Anonymous
01/15/2023 18:15
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m a 44 yo female. Anyone here at that BF level? Is this completely unrealistic? Any advice?
This link below talks about inability to menstruate. Why do I need to menstruate? Also my hormones are already out of whack due to perimenopause. In fact, I started cutting cals and increasing exercise since NYE and already feel better vis a vis perimenopausal mood swings (nothing extreme, 1500 cals, slowly increasing cardio).
https://www.builtlean.com/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
That is really hard to achieve OP especially at your age. Being able to get that low is for the under 30 crowd, and those who are genetically built to naturally be this way. Also why do you need to menstruate? Because it offers protection for your bones. And at 44 you need all the protection you can get, don't be dumb and short-sighted. I work out every day, 3 days a week with heavy weights. I eat very low carb, and consume a good amount of protein. My calories are around 1400 per day. And even with this there is no way my body fat is 15-17%. I'm likely closer to 22-24%. And that is fine!
I am 42 and also work out daily. And my BF is about the same as yours. But I eat 2500 calories a day to maintain my weight. Are you sure you are eating that little? 1400 would be a drastic unsustainable deficit for me. And btw. age has nothing with achieving the leanness OP desires. She can get there just fine if she stays committed. Whether she will actually be happy and look good once she reaches her goal is a different story.
I'm absolutely sure my calories are in the 1400 range. I don't starve myself, I just don't have a big appetite, but I do make sure to eat enough protein and fat in those 1400 cals. And I really do work out every day, or nearly every day. Also age does matter - I'm post-menopausal.
Anonymous
01/15/2023 16:05
Subject: Re:Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
Anonymous wrote:My mom is naturally ultra-lean. And it’s a disaster for her bones, despite aggressive treatment for osteoporosis. She’s barely 60 and has broken two bones in the last year.
Is she lean with a plenty of muscle or just lean in terms of low bodyfat but not much muscle? Was she strength training throughout her life and was she eating a nutritious diet or is her leanness an outcome of perpetual dieting? Leanness per se should not be a factor in osteoporosis, but the behaviors that led to that leanness might be implicated.
Anonymous
01/15/2023 15:58
Subject: Re:Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
My mom is naturally ultra-lean. And it’s a disaster for her bones, despite aggressive treatment for osteoporosis. She’s barely 60 and has broken two bones in the last year.
Anonymous
01/15/2023 15:42
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
Anonymous wrote:Here is a snippet of research for body builders in a caloric deficit. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3255#B96-nutrients-13-03255
Key take aways... aim for no more than 1% fat loss a week. Carbs are important and maintain high protein.
So for me, as a male at 170lb at 20% BF, puts me at around 136lb muscle or 60kg. Therefore, it seems I need 132g protein, 120-180g carbs, and min 30g per fat.
That is around 270 fat + 600 carbs + 528 protein = ~1400 calories daily.
Resistance-trained athletes undergoing a weight loss phase should focus their efforts on maximizing FFM retention while reducing the fat mass. The caloric intake should be set based on a target BW loss of 0.5–1.0%/week in order to maximize retention of FFM. The lower the % body fat of the athlete, the more conservative should the energy deficit be. The recommended protein intake is 2.2–3.0 g/kg BW/day, distributing this throughout the day in three–six meals and ensuring in each of them an adequate amount of protein (0.40–0.55 g/kg BW/intake). The carbohydrate intake should be adapted to the athlete’s activity level in order to promote performance during training (2–5 g/kg BW/day). Individuals who wish to engage in more severe CHO restriction (e.g., ketogenic conditions) may increase the risk of FFM loss, despite a similar capacity to preserve strength. Once the protein and carbohydrate intake has been established, the rest of the calories can be assigned to fat, ensuring a minimum intake of ≥0.5 g/kg BW/day. Regarding protein timing, an intake 2–3 h before training and another 2–3 h post-training is preferable. The intake of caffeine (3–6 mg/kg BW/day) and creatine monohydrate (3–5 g/day, up to 5–10 g/day in larger athletes) could be incorporated into the athlete’s diet due to the ergogenic effects related to resistance-training. Specific vitamin supplementation should be limited to special situations in which there is the detection of, or high risk for deficiency—and the athlete cannot consume the recommended daily amount of these nutrients through dietary sources. Routine MVM use remains controversial but its benefits likely outweigh its risks. The main limitation of this review is the small number of long-term studies with large samples conducted on resistance-trained athletes during a weight loss phase. More research is required in this population in order to expand our knowledge and improve nutritional and dietary supplement recommendations. Table 1 summarizes the conclusions of each subsection.
