Is 90lbs a reasonable LBM for 5'6" female?

honeysprinkles

EDIT- Deleted original post--I did a few other online calculators and it gave me a lower estimate, putting my LBM around 99 instead which sounds more reasonable.

Thanks for the replies!

misskerouac

I think if I was in your position I wouldn't worry about getting down to 115. Just train hard (weights/resistance/body weight ) and fuel your body correctly and concentrate on your body composition and less on the number on the scale.

It really depends on your end goal, but I would maybe even seek advice from people on here on bulking/cutting if you want to work on building muscle and work on lowering BF%. It seems scary as a girl to gain weight on a bulk (even if it's just a few lbs) but some women I've seen on here that do bulk/cut cycles look amazing. But like I said, it depends on what you are looking for?

honeysprinkles

I'm not really interested in gaining muscle. I would like to maintain what I have and lose a little more body fat and I'll be happy! Thanks for the reply though!

I don't care about weighing a specific amount, but I do have extra fat that I want to lose so 115 seems like a reasonable goal. I'm 124 now so it's not a very big difference.

honeysprinkles

Maybe I should just ignore the online calculators, they really seem to vary a lot. I'll just have to wait until I can get it done by someone at the gym. I just did this one and it gave me a completely different estimate!

MoreBean13

Seems kind of low, but not out of the realm of possibilities.

I would get some calipers and test for yourself. 26% seems kind of high for someone of your height and weight (meaning 90 LBM is kind of low).

Since you're at a point where you're already a healthy weight, I would suggest focusing on body re-composition rather than weight loss....Small deficit, sufficient protein, strength training.

Zombriana

Seems pretty low. I have 106 LBM and I'm 5'1"

cwolfman13

Seems kind of low, but not out of the realm of possibilities.

I would get some calipers and test for yourself. 26% seems kind of high for someone of your height and weight (meaning 90 LBM is kind of low).

Since you're at a point where you're already a healthy weight, I would suggest focusing on body re-composition rather than weight loss....Small deficit, sufficient protein, strength training.

ditto....

honeysprinkles

Seems kind of low, but not out of the realm of possibilities.

I would get some calipers and test for yourself. 26% seems kind of high for someone of your height and weight (meaning 90 LBM is kind of low).

Since you're at a point where you're already a healthy weight, I would suggest focusing on body re-composition rather than weight loss....Small deficit, sufficient protein, strength training.

I am focusing on losing fat and maintaining muscle, which will lower my body fat % and give me the look that I want. I am currently okay with the amount of muscle that I have and I think it's a lot easier to focus on losing fat than building muscle because it's pretty difficult to put on muscle right?

CantStopWontStop92

You're fine:) And super pretty btdubs, not to sound like a creeper. Haha anyway, I'm 5'6'' and float betweeen 107 and 111 lbs. To those who will be inclined to jump in saying that's too low, I've always been thin and I carry it well. So hate elsewhere please and thank you :drinker: I'm working on body composition, which I can say at our weight a little goes a long way! It's great seeing results relatively quickly due to that lower body fat %. Anyway, go you!

Zombriana

Losing fat with result in losing muscle along with it. Sufficient protein and strength training will help preserve as much of your muscle mass as possible. The more muscle you have, the higher BMR you'll have and the more fat you can potentially burn. Plus you won't have to lose as much fat to look how you want, if you put on more muscle.

honeysprinkles

Losing fat with result in losing muscle along with it. Sufficient protein and strength training will help preserve as much of your muscle mass as possible. The more muscle you have, the higher BMR you'll have and the more fat you can potentially burn. Plus you won't have to lose as much fat to look how you want, if you put on more muscle.

I understand that. I am very close to my goal, so I don't have much to lose right now. Either way, you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, so losing fat (while maintaining as much muscle as I can) is my main focus right now. Thanks for the reply!

toutmonpossible

The way I would look at it is by body fat percentage. Depending on which chart you read, I believe 20 to 23% is low-average and some women are less, depending on age, genetics and level of athleticism. 12% is usually considered very low for a woman and very hard to achieve. Models are usually around 15% fat.

I would get my body fat checked to establish a baseline. The DXA scan is considered the best, but calipers are also good if used by an experienced person. I use a scale, which isn't completely accurate, but which is consistent.

honeysprinkles

You're fine:) And super pretty btdubs, not to sound like a creeper. Haha anyway, I'm 5'6'' and float betweeen 107 and 111 lbs. To those who will be inclined to jump in saying that's too low, I've always been thin and I carry it well. So hate elsewhere please and thank you :drinker: I'm working on body composition, which I can say at our weight a little goes a long way! It's great seeing results relatively quickly due to that lower body fat %. Anyway, go you!

Aw, thanks! :flowerforyou:
I think I was just using a weird calculation because I got more reasonable results using other calculators, but I know that it's all just an estimate anyways! Glad to hear that a little goes a long way, because I am pretty close to my goal already so I'm really hoping that the last 9 pounds will make the difference that I want it to!

