The Fat Loss TroubleshootThis is your place to troubleshoot your fat loss problems from nutrition to training. This section is led by Leigh Peele, author of "The Fat Loss Troubleshoot," the ultimate fat loss manual. If your results have slowed or stalled this is the place to come for advice for all your fat loss needs.
I have dropped from about 250 to 203. My wife and I moved and had a child and I have consistently maintained at aroun 208-210. I feel like I have significantly changed the composition of my body, but I would like to get down to around 190 lbs. My scale still says I am about 27% body fat. I lift weights 3 days a week followed by about 20-30 minutes of low intensity cardio. On non-lifting days I do tabata rounds on a heavy bag for thirty minutes and then do 20-30 minutes of low intensity cardio on a bike. I have used calculators that tell me to lose two lbs. a week I should eat around 2200-2400 calories a day. I like to think that I eat pretty healthy. I normally have a cheat meal or two on the weekend so I don't know if it's a refeed issue. For instance today my diet looked like this:
Breakfast:
Bowl of oatmeal
2 egg omelet with salsa and a slice of lowfat cheese
Postworkout:
ON AfterMax shake (about 450 cals. 40g protein, 40 g carbs)
Lunch:
Turkey sandwich with spinach greens, fat free mayo, low fat cheese
Apple
Dinner:
South Beach dinner (245 cals, 24 g protein, 10 carbs)
Grapefruit
Snack:
Handful of walnuts
Partskim cheese stick
Snack:
Large fatfree, sugarfree latte from starbucks
This is a fairly typical day. I know this is a long read. Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me any advice to how to get back on the wagon.
1) Track what you are actually eating in terms of calories and rough macro percentages. Weigh everything (in grams) and assume nothing. What do your cheat meals look like?
You could be overeating and not realize it - especially since you are doing tabatas. They could be stressing your system.
2) When's the last time you took a training break?If it's been a while, take a week off and eat at maintenance or slightly above to allow your hormones to reset and shake things up a bit.
3) How many days a week do you just rest and do nothing more than maybe take a walk and stretch? If you're lifting 3 days a week, doing tabatas 4x a week and doing low intensity stuff everyday, you're over training and need to cut your work load so that your body has time recover and repair.
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
What are you using, a Tanita scale? They are not accurate at all, believe me, I sell them.
Stop the low intensity cardio, actually I should use the term aerobics. Cardio is not low intensity, it's moderate to high. If you are that overly fat you don't need it. You should be able to get to 10% with lifting, nutrition, and supplementation. Use cardio and sprints when you get below 8-10 and nothing else works. Lift more, cardio less.
Where do you hold most of your bodyfat?
Honestly, I don't know what the fuss is about tabata. I haven't met anyone that is really lean with a great physique that uses them. Yes I have seen the research but research isn't everything. If you want to use conditioning to lose bodyfat you are better off using longer distances or times than what tabata calls for. I'm talking 200-400m (about 30-90 seconds on an elliptical or bike, which at your current fat percentage is what I would recommend). Tabata is great for getting into shape but for fat loss it pales in comparison to better modalities like lactate training with weights or sprint intervals.
You are better off learning portion control and what foods to eat than you are using calculations. Your body is different everyday and calculations do not work. Weight or measure things for a few days and then eyeball it or you will drive yourself nuts with the numbers.
Your nutrition is terrible. Not enough protein or fat at all and IMO too many carbs for your percentage. Drop the carbs completely for 2-3 weeks, then have a carb day every 7th day. As you lean up reduce the days between your carb ups. Increase your good fats. Fish oil at 15-45g a day. It works miracles at 45g a day, trust me on this. You will feel like a million bucks. As you lean out you can decrease the dosage. Drop the South Beach Diet meals. Drop the oatmeal in the morning and double the eggs. Try some lean steak or buffalo for breakfast with nuts. Add some fruit to your breakfast like tomato or avocado. Get a different shake that has no carbs and take a TBSP fish oil with it (Carlson's). Use your current shake during your carb up. Drop the bread from your lunch and double up on everything else. Keep the apple. Instead of the South Beach Dinner cook some tilapia and some green veggies. It takes what, 3 min to cook a SB dinner? It only takes 5 or 6 to cook some tilapia and it's much better for you. Drop the latte and just get straight coffee with half and half or full creamer in it.
