Jeff, Question about reducing % of body fat....

[Clary]

Hi Jeff,
Generally speaking, if a person loses several pounds (say over 10#) on a healthful, nutritious diet (let's use Mary's Mini as an example) and changes nothing else (except the amount or types of food eaten), will the % of body fat go down automatically as the weight goes down? --or is some type of additional aerobic or other exercise needed to reduce % of body fat? or________???

Thanks.

[landog]

Hi Jeff,
Generally speaking, if a person loses several pounds (say over 10#) on a healthful, nutritious diet (let's use Mary's Mini as an example) and changes nothing else (except the amount or types of food eaten), will the % of body fat go down automatically as the weight goes down? --or is some type of additional aerobic or other exercise needed to reduce % of body fat? or________???

Thanks.

I hope this is along the same line as Clary's post.

I've been wondering if weight loss due to diet is totally loss of fat (as long as you have some fat), or if there might be some muscle loss in there as well (even though you still have some fat).

Is there a point to be concerned about muscle loss?

Thanks,
-dog

[Clary]

I'm glad you added your questions and bumped this up. I think Jeff is extra busy with the 10Day Live-In program, which ends today.

We'll keep watching for a response.

[JeffN]

Hi Jeff,
Generally speaking, if a person loses several pounds (say over 10#) on a healthful, nutritious diet (let's use Mary's Mini as an example) and changes nothing else (except the amount or types of food eaten), will the % of body fat go down automatically as the weight goes down? --or is some type of additional aerobic or other exercise needed to reduce % of body fat? or________???

Thanks.

Hi Clary

Well, you ask a simple question but are going to get a complicated answer.

However, before I give you the complicated answer, realize that whenever anyone loses weight, they will usually lose a combination of both fat and muscle. So, the simple answer you will lose fat and more than likely you will also lower your % body fat as your weight goes down on a healthy diet. Proper exercise (type and amount) can help increase the reduction in % body fat and help maintain muscle mass and/or bone density.

Now, the complicated answer. (And a thanks to my fellow traveler on the path of health Antonio Z, who helped find this information.)

One of the biggest determinants of your muscle loss to fat loss ratio (when losing weight) and your muscle gain to fat gain ratio (when gaining weight) is your initial level of body fatness and will be a factor in how your body responds to over eating or under eating. This makes "sense" if you think about it from an evolutionary health perspective.

There have been several studies that have been done to explore this phenomenon and the results of these investigations were compiled into one review article

Body Fat Content Influences the Body Composition Response to Nutrition and Exercise GILBERT B. FORBESa (Ann N Y Acad Sci 2000 May;904:359-65)

In most situations involving a significant change in body weight, both fat-free body mass (FFM) and body fat participate, but the relative contribution of FFM and fat to the total weight change is influenced by the initial body fat content. Overfeeding: In experiments of at least 3-weeks' duration, the weight gain of thin people comprises 60-70% lean tissues, whereas in the obese it is 30-40%. Underfeeding: In humans, there is an inverse curvilinear relationship between initial body fat content and the proportion of weight loss consisting of lean tissue. The same trend holds for animals and birds, including loss during hibernation. Another factor is the magnitude of the energy deficit: as energy intake is reduced, lean tissue makes up an increasing fraction of the total weight loss. Exercise: If individuals lose much weight with exercise, the result is usually some loss of lean tissue as well as fat, and once again the proportion of lean loss to total weight loss is greater in thin people than in those who have larger body fat burdens. Members of twin pairs often differ in weight. In thin individuals, lean accounts for about half of the intrapair weight difference, whereas in the obese it accounts for only one quarter. Body fat content must be taken into account in evaluating body composition changes induced by nutrition and exercise.

From the article, a predicative equation was generated that allows us to calculate the amount of muscle and the amount of fat that we can expect to gain, based on our initial fat weight.

Lean Mass Gain / Weight Gain = 10.4 / (10.4 + initial fat weight (kg) )

In addition, this very same equation is valid when dieting for the prediction of muscle loss and fat loss.

Lean Mass Loss / Weight Loss = 10.4 / (10.4 + initial fat weight (kg) )

%BF . . . . lb LBM loss (%)
30 . . . . . 3.53 (35.3%)
25 . . . . . 3.95 (39.5%)
20 . . . . . 4.50 (45.0%)
15 . . . . . 5.21 (52.1%)
10 . . . . . 6.20 (62.0%)
5 . . . . . 7.66 (76.6%)

If your initial weight is 140 lb, and you lose ten pounds, the amount of lean body mass that you lose increases as your percentage of body fat decreases.

