Best way to Measure Progress for fat loss

[Ace92]

Ok, I know this sounds stupid, but I have no clue how to track progress and feel like I havent progressed. My weight has basically stayed the same. I'm 5"10 at 163. I calculated my maintaince calories to be 2600. Currently I'm eating 2000 calories.

240g of protein
100-125g of carbs
and 60g of fat

I do this through 6 small meals a day. Surprisingly i measured my biceps and they increased in measure by .25 inches. Why would this be happening? Also for a guy my height and weight does 2000 calories a day equal a big enough deficit?

I'm mostly worried about progress because I've never had abs before and whenever I tried to lose fat, I never could. But that being said I've never actually counted my macros like I do now, and I've never eaten as clean as I do.

Please help me out and answer any of my questions that you think you can. Thanks a lot.

[Ace92]

bump

[gbone74]

I am in the same boat.

Last 6 weeks weight has stayed around 228-230,yet ive lost over 2 inches off my waist,and pictures show increased definition esp my shoulders.i fit back in my 34" levis which went nowhere near last month at exactly the same weight

I have eaten 2000 calories every day which should be a major deficit in my case yet i seem to be adding muscle and losing fat,something i have argued against for ages because on those calories i cannot see how its possible.

Weight loss can be insane but as long as you know you are doing the right things it has to come together in the end.I just take pics now as changes can be imperceptible in a mirror and the scale can show a stall when thats not the case

[lovingit]

Like the new av, gbone. Arms look huge!

[alphamale100]

I'd recommend reducing your carb intake by 50%

[Sideburno]

Up your fat, increase your cals slightly looks like you're starving yourself

[Sideburno]

You dont need to eat 6 times per day either. Unless it's to stop hunger

[gbone74]

Up your fat, increase your cals slightly looks like you're starving yourself

he weighs 163, how is 2000 cals starving himself?

[Sideburno]

he weighs 163, how is 2000 cals starving himself?

I'll rephrase that apologies but you don't need a 600 calorie deficit.

[lilcheese]

he weighs 163, how is 2000 cals starving himself?

Haha! No kidding. How did you come up with that one sideburno???

If he is trying to lose weight a 600 cal deficit is not at all to much.

[Sideburno]

Also protein should be around 1-1.5g per lb of lean bodyweight you look around 1.5g for every lb, you can lower that to incorporate your fat increase and stay at 2000. Yeah 2000 cals all good I don't know why I said that before : )

[paulmmc]

Why has no-one bothered to answer OP's original question?

After you have determined your maintenance (I would try Katch-McArdle formula) and after considering an exercise multiplier, then deduct 10-15% below maintenance to get a general calorie intake per day. Next is to decide upon macro split with 40-40-20 the accepted norm range - however, I am personally carb sensitive so I am in the region of 50-35-15.

Once done, stick to the above calorie intake and macro split for a bit to see how you get along. Adjust as necessary over time if need be. Critically important is tracking your progress as without it you are sailing blind.

Few ways to keep a track on progress:

1. Scales - but they only tell you weight and not b/f% which is your ultimate goal
2. Mirror - which is what you have been using - no problem there from a morale point of view
3. Friends - who may comment on your fat loss
4. Clothing - difference in before and now
5. Calipers / Professional Stats / Weight Tank / Gimmicks etc etc

However, for me, I prefer something a lot easier yet more scientific than 1-4. My personal preference is the easy Navy Formula which I think is used by US Services - just google it.

In short, weigh yourself, measure your height, neck size and waist size and enter it into the formula and a b/f% is provided. Then using the %, work out your LBM and fat ratios of your total weight. Do this once per week under the same conditions to keep an eye on your progress.

The ideal scenario is fat loss and LBM gain, next being fat loss and static LBM. More often, you may lose a bit of LBM but so long as your fat loss is greater, you will shrink

HTH

[Sideburno]

Ratios are pointless.

1g Protein per lb LEAN body mass.
0.45-1g Fat per lb of body mass.