Don't fear the fat, fear the insulin for now. Insulin is not your friend right now but will be when you get really lean. Your best bet is to keep your insulin as low as possible and then use it in bursts when you get leaner.
If you could post some pics or email them to me if you don't want to post them publicly then I could give further advice.
Also, I'm not meaning to come off as harsh in my post, my bedside manners need improvement. I'm more of a tell you like it is kind of a guy
Depending on where you store fat will also determine what type of training you need to be on as well as supplements and it can also determine your eating but for most people the above will work beautifully.
IMO you aren't "stuck." You are just confused as to what to do, which is understandable b/c of all of the bs info that there is out there. It gets very confusing. I think making a major overhaul would put you on the right track.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wes_mantooth
I have dropped from about 250 to 203. My wife and I moved and had a child and I have consistently maintained at aroun 208-210. I feel like I have significantly changed the composition of my body, but I would like to get down to around 190 lbs. My scale still says I am about 27% body fat. I lift weights 3 days a week followed by about 20-30 minutes of low intensity cardio. On non-lifting days I do tabata rounds on a heavy bag for thirty minutes and then do 20-30 minutes of low intensity cardio on a bike. I have used calculators that tell me to lose two lbs. a week I should eat around 2200-2400 calories a day. I like to think that I eat pretty healthy. I normally have a cheat meal or two on the weekend so I don't know if it's a refeed issue. For instance today my diet looked like this:
Breakfast:
Bowl of oatmeal
2 egg omelet with salsa and a slice of lowfat cheese
Postworkout:
ON AfterMax shake (about 450 cals. 40g protein, 40 g carbs)
Lunch:
Turkey sandwich with spinach greens, fat free mayo, low fat cheese
Apple
Dinner:
South Beach dinner (245 cals, 24 g protein, 10 carbs)
Grapefruit
Snack:
Handful of walnuts
Partskim cheese stick
Snack:
Large fatfree, sugarfree latte from starbucks
This is a fairly typical day. I know this is a long read. Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me any advice to how to get back on the wagon.
I will echo others--I felt like I was "stuck" for 6 months because I was working out crazy hard and I felt like I was eating pretty well. When I started following Leigh's advice and I started to weigh and measure everything, the weight started flying off. I lost 10 lbs that first month. If you don't weigh and measure everything, then that's the first place I'd start. You might be shocked to see how many calories you are really eating. I would say to go with measurement in grams, too, instead of relying on measuring cups, etc. Watch Leigh's video about weighing and measuring food, and you'll see why.
Looks like you have had some good suggestions here, too. Good luck!
__________________
"Do you choose to simply know the path, or do you choose to walk it?"
Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down...
Yes, try measuring your food! I finally bought a digital scale yesterday, the same one in the video, in fact. It was on sale at Super Target for $12 off - don't know if it's the same at all stores but you can check.
It's funny. I haven't watched that video until just now, but I had the same experience with both peanut butter and oatmeal. What I had been GUESSING was a 100-calorie portion was more like 200! And my half-cup measure of oatmeal came out to 53 grams - 13 more than it should be! Wheat germ, bee pollen, ground flaxseeds... all ended up being nearly double the weight I was guesstimating. What an eye opener.
I've been eating AT LEAST 500 extra calories per day. No wonder I've been gaining! And I thought using measuring cups and spoons was good enough. Ugh.
Stop the low intensity cardio, actually I should use the term aerobics. Cardio is not low intensity, it's moderate to high. If you are that overly fat you don't need it. You should be able to get to 10% with lifting, nutrition, and supplementation. Use cardio and sprints when you get below 8-10 and nothing else works. Lift more, cardio less.
