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Help with Body Fat Percentage

  • 02-07-2015 3:29pm
    #1
    JellieBabie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 129 ✭✭


    So I am a total newbie to the fitness world.

    I have always been thin and unfit but last year I lost a lot of weight - weight I could not afford to lose. I lost over ten pounds and seeing as I am a tiny 5 foot that is a lot to lose!

    I decided to join the gym. I have been put on a basic beginner programme; I only use the machines and do only ten minutes of cardio.

    I have been going three to four times a week for over a month now. I love it. I got my measurements taken when I started and just a few days ago. I have increased my overall body mass by 2kg. However, this 2 kg is all muscle. I wanted to gain some fat too. My body fat percentage was already low (15% for a female) and it's now dropped again to 11%. I think this is crazy! I want to have more fat than that - I am not an athlete so it should be higher yes?

    I am basically eating bananas, eggs, chicken breasts, beef, lamb, rice, pasta, bread and fish. And that's pretty much it atm!

    I am using the MyFitnessPal app and I am hitting 50% carbs, 30% fats and around 20% protein for my macros and on an average day I consume around 2500 calories.

    My metabolism was measured as being that of a 12 year old so it's super fast. I want to gain muscle (which is happening - yay!) but I also want to increase my body fat to 18-20% and I want to gain at LEAST ten pounds.

    So... what's wrong here? Why did my body mass increase overall but my body fat drop when I am stuffing myself so much my stomach is actually distended from all the food!?

    Since I got my update I have been adding a lot of oils and butters to food and increasing the carbs. Is this okay?

    Please help as I am a total noob.


Comments

  • #2
    papu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭papu


    bfp.jpg

    11% BF is very low for a female . How are you estimating this? Skinfold measurement? if so on how many sites? who is doing the measurements?
    If you're not gaining as much weight as you want , eat more.


  • #3
    JellieBabie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 129 ✭✭JellieBabie


    papu wrote: »
    11% BF is very low for a female . How are you estimating this? Skinfold measurement? if so on how many sites? who is doing the measurements?
    If you're not gaining as much weight as you want , eat more.

    Yeah that's why I'm pretty concerned. I stood on a machine in the gym to measure it. Looking at the pictures there, I look more like the girl on the top left who is 17-18% bodyfat. But that may be because I don't have any muscle tone like the two other girls.

    I am eating as much as I physically can and I am gaining weight; it's just muscle as opposed to fat. As I said, I am a total noob so I would appreciate some more targeted advice.


  • #4
    Mars Bar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,973 ✭✭✭✭Mars Bar


    BMI and Body Fat % are not really the same thing. A machine won't tell you your body fat %. That has to be taken using callipers and measuring tapes.


  • #5
    JellieBabie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 129 ✭✭JellieBabie


    Mars Bar wrote: »
    BMI and Body Fat % are not really the same thing. A machine won't tell you your body fat %. That has to be taken using callipers and measuring tapes.

    Okay well the figure definitely isn't my BMI. That is 18 at the moment; nowhere near the 11% the machine said. Regardless, my body fat is too low anyway because I am underweight.


  • #6
    caviardreams
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,736 ✭✭✭caviardreams


    I would also say it is very, very, very difficult for a female to gain 2kg of muscle (and zero fat) in a month. I would think 1kg per month would be doing very well, and the result of serious, heavy lifting imo.


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  • #7
    Alf Veedersane
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,694 ✭✭✭✭Alf Veedersane


    I wouldn't take any notice of those machines, to be honest.

    The readings vary too easily and they're not whole body measurements.


  • #8
    Zillah
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,371 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    There are machines that use electric signals to measure body fat but they're wildly inaccurate and should be ignored.

    There is no way you gained 2kg in muscle. Water weight, glycogen, and lots of other daily factors are far more likely to account for the difference.

    You could have a lower bodyfat percentage by gaining muscle even if you have the same amount of fat, because it is a percentage of the total mass.

    If you really want to gain fat then eat sugar. Cakes, soft drinks, breakfast cereals, ice cream. Not a healthy goal though. Eat well and eat more and keep working out, you'll have a natural shape. If you've had issues with being too light before you might need to take some time to think about your mental attitude towards food and why you are underweight in the first place (not eating enough, obviously, but the habits and attitudes that got you there are important).


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