Hi, i am trying to lower my body fat, but the problem is that i have loose skin, so i don't really know what exactly is fat and what is skin. Any thoughts? Also, when i finally figure out my body fat percentage, how do i lower it, is it simply keeping up with my cardio, weight training and eating LESS calories then usual?

That seems about right, and dont forget you can't lose weight and gain muscle at the same time, so your weight training should consist of 12-15 reps.

wait wait, you cant lose body fat and gain muscle at the same time? And are you saying i cant gain muscle by doing 12 to 15 reps?

focus on one goal at a time. Do you want to gain muscle or loose fat now?

I think what he is trying to say is this: Gaining muscle and losing fat are basically energy opposites:

To gain muscle one needs to be in a caloric SURPLUS and to lose fat one needs to be in a caloric DEFICIT, and thus the basic complication. As a whole its not entirely impossible, as some have used a zig-zag form of dieting (deficit for 5 days, and surplus for 2) with some results (but you see the caloric equation I spoke of in the zig-zag), but muscle growth is compromised. With this said, it is in my opinion, better to do one or the other.

As far as reps are concerned, this is a fairly controversial subject with some basic foundations, and subject to where one is in thier training, and learning what works. Some go heavy (4 to 6), some go medium (6 to 10, 8 to 12, etc), and some go yet a bit higher. I would suggest the medium range repage of some sort as a begining, but EXPERIMENT and find what works. Now, the KEY is PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD. This takes on MANY FACES, it is NOT only adding weight to the bar, it can be other things. However, in the basic sense, its like this: In the gym you do chest for 3 sets at a weight for say 2 weeks (and reps are going up--progress), once you reach say 12 on the first set, one would add 5lbs to the weight, and repeat (in basic terminology).

well the reason i am brining this up is because i have loose skin, and i hear various opinions on what to do, some say build muscle so your skin has more to attach to, and some say cut body fat. Honestly i am just really confused, i would rather gain more muscle, but at the same time i want to get rid of this damn skin, it's just a really hard call for me.

Actually, as far as chasing these 2 goals - more muscle & less fat - people can in fact lose body fat and gain muscle at the same time.

Thing is, it tends to be easier to do with beginners new to training who may be a bit over-fat going in and / or have had little ( if any ) experience with muscle adaptation due to progressive overload. It's not that both can't be done at the same time, it's just that it's not an " optimal " approach toward reaching either goal - as opposed to, for example, focusing only on one goal at a time.

So, asking IF you can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time isn't the relevant question - you can. The more relevant question IMO is HOW MUCH muscle you can gain and fat you can lose at the same time.

I agree, entirely, Wrangell, good stuff