Uh, are you at all familiar with any of Leigh's books or advice? Sometimes doing higher intensity cardio stimulates the appetite too much, and also beats up the body too much. This advice can work for some, but it's not the only way.
Another option for Wes is that you need more recovery and to workout smarter, not harder. You absolutely need to weigh/measure your foods, because a "handful" has a pretty wide range of error - might be as simple as you aren't at a deficit at all.
You didn't say if you feel hungry or not, in general. If working out hard (intensely) makes you hungrier and more likely to sneak in extra food, then lower intensity cardio might be a good thing for you. Many of us here found that when we did slower longer cardio workouts, we were able to stay on program with our food better, and that leads to better weight loss.
Also, don't forget the importance of being active all day (NEAT = non-exercise activity thermogenesis). In other words, if you workout hard then are so tired that you sit on your butt the rest of the day, it's not serving you well. If you are active, walk around, don't plant on the couch all day, you're going to achieve a better overall calorie burn, which translates to weight (fat) loss.
Quote:
Originally Posted by perrogrande007
You are better off learning portion control and what foods to eat than you are using calculations. Your body is different everyday and calculations do not work. Weight or measure things for a few days and then eyeball it or you will drive yourself nuts with the numbers.
How is his body different every day? Is his body not ruled by the same laws of thermodynamics than everyone else's? Measuring can be an extremely important tool. Portion control is important, but it has to start with knowing what an actual portion should be. Calculations DO work.
Wes - you may not need to measure forever, but definitely weigh/measure for a while to get a better feel for exactly what you're eating. You need to know if your 2400 kcal diet is really 2400 or closer to 3000 (or more)!
Quote:
Originally Posted by perrogrande007
Your nutrition is terrible. Not enough protein or fat at all and IMO too many carbs for your percentage. Drop the carbs completely for 2-3 weeks, then have a carb day every 7th day.
Again, that is ONE option, but I saw plenty of protein (eggs, turkey, protein shake, in his dinner, cheese, etc). I can't say for sure since no exact servings are listed, but I wouldn't assume that the macros are bad. And overall bottom line calories eaten trumps macros at this point.
Wes - do you want to go super low-carb? If you do, that's great, but it's not the only option. Plenty of people here have success with low carb, but plenty also have success with moderate carbs in their diets.
You could work on incorporating more whole foods (less frozen dinner). The more one-ingredient foods (like eggs, turkey, veggies, etc) that you eat, the better.
I'm sure Leigh and others here will chime in too - good luck. If you haven't read FLTS yet, you could probably benefit a lot from it.
Uh, are you at all familiar with any of Leigh's books or advice? Sometimes doing higher intensity cardio stimulates the appetite too much, and also beats up the body too much. This advice can work for some, but it's not the only way.
Another option for Wes is that you need more recovery and to workout smarter, not harder. You absolutely need to weigh/measure your foods, because a "handful" has a pretty wide range of error - might be as simple as you aren't at a deficit at all.
You didn't say if you feel hungry or not, in general. If working out hard (intensely) makes you hungrier and more likely to sneak in extra food, then lower intensity cardio might be a good thing for you. Many of us here found that when we did slower longer cardio workouts, we were able to stay on program with our food better, and that leads to better weight loss.
Also, don't forget the importance of being active all day (NEAT = non-exercise activity thermogenesis). In other words, if you workout hard then are so tired that you sit on your butt the rest of the day, it's not serving you well. If you are active, walk around, don't plant on the couch all day, you're going to achieve a better overall calorie burn, which translates to weight (fat) loss.
How is his body different every day? Is his body not ruled by the same laws of thermodynamics than everyone else's? Measuring can be an extremely important tool. Portion control is important, but it has to start with knowing what an actual portion should be. Calculations DO work.
