Overweight and Fatigue

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  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,218 Member
    edited March 2017
    Without knowing the definitions of those categories, I can't tell you. I can tell you that when the measurement was done was the end of December, and at the time my total weight was 230.3, non-fat of 182.3. Current total is 220, but haven't gone back for another scan since. I've been keeping protein high, as well as doing pretty intense cardio at least 4x/week, and moderate resistance training at least 2x/week. My lean mass loss should be kept fairly low (not at zero, no, but still fairly low). Actually, I'll see if I can get a scan in this week. Friday is open for it, if they can squeeze me in, I'll get current numbers.

    based on the above you are correct that even though your BMI puts you in the obese (or at the very least very overweight category), your body fat percentage is already normal.

    What I would expect you to find is that instead of dropping fat to lean at a relative ratio that a truly obese person would, you will probably drop at the ratio that a slightly overweight to normal weight person would.

    So out of 10lbs lost you will probably end up losing 7 or so of fat and 3 or so of lean mass **sort** of thing. (obviously training and exercise can play havoc--in a positive for you way-- with these expectations)

    Please also consider that a 10lbs change is a really a small amount for something like a bodypod or even a dexa scan to work with.

    Your overall fat percentage was just under 21% per body pod (assuming my back of napkin math is right); but the bodypod's margin of error is such that your "real underlying measurement" during that 21% scan could have been anywhere from 18% to 24% (+/- 3%).

    And 3% of 230lbs is 6.9lbs... a considerable amount, almost equal to your total expected fat loss on a 10lb change.

    ETA: In particular intense exercise and water weight changes before a scan can generate huge changes. Water is non fat, i.e. lean mass, so all the things that affect scale weight can also impact--considerably--on body fat measurements especially when trying to compare results to previous tests. This is in addition to the normal variability inherent in each testing method (which in the case of body pod is given as +/- 2 to 3 percentage points of the total fat estimate for well calibrated units)