Losing body fat

[Shelly]

Hey everyone!

Im new on this site as only found it a month ago and so glad i did! must say a BIG thank you for all the advice you give!!!
Im 30yrs old 128lbs and 24% body fat. I have always worked out ,usually do cardio 4 times a week for an hour (i know i know ) ;-) and sometimes weights. I was pretty toned anway but wanted to be SUPER toned.I ate mostly healthly 3 meals a day but some cheat days......THEN i came across this site as was looking for some advice on how to get super toned and defined.I started 3 weeks ago on the advice you all give....5-6 small meals , protein shakes, eating clean, having protein ,cho, and good fats at each small meal. Also cut my cardio to 3-4 times a week for just 30 mins and increased my weight training to 4 times a week lifting heavy weights . Now its only been 3 weeks (i know early days) but i feel so much better and certainly look more toned but..........when i stepped on scales this morning to check body fat its still the same 24% as it was 3 weeks ago ;-( I felt so dissapointed as thought at leat it would of gone down 1% any advice would be very much appreciated ;-)
Thanks!

 

[MrBigPR]

Can you post some pictures up? I find it hard to believe you would be 24% Bf. My wife is about the same and she is nowhere close to 24%.

You might be even lower.

 

[MMAMONSTER19]

ya there is no way you are 24% bodyfat need pics your probly much lower, and dont go by the scale as said above scales cant measure properly, use callipers for that, and if you look more toned than you are losing weight cuz your muscles burn more calories while working them out and cardio so theres no way your not losing weight especially if your eating right and your diet is in check, which it sounds like it is so need to see pics to you really tell you

 

[BignBad]

Go by pant size or pants in your closet you used to wear. You'll put on muscle when you work out and that can fool with regard to waist size...

 

[Rosie Chee]

Hey everyone!

Im new on this site as only found it a month ago and so glad i did! must say a BIG thank you for all the advice you give!!!
Im 30yrs old 128lbs and 24% body fat. I have always worked out ,usually do cardio 4 times a week for an hour (i know i know ) ;-) and sometimes weights. I was pretty toned anway but wanted to be SUPER toned.I ate mostly healthly 3 meals a day but some cheat days......THEN i came across this site as was looking for some advice on how to get super toned and defined.I started 3 weeks ago on the advice you all give....5-6 small meals , protein shakes, eating clean, having protein ,cho, and good fats at each small meal. Also cut my cardio to 3-4 times a week for just 30 mins and increased my weight training to 4 times a week lifting heavy weights . Now its only been 3 weeks (i know early days) but i feel so much better and certainly look more toned but..........when i stepped on scales this morning to check body fat its still the same 24% as it was 3 weeks ago ;-( I felt so dissapointed as thought at leat it would of gone down 1% any advice would be very much appreciated ;-)
Thanks!

First, great stuff on making changes and getting results.

Second, you're using Tanita scales. I would completely DISREGARD what the scales said to you, as Tanita scales are very much like BIA scales, and can be out by up to 10% BF!!! There are so many factors that can affect the reading, from hydration levels (the most important, since a current is sent through your body - your lower body only on tanita scales, and the right side of your body with BIA - measuring your wet/dry mass), whether you've eaten, time of day, whether you've trained that day and when, etc. As with anything, you would need to be CONSISTENT with the condition that you remeasured in with this, as the smallest change can throw it all out.

I would recommend that you get your body composition tested using calipers and get at LEAST 6 skinfolds (6-8 skinfolds is the best) done. Make sure that whoever does it is actually QUALIFIED in anthropometry (i.e. ISAK), to ensure that the test is as accurate and reliable as possible. And every time you get it done, make sure that you are in as close to the same time and body condition (re water, food, when last trained, etc.) as possible.

 

[Thanos]

First, great stuff on making changes and getting results.

Second, you're using Tanita scales. I would completely DISREGARD what the scales said to you, as Tanita scales are very much like BIA scales, and can be out by up to 10% BF!!! There are so many factors that can affect the reading, from hydration levels (the most important, since a current is sent through your body - your lower body only on tanita scales, and the right side of your body with BIA - measuring your wet/dry mass), whether you've eaten, time of day, whether you've trained that day and when, etc. As with anything, you would need to be CONSISTENT with the condition that you remeasured in with this, as the smallest change can throw it all out.

I would recommend that you get your body composition tested using calipers and get at LEAST 6 skinfolds (6-8 skinfolds is the best) done. Make sure that whoever does it is actually QUALIFIED in anthropometry (i.e. ISAK), to ensure that the test is as accurate and reliable as possible. And every time you get it done, make sure that you are in as close to the same time and body condition (re water, food, when last trained, etc.) as possible.

Agree. I used to sell fitness equipment back in the day and these scales were very off based each day. A BOD POd maybe a good way to go for a little better accuracy as well. Good info Guejsn.