Wes - you may not need to measure forever, but definitely weigh/measure for a while to get a better feel for exactly what you're eating. You need to know if your 2400 kcal diet is really 2400 or closer to 3000 (or more)!
Again, that is ONE option, but I saw plenty of protein (eggs, turkey, protein shake, in his dinner, cheese, etc). I can't say for sure since no exact servings are listed, but I wouldn't assume that the macros are bad. And overall bottom line calories eaten trumps macros at this point.
Wes - do you want to go super low-carb? If you do, that's great, but it's not the only option. Plenty of people here have success with low carb, but plenty also have success with moderate carbs in their diets.
You could work on incorporating more whole foods (less frozen dinner). The more one-ingredient foods (like eggs, turkey, veggies, etc) that you eat, the better.
I'm sure Leigh and others here will chime in too - good luck. If you haven't read FLTS yet, you could probably benefit a lot from it.
Good luck!
I'm not advising him to do high intensity cardio, I'm advising him to lay off the aerobics. If he feels like he needs cardio to lose bodyfat, then have at it, but it's usually not necessary for changing someone's physique.
As far as the law of thermodynamics, no, it doesn't differ daily, but the variables do. You are also assuming that using the concept of thermodynamics is the only way to lose bodyfat, or the most efficient, and it's simply not. Controlling hormones and partitioning nutrients is much more effective. Trying to "work off" calories and trying to figure calories in and out is a very inefficient way to do things.
Read his post. What he has been doing is not working, so a change is needed.
Also, to clarify, I am talking about losing body fat, not weight. If you just want to lose weight, then calories in versus calories out works. But then you go from being big and fat to being small and fat, like Jared in the Subway commercials.
Leigh gives great advice, I am familiar with her principles. All of us physique coaches use the same basic principles but obviously adapt them for what we do. I coach bodybuilders, figure athletes, and strength athletes, so my main expertise is losing bodyfat, not weight.
And overall bottom line calories eaten trumps macros at this point.
Okay, I just saw this and I have to say that this statement is absolutely incorrect.
You think that 200 calories from pizza and ice cream will trump 400 calories of lean meat and veggies? Do you think that it will have the same hormonal response? Which one do you suppose the body will use most efficiently?
Really. So eating in excess of energy needs but eating them all in veggies and protein will give you the desired look you want, is that what you are saying?
Partitioning means jack if you don't have energy balance under control.
As far as the law of thermodynamics, no, it doesn't differ daily, but the variables do. You are also assuming that using the concept of thermodynamics is the only way to lose bodyfat, or the most efficient, and it's simply not. Controlling hormones and partitioning nutrients is much more effective. Trying to "work off" calories and trying to figure calories in and out is a very inefficient way to do things.
Read his post. What he has been doing is not working, so a change is needed.
Also, to clarify, I am talking about losing body fat, not weight. If you just want to lose weight, then calories in versus calories out works. But then you go from being big and fat to being small and fat, like Jared in the Subway commercials.
Leigh gives great advice, I am familiar with her principles. All of us physique coaches use the same basic principles but obviously adapt them for what we do. I coach bodybuilders, figure athletes, and strength athletes, so my main expertise is losing bodyfat, not weight.
I disagree. What is being suggested by myself and others is designed to help lose bodyfat. No one here said to eat Subway and get skinny-fat. But you can't sweat the details (hormone manipulation and nutrient partitioning) until you've got the big things (like how much are you actually eating) down.
Consider that what he's been doing isn't working because the workouts aren't leaving him any room for rest and recovery, and he is measuring his food by means of "a handful" and "a bowl" instead of in grams. See below...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leigh P.
Really. So eating in excess of energy needs but eating them all in veggies and protein will give you the desired look you want, is that what you are saying?
Partitioning means jack if you don't have energy balance under control.
I was gonna reply, but I can't say it better than Leigh
Leigh gives great advice, I am familiar with her principles. All of us physique coaches use the same basic principles but obviously adapt them for what we do. I coach bodybuilders, figure athletes, and strength athletes, so my main expertise is losing bodyfat, not weight.
