how to get body fat percentage down.. about 5-10%?

I took my body fat percentage.. and im 23.3%.... im in the fitness/average area... which is good but i wanted to get to atleast 15% or so. i do lots of cardio( indoor cycling,3/4 a week, step classes) and i do pilates and stability ball classes every week) so 5 times a week im active and on weekends i go cross country skiing. I was just wondering am i doing everything right to get that percentage down? and can you give me some hints on how i could spead it up!! thanks Ps: i eat healthy, i consume the regular amount of calories i need and drink lots of water!!

Public Comments

1. the best way is to swim like 100 laps or 500yds
2. Only three factors: exercise, diet and time. You need to be patient.
3. go to http://www.sparkpeople.com it will tell you if you're eating too many or too few calories to get to your goal
4. 15% is a unhealthy B.M.I.
5. A females body fat percentage should not drop below 12%. A fast paced weight loss/fat loss program is never healthy. I think what your doing is the fastest SAFE way to lose body fat. I think you should start your goal at 20% and if you still want to go for 15, then be my guest. It might make you more optimistic if you reach your first goal. Good luck just... don't over do it. Girls are supposed to have thighs and butts. Fat stores for when they have babies. Body fat isn't bad unless it's too much and you sound great already.
6. Wow your very active. Mainly cardio but you seem to be doing that. Certain things work better with some than others. Try running more instead of cycling. Don't eat past 7:30pm. You should be eating carbs so don't cut that unless its late in the day. Also try Berries for breakfast. Their supposed to kick start your metabolism in the morning.
7. It's easier for a man to reach such a difficult goal. Women typically have a higher percentage of fat for regularity of reproductive organs and issues. Losing so much fat will promote your body to shut down certain reproductive functions and it isn't deemed healthy. Women should have typically between 20 to 35 % body fat to stay healthy. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, honey.
8. 500yds, are you kidding, thats warmup work your way up to 6-8000 yds a day with varying workouts in there. Seriously tho, swimming is a great answer, it's very possible to be 15% and healthy by the way, as long as you know what you are doing and do it the right way. You're gonna need to lift weights to consume calories and your diet must be precise! It's gonna take a while, even with some very intense cardio work! Good luck!
9. For a start 15% is way way to low. Most Fashion models now for major shows are now not allowed to be under 18%. The industry wont accept them at all if under that. You need to be concentrating on less cardio and more anaerobic activity - which is weights - to get your muscle tone built up. I'm dam sure you'll look a lot heathier and with a much better physique on you than a scrawny rat apearance from to low body fat.
10. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. You said that your BMI is 23.3, that is normal. I am assuming that you are a female right? If so, then that is a very healthy BMI for you. My BMI is around 20, and I consider myself as skinny. Is there a reason on why you want to drop it to about 20%? Like for extreme sports? If so then that would be ok but if not then there is really no need to do it. Anyways, here is a tip. Reduce your calories intake by at least 500 everyday. You should see results in 2 week.
11. Strength training several times a week and lots of protein (1g per 1lb of lean body mass). Cardio burns fat, but does not build muscle. Too much cardio and not enough calories (especially protein) can burn muscle. The key to having a low body fat % and still be healthy is to have a high amount of lean mass. I'm at 24% body fat and aiming for 20%. It's really hard to get to 15% from what I heard so you will have to be really dedicated. And I certainly wouldn't go below 15% unless you are looking to complete in body building competitions. It might be helpful to know your height and weight to see how much lean body mass you have.