The macronutrients in that article, which I largely agree with, seem related to total body weight, not lean mass. That would mean your minimum intake would be 170P/154C/38F or 1638 calories. Then you still need to relate this results to your estimated calorie expenditure as at this very low calorie intake you would be likely losing more than 1% of BW a week. 1400 calories would be ridiculous for a male of your size. I do not have to cut this aggressively as a 30lbs lighter female.
Also, I know you are a dude, but for women this fat intake would be quite low. At least 40g per day on average is recommended for hormonal health.
Anonymous
01/15/2023 14:17
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
Here is a snippet of research for body builders in a caloric deficit. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3255#B96-nutrients-13-03255
Key take aways... aim for no more than 1% fat loss a week. Carbs are important and maintain high protein.
So for me, as a male at 170lb at 20% BF, puts me at around 136lb muscle or 60kg. Therefore, it seems I need 132g protein, 120-180g carbs, and min 30g per fat.
That is around 270 fat + 600 carbs + 528 protein = ~1400 calories daily.
Resistance-trained athletes undergoing a weight loss phase should focus their efforts on maximizing FFM retention while reducing the fat mass. The caloric intake should be set based on a target BW loss of 0.5–1.0%/week in order to maximize retention of FFM. The lower the % body fat of the athlete, the more conservative should the energy deficit be. The recommended protein intake is 2.2–3.0 g/kg BW/day, distributing this throughout the day in three–six meals and ensuring in each of them an adequate amount of protein (0.40–0.55 g/kg BW/intake). The carbohydrate intake should be adapted to the athlete’s activity level in order to promote performance during training (2–5 g/kg BW/day). Individuals who wish to engage in more severe CHO restriction (e.g., ketogenic conditions) may increase the risk of FFM loss, despite a similar capacity to preserve strength. Once the protein and carbohydrate intake has been established, the rest of the calories can be assigned to fat, ensuring a minimum intake of ≥0.5 g/kg BW/day. Regarding protein timing, an intake 2–3 h before training and another 2–3 h post-training is preferable. The intake of caffeine (3–6 mg/kg BW/day) and creatine monohydrate (3–5 g/day, up to 5–10 g/day in larger athletes) could be incorporated into the athlete’s diet due to the ergogenic effects related to resistance-training. Specific vitamin supplementation should be limited to special situations in which there is the detection of, or high risk for deficiency—and the athlete cannot consume the recommended daily amount of these nutrients through dietary sources. Routine MVM use remains controversial but its benefits likely outweigh its risks. The main limitation of this review is the small number of long-term studies with large samples conducted on resistance-trained athletes during a weight loss phase. More research is required in this population in order to expand our knowledge and improve nutritional and dietary supplement recommendations. Table 1 summarizes the conclusions of each subsection.
Key take aways... aim for no more than 1% fat loss a week. Carbs are important and maintain high protein.
So for me, as a male at 170lb at 20% BF, puts me at around 136lb muscle or 60kg. Therefore, it seems I need 132g protein, 120-180g carbs, and min 30g per fat.
That is around 270 fat + 600 carbs + 528 protein = ~1400 calories daily.
Resistance-trained athletes undergoing a weight loss phase should focus their efforts on maximizing FFM retention while reducing the fat mass. The caloric intake should be set based on a target BW loss of 0.5–1.0%/week in order to maximize retention of FFM. The lower the % body fat of the athlete, the more conservative should the energy deficit be. The recommended protein intake is 2.2–3.0 g/kg BW/day, distributing this throughout the day in three–six meals and ensuring in each of them an adequate amount of protein (0.40–0.55 g/kg BW/intake). The carbohydrate intake should be adapted to the athlete’s activity level in order to promote performance during training (2–5 g/kg BW/day). Individuals who wish to engage in more severe CHO restriction (e.g., ketogenic conditions) may increase the risk of FFM loss, despite a similar capacity to preserve strength. Once the protein and carbohydrate intake has been established, the rest of the calories can be assigned to fat, ensuring a minimum intake of ≥0.5 g/kg BW/day. Regarding protein timing, an intake 2–3 h before training and another 2–3 h post-training is preferable. The intake of caffeine (3–6 mg/kg BW/day) and creatine monohydrate (3–5 g/day, up to 5–10 g/day in larger athletes) could be incorporated into the athlete’s diet due to the ergogenic effects related to resistance-training. Specific vitamin supplementation should be limited to special situations in which there is the detection of, or high risk for deficiency—and the athlete cannot consume the recommended daily amount of these nutrients through dietary sources. Routine MVM use remains controversial but its benefits likely outweigh its risks. The main limitation of this review is the small number of long-term studies with large samples conducted on resistance-trained athletes during a weight loss phase. More research is required in this population in order to expand our knowledge and improve nutritional and dietary supplement recommendations. Table 1 summarizes the conclusions of each subsection.