At 15% Body Fat, over half of the weight that you lose is lean body mass (LBM) (~52%).

At 10% Body Fat, 62% of the weight that you lose is LBM.

While these equations are not perfect, they are helpful. In addition, these equations were mostly generated using diet alone. The addition of exercise will change things. My own experiences in gaining/losing weight have come close to these predictive numbers.

For those of you who enjoy all these numbers, enjoy!

For those who don't, the bottom line is the best way to lose weight is to do it slowly(!!!), and through the combination of a healthy diet and a moderate amount of exercise.

In Health
Jeff

[Clary]

WOW! Thanks, Jeff for the fullness of your response. Excellent information. I suspected the answer was not as simple as the question seems, and this is important to me.

I am at what feels like a really good weight for me. I appear slender and have a nice proportional shape to my body, and feel and look healthy, but my body fat is very high--around 32% currently.

I am 5'6", weight stays between 132-135, am 67 yo (on Aug. 25th!! ), wear a size 6 jeans, BUT my % of body fat seems to be creeping up. Muscle tone has changed and I feel "soft".

I don't really want to lose any weight, but want to have less % of fat and more muscle tone.

Is strength training with weights maybe the best solution for me, or _____ ??:question:

[JeffN]

WOW! Thanks, Jeff for the fullness of your response. Excellent information. I suspected the answer was not as simple as the question seems, and this is important to me.

I am at what feels like a really good weight for me. I appear slender and have a nice shape to my body, and feel and look healthy, but my body fat is very high--around 32% currently.

I am 5'6", weight stays between 132-135, am 67 yo (on Aug. 25th!! ), wear a size 6 jeans, BUT my % of body fat seems to be creeping up. Muscle tone has changed and I feel "soft".

How did you measure % body fat?

Sounds like you need to take a good dose of Vitamin E every day.

That is the Vitamin E that is exercise!

That will help with the % body fat, and muscle tone.

In Health
Jeff

[HealthFreak]

Here is my 2 cents on the subject. My wife has a bathroom scale that measures percent of body fat. You can buy them just about anywhere. They measure body fat by sending a current (that you can't feel) through your body. The scale tracks the speed at which it travesl through your body and back to the scale. The current travels slower through lean tissue.

Apparently the scales are pretty accurate but the subject is open to debate. Before I started a 95 percent plant based diet I was eating slighty better than the average SAD eater. My body fat on the scale always was right around 15-16 percent. After I started the plant based diet my body fat went down to 12-13 percent. The interesting part is that I did not lose any weight for the first six months, but my body fat percentage went down by 2-3 percent.

[Clary]

How did you measure % body fat?

On my own personal hand-held programmable "Fat Analyzer" ("Oregon Scientific" brand): 31.6%. Finger-tip Electrodes at the local "Rehab-Wellness Center": 31.8%. On my daughter's step-on scale: 32%. I know about the dunking method, but none around here, and I couldn't afford it anyway, and probably wouldn't do that even if....; and no one around with calipers that I know of.

Sounds like you need to take a good dose of Vitamin E every day.

That is the Vitamin E that is exercise!

That will help with the % body fat, and muscle tone.

I can tell from the "pinch" test that I surely must be "deficient" in that form of Vit E!

Any suggestions for where is best to slowly begin back? What would be among the most important exercises for working on reducing the body fat?

I have a rebounder as well as the stabilizer bar, if needed; a park that I pass 4X a wk. that has a 1/4 mile meandering continuous walking trail; light hand weights: 2, 3, and 5 lbs; "Building Strength with Susan Powter" video (step and weights), a couple of Richard Simmons' exercise videos, "Arms and Abs of Steel" video, and others; and I am not opposed to calisthenics using my own body weight and resistance, but I need to start slowly and with the least amount of fear, or I know I will overwhelm myself and quit.

I have never been known for my physical strength and more mentally "exercised" than physically, tho' I do have fairly good endurance and used to have really strong legs, and above average coordination and reflexes.

A little brief history: I was told about 4 years ago that if I didn't have a total hip replacement "immediately" I'd soon be unable to walk at all. I was almost at the no-walk stage already. I saw the xrays and things did not look very hopeful. At that time, I was in screaming pain, limping and dragging my leg to walk, and having to crawl up stairs and bump down-sitting, and needing a cane. I read everything Dr. McDougall referred me to and followed all his dietary instructions exactly, and am totally pain free, and not even a limp.

