Body fat won't go down.

I just use calories in vs out because it's too much effort to write anything else. It is over-simplified but it will work for the typical joe just wanting to lose weight. Now if you're a serious lifter it would be a good idea to have a rough idea on macros too.

I wasn't referring to you specifically. Just in general, you see things like:

Person A - I want to lose body fat
Person B - Eat fewer calories than you burn. /Thread

Yeah, you will lose weight if you're in a deficit, but there is more to it than that when it comes to fat loss.

I just think the statement 'calories in VS calories out' in complete isolation, doesn't really offer much in the way of advice. It answers the questions 'how does somebody become lighter' it doesn't even touch the question 'how do I maximise fatloss and minimise muscle loss' which is what 99.99% of people actually mean when they talk about weight loss.

My body fat is and has for a very long time been 20-22% and i can't seem to shift it.

In terms of exercise I run quite a lot covering a mixture of long distance (10miles) and shorter faster distances (2miles) and a few inbetween so im getting about 25-30miles per week in. Plus i usually have a gym session every week to do some HIIT training and a weights session.

In terms of diet i don't think it's that unhealthy, typically I will have a bowl of fruit and fibre and a cup of tea for breakfast then at lunch i'll have 2 sandwhiches (usually ham or tuna) a banana and a chocolate biscuit (the size of a penguin). For tea it's usually some homemade veggie stuff my mums made. Lots of beans, veg, potato etc, sometimes a pasta dish, couple of times a week I have meat for tea such as meatballs or fish. I've really cut down on snacking as well i'll have a packet of crisps every other day but i don't snack like i used to. I'm certainly not eating kebabs and pizzas like i was at uni when my body fat was 20%. Also ive cut down on my drinking to the point that i barely drink anymore.

So in my view im exercising a lot and i don't think im eating an unhealthy diet yet my body fat % just won't go down. I'd quite like it to be aroudn the 10% mark cos then i'll have shifted 1.2 stone of useless weight which would help my running.

Okay, reading the further comments,
I think its best to put the "how to burn more body fat" aside and come to the conclusion on which why you think you should be trying to lose body fat,

Apart from what the scales say, is there any other reason why you want to reduce body fat? to look thinner? to look leaner?
I would ignore what the scales say if you are happy with how you look and if you genuinely think there is no cause for concern in regards to your health.

20-22% Body fat is not bad at all, probably average if not less than average? Especially the older you are. If you think 20% of my body is fat, that might sound pretty bad, but in reality, its not, the NHS should be able to provide you with an ideal body fat percentage range for someone of your age and gender. Reducing your body fat percentage too much will do more harm than good.

Someone feel free to correct my math.

Youre 20% body fat.
Want to cut to 10% which is a 1.2stone loss (16lbs.)
Your current body fat is 32lbs.
Total weight 160lbs.
For a total weight 160lbs with 20% body fat youre around 5ft 7?

Something here is wrong, either my math, your BF machine or your diet above isnt an accurate representation of what you eat.

I've lost 5stone or so previously and judging your diet i think its fine, i never ate perfectly, neither did i obessively count calories so i cant see a flaw in your diet.

Edit: By another guesstimation youre also running a **** ton more than i ever did .


Posted from TSR Mobile

It's not a body confidence issue. It's a sporting issue. The way I look at it is that 20% of the weight I am carrying around is useless and therefore just slowing me down.

Hi,
As mentioned in my previous post, losing too much body fat can do more harm than good, regardless of what activities you participate in.

Please see the above chart to give you an idea of what body fat percentage you should be looking at.


If you want to reduce body fat percentage then you can do as previously advised, if you're athletic which I guess you are then you simply just need to maintain what you're doing, as you are trying to change body fat for performance, change that to trying to increase muscle for performance.

You can increase muscle for the specific areas you need, so for running, mainly all your leg muscles, overtime this will do it itself with running but if you want to speed things up then get in the gym, workouts on all leg muscles, probably best with lower weights but higher reps.

I've previously read that certain foods are good for body fat loss and certain foods are bad for body fat loss, depending on your blood type. Ill try and find the chart, maybe it will help? (if you know your blood type that is, and if it even works haha)

EDIT**
This isnt THE chart i was looking for but it is similar

That first chart is just BS. 24% body fat isn't average, it's chubby/fat. Also, at 24% body fat you're average but at 25% you're obese? I don't think so.

That second chart just seems like complete and utter loose stool water.

Also, you aren't building leg muscle by running, and it isn't best using low weights and high reps.

Overall, it's a very poor post. And for that reason, I'm out.