 

[Shelly]

Guys thanks for all the advice. I did think 24% sounded quite high ! But your right the mirror doesnt lie and i definatly am looking much more toned. Guejsn your right its the tanita scales i have so gonna go get my BF checked properly like you said ...so excited as for years have been using those damn scales for my Bf! Anyway thanks again everyone for all the advice, will keep you posted and let you know what the magic number is when i get it done ;-)

 

[Rosie Chee]

Guys thanks for all the advice. I did think 24% sounded quite high ! But your right the mirror doesnt lie and i definatly am looking much more toned. Guejsn your right its the tanita scales i have so gonna go get my BF checked properly like you said ...so excited as for years have been using those damn scales for my Bf! Anyway thanks again everyone for all the advice, will keep you posted and let you know what the magic number is when i get it done ;-)

No worries, lady Got to have you do things RIGHT!

Yes, the mirror is a better way of assessing your physique than scales. And if you know what you look like at different BF% (i.e. there are certain 'pointers' on my body that change depending on the BF% I am, and so I can always tell what I am) then it can be easy to tell where you are.

 

[Shelly]

WELL.....got my BF% tested today and you guys were right. So happy... its not 24% but 18%.So happy! now just have to keep working on getting it lower ;-)

 

[Irish Cannon]

Nice! Great work. Keep it up.

 

[jeremy8m]

one rookie question...
what is CHO?

 

[Rosie Chee]

WELL.....got my BF% tested today and you guys were right. So happy... its not 24% but 18%.So happy! now just have to keep working on getting it lower ;-)

If that's YOU in your avi, chick, then you look leaner than 18% BF. More like somewhere between 14-16% BF.

one rookie question...
what is CHO?

CHO = Carbohydrate. It will say somewhere in an initial posting using this carbohydrate (CHO) so that you generally know for future reference in that post/thread.

 

[MrBigPR]

Carbohydrates

 

[Shelly]

Yep Guejsn that is me in avi .... you think it could be between 14-16% ??? ;-)you've made my day LOL Got it tested at the gym although the instructor didnt look over confident in what she was doing!...not sure where else to get it tested.....but glad you think it could be that low :shocked:

 

[Rosie Chee]

Yep Guejsn that is me in avi .... you think it could be between 14-16% ??? ;-)you've made my day LOL Got it tested at the gym although the instructor didnt look over confident in what she was doing!...not sure where else to get it tested.....but glad you think it could be that low :shocked:

Yes, I do. I know what MY body looks like everywhere from 8% BF to 14% BF (i.e. I am 9.5% BF in my current avi), and which 'markers' I can use to make an accurate guesstimate of my body %BF if I can't get it tested; and as you are only 5cm taller than me, it's probable that some of those markers (although the distribution of BF on every individual is different, so possibly not) could be used with you (i.e. midsection and hips). If she didn't look confident in what she probably wasn't or didn't know what she was doing. Which is why I said to make sure that the person who did it was actually QUALIFIED. Having an ISAK Anthropometry certification would be the best (it requires a very HIGH pass in the assessment to gain this; which translates to a minimal percentage of error), because at least then you know that they know exactly WHERE to take the skinfolds (i.e. they should make marks and use measurements, and do this before taking any skinfolds (6-8 skinfolds); and not just get the calipers and take a skinfold from 1-8 places). And they should take at LEAST 2 readings off each skinfold that they take, and do them in order (i.e. once through and then again): triceps, subscapular, biceps, iliac crest, supraspinale, abdominal, thigh, and calf.

 

[Broodstar]

Go by pant size or pants in your closet you used to wear. You'll put on muscle when you work out and that can fool with regard to waist size...

Thats an excellent way to see the results. The scale is hard and for some the numbers can be disapointing. Thats how I knew I was on a roll was when I kept drilling holes in my belt.

 

[Shelly]

Guejsn, Thanks again for all the advice did try to find someone that was ISAK qualified like you said but to no avail but will keep looking as seems the only accurate person to do it....also HOLY SH** your new pic is FIT!!! and that is now my new goal! LOL Still have a good bit to go but compared to a month a ago since i came across this site and all the advice , the difference is amazing..cant belive i used to be a cardio queen what a waste of time ;-) Anyway thanks again !

 

[Rosie Chee]

Guejsn, Thanks again for all the advice did try to find someone that was ISAK qualified like you said but to no avail but will keep looking as seems the only accurate person to do it....also HOLY SH** your new pic is FIT!!! and that is now my new goal! LOL Still have a good bit to go but compared to a month a ago since i came across this site and all the advice , the difference is amazing..cant belive i used to be a cardio queen what a waste of time ;-) Anyway thanks again !

Yep, well aim for 0.5% BF loss per week. And it CAN be done with JUST the right eating plan and exercise regime (cardio EXcluded). You'll get there. Just envision yourself at what you want to be in your mind and carry that with you all the time.And remember the 70/30 rule (although, if you want can make it 80/20): 70-80% of the time be good (CONSISTENCY is KEY), and 20-30% of the time it's ok if you miss a training session or eat badly.