Have I really lost THAT much lean muscle mass? Help!

Options
Doberdawn
Doberdawn Posts: 732 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have lost 53 pounds so far which is approx 20% of my total body mass. According to the body fat meter I use, I had 45.9% body fat when I started. I am now 39.7% body fat. So, that would suggest that while I've lost 20% of my overall mass, I've only lost 6% fat. Can this be true? Wouldn't that mean I've lost 14% lean muscle mass?

Eeeek! I am so not okay with that. I have started weight training this week to counter the loss of lean muscle mass. But this result just seems so skewed. Is it right? Input please!

Replies

  • fraser112
    fraser112 Posts: 405
    Options
    Unless you have a proper test done in one of the displacment machines you will never know.

    Just take comfort in the fact starvation mode is complete bs and unless you have gone below 1000 cals a day you have lost zero muscle just fat and water


    http://fitnessblackbook.com/main/starvation-mode-why-you-probably-never-need-to-worry-about-it/
  • rkr22401
    rkr22401 Posts: 216 Member
    Options
    Let's assume for a moment your BF meter is perfectly accurate (it is not)...here is what your numbers would mean...

    53 lbs lost were 20% of total starting weight...so starting weight was 265 lbs

    Starting BF% was 45.9%...so starting fat mass was 121.6 lbs and starting lean mass was 143.4 lbs

    Current weight is 265 - 53 = 212 lbs

    Current BF% is 39.7% so current fat mass is 84 lbs and current lean mass is 128 lbs

    So of 53 lbs lost, fat lost was 121.6 - 84 = 37.6 lbs and lean mass lost was 15.4 lbs

    Once again, this is just the math based upon the numbers provided if those numbers were 100% accurate.
  • Doberdawn
    Doberdawn Posts: 732 Member
    Options
    Thank you. Math is not my strong suit & this was kinda freaking me out..

Categories