Have I Hit 25% BF or Less?


Hi,

Long story short, due to injuries I gained plenty of weight and lost muscle. I have been running Lyle McDonald’s Rapid Fat Loss with good results, but now I’m curious whether I have progressed from what’s considered Category 3 (26%+) to Category 2 (15-25%).

Essentially, if I have, my diet needs to be modified (according to Lyle’s system), hence my question. And since it’s been working well for me I want to follow it as best I can. Understand that I’m not looking for a vanity number. :slight_smile:

Thank you!

Forget about BF%. It’s easy to see you are headed in the right direction. Keep up the good work and in a year, you’ll be down in the mid-teens.

[quote]doublelung84 wrote:
Forget about BF%. It’s easy to see you are headed in the right direction. Keep up the good work and in a year, you’ll be down in the mid-teens.[/quote]

I appreciate what you’re saying, but I’m not looking for a vanity number (reason stated in my first post).

[quote]voidclosure wrote:
Essentially, if I have, my diet needs to be modified to continue progress and to preserve what little muscle mass I do have.

[/quote]

Did this make sense in your head when you typed it?

Nothing magic happens at 25. What if I guessed 27? How about if I guessed 23? Would you take those 2 answers differently in terms of diet and exercise? It would be foolish to do so.

You need to modify things when what you’re currently doing stops working. Are you still losing fat? The mirror and a scale should tell you this. Pictures are also nice. Are you retaining muscle? Your work in the gym should answer this question. These questions are NOT answered by random people on the internet who assign an arbitrary number to your physique, based on 1 picture.

Keep up the good work, you’ve made great progress already.

[quote]flipcollar wrote:

[quote]voidclosure wrote:
Essentially, if I have, my diet needs to be modified to continue progress and to preserve what little muscle mass I do have.

[/quote]

Did this make sense in your head when you typed it?

Nothing magic happens at 25. What if I guessed 27? How about if I guessed 23? Would you take those 2 answers differently in terms of diet and exercise? It would be foolish to do so.

You need to modify things when what you’re currently doing stops working. Are you still losing fat? The mirror and a scale should tell you this. Pictures are also nice. Are you retaining muscle? Your work in the gym should answer this question. These questions are NOT answered by random people on the internet who assign an arbitrary number to your physique, based on 1 picture.

Keep up the good work, you’ve made great progress already.[/quote]

Man, here I thought I was explaining myself.

FACT: I posted this in the rate my physique forum, not the rate my question forum.

FACT: My question can be narrowed down to a simple yes or no answer.

FACT: I stated the reason for wanting the guesstimate. Not for vanity, but to know when to step into Phase 2/Category 2 in the diet system I have been following. Though perhaps not clearly enough.

Thanks for the kind words though. :slight_smile:

For you question, yes, you are probably in the 20%-25% range.

Does the number matter? No, what flipcollar said. I understand it is part of the program, so I say you go to the next phase.

Also, good progress on the fat loss.

[quote]Ripsaw3689 wrote:
For you question, yes, you are probably in the 20%-25% range.

Does the number matter? No, what flipcollar said. I understand it is part of the program, so I say you go to the next phase.

Also, good progress on the fat loss.[/quote]
Thank you, and yes, I believe he’s right as well.

[quote]voidclosure wrote:

[quote]flipcollar wrote:

[quote]voidclosure wrote:
Essentially, if I have, my diet needs to be modified to continue progress and to preserve what little muscle mass I do have.

[/quote]

Did this make sense in your head when you typed it?

Nothing magic happens at 25. What if I guessed 27? How about if I guessed 23? Would you take those 2 answers differently in terms of diet and exercise? It would be foolish to do so.

You need to modify things when what you’re currently doing stops working. Are you still losing fat? The mirror and a scale should tell you this. Pictures are also nice. Are you retaining muscle? Your work in the gym should answer this question. These questions are NOT answered by random people on the internet who assign an arbitrary number to your physique, based on 1 picture.

Keep up the good work, you’ve made great progress already.[/quote]

Man, here I thought I was explaining myself.

FACT: I posted this in the rate my physique forum, not the rate my question forum.

FACT: My question can be narrowed down to a simple yes or no answer.

FACT: I stated the reason for wanting the guesstimate. Not for vanity, but to know when to step into Phase 2/Category 2 in the diet system I have been following. Though perhaps not clearly enough.

Thanks for the kind words though. :slight_smile:
[/quote]

You did explain your perspective well enough. My point is that your question is inherently flawed. No person on earth can look at your physique and give you a number. It’s a range at best. That’s why I threw out 23 and 27, because I think that’s more or less the range you’re in. Factors like water retention come into play, and effect your appearance. You also only posted 1 picture. Everyone stores fat differently. Since I can’t see your back, I have no idea how much that’s contributing to your overall bodyfat number.

Just because you asked a simple yes or no question doesn’t mean a yes or no answer without explanation is appropriate.

[quote]voidclosure wrote:
FACT: I posted this in the rate my physique forum, not the rate my question forum.
[/quote]

By this logic, since it’s rate my physique forum, all we should do is rate your physique. No questions, no advice, no help. And yes, your question is flawed.

[quote]flipcollar wrote:

[quote]voidclosure wrote:

[quote]flipcollar wrote:

[quote]voidclosure wrote:
Essentially, if I have, my diet needs to be modified to continue progress and to preserve what little muscle mass I do have.

[/quote]

Did this make sense in your head when you typed it?

Nothing magic happens at 25. What if I guessed 27? How about if I guessed 23? Would you take those 2 answers differently in terms of diet and exercise? It would be foolish to do so.

