[Closed] Body Fat %

[I]Kryton57 - Member
but why aren't I losing more fat
[/I]

First, grass hopper, you must understand how and why the body stores fat. Only then, grass hopper, will you understand what you must do to achieve your goals 😉

[I]miketually - Member
You're probably better off using a tape measure and a mirror to see if you're losing fat. [/I]

Fair advise. Mike has a good handle on this, imo.
🙂

[I]Kryton57 - Member
I do that. I'm not bemoaning the loss to date, just wondering why my body fat appears to be high.
[/I]
I refer you to my first remark 🙂

[I]molgrips - Member
It's quite possible that your scales are talking complete bobbins.[/I]

I think we can take it, those scales are [b]definitely[/b] reporting in bobbins. 😆

[I]suburbanreuben - Member
On a non training day I have two slices of toast with marmite a 7am, a cereal bar at 10, soup plus 2 slices of whole meal bread for lunch.
On a training days it's 2 poached eggs on no buttered toast then that's it until a soy protein shake plus the soup lunch after the turbo

That's a lot of bread you're shovelling in.[/I]
Most definitely!

Have you tried the US Navy Method? Supposed to be accurate within 3% for most people - generally works well for me.

[url= http://http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy ]http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy[/url]

Ive had the aim of upping me power to weight this year. Since New Years I've been on the Harcombe diet whereby you don't mix carbs and fats in the same meal. This has been particularly hard for me as I'm a sugar and carb junkie, but I've managed to stick to it pretty religiously since I started.

Jan 1st I was 14st 1lb and 24%. As of this norning 13st 4lb and 20%. Aiming for 13st.

This diet works for me as its not about calorie counting and as long as you stick to the rules you can eat the bulk. Just have to be mindful on riding days to eat enough carb - first couple of rides I bonked!

Perhaps you are Sleep eating ?
Ride bike more to compensate. 🙂

That's a lot of bread you're shovelling in.
Most definitely!

Sorry, I missed the health warning, what's wrong with bread?

What worked for me was ignoring calorie counting (Which i just don't think is unsustainable). I then cut out lots of foods with lots of carbs in : bread, rice pasta etc.

Essentially I tried to cut out foods that spiked my insulin levels - the hormone that deals with fat storage and blocks cells from releasing fat for energy.

I also cut out fruit. This worked along with about 5-6 hours of riding/training a week.Oh.. and i ate loads of eggs. Particularly for breakfast

You are iDave aicmfp

Some of you have been reading to much media bs about sugars. Sugars don't make you fat, fat makes you fat. Fat is so good at making you fat the only way to stop it is to stop eating the best nutrient (sugar) and put your body into ketosis (starvation) mess up your adrenal glands and destroy your kidneys. The process that converts sugar into glycogen and then glycogen into fat is so inefficient it not worth worrying about. Excess sugar or carbs with excess fat will make you fat. I've lost a stone this week, from 13 down to 12 and I'll go down to 11 stone in the next 2 weeks. I did the same last year and it worked perfect after years of messing around with keto diets eat. Eat clean fat free carbs with lean meats and watch it fall off.
Typically I eat a bowl of oats in the morning with 2 table spoons of sugar and honey with a bowl of scrabbled eggs. Dinner salmon and salad and evening rice and chicken or sweet potatoes chicken and veg.

Do you actually enjoy cycling Kryton? From the cat4 thread, the trainerroad thread and now this it doesn't sound like there is much fun involved...

That's a lot of bread you're shovelling in.
Most definitely!

I'm very analytical jam bo. I do yes, but I like to worry about everything as well. I expect my version of being joyous about something is far from the atypical image of the laughing policeman. I only very occasionally post about good stuff that happens, so you have a one sided impression.

Anyway I bought some fat calipers today, they are in the post.

My mantra (thanks Dad) is "it's what you do every day" that counts. That counts for exercise and food.

So, 4 slices of bread a day is 120 slices a month.

1 packet of crisps a day is 30 bags of crisps since Christmas.

..etc. 🙂

You need the B vitamins in Berocca or a genetic substitute to "help you metabolise your energy stores"

I'm 4 bottles of gin to the good though... 😀

tallie » http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy

From the comments section of the above link...

[i][b]tongueman[/b] - the tongue is the strongest muscle. How do you know im not one big tongue man?! how many people did they dissect to think they know this.odd[/i]

🙂

Bleedin' weirdo

Also, what's with the 6ft thing, Kryts? You gotta share your secret for such accelerated growth...

😉

I put it down to the 1/4" heel on my Christmas Slippers Teasel.

Train more eat better.

Whats race weight anyway?

I used to carry about 3 or 4 kilos of extra weight during the winter and shift it in about 2 or 3 weeks by stepping the training up a bit (an extra 3 or 4 hours a week isn't actually that much if you are on the bike once or twice most days.) also cutting portions by 10% makes a surprising difference, as well as being honest about what you are eating. I have a terrible sweet tooth, and training was the only thing that stopped me being fat. Now i can't train. I'm fat.