Also I work in fat loss. Leave your "water" loss/carb tricks and hormone theories to the other gurus. I do fat.
I disagree. What is being suggested by myself and others is designed to help lose bodyfat. No one here said to eat Subway and get skinny-fat. But you can't sweat the details (hormone manipulation and nutrient partitioning) until you've got the big things (like how much are you actually eating) down.
Consider that what he's been doing isn't working because the workouts aren't leaving him any room for rest and recovery, and he is measuring his food by means of "a handful" and "a bowl" instead of in grams. See below...
I was gonna reply, but I can't say it better than Leigh
Very well put.
You just can't make blanket statements like that because the truth it is that it matters. That doesn't mean to not try and get nutrients down to be best and most optimum levels you can, but, it doesn't mean that energy balance doesn't matter. Period.
Wes just need to really chart his intake now and up his nutrient intake. That is all, it isn't that complicated and certainly doesn't have to get into partitioning.
Okay, well thanks for all the advice. I've been getting really discouraged and this is exactly why. There is so much conflicting info out there and everybody has a different answer. Like I said I have dropped from 250 to 210 and either added a significant amount of muscle or just uncovered a lot of it. I work from home and I have plenty of time to work out. I enjoy working out. Therefore I don't see it as overtraining. I lift every other day. I box on off days. I do about 20 minutes on the bike after each workout just to get some cardiovascular exercise in. I did measure my food when I was losing weight and I was coming in at around 1800-1900 calories a day. Obviously with my workouts that was not enough food. I was doing the low carb thing when I was losing, but I was miserable. Now I am mixing in some carbs here and there. Besides calories in vs. calories out, I was under the impression that carbs were best consumed at breakfast, preworkout, and postworkout. That's why I had oatmeal with breakfast, an apple preworkout, and carbs with my postworkout shake. When I say a "bowl" of oatmeal, I mean a single serve packet of Quaker "weight control" oats. They have 160 cals, 29 g carbs, 7 g protein, 3 g fat per packet. I don't think that plus two eggs, salsa, and a slice of cheese is a bad breakfast. I generally eat a sandwich on whole wheat bread for lunch with spinach greens, carrots, and either an apple or grapes. I have a postworkout shake and then I have a meat and veggie for dinner. The meals I posted for last night were different because I have class until 9pm. I usually either have cottage cheese or another protein shake before bed. I'm pretty anal about it. That's why I've been so frustrated. But I am getting stronger and my pants keep getting bigger! I think I'm just impatient and expect results immediately. Again I appreciate all the advice and thanks for reading my little novels!
Give yourself two weeks ... two weeks of tracking your calories anally, weighing every single morsel that goes into your mouth. Aim for whatever deficit you think you can manage according to the calculators, and see where you are in two weeks.
Other than making sure you get plenty of protein, don't worry so much about the macros. IMO, macro manipulation is largely to keep you feeling satisfied, to reduce cravings and to keep hormones in balance. IMO cutting out any single food group is ridiculous. No one is ever going to convince me that an apple is bad or that brown rice is the devil. Plus, what happens when you finish dieting? If you have been depriving yourself of things, you might go nuts bingeing ... and then you'll be back dieting!!
What have you got to lose by trying this besides some fat? At the very least you will learn something (your deficit is perfect, not big enough, too big) ... and at the most you will lose some fat along the way. The thing about weighing/tracking is that if it gives you the fastest results, then you won't have to diet as long, thus eliminating the need for weighing/tracking (that's Leigh's "get in and get out" philosophy).
You might not be overtraining ... if your life stress is low and you get plenty of sleep, and your body is used to that amount of training, then it is probably not too much.
__________________
Life's a Journey ... Enjoy the Ride!
Yes, I am saying that you can lose fat if eating in an excess of energy. This is how people lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, which yes, is possible and not that hard if you change the balance of partitioning.