Zombriana

Losing fat with result in losing muscle along with it. Sufficient protein and strength training will help preserve as much of your muscle mass as possible. The more muscle you have, the higher BMR you'll have and the more fat you can potentially burn. Plus you won't have to lose as much fat to look how you want, if you put on more muscle.

I understand that. I am very close to my goal, so I don't have much to lose right now. Either way, you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, so losing fat (while maintaining as much muscle as I can) is my main focus right now. Thanks for the reply!

I'm actually doing a body recomp right now. Losing fat and gaining muscle.
But anyway, you seem like you know what you want to do, so good luck with your journey. :flowerforyou:

honeysprinkles

The way I would look at it is by body fat percentage. Depending on which chart you read, I believe 20 to 23% is low-average and some women are less, depending on age, genetics and level of athleticism. 12% is usually considered very low for a woman and very hard to achieve. Models are usually around 15% fat.

I would get my body fat checked to establish a baseline. The DXA scan is considered the best, but calipers are also good if used by an experienced person. I use a scale, which isn't completely accurate, but which is consistent.

I edited my original post, but the calculator I used online gave me an estimate of 26%, but then others gave me an estimate of around 20-21 which makes a little more sense for my weight. They're all guesses though so I'm not putting a lot of stock in it, I do plan to get it measured at the gym soon! Thanks for the reply!

honeysprinkles

Losing fat with result in losing muscle along with it. Sufficient protein and strength training will help preserve as much of your muscle mass as possible. The more muscle you have, the higher BMR you'll have and the more fat you can potentially burn. Plus you won't have to lose as much fat to look how you want, if you put on more muscle.

I understand that. I am very close to my goal, so I don't have much to lose right now. Either way, you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, so losing fat (while maintaining as much muscle as I can) is my main focus right now. Thanks for the reply!

I'm actually doing a body recomp right now. Losing fat and gaining muscle.
But anyway, you seem like you know what you want to do, so good luck with your journey. :flowerforyou:

How do you do that? IF maybe?
I've always read that you need a calorie surplus to gain muscle and a deficit to lose fat so that's why I thought you couldn't do both? Would be interested to know though if you can! Sounds like the best of both worlds!

Zombriana

I don't know exactly how I do it. Hahaha.
what I've been doing since April is eating a set amount of caloies. TDEE - 15% (Which equals about 1800 for me)
I don't log my exercise and don't eat back my calories, since it's all equated in through the TDEE - 15% formula.
Ive been eating 1.2x my boydweight in protein, and the rest are fats and carbs. I lift heavy 5 days a week, and do cardio 5-6 days a week.
Since I lift very intensely and properly feed myself, my muscles have gained mass, but also with the calorie deficit, I also lose body fat. it's been a very slow process on the scale, but my inches and body fat percentages show the results.
My first 2 months I lost 1 pound, but I dropped 4% body fat. So it turned out that I actually lost 5 lbs of fat and gained 3-4 lbs of muscle. (The amount being so high, since I had lifted before, so muscle memory, but also a bit of newbie gains.)

Body recomp, is totally possible, you just have to do it right.

CoderGal

The last time I punched myself into one of those I was 120lbs and fat2fit gave me 25% fat though BIA gave me 17% fat (in my case, 17 was more realistic). We all carry weight in different areas. Those calcs can be off by wildly random numbers.

You're 5'6 and now you're lighter then me. I got to 120lbs, and tacked on 10lbs while lifting because I felt like I had a pot belly. This may be where you are now. Getting to a lower weight and still feeling flabbier then you want. If this is the case, the lifting ended up flattening out my stomach and I'm in the same size pants 10lbs later. My suggestion would be do heavy lifting with a calorie surplus for a while and then you can get back down to the weight you are now if you like. I just don't see the point on trying to be underweight unless you're incredibly active and eat a crap ton.

And I wouldn't say losing fat is easier then gaining muscle. It's easier to lose WEIGHT in general then add muscle. But to add muscle you'd need a calorie surplus. That's the part people seem to get all confused about, and that's why people say it's hard to add muscle on a calorie deficit...because over time, you're going to be losing it, you can't grow denser muscle unless you get a surplus of fuel.

Anyway, if you feel fantastic then who cares about a calculator. If you don't, I just listed some steps that can help you change that. Gluck!

honeysprinkles

Thanks for both of the replies, maybe I will rethink my approach since I am now very close to my goal. I have just recently started Insanity (which I know is heavily cardio based, but I really want to try to finish it) but I think I will consider increasing my net calorie goal. Any suggestions for a reasonable net? I am sedentary aside from my exercise and I add it in using my polar ft4 (and will be eating those calories back).

I definitely don't want to be underweight, I do have a small frame and I like being small, but I want to be fit and I definitely want to get a bit more solid.

