Losing the last few % of body fat - tips please

[FutopiaDad]

Hi all

I'm currently in the region of 17% body fat and have never been able to get myself down anywhere between 12-15%.

I do a mixture of weights and cardio although it's biased towards weights. I generally eat healthily and never diet as my intake is such that I don't really put on or lose weight.

For once I'd love to drop the final few % but really don't know what's ahead of me in terms of discipline. Has anyone here been in a similar situation and be kind enough to share their experience e.g. change in exercise routine, key diet changes etc.

I have a sweet tooth so know that needs to go but any other tips would be appreciated.

Maybe if anyone is in the same boat then we could keep a log and offer some moral support!

Have you considered intermittent fasting? I used 16:8 to drop another six pounds after I had reached my initial goal for weight loss. Exercise-wise I think HIIT is very beneficial, I do it on a cross-trainer. Also I'm not sure what weights regime you currently have but the Stronglifts exercises such as barbell squats, benchpress, deadlift etc. are good for building up the bigger muscles in the body. It would certainly be worth changing up your weights routine in some way because IMO it may be easier to reduce your body fat percentage by building muscle than by reducing fat.

And I agree with the others, a calorie is a calorie but on a deficit it's much harder to get all the nutrients you need and the right amount of protein eating junk. One of the reasons i love MFP is that I can allow myself treats as long as most of my food is healthy.

I was shocked at the amount of sugar in bread as well, and salt.

If you're working out at a gym then the New Rules of Lifting book might be helpful.

Just keep at it you will achieve your goal just remember what works for one doesn't always work for another. I have certainly learned a lot of new things and now feel great.