I will agree to disagree with you ladies today. After all, there is more than one way to skin a cat, agree?
You advised portion control, rather than counting. You also mentioned lowering carbs.
In your pizza and ice cream vs lean meat and veggies comparison, I think they won't be eating 200 calories of bad vs 400 calories good. Most people will naturally eat less when eating low carb, simply by way of excluding certain foods. So, it's more like 800 calories of pizza and ice cream vs 400 calories of lean meat and veggies. So fewer calories = fat loss.
Quote:
Originally Posted by perrogrande007
Yes, I am saying that you can lose fat if eating in an excess of energy. This is how people lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, which yes, is possible and not that hard if you change the balance of partitioning.
In a given period of time, you can slowly add muscle and lose fat. You should be lifting weights to provide an anabolic envionment for muscle growth. This way, when you overfeed, you add more muscle than fat. Since your lifting also is inhibiting muscle breakdown when you are underfeeding, you should lose more fat than muscle during those periods.
Since we are never actually in energy balance (we are in surplus or deficit at any given time), we natually provide micro periods of over and underfeeding. If you're doing things correctly and not severely over or under feeding, then you can add muscle and lose fat over a period of time.
To a large degree, it doesn't matter what you eat. The severity of the surplus and deficit and the stimulus provided are the keys.
I'm sure eating "good" foods helps with things like motivation to continue eating at the right levels, discourages severe overeating and binges. Extra protein might help to some degree, since TEF is high there, so you can eat a couple hundred extra P calories and not be effected. Certain fats might be less likely to be stored than others. Still, all these things play into energy balance in some way.
I'm not arguing that you don't see your clients doing what you say, but it's not the foods, in and of themselves. There's something else going on there that allows it to happen. Clean foods seem to make it easier for them to eat just the right amounts at the right times, probably.
"Yes, I am saying that you can lose fat if eating in an excess of energy. This is how people lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, which yes, is possible and not that hard if you change the balance of partitioning. "
Long time lurker, first time poster
Maybe, I'm misunderstanding the quote--and what Leigh is suggesting.
I've heard it is possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time--Jeff Volek and Adam Campblell, in their TNT book seem to suggest this is possible...and their cited studies seem to suggest this. But, the question, I have is this: IS THIS POSSIBLE ONLY AT A CALORIC DEFICIT?
If you (Leigh and the OP) believe in this theory, then I have a question...If energy (calories) are being used to build muscle, then it would be to the point of utilzing ALL THE CALORIES to build muscle...if there were "excess" calories (i.e. in excess of those being utilized for muscle building) then it would be converted to fat, correct?.
Another way to say this:
If calories used for metabolic function and exercise + calories used to build muscle mass is greater than calories consumed THEN you will have fat loss...correct?
Conversely:
If calories used for metabolic function and exercise + calories used to build muscle mass is less than calories consumbed THEN you will have fat gain....correct?
I think this is what Leigh is saying. Maybe not. Interesting thread.
Last edited by PeterParker : 10-09-2008 at 10:47 AM.
Reason: because my kids are driving me up the wall :-)
"Yes, I am saying that you can lose fat if eating in an excess of energy. This is how people lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, which yes, is possible and not that hard if you change the balance of partitioning. "
Long time lurker, first time poster
Maybe, I'm misunderstanding the quote--and what Leigh is suggesting.
I've heard it is possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time--Jeff Volek and Adam Campblell, in their TNT book seem to suggest this is possible...and their cited studies seem to suggest this. But, the question, I have is this: IS THIS POSSIBLE ONLY AT A CALORIC DEFICIT?
If you (Leigh and the OP) believe in this theory, then I have a question...If energy (calories) are being used to build muscle, then it would be to the point of utilzing ALL THE CALORIES to build muscle...if there were "excess" calories (i.e. in excess of those being utilized for muscle building) then it would be converted to fat, correct?.