[Revolutionize]

Ok, I know this sounds stupid, but I have no clue how to track progress and feel like I havent progressed. My weight has basically stayed the same. I'm 5"10 at 163. I calculated my maintaince calories to be 2600. Currently I'm eating 2000 calories.

240g of protein
100-125g of carbs
and 60g of fat

I do this through 6 small meals a day. Surprisingly i measured my biceps and they increased in measure by .25 inches. Why would this be happening? Also for a guy my height and weight does 2000 calories a day equal a big enough deficit?

I'm mostly worried about progress because I've never had abs before and whenever I tried to lose fat, I never could. But that being said I've never actually counted my macros like I do now, and I've never eaten as clean as I do.

Please help me out and answer any of my questions that you think you can. Thanks a lot.

If you are not losing weight (i.e., fat), then you're eating too much/not moving enough. Lower your calories. Personally, I need to cut at around 10x my bodyweight in calories to see a difference (it's often lower than that). However, everybody is different. Some can cut at higher calories and some need to go lower.

As to measuring your progress, you can use a combination of scale, calipers, tape measure and mirror. Just seeing how your clothes fit can tell you a lot. At your weight, it's doubtful that you are gaining much lbm if you are losing fat (that's pretty rare unless you're an overfat beginner or deconditioned athlete). Even if you were gaining lbm while losing fat, the gain in lbm would be less than the fat loss. Therefore, you should see some downward movement on the scale. The fact that you're not seems to indicate that you're not in a deficit.

Do keep in mind that water weight and a host of other factors will make your weight fluctuate from day to day. Don't worry about that, just look for a long-term downward trend. If you are one of those rare (non-obese) individuals who can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, it should be evident by the calipers, tape measure, mirror, etc.

Also, what is your workout routine?

Bottom line: lower your calories a bit. Maybe try 1600-1800 and reassess in three weeks.

[Sideburno]

I personally use bf calipers, it's all relational to yourself, if you looked 15% bf but it said 40% it wouldn't matter as long as it's showing you that you are losing body fat then it is all that you need

[kentuckync]

best way to meausure progress for fat loss? MIRROR

[Sideburno]

The mirror isn't always a good way to measure progress

[gbone74]

I would have to say pictures and tape measure,in the mirror I seem to look the same

[jdinolfo]

I would have to say pictures and tape measure,in the mirror I seem to look the same

^^ This.

These are the two things I live by now after taking a sledgehammer to my scale (figuratively speaking).

[Ace92]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I was thinking about Still eating 2000 calories and then keeping protein at 240g,dropping carbs to 50-100g a day, and then uping fats to 90g a day. Does this seem better than what I'm currently doing?

Also just so you guys know I'm carb cycling. So on fridays and tuesdays I eat a high amount of carbs something like 240g of carbs, 180g of protein, and 36g of fats. Does this sound like its a good idea, carb cycling makes sense and I think it will work very well for me.

I hate looking at the mirror to check for progress because in the mirror I can see 4 abs, but when I look down, no abs at all. Does anyone else have this problem? But I do seem to have lost some body fat on my stomach. Might by a skin caliper after I get a job.

[paulmmc]

Calorie amounts and macro splits are very subjective and dependant upon the individual so, in my view, you will never get a specific answer that you want. You will only get generalisations which may or may not be of any use to you.

Carb cycling is regarded as a positive step and more so on training/non training days.

The only way in my view to accurately track bodyfat % is to take base readings and then measure at the same time every week under the same conditions - use the Navy Formula for this. Anything else and you are just guestimating like it seems as if you are alluding to anyway.

[cavymeister]

Ratios are pointless.

1g Protein per lb LEAN body mass.
0.45-1g Fat per lb of body mass.

730 calories of protein, and 972 - 2160 calories of fat for me?

So I should eat somewhere between 1702 - 2890 calories excluding carbs? That's a HAYOOGE swing. Can you explain that a little more please?

[doufer]

Up your fat, increase your cals slightly looks like you're starving yourself

this!

[kusok]

The mirror isn't always a good way to measure progress

It's the best way to me. Free, quick, and honest.

Another great indication is weight on the bar in the gym.

I refuse to get on the scale or pull out a tape-measure. Too obsessive to me.