink? If you are dehydrated at all then the meter will read you as having a higher body fat %. So I am told anyway.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    When you lose weight it is impossible to lose strictly fat... some of the weight lost is going to be muscle, some fat. Increase your protein intake and lift heavy to keep the muscle loss to a minimum while keeping the fat loss to a maximum.

    Also, just something to consider... fat measurements can be wildly inaccurate. It's entirely possible that your body fat % has dropped, but the inconsistencies in body fat measuring "hide" that fact.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    You either calculated wrong or you lost muscle mass.
  • welshie007
    welshie007 Posts: 11
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    Hi,
    I don't use light weights but nor do I use major heavy ones. If I've done some weights I have additional protein using whey protein shakes.
    I drink quite a bit of water, plus green tea and decaf coffee.
    I'm just surprised that after a stone I'd expect my body fat to have reduced........:sad:
  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
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    Hi,
    I don't use light weights but nor do I use major heavy ones. If I've done some weights I have additional protein using whey protein shakes.
    I drink quite a bit of water, plus green tea and decaf coffee.
    I'm just surprised that after a stone I'd expect my body fat to have reduced........:sad:

    My suggestion is to have a moderate deficit (not too large), lift heavier weight (it basically tells your body "Hey I need these muscles to lift these weights, I better not use them for energy"), and get 1 gram of protein per 1 lb of lean body mass.
  • tycholien
    tycholien Posts: 33 Member
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    Hang on a sec...

    Well, your body fat has reduced. It is a %.

    For example:

    If you were 100lbs and were 22% then that is 22Lbs of fat in your body.

    If you are now 80Lbs and are 22% then that is 17.6lbs of fat in your body.

    So in that example 4.4lbs of fat has gone. It is only a problem if the fat % has gone up. I think I've got the maths right.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Hi,
    I don't use light weights but nor do I use major heavy ones. If I've done some weights I have additional protein using whey protein shakes.
    I drink quite a bit of water, plus green tea and decaf coffee.
    I'm just surprised that after a stone I'd expect my body fat to have reduced........:sad:

    I'm sure your total body fat has reduced, it's just the % that hasn't. You nearly always lose some muscle while losing fat.
  • grronthehill
    grronthehill Posts: 3
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    Wow, I liked Jakesnopt's answer. Go heavier with the weights, and increase the protein intake. I've also recently read to go gluten-free. I haven't tried this.

    I also have a scale that (supposedly) measures percentage of body fat, but it varies wildly. Yesterday, It reported to me a 34% body fat ratio, but this morning I was back up to 37%. Go figure, it happened while I was asleep. Sneaky fat cells.

    However, I lift weights in a combo class of cardio and weighs. I'm a newbie to the this fitness club and this class, but not to exercising. Those ladies are still lifting with their five pound weights, I've gone onto lifting ten pound weights and managing twenty military push ups.

    Years have gone bv and I've never really lost weight. Now I've educated myself (gluten-free) and changed up my exercising program by varying it each week: step classes, dance/ zumba, weigh lifting, swimming, boot camp cardio, doing reps on the weight machine circuit.

    Don't be complacent. Vary your routine.
  • brucemason86
    brucemason86 Posts: 1
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    Maybe you have just simply lost muscle and replaced it with fat, you might be eating right but maybe not time your meals properly, you could be having low fat , high protein and low carbs but having it all at the. wrong times, i think its all about timing and not what it adds up to at the end of the day as much. :),
  • welshie007
    welshie007 Posts: 11
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    I like your thinking! Sounds plausible. Thanks :smile:

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