Body composition ...?

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monchandler
monchandler Posts: 25 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Can someone explain this? I had a weigh in today and measurements. How can my BMI, fat % and fat mass all go down and my fat free mass (which is not supposed to go down ..losing muscle right?) went down too. I am exercising and eating the right nutrients (40 carb, 30 fat and protein). How do I advoid losing muscle while trying to loose fat? Please help!!!

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  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    When you say "exercising", what are you doing?

    Is any of it strength training?
  • funforsports
    funforsports Posts: 2,656 Member
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    I assume you are not strength training. It is almost inevitable that you will lose some muscle while losing fat. Even with strength training it tends to happen but without strength training it happens at a much higher rate. If you want to lose less muscle while losing fat, the best method is to incorporate strength training, lose weight at a slow pace (0.5-1.0 lbs per week), and have a high protein diet.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Can someone explain this? I had a weigh in today and measurements. How can my BMI, fat % and fat mass all go down and my fat free mass (which is not supposed to go down ..losing muscle right?) went down too. I am exercising and eating the right nutrients (40 carb, 30 fat and protein). How do I advoid losing muscle while trying to loose fat? Please help!!!

    Best exercise for minimal muscle loss during weight loss is HEAVY lifting. Heavy is a relative term meaning a weight heavy enough so that you can only do 6-12 reps to failure. If you're eating at a deficit, you are going to lose muscle, it is unavoidable. For minimal muscle loss, lift heavy, and keep your calorie deficit as small as possible to lose weight.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    ^^^^ What everyone else said but I would add that "fat free mass" is everything that is not fat. This includes water. Water can fluctuate a lot depending on many different factors and can change the percentages pretty drastically.

    Include enough protein and resistance training to preserve muscle while losing weight.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    1) how are you measuring body fat and LBM?
    2) it's impossible not to lose *some* LBM when losing weight. Make sure you're expectations are in check.
    3) LBM is made up of more than just muscle. Just because LBM goes down doesn't necessarily mean you've lost that much muscle.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    1) how are you measuring body fat and LBM?
    2) it's impossible not to lose *some* LBM when losing weight. Make sure you're expectations are in check.
    3) LBM is made up of more than just muscle. Just because LBM goes down doesn't necessarily mean you've lost that much muscle.

    I agree ^

    It's likely that the method you are using to estimate your LBM is inaccurate which means you don't really know how much LBM you've lost, if any.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    Can someone explain this? I had a weigh in today and measurements. How can my BMI, fat % and fat mass all go down and my fat free mass (which is not supposed to go down ..losing muscle right?) went down too. I am exercising and eating the right nutrients (40 carb, 30 fat and protein). How do I advoid losing muscle while trying to loose fat? Please help!!!

    You can't completely avoid losing muscle, you can only minimize it. The best way to do that is through a progressive weight training program. That doesn't mean cardio doesn't have its place but it alone won't help you keep as much LBM as you possibly can. Also, make sure you hit your protein macro everyday. It's the important one for maintaining muscle.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Lift heavy, like everyone is saying. And I personally had to adjust my macros to 35C/35P/30F to see the last bit of my BF start to decrease.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Assuming your measuring device is correct. It is expected that you will lose some LBM (lean body mass), which is muscle and anything else that is not fat.

    The best way to ensure you don't lose much LBM is to:
    1. Make sure your deficit is not too large (the less fat you have the smaller the deficit should be, 0.5-1lb/week goal is best)
    2. Take part in a relatively heavy strength training program (any program that has you in the 3-12 rep/set range would suffice, but better strength gains will be made in the 3-6 rep range)
    3. Make sure you are getting enough protein (suggested a minimum of 1 gram per lb of lbm)
    4. Rest and recovery (rest days between working same muscle groups and sleep) muscle gets torn down from lifting and repairs during the rest.
  • monchandler
    monchandler Posts: 25 Member
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    Thanks for the great advice. I am doing way more cardio than strength. I do some strength training, but will add more! I got it measured on tanita scale. I realize the scales are not totally accurate, but wanted to make sure I am not doing something ongoing that will keep me going in that direction.

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