I do not care at all about my weight, I weighed 124 in June, gained some weight after a month off, then went back down to 124 (where I'm at now) but I now wear a size smaller in jeans than I did in June so I know that there are a lot more important factors aside from scale weight. As long as I lose inches and look better, I'll be happy!

CoderGal

Thanks for both of the replies, maybe I will rethink my approach since I am now very close to my goal. I have just recently started Insanity (which I know is heavily cardio based, but I really want to try to finish it) but I think I will consider increasing my net calorie goal. Any suggestions for a reasonable net? I am sedentary aside from my exercise and I add it in using my polar ft4 (and will be eating those calories back).

I definitely don't want to be underweight, I do have a small frame and I like being small, but I want to be fit and I definitely want to get a bit more solid.

I do not care at all about my weight, I weighed 124 in June, gained some weight after a month off, then went back down to 124 (where I'm at now) but I now wear a size smaller in jeans than I did in June so I know that there are a lot more important factors aside from scale weight. As long as I lose inches and look better, I'll be happy!

That's pretty much my centement. I'm use to being small but wasn't a fan of the squishy. There's nothing wrong with cardio, it's great for your health, but it certainly doesn't help with re-composition if you're trying to get leaner, which if you're concerned about LBM, seems to be the case. I'm also sedentary other then exercise. I work with software, not much exercise in that. If getting your LBM high and your BF low is your goal I'd recommend increasing your calories to a slight surplus (which is hard to guestimate from my side, you'll more or less have to figure that out yourself which is easily approximated if you start gaining weight). With that lift heavy weights (meaning 85% your max rep, for about 5 reps). After you get to be to a point you're happy with your LBM you can do a cut via going back on a calorie deficit, continuing the weights, until you get to whatever weight you want to be. Stronglifts 5x5 is a free starting point and what I used as a program, but there are many progressive heavy lifting routines that would benefit you just as well. I didn't have the money to start into that stuff so I went onto a classified site and got weights and a bench for free. So it doesn't need to cost you a pretty penny either. And you can still continue with cardio if you enjoy it (make sure you fuel up so your muscles repair and you have a break inbetween). Stronglifts is usually recommended for 45 minutes 3 times a week.

honeysprinkles

Thanks for both of the replies, maybe I will rethink my approach since I am now very close to my goal. I have just recently started Insanity (which I know is heavily cardio based, but I really want to try to finish it) but I think I will consider increasing my net calorie goal. Any suggestions for a reasonable net? I am sedentary aside from my exercise and I add it in using my polar ft4 (and will be eating those calories back).

I definitely don't want to be underweight, I do have a small frame and I like being small, but I want to be fit and I definitely want to get a bit more solid.

I do not care at all about my weight, I weighed 124 in June, gained some weight after a month off, then went back down to 124 (where I'm at now) but I now wear a size smaller in jeans than I did in June so I know that there are a lot more important factors aside from scale weight. As long as I lose inches and look better, I'll be happy!

That's pretty much my centement. I'm use to being small but wasn't a fan of the squishy. There's nothing wrong with cardio, it's great for your health, but it certainly doesn't help with re-composition if you're trying to get leaner, which if you're concerned about LBM, seems to be the case. I'm also sedentary other then exercise. I work with software, not much exercise in that. If getting your LBM high and your BF low is your goal I'd recommend increasing your calories to a slight surplus (which is hard to guestimate from my side, you'll more or less have to figure that out yourself which is easily approximated if you start gaining weight). With that lift heavy weights (meaning 85% your max rep, for about 5 reps). After you get to be to a point you're happy with your LBM you can do a cut via going back on a calorie deficit, continuing the weights, until you get to whatever weight you want to be. Stronglifts 5x5 is a free starting point and what I used as a program, but there are many progressive heavy lifting routines that would benefit you just as well. I didn't have the money to start into that stuff so I went onto a classified site and got weights and a bench for free. So it doesn't need to cost you a pretty penny either. And you can still continue with cardio if you enjoy it (make sure you fuel up so your muscles repair and you have a break inbetween). Stronglifts is usually recommended for 45 minutes 3 times a week.

When I first made this topic, it was in a response to a body fat calculator that put me at 26% (a 90lb lbm) which I thought seemed too low, but I've done a few more that estimate me at 21% and about 99lb lbm. I don't necessarily care about that (especially right now when I don't accurately know my body fat %), but I would like to at least maintain it while losing fat. It's confusing because I know how I want to look, I just need to figure out what to do to get there. Basically, I like my body now, but I would like to have a little less fat on my hips and stomach, I can feel my abs when I flex but they are still covered in a small layer of fat. And I'm pear shaped, so my hips/butt/thighs also have more fat than I'd like, I don't really want to gain leg muscle (I think), but I want to lose some fat to slim down my legs. I want them to be firm and not just small though! I think I'm going to try to continue on with regular strength/resistance and cardio, and maybe up my calories a little to create a smaller deficit and see where that gets me. To be honest, I don't see myself getting into a structured weight lifting routine but I do want to incorporate some!