Another way to say this:
If calories used for metabolic function and exercise + calories used to build muscle mass is greater than calories consumed THEN you will have fat loss...correct?
Conversely:
If calories used for metabolic function and exercise + calories used to build muscle mass is less than calories consumbed THEN you will have fat gain....correct?
I think this is what Leigh is saying. Maybe not. Interesting thread.
With this subject there is a huge DEPENDS attached to it. Here are the questions you need to ask and the facts to understand...
1-How new is the person to training?
2-How healthy or unhealthy are they?
3-What is there general genetic set up?
4-What kind of training are they planning on doing?
5-How much of a deficit are they going to be in?
6-How well do they focus on recovery?
7-How lean are they when they start?
8-How much do they focus on nutrient timing?
9-How often are they training?
10-Are they male or female?
Are you seeing where I am going?
Take a 5'10 healthy male who is 187 pounds 17% BF and has never really trained. He will respond better to a smaller deficit, aggressive training, basic nutrition, and if rests will respond to recovery better.
In the end he will do well at gaining some muscle and losing some fat at the same time. Will likely have to only tweak thing on a more harsh level when he gets to that 10-12% mark. He will gain more muscle in a deficit based on his set up.
Take a 5'6 healthy female who is 190 pounds 39% body, has been lifting for a while to lose fat but neglected diet on serious levels and has issues with rest and recovery.
She will likely respond better to a harsher deficit, less often and lower volume training, low impact cardio, and better focus on nutrient intake.
She will not gain much muscle in a deficit since she has already trained and is female with stunted recovery issues.
Take a 5'6 healthy female who is 190 pounds 39% body, has been lifting for a while to lose fat but neglected diet on serious levels and has issues with rest and recovery.
She will likely respond better to a harsher deficit, less often and lower volume training, low impact cardio, and better focus on nutrient intake.
She will not gain much muscle in a deficit since she has already trained and is female with stunted recovery issues.
It is all about where you fall.
Wow, substitute 140 for 190 and that sounds exactly like me. When I first started OPT, it felt really weird (almost indulgent) to not be killing myself in the gym, but the results speak for themselves!
As for consistency with bf% measurements, daily measurements can be all over the place but I've found rolling averages to be quite reliable.
Assuming the 27% bf is correct, you've got 153lbs on you and that'd put you at 170lbs goal wt assuming 10% to be goal bf% .
The reason I bring up this piece of math is that there's a huge difference in approach when you've only got something like 10lbs to lose versus 30+ lbs. Again, supposing the bf% is correct, it seems to me that anal tracking (like suggested by many) is the main tool that is going to help you.
A few more suggestions: stop working out every day. Every other day lifting is just fine, but don't do the intense cardio on the other day.. that's running yourself into the ground.
People that know me, will have seen me post this more often.. but it is totally worth repeating.
"there's no such thing as overtraining, only undereating" (Poliquin)
"eat big to get big"
so if you want to lose weight...
"to undereat (lose weight) never ever overtrain" (Espi)
If you're hell-bent on doing cardio, do it right after lifting, that will leave more time for recovery.
Also, which brings my advice more in line with what Perrogrande is saying: dieting is great, but it sucks for recovery (see the top quotes) . Also, exercising hard will make most people very hungry.
The main solution , which can even put muscle onto those of us that have a very small or no deficit at all, is to eat way more on workout days than you do on rest days.
This is the main reason why I'm telling you to take the alternate days off completely. Devote these off days to complete rest , lots of sleep, little food (as little as you can bear to eat , which means mostly protein, not much fat or carbs) and if you're into it, stretching.
To arrive at a reasonable deficit of like 20% overall, you could try 50% versus 110% of maintenance. There's a lot of people who arrive at 50% of mtn quite easily by adopting an IF-diet (intermittent fasting). In the latter case I'd recommend 12hrs fasts over 16-20hr fasts and just eat breakfast and dinner but skip lunch.
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