Over the past month, I've lost about 4 pounds, but when I had my body fat % measured today, it had stayed the same over this same period. My body fat was down in some areas, but stayed the same others and increased a little in my stomach so that my overall body fat % stayed the same (about 27%). While my body fat in my stomach increased, I have lost 1/2 inch in my waist and more in other areas.
Does this mean that I am losing muscle instead of fat? If yes, what should I do to correct it? Less cardio or increase my calories? Or should I not be so obsessed about my lack of progress in terms of body fat %?
I do about an hour of cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays with fifteen minutes of abs and I do 45 minutes of cardio on Saturday and Sunday (with 15 min of abs on Saturday but not on Sunday). I generally do various combinations of the stair machine, elliptical, running on the treadmill, and walking on the treadmill at a steep incline (almost as high as the treadmill goes). I've also gone swimming a couple of times in the last couple of weeks instead of doing cardio at the gym. On Mon, Wed, and Fri I do weights with a trainer. He works me pretty hard, so I don't think the weight routine is the problem.
My trainer has suggested that I could cut back on the cardio, but everything else I read says that an hour a day is necessary for maintanence. And, frankly, if increasing my calories is a option, I'd rather do that than cut back on the exercise.
Right now, I eat 1,400 calories a day. I had one treat meal in the past month, but I was only over by a couple of hundred calories on that day. Otherwise, I've been on plan every day. Up until 4-6 weeks ago, I was eating 1,300 calories a day. I generally average around 80-90 grams of protein per day, 30-40 grams of fat and 200 grams of carbs (25 grams fiber, 70 grams sugar). I'm 5' 3" and currently weigh 118. I'm pretty happy with my overall size and I don't expect to get much, if any smaller. I would like to look a little leaner. I still have fat in my abdominal area, thighs, and arms that it would be nice to get rid of or at least reduce.
Reducing your body fat percentage is tricky. You may be losing deeper inside your body, so it doesn't show on the outside. As I lose weight, my fat gets more jiggly and you can grab more of it. Although right now, my measurements haven't changed, nor my body fat %, I am beginning to see striations in my upper arms, something I thought I would never see. So something is going on; it just isn't measureable yet.
I have been doing about equal amounts of cardio and resistance. Come the fall, I will be starting more resistance than cardio, to see if that works. Sometimes, you work so hard at it, your body just gets stubborn.
In terms of cardio, duration doesn't always work. You may need to up the intensity and do shorter sessions.
From my understanding, there is no way to force your body to burn fat instead of muscle. If it wants to be stubborn and burn muscle, then that's what it's gonna do You can do what you can to deter it--lift weights, do cardio, eat more protein--but in the end, all our bodies are different, but the things they have in common are that they are stubborn and fickle
Also, as I'm sure you already know, there is no way to spot reduce. Women tend to carry additional fat in the abdomen, esp. waist, hips, and thighs, so it makes sense that these areas are most stubborn.
IMO, you're doing fabulously, and in time, all the numbers will show it
Losing weight but not body fat?
You can do what you can to deter it--lift weights, do cardio, eat more protein--but in the end, all our bodies are different, but the things they have in common are that they are stubborn and fickle 
