% Body Fat Drop Plataued

hey guys, first time posting on here. I started working out and dieting 3 months ago at 5 8" and 190 pounds with a 39 inch waist and 27% body fat, yeah I was getting big. First month dropped 9lbs and lost 2 inches off my waist putting me at 24% body fat. The next month I lost about 8 pounds and another 2 inches off my waist dropping me to a decent 21% body fat. That was exactly a month ago and this is where my plateau began. I lowered my calorie intake, increased cardio and strength building... But today I weigh in at 173.8 and have a 35in. waist. I weighed and measured a few days ago on an empty stomach without any bloating and I was 170 w/ 34 inch waist which is still only 19%... I look a bit better this month, but the previous two months had been drastic. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I can post my monthly pictures too if that would help, just let me know.

A couple things:

1. Not sure how you are getting BF% readings, but chances are they're not at all accurate (assuming you're using one of those bioimpedance devices or self-administering calipers).

2. What is your workout routine like? For a moment, assume the BF% readings ARE accurate...If you're not on a proper lifting regimen, it's possible you're losing lean (ie muscle) mass along with the fat, such that your overall BF% ratio isn't changing that much.

How many Calories are you eating each day? Also how many are Protein, Fats, and Carbs? Pictures would also help for a reference.

I basically do as much cardio as I can handle. I try to run a 5k 3 times a week in the mornings. I lift in the afternoons. my lifting schedule looks something like this. day 1 upper body with emphasis on arms. i do preacher curls, standing rope wrist roller for forearms and wrists, tricep extensions, lying EZ bar extensions, chin ups, concentration curls, alternate hammer curls, and do whatever supersets I'm craving. day two i do chest, always start with bench, then forward leaning dips, then dumbbell flyes, then dumbbell bench, then pushups along with whatever supersets i am feeling that day cable flys some days or incline dumbbell bench. then i will do a leg day with your basic squat, leg presses, extensions, curl. then i rest a day with just cardio then i start over varying my supersets. i am using the body fat clinic on active.com to get my BF%. All i do is plug in my waist size and weight and it gives me an estimated BF% so thats probably wrong. How would i find a are accurate BF% and how would i compare it to my past? I am also likely not on "Proper" lifting regimen, but i don't know what i should be on or where to find it. thanks for the help

have not been keeping up with it that religiously honestly. i know my calorie intake is been below 1900 per day, and it has not changed in the past three months. me and you are roughly the same height and weight right now though, what is your intake? also where do you get your workout regimen?

Check out the workout programs forum, bud :) there are some awesome stickied beginner routines. Pick one, read the whole thread, as there are people on them daily answering the questions that come up.

Chances are your BF reader is wildly inaccurate, especially if it's just using waist measurement and overall mass. Go by appearance and feel :) if you must find one that takes wrist, ankle, neck and waist measurements as the tend to be a little more accurate (though still far from perfect.)

I'm on the Fierce 5 novice routine, and I read through the entire thread and it answered every question I had. I ended up PMing the author (Davis) a question I hadn't found, but then found the question asked a few pages later. Although the thread is old, Davis has a comprehensive thread that is still open and he visits that daily as well as some other well informed users responding to questions.

There's a ton of information on this site. Spend a few days reading about fat loss, nutrition and optimal beginner routines. It's well worth it :)