At start of December I weighed almost 83 kg now I am at just under 78kg, not sure what my body fat is but in the mirror I can clearly see a big difference. All I have done is 3 or 4 one hour turbo sessions a week using ctxc videos and then at least one 50 mile road ride or 25 mile mtb. I have cut out the crap like cake but stiil enjoy a beer, personally for me its not about numbers its abou how I feel.

really interesting all this. Im trying (and failing) to loose a bit of flab.

Im curious about the bread thing. Is it bad for you? i thought brown bread with honey or real butter was good for you (no seriously)

Whats considered a 'good' body fat percentage, having a skin fold test done tomorrow at work. As the elties seem to be on 4% I'm guessing less than 12% would be reasonable for an amateur with limited time?

I'm guessing less than 12% would be reasonable for an amateur with limited time?

12% is very decent.

4% isn't sustainable for most people and requires a commitment well beyond normal.

When I used to race, training 16 hours a week, I was about 16% (calliper test) IIRC.

Some of you have been reading to much media bs about sugars. Sugars don't make you fat, fat makes you fat. Fat is so good at making you fat the only way to stop it is to stop eating the best nutrient (sugar) and put your body into ketosis (starvation) mess up your adrenal glands and destroy your kidneys. The process that converts sugar into glycogen and then glycogen into fat is so inefficient it not worth worrying about. Excess sugar or carbs with excess fat will make you fat. I've lost a stone this week, from 13 down to 12 and I'll go down to 11 stone in the next 2 weeks. I did the same last year and it worked perfect after years of messing around with keto diets eat. Eat clean fat free carbs with lean meats and watch it fall off.
Typically I eat a bowl of oats in the morning with 2 table spoons of sugar and honey with a bowl of scrabbled eggs. Dinner salmon and salad and evening rice and chicken or sweet potatoes chicken and veg.

You've said it yourself. Eat clean. The problem isn't necessarily with carbs, but with massively processed or hidden carbs. Convenience foods and snacks that are calorie dense but nutrient and volume poor.

The daily food you listed is very clean. It's when folk ram cereal bars etc full of high fructose corn syrup etc down their throats. You consume a massive amount of excess calories, in the form of carbs and weight gain ensues.

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so cereal bars now? again i thought these were a healthy snack?

deliberate selective quote

The process that converts sugar into glycogen and then glycogen into fat is so inefficient it not worth worrying about.

the visual evidence to the contrary these days is overwhelming.

so cereal bars now? again i thought these were a healthy snack?

Loads of sugar - I take them with me on long runs/rides, ideal for an energy boost. They're slightly better than a Mars Bar, but not particularly healthy.

andybrad - Member

so cereal bars now? again i thought these were a healthy snack?

Yeah I have to say i ahve a 'healthy' cereal bar every day (9 bar). What should I change my mid morning snack too?

Rarely have crisps (bar on a friday night), have switched to nuts and seeds if i need that kind of snack.

have gone from semi skimmed to 1% fat milk. Eat a lot of pasta and bread though! (sandwiches most days)

I've not sure what the OP is actually trying to achieve, but my thoughts are:

1) It really isn't that much exercise.

2) As it isn't much exercise all nutrition should come from normal food and water, throw away protein shakes, energy drinks etc.

3) Body fat scales are garbage - ignore.

4) You don't need huge amounts of fancy data to tell you when you are getting faster and/or lighter - a stopwatch, scales and mirror tells you 90% of the story.

Cereal bars are packed with sugar, they are better than a chocolate bar, but certainly not mega healthy.

Yeah I have to say i ahve a 'healthy' cereal bar every day (9 bar). What should I change my mid morning snack too?

Do you really need a mid-morning snack? I have breakfast at 6:30 and lunch around 13:30, and I don't usually eat anything between those meals. A bit of hunger won't kill you.

Yeah I have to say i ahve a 'healthy' cereal bar every day (9 bar). What should I change my mid morning snack too?

Nothing, unless you're overweight or struggling to lose weight. The key problem with them is the ability to consume a large amount of calories in a very small volume, which does little to satisfy your appetite. There are of course times when that's necessary, but mostly it's not. They can lead to overeating, not to mention the sugars rammed into them can lead to cravings etc. A cereal bar on its own is not necessarily bad (ignoring additives etc) but you need to view it as part of the bigger picture.

I've not sure what the OP is actually trying to achieve

I was wondering why my BF% appeared high / not to drop on the scales

1) It really isn't that much exercise.

Really? Have you ever done several hours of VO2 Max intervals on a turbo, plus I'll happily refer you to a guest ride with our club, they don't hang about so you'll find out how much exercise you are getting.

2) As it isn't much exercise all nutrition should come from normal food and water, throw away protein shakes, energy drinks etc.

I refer you to my earlier post, where its a lower cal supplement to recovery rather than a purchase to build muscle as is normally understood. To put the food back would be to eat more for the same protien content.

3) Body fat scales are garbage - ignore.

Yup, got that now.

4) You don't need huge amounts of fancy data to tell you when you are getting faster and/or lighter - a stopwatch, scales and mirror tells you 90% of the story.

Fair point.

1) It really isn't that much exercise.

