We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Are we supposed to lose lean body mass??

HaleyAlli
HaleyAlli Posts: 911 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I just took a lean body mass test and it told me I'm supposed to have 18 pounds LESS lean body mass... Wth?? Does that mean I'm supposed to lose muscle?

Replies

  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
    that's silly. Lean body mass is good. Of course lean body mass means muscle,organs...ect so it's not the same as muscle.

    However, more is generally better.
  • fcrisswell
    fcrisswell Posts: 234 Member
    Lean Body Mass is a good thing....I might understand this as meaning you have a larger lean body mass than the average jo and there fore less fat to lose....a good thing IMO.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    Or maybe whoever designed that test figured you'd be better off without your liver... *rolls eyes*

    Something is very wrong somewhere along the line.

    What test, who administered it, what exactly was the wording about the "excessive" lean body mass?
  • liveinbliss
    liveinbliss Posts: 108 Member
    Where did you take this test?! It seems completely backwards to me!
  • HaleyAlli
    HaleyAlli Posts: 911 Member
    Or maybe whoever designed that test figured you'd be better off without your liver... *rolls eyes*

    LOL!!!

    This is the test I took, everyone--

    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/lean-body-mass

    I'm 5'1" and weigh 170... Not sure how they got that measurement from JUST my weight and height, maybe they used the info I put on other calculators on the site as well... But almost every wrist/elbow breadth test says I have a "large" frame so maybe that's what's so confusing here...
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
    Or maybe whoever designed that test figured you'd be better off without your liver... *rolls eyes*

    LOL!!!

    This is the test I took, everyone--

    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/lean-body-mass

    I'm 5'1" and weigh 170... Not sure how they got that measurement from JUST my weight and height, maybe they used the info I put on other calculators on the site as well... But almost every wrist/elbow breadth test says I have a "large" frame so maybe that's what's so confusing here...

    I see, it's not really saying you need to lose lean mass.

    For instance it says I have 143 pounds of lean mass, but ideal lean weight for my height is 119 pounds. So, I guess I have 24 extra pounds of muscle/bone/organs for my height.

    I say it's telling me what I want to here.:bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • HaleyAlli
    HaleyAlli Posts: 911 Member
    Ohhhh...so basically I took a compliment as an insult. lol! It said "ideal" so I figured there was something wrong with me :P
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    Okay I've just done it myself, and it tells me that currently it estimates that my lean mass is 18lb higher than idea. Assuming that it's not written by one of those freaks who gets off on amputees, I can only think that it refers to the water that is stored in your body when you are overweight, which is included in their lean weight calculation.

    I wonder whether some organs, for instance the stomach and liver, do actually shrink if you lose a significant amount of weight...

    But also don't forget that a lot of what you read on the internet is total rubbish. I have not checked out that site, but at best that calculation is ill explained.
  • HaleyAlli
    HaleyAlli Posts: 911 Member
    Yeah, internet stuff is SOOOOO confusing!! I've been to so many sites and the variation on how much body fat I have goes all the way from 30.6% body fat (which is "healthy" by some standards and not by others) to 46% body fat. I have no idea how much body fat I have now and I really wish I did, because then maybe I could estimate my goals better...
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    If you can't get to a gym or similar who could measure it for you, scales that measure body fat are pretty inexpensive these days. I think my first set was over £50 and I saw some the other day for £15.

    The body fat readings they produce do vary by up to a pound every time - but as long as you understand that, they are a good way of measuring progress over a period of weeks or months. :)
  • yyzdnl
    yyzdnl Posts: 127 Member
    That estimator is just plain silly. How can they estimate your lean body mass with only height and weight? If that estimator is an example of the quality of the information on their site I would disregard what you learned there and delete any links to the site.

    Here is a good source of info free with out adds.

    http://www.hussmanfitness.org/index.html
This discussion has been closed.

Categories