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MyFitnessPal Community

Lost 10lb, but only 5lb was fat?

ChrisRS87

So I've been trying to cut up, and I dropped my weight by 10 lb (207 to 197), but really only dropped my BF% from 13ish to 11 ish. So I lost about 5 lb of fat and 5 lb of lean mass. I go to the gym 4-5 days a week, and I can lift more now than when I was 207, so where did the other 5lb come from?

Replies

trainertobe

the other 5lb could have easily been water weight.

senyosmom

water?

ChrisRS87

I don't think so because I was fluctuating between 206-210 for about a year, and dropping the weight took about 6 months, and I've been between 196-198 for the last month pretty consistently. My water%, if you believe my scale, is 62%, which is about average.

trainertobe

did you weigh yourself on an empty stomach?

ChrisRS87

Most of my weigh ins were immediately before beginning my workout. There might be some fluctuation based on what I ate that day, but for the most part I was consistent.

juicemoogan

is this really a question? because you just answered it

5 lb of fat and 5 lb of lean mass

If you have lost lean mass you are losing muscle and that's not good.

ChrisRS87

But if I lost muscle, wouldn't I be weaker? I can squat, bench, row, press, curl, etc more weight than ever.

juicemoogan

not necessarily.

If you are lifting heavy you need to fuel your body at an appropriate level where your muscle is not being used as fuel because you are not eating enough.

It may come off slower, but at least the real losses will be from BF and not muscle.

Look up the "eat more to weigh less" group or do a little research on TDEE and BMR.