weight loss but body fat% increase

Question
QUESTION: Firstly, I'm recovering from M.E which I've had for years but learning to live with it - am telling you this incase it impacts on the answer. The last two weeks I've been on a low fat diet, approx 1200 cals a day, or a little over,but below 1500 with odd treats. I've rejoined the gym and have been 7 out of 14 days working 45 mins to an hour and an average heart rate of 140 - 170. I've done body pump, and legs bums tums, general aerobics. I've done the cardio machines, swimming at maximum ability. I've walked the dog or done body toning on days not at the gym. my starting weight was 145 pounds, i'm 5ft 5inch. after 2 weeks i'm 139 pounds. i can feel increased muscle definition in my legs, arms bum and abbs, yet my body fat has increased from 33% to 40% after week one then upto 41% today, a week later. I don't understand that being so active for the first time in ages, very healthy diet, with the 2 litres of fluid, more than 5 fruit and veg a day, and good mix of protein and carbs. the machine i used was at the gym. Do you think it could be wrong, or am i doing something wrong which is stopping my body burning fat. in which case, what is it burning off? i know my muscles have increased, i can feel the difference. I've always been body conscious, used to train before i got sick and maintained weight between 126 and 133 pounds for years. It's so hard now and this is quite worrying that even though i feel good about the weight loss, their is a concern if I'm burning good tissue rather than fat. i need every bit of energy just to manage my condition and can't afford to relapse by doing the wrong thing physically. please help/advise, id really appreciate it. thanks. katrina

ANSWER: Katrine-

I guessing your using one of those little hand help or stand on bioimpedance units that are supposed to tel you body fat??

If so thats the problem, they are about as accurate as going up to some random child and asking them to guess your body fat.

I would gauge your success on your performance and the way your clothes fit. If you are able to perform actions better in the gym then prior, you progress and things are easier its likely you are not losing much lean tissue. If your inches go down and the clothes fit better or lose even if the scale doesn't go down your losing size (fat)along with the performance.

I would be sure to do some heavier resistance training a few times a week. Big moves like squatting and pressing moves These will preserve that muscle tissue while your shedding fat, make those muscles tighter, and preserve or boost that metabolism

I would also caution you to NOT cut fat to low, you need dietary fat to live healthy some of the fats are essential fatty acids meaning we have to eat them our body cant create them for us to live healthy and perform right. These directly influence cell life and hormone production. Be sure to get some healthy fats in, nuts, olive oil, lean meats and eggs (yes they have saturated fat but saturated fat is NOT!!! bad its useful just not in excess) and some fish oils.

Its sounds like your doing great though Katrina all in all, dont rust that lil goofy machine get your BF read by a professional or an accurate machine

Hope that helps,
Phil
www.staleytraining.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for that, it's reassuring to know. More than ever I am working on the big muscles. Body Pump really puts me through the mill with loads of squats, lunges with lighter weights and then heavier loaded weights. I do this twice a week. In addition, I also do 15 mins cross trainer, 10 mins stair climber and 12 minutes step, then swim. LBT classes is the lightest aerobic that I do but still challenging.  I'm also keeping the good fats in, eggs, olive oil, oily fish twice a week and am upping my intake by 300 cals now the 2 week blast is out of the way.
Do you have much knowledge on M.E.-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome though? The reason I ask is that there is great emphasis on redefining your own baseline and slowly building up on that, but I really don't feel that I've put much effort in until I've done a good 20 minutes, then feel that I need to do more to increase stamina, not stop and recover for another month before increasing the sessions. But maybe I'm just being stubborn.  Also, the other question I have is about mixing aerobic and strength training. I was previously told not to mix the two, but if I did, then I should warm up aerobicly for no more than 10 mins, then weight bare, and if I really felt I needed more aerobic, then no more than 20mins AFTER weights. Something to do with going into anaerobic, which I don't fully understand.

Answer
Katrina-

Ive worked some with it with various clients. I think like you stated you should (really like anyone) slowly build your baseline. You need to concentrate on performance (the positive) and making slow steady progress doing a bit more each session 1 more minute 1 more rep, 1 more 1lb on the bar, NOT on concentrating on killing yourself in a work out. Making yourself "FEEL" like you ran your self down. The only real indicator of a good workout is progress on the subsequent workouts.

Soreness and fatigue happen, they should NOT be the goal of training, but aside effect. Progress should be the goal. If your able to make progress and it doesnt kick your butt AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would separate them, your anaerobic (high intensity resistance training, intervals etc) and aerobic training for the most part. But he main thing No your dont want to do a LOT of aerobic training prior to your anaerobic training. It will take away from the intensity your able to give. Get a nice warm up if needed just enough to get the core temp up, maybe 5 mins on a treadmill or even doing light resistance training and get to work.

You can then tack on some low intensity aerobic training after but I would keep it low, non panting to keep you primarily using fat as fuel and not trying to further use glycogen stores as the anaerobic activity just did that and you will then have to catabolise muscle tissue to create a fuel source.

That getting pretty picky but Id simply dedicate your weight training to weight training, then follow it MAYBE with some light aerobic work. BUT #1 get a good resistance training session in. Then that evening a few meals removed if you want o do more aerobic training by all means.  

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