You need to modify things when what you’re currently doing stops working. Are you still losing fat? The mirror and a scale should tell you this. Pictures are also nice. Are you retaining muscle? Your work in the gym should answer this question. These questions are NOT answered by random people on the internet who assign an arbitrary number to your physique, based on 1 picture.

Keep up the good work, you’ve made great progress already.[/quote]

Man, here I thought I was explaining myself.

FACT: I posted this in the rate my physique forum, not the rate my question forum.

FACT: My question can be narrowed down to a simple yes or no answer.

FACT: I stated the reason for wanting the guesstimate. Not for vanity, but to know when to step into Phase 2/Category 2 in the diet system I have been following. Though perhaps not clearly enough.

Thanks for the kind words though. :slight_smile:
[/quote]

You did explain your perspective well enough. My point is that your question is inherently flawed. No person on earth can look at your physique and give you a number. It’s a range at best. That’s why I threw out 23 and 27, because I think that’s more or less the range you’re in. Factors like water retention come into play, and effect your appearance. You also only posted 1 picture. Everyone stores fat differently. Since I can’t see your back, I have no idea how much that’s contributing to your overall bodyfat number.

Just because you asked a simple yes or no question doesn’t mean a yes or no answer without explanation is appropriate.[/quote]
Your logic makes this entire forum moot, since it’s all opinion based anyway. Someone posts their form/physique/whatever, asks if they’re ready for show, some say yeah, some say no.

What would have been helpful is you saying, “It’s really hard to tell from seeing just that one picture, but give it 23-27% if your fat distribution looks the same all around. Rough guesstimate”. All this other beating your own drum nonsense, not helpful. At least not to me.

[quote]staystrong wrote:

[quote]voidclosure wrote:
FACT: I posted this in the rate my physique forum, not the rate my question forum.
[/quote]

By this logic, since it’s rate my physique forum, all we should do is rate your physique. No questions, no advice, no help. And yes, your question is flawed.[/quote]
My question isn’t flawed. You may not be able to answer it from the information that I’ve given or the experience you’ve got, but it isn’t flawed.

[quote]voidclosure wrote:

[quote]flipcollar wrote:

[quote]voidclosure wrote:

[quote]flipcollar wrote:

[quote]voidclosure wrote:
Essentially, if I have, my diet needs to be modified to continue progress and to preserve what little muscle mass I do have.

[/quote]

Did this make sense in your head when you typed it?

Nothing magic happens at 25. What if I guessed 27? How about if I guessed 23? Would you take those 2 answers differently in terms of diet and exercise? It would be foolish to do so.

You need to modify things when what you’re currently doing stops working. Are you still losing fat? The mirror and a scale should tell you this. Pictures are also nice. Are you retaining muscle? Your work in the gym should answer this question. These questions are NOT answered by random people on the internet who assign an arbitrary number to your physique, based on 1 picture.

Keep up the good work, you’ve made great progress already.[/quote]

Man, here I thought I was explaining myself.

FACT: I posted this in the rate my physique forum, not the rate my question forum.

FACT: My question can be narrowed down to a simple yes or no answer.

FACT: I stated the reason for wanting the guesstimate. Not for vanity, but to know when to step into Phase 2/Category 2 in the diet system I have been following. Though perhaps not clearly enough.

Thanks for the kind words though. :slight_smile:
[/quote]

You did explain your perspective well enough. My point is that your question is inherently flawed. No person on earth can look at your physique and give you a number. It’s a range at best. That’s why I threw out 23 and 27, because I think that’s more or less the range you’re in. Factors like water retention come into play, and effect your appearance. You also only posted 1 picture. Everyone stores fat differently. Since I can’t see your back, I have no idea how much that’s contributing to your overall bodyfat number.

Just because you asked a simple yes or no question doesn’t mean a yes or no answer without explanation is appropriate.[/quote]
Your logic makes this entire forum moot, since it’s all opinion based anyway. Someone posts their form/physique/whatever, asks if they’re ready for show, some say yeah, some say no.

What would have been helpful is you saying, “It’s really hard to tell from seeing just that one picture, but give it 23-27% if your fat distribution looks the same all around. Rough guesstimate”. All this other beating your own drum nonsense, not helpful. At least not to me.[/quote]

cool man. best of luck.

26% … Your still a FAT ASS with no muscle

^^^^ this do your self a favor and come back when you are not such a asshole and maybe we will help you more. Your fat keep dieting end of thread .

[quote]AzCats wrote:
26% … Your still a FAT ASS with no muscle[/quote]

[quote]Reed wrote:
^^^^ this do your self a favor and come back when you are not such a asshole and maybe we will help you more. Your fat keep dieting end of thread .[/quote]
Sigh. I give up. End of Thread indeed.

You came off a bit defensive.

People came out to give you unsolicited advice, despite being in the wrong forum but you seemed intent on the importance of your question, which we cant answer.

Be open to suggestion; I’ve never heard of Lyle McDonald, and I doubt these people have either. People train different but almost everybody successful do certain things similar, the trick to piecing together an understanding of how to train is finding the commonalities.

I would outline your program in another thread if you want more specific advice, or use calipers if you are happy with what you are doing and dont want to be subject to constructive criticism.

A bit defensive, he came across as an arrogant asshole. I can’t believe the pic was even posted here and to say he is wanting to save muscle, there is no muscle to save.

first of all i didn’t see a question mark in your post so you didn’t ask any questions. But anyway i think you should stay in the 25% plus phase a lil longer BECAUSE the next phase is probably not as fat loss oriented cuz you’d be in the lower range but since your still borderline id say stay in the 25% plus range phase for a lil bit longer. Yewwww keep it up.

Nice nipple rings

I’m sorry I’m trying to be helpful but

WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG TO MENTION THE RINGS