BUT, there is this lingering fear to not do anything to compromise or damage my hip, or fracture it, etc. and I quit almost all my exercise during the worst of the pain and sleepless nights and exhaustion, and am sporadic about "starting up and stopping" my routines, and have truly become a couch potato (or compurter cucumber, I guess. )

I need to go back and have the hip x-rayed to see what healing stage/condition I'm in, and put my mind to ease. I'll call tomorrow to see if my insurance will cover a follow-up appointment with one of the two different orth. surgeons who DXd the damaged hip.

BUT, I can't blame the hip for the "wings" developing on my upper arms!

In the meantime, any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Clary

In Health,
Jeff

[langerangersquared]

I've had both caliper and "dunking" measures at different times. I'm lean, some would say skinny, with visible abs, and I was surprised, and actually disbelieved, the 26-27% reading I got. The technician was sorta surprised too, but eventually fell back on a visceral fat explanation. Seems, she said, that as we age (I was probably 64 y/o at the time, we accumulate visceral fat around our internal organs. Apparently, it's a bit like love handles, a killer to get rid of. Now that I've been doing McD for a year or so and have lost an additional 12-15 lb's. I think I'm gonna go back for another dunking before long to see what the score is now. Don

[momof4]

Clary,
Are you able to see a physical therapist? They should be able to test your strength and give you appropriate exercises--that may ease your fear about doing something that could be harmful.

[hope101]

A physiotherapist is a good idea. Alternatively, a session with a personal trainer who has worked a lot with people in this situation. Having honed balance, flexibility, and strength will actually work to protect your hips, IMHO.

[JeffN]

Hi Clary

I agree 100% with the last 2 posts.

The best and safest approach is to meet with a Physical Therapist to get a proper evaluation and analysis of what you can do and what you can't do and then meet with a qualified trainer on how best to implement the recommendations.

In Health
Jeff

[Chumly]

Here is my 2 cents on the subject. My wife has a bathroom scale that measures percent of body fat. You can buy them just about anywhere. They measure body fat by sending a current (that you can't feel) through your body. The scale tracks the speed at which it travesl through your body and back to the scale. The current travels slower through lean tissue.

Apparently the scales are pretty accurate but the subject is open to debate. Before I started a 95 percent plant based diet I was eating slighty better than the average SAD eater. My body fat on the scale always was right around 15-16 percent. After I started the plant based diet my body fat went down to 12-13 percent. The interesting part is that I did not lose any weight for the first six months, but my body fat percentage went down by 2-3 percent.

This explanation is incorrect. The resistance of fat is different from muscle, which will change the amount of current that goes through your body. The speed is unchanged.

[Clary]

Hi Clary

I agree 100% with the last 2 posts.

The best and safest approach is to meet with a Physical Therapist to get a proper evaluation and analysis of what you can do and what you can't do and then meet with a qualified trainer on how best to implement the recommendations.

In Health
Jeff

Thanks to you all for this excellent advice.

I'll start the PT ball rollin' today. (My first "exercise"! )

[Clairembart]

Thanks Jeff - and everyone else. This is so interesting.

Here is my limited experience so far. I started McDougall only 2 months ago. Since then I have lost 7 pounds going from 185 to 178. I am a 6.2 feet 56 y.o male. So I was not overweight when I started but I had some extra fat on my belly. Interestingly, my lean muscle tissue has increased, my arms are bigger and stronger, so is my chest. My legs are the same and the "caliper measured" fat on my belly has decreased from 1 3/8 inch to 1 inch! It feels better but I'd like to get it down to 1/2 inch. I am not in any hurry though. I'll just let it happen naturally over the next year. At least that's the plan.

I exercise for about one hour everyday, plus walking or hiking. I lift weight, do isometric exercises, push-ups, stretching, etc. I lift heavier weights than ever, do more push-ups than ever, etc. I am more flexible and my back pain is almost gone completely. The great thing is that I have more energy on this food program and doing the exercise is not tiring all. It is very pleasant. It had come to the point where exercising was difficult because my energy level was so low and my sleep quality so poor. I was barely taking a slow walk in my neighborhood. But now it is a real pleasure to move and feel my physical energy.

I started this diet to help my digestive health but becoming more fit is a welcome unexpected bonus for sure.