Anonymous
01/15/2023 12:56
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m a 44 yo female. Anyone here at that BF level? Is this completely unrealistic? Any advice?
This link below talks about inability to menstruate. Why do I need to menstruate? Also my hormones are already out of whack due to perimenopause. In fact, I started cutting cals and increasing exercise since NYE and already feel better vis a vis perimenopausal mood swings (nothing extreme, 1500 cals, slowly increasing cardio).
https://www.builtlean.com/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
That is really hard to achieve OP especially at your age. Being able to get that low is for the under 30 crowd, and those who are genetically built to naturally be this way. Also why do you need to menstruate? Because it offers protection for your bones. And at 44 you need all the protection you can get, don't be dumb and short-sighted. I work out every day, 3 days a week with heavy weights. I eat very low carb, and consume a good amount of protein. My calories are around 1400 per day. And even with this there is no way my body fat is 15-17%. I'm likely closer to 22-24%. And that is fine!
I am 42 and also work out daily. And my BF is about the same as yours. But I eat 2500 calories a day to maintain my weight. Are you sure you are eating that little? 1400 would be a drastic unsustainable deficit for me. And btw. age has nothing with achieving the leanness OP desires. She can get there just fine if she stays committed. Whether she will actually be happy and look good once she reaches her goal is a different story.
Anonymous
01/15/2023 12:52
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
strength training to increase muscle mass will help a lot more than cardio.
Anonymous
01/15/2023 12:49
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
Anonymous wrote:Didn’t Washington Post just have a story about that weightlifter who is basically brain dead? Sounds like OP has gotten into some unsavory group.
Oh, come on. It is a girl who wanted to compete and her coach was feeding her a cocktail of steroids and fat burners and basically no food. What does that have to do with OP’s goals? If you look at the pics she posted, she only really wants to be lean with some muscle tone and she can be that at 44 just fine if she puts in some effort.
Anonymous
01/15/2023 06:17
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Way too low percentage fat for a woman, maybe for a man who is a distance runner. Would wonder about body dysmorphia if you truly want to aim for that low body fat percentage
You all seem pretty ignorant about that. Michael Jordan was 4%, which is an elite athlete, so a decent male runner could be 6-9% easily.
This ranks up there among the dumbest things I have read on here. I’ll usually between 11-12% as a man in my early 40s as an amateur athlete and that is very lean. Dropping down below that is temporary. Nobody competes in an actual sport at that level.
15-17% for a female in her 40s is a horrendous idea for all the reasons discussed in here.
Anonymous
01/14/2023 22:57
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
Anonymous wrote:I was 13-15% BF for 10 years as a professional athlete. You don’t want it. Literally years of disrupted/poor sleep, kidney issues, cold all the time, SO moody, extremely short fuse, hair falling out, nails breaking.
I’m so curious. What sport?
Anonymous
01/14/2023 22:07
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
This is not a healthy goal, and the tone of your post is very disordered. Seek help.
Anonymous
01/14/2023 21:45
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
I was 13-15% BF for 10 years as a professional athlete. You don’t want it. Literally years of disrupted/poor sleep, kidney issues, cold all the time, SO moody, extremely short fuse, hair falling out, nails breaking.
Anonymous
01/14/2023 21:42
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
I’m a guy and trying to get to 12 percent. I will let you know how I did it if I can do it.
Anonymous
01/14/2023 19:57
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
Is your goal to stop menstruating? I mean, just take birth control without a placebo, or wait a few years and that'll take care of itself.
15-17% body fat sounds miserable unless you are an athlete.
15-17% body fat sounds miserable unless you are an athlete.
Anonymous
01/14/2023 19:43
Subject: Want to get down to 15-17% bodyfat
If that is your goal, I’d start following body builders who blog. You are not going to get great advice from a parental advice board.