New, what to do?

[heath096]

Hi everyone!

I am new to this health/fitness lifestyle, and I am currently stuck and am hoping for any advice!

I’m a 25 year old female. I was 5’4” 167 pounds, now I am 133 pounds. I lost that weight just from eating better and doing cardio 5x a week. However, I am still not happy with how I look. I have not done any strength training yet.

I got a dexa scan and it shows I’m 34.5% body fat! I feel that is quite a bit for being 133 pounds?

I also got a RMR breathing test done, and my RMR is 1,227. My TDEE is 1,902 and that accounts for my desk job with 3-5 days of exercise.

My question is what should I do? Should I continue to try and lose more body fat or should I focus on building muscle? I’ve heard a little about body recomposition, but I am not knowledgeable enough about it to see if it’s something I can do.

Any insight on nutrition (where should I set my calories?) and exercise would be greatly appreciated!

[SuffolkPunch]

You should always do resistance training when losing fat - to prevent muscle loss which inevitably happens. This is bad for several reasons - you can get lighter but without really improving your shape - even women rely on muscle mass to help define their shape, not just men. Losing muscle also suppresses your metabolism and makes it more likely your regain fat.


If I were you, I would eat at around maintenance calories (you can try setting it at 2000 and see if your TDEE estimate is correct or not). Pick a well known novice routine like "All Pros" - see the sticky threads in the workout programs section.

When you lose muscle, you lose scale weight faster than when are not losing muscle because it gives up its mass more cheaply than bodyfat does... so when you start weight training you might even see an uptick in your weight for a week or two. Don't panic, this is most likely good for the longer term

Get myfitnesspal to measure your calories - also check you are getting at least 100g of protein and 50g of fat per day.

[getbigordie18]

Hi everyone!

I am new to this health/fitness lifestyle, and I am currently stuck and am hoping for any advice!

I’m a 25 year old female. I was 5’4” 167 pounds, now I am 133 pounds. I lost that weight just from eating better and doing cardio 5x a week. However, I am still not happy with how I look. I have not done any strength training yet.

I got a dexa scan and it shows I’m 34.5% body fat! I feel that is quite a bit for being 133 pounds?

I also got a RMR breathing test done, and my RMR is 1,227. My TDEE is 1,902 and that accounts for my desk job with 3-5 days of exercise.

My question is what should I do? Should I continue to try and lose more body fat or should I focus on building muscle? I’ve heard a little about body recomposition, but I am not knowledgeable enough about it to see if it’s something I can do.

Any insight on nutrition (where should I set my calories?) and exercise would be greatly appreciated!

Dont worry so much about body fat. At 5-4 167 pounds I would consider hat to be healthy. I am 5-10 and 220 pounds currently

[Esperanca]

You can build muscle mass and lose fat simultaneously. The goal is to transform and improve your physique. The best approach to achieve a successful body recomposition includes:

• Workout program

Combining strength training with cardiovascular exercise will simultaneously build muscle mass and lose body fat. You can incorporate weightlifting training to build muscle: Compound exercises such as squats, pull-ups, bench presses, and deadlifts. And cardiovascular exercise helps you burn calories and lose body fat. There are various exercises like treadmill, swimming, cycling and elliptical.

• Nutrition plan

You need to include a healthy diet rich in protein. It can consist of poultry, fish, dairy products, and other protein-rich foods. Also, increase fiber consumption such as fruits and vegetables. However, it would help reduce the consumption of refined carbohydrates biscuits, sugary drinks, cakes, and fast food.

[xsquid99]

Dont worry so much about body fat. At 5-4 167 pounds I would consider hat to be healthy. I am 5-10 and 220 pounds currently

Its like you didn't even read her post. She's 5'4" 133. OP is trying to improve her physique, and telling her "dont worry about it you're healthy" isn't going to help her.

And height/weight (BMI) is a very poor way of assessing someone's overall health. You may be 5'10" and 220 but you have a good amount of muscle, someone else who is 5'10" and 220 may very well be very overweight if they have never touched a weight in their life and had 40% bodyfat.

OP, follow the advice from SuffolkPunch above, he's right on the money.