Really? Have you ever done several hours of VO2 Max intervals on a turbo, plus I'll happily refer you to a guest ride with our club, they don't hang about so you'll find out how much exercise you are getting.

Yeah I've done the intervals on turbos and club run thing, my weight hardly changed, did get a lot fitter, enough to be regularly contesting for top 10's in 3/4 races and finishing in the bunch in E/1/2/3. But how many hours are you doing? ~5 hours a week?

I'm struggling with why you are using a protein shake, you either (1) feel your diet is protein deficient, doubt it if you eat a lot of chicken or (2) you are using it to replace a meal in which case you are unlikely to be getting a balanced diet.

always impressed at how well a protein shake can split opinions.

vs milk
lower calorie and lower fat
feels more substantial so works well against food cravings
before or after exercise or as a meal replacement
cheap, quick, easy to consume, easy to clear up, doesnt spoil
many folk like it as part of a considered diet, i dont understand the haters.

im sure some people just reach for them instead of water or expect to be the next mr. universe

[i] ghostlymachine - Member

Maybe you just aren't that fit?
Might explain the struggle to crack 4th cat? [/i]

And, may be that wasn't very polite.

And for those who may have forgotten by page 3, a reminder of the question...

[i] Kryton57 - Member
but why aren't I losing more fat, [/i]

🙂

Solo - Member
ghostlymachine - Member

Maybe you just aren't that fit?
Might explain the struggle to crack 4th cat?

And may be that isn't very polite.

Quite, and if he's tracking my threads that closely he'll know about the Gorrick podium, 24hr top 10's & top ten's in Vets MTB series which might suggest I'm a little bit fit at least.

I am fit, but I'm not a "strong" rider, which is a deficit to my racing, especially crits by thier nature. And I might add, I did OK at Hillingdon - flat so suits me - until I lost my bottle after being surrounded by several crashes.

FWIW I'm pushing 6-8hrs a week if the weather is kind (3+ hrs turbo, 4hrs club ride, 1hr-90mins personal "smash" ride).

I realise I'm not going to be in the top ranks on those numbers but my working and family circumstances support the racing and limit that, not the other way around.

vs milk
lower calorie and lower fat
feels more substantial so works well against food cravings
before or after exercise or as a meal replacement
cheap, quick, easy to consume, easy to clear up, doesnt spoil
many folk like it as part of a considered diet, i dont understand the haters.

A balanced view at last...

A balanced view at last...

Plus milk leaves a rank aftertaste in my mouth

Do you really need a mid-morning snack? I have breakfast at 6:30 and lunch around 13:30, and I don't usually eat anything between those meals. A bit of hunger won't kill you.

I tend to have breakfast at half 7, a snack at 10, lunch at 12.. but then dont eat again till 7.30.

FWIW I'm pushing 6-8hrs a week if the weather is kind (3+ hrs turbo, 4hrs club ride, 1hr-90mins personal "smash" ride).

Similar to me, in all honesty I can't see how I'd fit in more with a full 9-5 and a wife who doesn count me gasping on the turbo at her to open the window as 'spending quality time together.'

protein shake ...after exercise ... cheap, quick,

I refer you to my earlier post, where its a lower cal supplement to recovery rather than a purchase to build muscle as is normally understood. To put the food back would be to eat more for the same protein content.

Is it worth trying reducing the training volume a bit (or mix it up, swap some turbo time for weights or swimming) so that you don't need a recovery drink/meal/whatever? Target the weight loss then crank back on the power & strength when you're at whatever weight you feel comfortable at.

I wonder if you're trying to make your body do two different things.

I know that exercise tones me up a treat (very obvious when I'm running regularly) but I don't really lose much on the scales.

Is it worth trying reducing the training volume a bit

Within 10 posts, I'm not training enough, or I need to reduce my training 😀

Think I'll go for the middle option and stay as I am (I can't swim).

1) It really isn't that much exercise.

2) As it isn't much exercise all nutrition should come from normal food and water, throw away protein shakes, energy drinks etc.

3) Body fat scales are garbage - ignore.

4) You don't need huge amounts of fancy data to tell you when you are getting faster and/or lighter - a stopwatch, scales and mirror tells you 90% of the story.

I hate to say it OP but this is pretty much spot on. At your current W/Kg you've got a big chunk you can achieve on the W side of the equation before getting too hung up on the Kg (assuming you aren't massively overweight and cracking out 400W FTP).

Do you really need a mid-morning snack? I have breakfast at 6:30 and lunch around 13:30, and I don't usually eat anything between those meals. A bit of hunger won't kill you.

I tend to have breakfast at half 7, a snack at 10, lunch at 12.. but then dont eat again till 7.30.

My plan involved taking something out of my lunch and my evening meal and using the calories as an in between meal snack. Prevented me from being really hungry and eating more than I should at main meals.

Also on the subject of cereal bars, not all are created equal. 9 bars are probably better than rice crispy squares. You will need to read the labels and look at the calories, sugar, fat, protein content and consider it.

Is it worth trying reducing the training volume a bit

Seems quite low as it is (to me).

I did about 16 hours a week when I raced in the NPS....