[Esmeralda]

I'm confused. I must not have measured right, or I'm like way out of proportion. lol

I weighed and measured today. And from my measurements I used a calculator to estimate my body fat %. I know these are not 100% accurate, but it gives me an idea and I can't afford to go get tested professionally.

Anyways, comparing my results with February's (the last time I measured), my body fat has gone up by .75%, but my lean body mass also increased by almost a half pound.

Nearly ALL my measurements are the same, with the exception of a few gained inches around the stomach and hip area, so I'm not sure if that's from fluid or "insulation". lol

My weight is also 1 pound higher than in February, I've kinda yo-yo'd a lot between then and now.

I thought that if your lean body mass increased your body fat % goes down? Can it really do both or did I screw up somewhere?

[soiley]

I don't know for sure, but I always heard that belly & hip fat account for a lot of your body fat. If your measurments are bigger in those places, it stands to reason (to me) that you have more fat there than you did before.

[Esmeralda]

I don't doubt that, but shouldn't it have made my LBM go down?

[QuilterInVA]

No, that is not always the case. Some thin people have high BFI. A lot depends on what you eat, if you exercise while losing, etc.

[kiramira]

Here is a link to the definitive explanation of lean body mass, percentage body fat, and how the two are related:
http://www.lockonfitness.com/BodyCompExplain.htm
Hope it helps!
If you've gone UP 0.5 lb in lean body mass, you have added 0.5 lbs of muscle.
That doesn't mean that you've automatically lost body fat! You have roughly estimated that you've gone up 0.75 lbs in body fat, too.
The total of the two is just over 1 lb, which is what you've gained in total.
So it makes sense.
Kira

[Esmeralda]

Thank you for the link. It gave a lot of information. I never thought about the 2 numbers adding up, so it does make sense, you're right. Thanks for opening my eyes to that.

[Esmeralda]

BTW... what kind of exercise routine would lose more body fat? Should I eat less fat, increase cardio, and continue weights to maintain what I have?

[kiramira]

Primarily, to lower body fat, you should address your diet, as approximately 80% of how you look is a direct result of what you are eating. Your diet should be calorically in line with a healthy weight loss of 1-2 lbs per week (this is a calorie thing, not a low-fat thing, because you can eat 3000 calories a day of rice which is fat free and not lose a thing, OR you can eat 1400 calories a day of a healthy balance of foods including fat and you will lose weight).
Then I would consider my cardio and weight training program in accordance with the guidelines outlined at the link. This is a great article that addresses why we don't lose the weight we think we should, and has some great recommendations:
http://www.womenfitness.net/top10_we...ss_reasons.htm
And THEN I would be patient! Because if you do all of the above, you'll lose the body fat and shape up!!!
Good luck,
Kira