Over the weekend, I had my body analysis done by a MD at a local hospital. They hooked me up to a machine, kinda looked like an EKG machine and it measured my body fat, lean mass and average calorie burn. The results are a little puzzling for me. They are as follows:

My bodyfat is 20%. Someone my age should be 18-25%. So I'm okay there.
Lean mass is 132 pounds.
I weigh 167 pounds. (i weighed 160 pounds 3 weeks ago before I started my running program and weight training. I didn't gain inches but I did gain 7 pounds of lean muscle in that time....I guess. My clothes fit better and I feel great. Despite the weight gain.)
I burn 1791 calories a day just by breathing, and
My ideal weight should be 162

Now My goal weight is 140, but I now don't think that is achievable if I have 132 pounds of lean mass. My body fat is right on target and I'm very healthy according to my bloodwork i had done on Friday.

So my question is, can I change my body type with exercise? I would like to weigh about 150 and reshape my hips and thighs and develop 6 pack abs. Can I achieve these things and be at a healthy bodyfat percentage? I know if my fat is too low, it can cause some health problems.

I'm trying to set realistic goals, but I always plateau at 159 pounds. I can't seem to diet pass that point. I've been in the 160 range for 6 months now. Is being 160 my destiny? Please help.

Thanks.

In order to get to 150, you will have to do one of two things: lose muscle mass or take yourself to an unhealthy bodyfat level. I don't think either one is a good idea.

You should be proud of every scrap of that muscle! You worked hard for it and earned every bit of it. Muscle mass increases your metabolic rate, meaning you can eat more calories and not gain. It also protects your bones and gives you that nice, toned, healthy look. I can't see wanting to lose any just for the sake of a lower number on the scale.

20% bf is great. The 'average' American woman has about 25%. If you dropped only a few more lbs, you'd get into the teens, and you'd look amazing. Women in the 15-17% range have that toned, curvaceous, to-die-for look. But think hard about letting yourself keep that muscle.

Congrats! You've done an awesome job!

Cheers,

Friday

Technically you can get down to 13% body fat and still be healthy.

That's considered 'fitness' level.

13% would put you at around 151lbs. Anything below that is simply unrealistic.

At 13% you will be pretty lean and look like the models in fitness commercials.

For women, 13% is right about the level where menstruation stops. IMHO, it's a bit dangerous. Even the competitors don't stay there very long. Once again - IMHO.

OMG 13%! For a man, okay. But for a woman?

Take a look at my gallery pix. I'm pretty sure I'm in the low 20s. At 13%, you'd be able to watch me digesting my lunch.

Now, Vanity, at 20% bf, you are LEAN and healthy! But it sounds like you got tested using electric impedance. If this is what it was, those things are NOT accurate. Get re-tested using calipers somewhere so you can see what % BF you REALLY are.

And you really can't change your body type - not without starving yourself anyway.

Question though: are you lifting?

Meanwhile, enjoy what you've got - you look great, and my friend, you've earned it!

14% is pretty "tight" looking. 10% is where menses can stop and you can run into problems if you try to maintain it (osteoporosis being one of them).

i'd actually like to maintain 12-13% year round for myself, but the average woman wouldn't want that. it's also not easy to maintain, so bear that in mind.

the fitness photographs that you see of competitors in competition and of most photo shoots are hovering around 10% and i wouldn't look to that as any sort of permanent "look", as friday said.

edited to say that 20% is completely healthy - not implying it isn't. it's all about your goals, though.

edited again to ask what that method of testing was....

Built - Bet you a bottle of Lipo you're in the teens.

I bet you're right, for the UPPER part. Lower, not a chance.

I was a fat pear for a long time. Bits of it still cling tenaciously to me, but it's going, sloooooowly.

I think I trust this test a little more, the calipers test that I had done in march said I was 16.4% body fat and I didn't believe that one. Which is really more accurate?

Am I lifting, not really. I am doing circuit training on machines and free weights. Nothing too heavy, just trying to get long, lean muscles.

Thanks Built for the compliment, I greatly appreciate it.

[QUOTE=Built]At 13%, you'd be able to watch me digesting my lunch./QUOTE]

ROFL. Built you crack me up!!! hahahha

And Vanity I checked out your gallery and you look great!

Deanna,

What kind of question is that? Of course you can!

You can shape your body any way you want, and in good health!

Some people have this mistaken idea about muscle that it is some kind of "Holy Grail" that we just shouldn't mess with: NON-SENSE!

It's only significant if you don't have enough. You have more than you want. You know that you don't have too much fat, your medical tests confirm it. You want to re-shape your body to a smaller weight (and slimmer hips, right!?). Your goals are well within established healthy ranges. GO AT IT!!

It is far easier to re-shape muscle into leaner, smaller proportions. It just takes a change in your fitness lifestyle, to a lifestyle that supports smaller musculature. You will then lose muscle mass (especially around your hips and glutes).

You may have a more unique situation, but certainly not an unsolvable one.

J.

locarbj

Okay, I'll bite.

How does one go about doing this?

Ok, did some math for you...

At 132 lbs lean, if you drop 6 lbs of fat, you'll be at 17%. 8 lbs will put you at 15ish and 159 lbs.

If you want to weigh 150 and still be 17%, you will have to lose 7 lbs of muscle AND 10 lbs of fat. The hard part will be that the things that make you lose muscle are generally not good for fat loss. If you drop the 7 lbs of muscle WITHOUT dropping the fat, you will actually have made yourself *fatter*. Frequent, long sessions of cardio will strip some muscle. Think marathon runner.

Cheers,

Friday

You are right fridayeyes, I did the math too. If I maintained my muscle, and lost 17 pounds of fat to be 150, I would be 11.4% body fat.

I'm at a total loss of what to do. What should my workout routine consist of to lose fat and get toned. I'm still training for this marathon in October.

PLEASE HELP

IMHO, keep training and don't sweat the muscle. And if you want to look like Built, shoot for the teens in bodyfat percent. Frankly, if you're training for a marathon, you *may* lose a bit of muscle anyway due to the cortisol effect of the long training. As long as you're still losing fat too, I don't think it will be a problem. Honestly, didn't you just say that gaining those recent lbs of muscle made you lose inches? IMHO, that's the way to go.

Cheers,

Friday