Am I losing LBM?
eyeofnewt555
Posts: 47 Member
Sorry I'm new to all the science, so go easy on me.
So I've seen it repeated that you should _never_ go below 1200 cals/day (unless you're on one of those 5:2 plans). But lately my appetite has dropped (ditched hormonal birth control) and I know a lot of days I'm eating well under this amount. I'm not intentionally restricting (health is much more important to me than numbers on a scale), I'm just doing what my mom always told me: "don't worry about diets, just listen to your body."
So, if I don't feel hungry (and don't feel like I'm restricting myself so there's no temptation to binge) and I have plenty of energy, should I still try to eat more, or am I good?
Is my hunger reflex not doing its job? Am I actually eating more than I think?
More info:
-I don't actually log my food (bring on the outrage), so I could be underestimating my intake.
-started at 128lb on April 1st, goal is 120 (but really, I'd be fine with _gaining_ if it was muscle). At 120.6 now.
-I'm not sure if y'all can see my progress chart (can't find a setting to make it public, so probably not), but I've been consistently losing (a lot at first, which I think was water weight, but now about 1lb/week, which is reasonable...right?)
-I do cardio and strength a few times a week and haven't noticed any energy/endurance loss since before I started really losing.
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any help. Guessing most of y'all will just say I should start weighing and logging all food (which would certainly be reasonable), but any other input would be appreciated.
So I've seen it repeated that you should _never_ go below 1200 cals/day (unless you're on one of those 5:2 plans). But lately my appetite has dropped (ditched hormonal birth control) and I know a lot of days I'm eating well under this amount. I'm not intentionally restricting (health is much more important to me than numbers on a scale), I'm just doing what my mom always told me: "don't worry about diets, just listen to your body."
So, if I don't feel hungry (and don't feel like I'm restricting myself so there's no temptation to binge) and I have plenty of energy, should I still try to eat more, or am I good?
Is my hunger reflex not doing its job? Am I actually eating more than I think?
More info:
-I don't actually log my food (bring on the outrage), so I could be underestimating my intake.
-started at 128lb on April 1st, goal is 120 (but really, I'd be fine with _gaining_ if it was muscle). At 120.6 now.
-I'm not sure if y'all can see my progress chart (can't find a setting to make it public, so probably not), but I've been consistently losing (a lot at first, which I think was water weight, but now about 1lb/week, which is reasonable...right?)
-I do cardio and strength a few times a week and haven't noticed any energy/endurance loss since before I started really losing.
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any help. Guessing most of y'all will just say I should start weighing and logging all food (which would certainly be reasonable), but any other input would be appreciated.
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Replies
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eyeofnewt555 wrote: »Sorry I'm new to all the science, so go easy on me.
So I've seen it repeated that you should _never_ go below 1200 cals/day (unless you're on one of those 5:2 plans). But lately my appetite has dropped (ditched hormonal birth control) and I know a lot of days I'm eating well under this amount. I'm not intentionally restricting (health is much more important to me than numbers on a scale), I'm just doing what my mom always told me: "don't worry about diets, just listen to your body."
So, if I don't feel hungry (and don't feel like I'm restricting myself so there's no temptation to binge) and I have plenty of energy, should I still try to eat more, or am I good?
Is my hunger reflex not doing its job? Am I actually eating more than I think?
More info:
-I don't actually log my food (bring on the outrage), so I could be underestimating my intake.
-started at 128lb on April 1st, goal is 120 (but really, I'd be fine with _gaining_ if it was muscle). At 120.6 now.
-I'm not sure if y'all can see my progress chart (can't find a setting to make it public, so probably not), but I've been consistently losing (a lot at first, which I think was water weight, but now about 1lb/week, which is reasonable...right?)
-I do cardio and strength a few times a week and haven't noticed any energy/endurance loss since before I started really losing.
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any help. Guessing most of y'all will just say I should start weighing and logging all food (which would certainly be reasonable), but any other input would be appreciated.
Most likely yes to the bolded. No outrage, but if you want data to draw conclusions from, you'll need to start doing so.
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Yes, you are likely losing LBM. It is very difficult to lose fat without losing any LBM with it. By eating such a low amount, you are upping the chances of losing more LBM.
There's no way for us to know if you are eating more than you think.
How tall are you?0 -
And I know scaled against the weight loss numbers you see around here, the amount I'm talking about is almost negligable, so maybe no biggie at all?0
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Yes, you are likely losing LBM. It is very difficult to lose fat without losing any LBM with it. By eating such a low amount, you are upping the chances of losing more LBM.
There's no way for us to know if you are eating more than you think.
How tall are you?
5'6"
And thanks, I know I'm asking a question without giving the right data to answer it.
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Wait. You are trying to lose .6 pounds?0
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Not judging - but at 5'6 and ~120 lbs, there's no way you should be losing 1 lb per week...in fact I dare say you probably don't need to lose any more weight at all...and what you are losing is probably likely MOSTLY muscle mass.0
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How much protein are you eating/day?
Do you take part in progressive strength training?
5 things impact the loss/maintenance of LBM while in a deficit
-Size of deficit (larger deficit most likely higher % loss in LBM)
-inadequate protein (not enough protein will lead to a larger loss of LBM)
-inadequate strength training program (if you don't challenge the muscles you will more likely lose more than if you did)
-how lean you are already (lower BF% you are the higher the % LBM lost will be)
-Genetics
So I would say by eating less you will lose more LBM, but if you are doing the other 2 and have "good" genetics, you may not be losing much, but eating closer to maintenance should still reduce the loss.0 -
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Based on what I have read so far, especially since you are more focused on fitness, you need to re-evaluate why you are eating so low and believe you need to lose.
What are you doing for exercise? At your height and weight, that is where fitness comes into play, not a low calorie diet.0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »Not judging - but at 5'6 and ~120 lbs, there's no way you should be losing 1 lb per week...in fact I dare say you probably don't need to lose any more weight at all...and what you are losing is probably likely MOSTLY muscle mass.
Yes. This.
You say that you wouldn't mind gaining if it were muscle. You are not going to gain anything eating 1200 calories per day.
What exactly do you mean by "care more about fitness"? What is your actual goal?0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »Not judging - but at 5'6 and ~120 lbs, there's no way you should be losing 1 lb per week...in fact I dare say you probably don't need to lose any more weight at all...and what you are losing is probably likely MOSTLY muscle mass.
Well damn. Guess I should have known that. I keep thinking "well I'm still a bit wobbly in places, so clearly there's fat to lose," without thinking of the accompanying muscle loss.
I just honestly haven't been hungry and assumed my body would yell at me if it needed cals.0 -
Some people suggest that when you are trying to maintain your weight, you should eat at your typical TDEE and use exercise to make fine adjustments. Doing that seems like it would minimize LBM loss.0
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eyeofnewt555 wrote: »ceoverturf wrote: »Not judging - but at 5'6 and ~120 lbs, there's no way you should be losing 1 lb per week...in fact I dare say you probably don't need to lose any more weight at all...and what you are losing is probably likely MOSTLY muscle mass.
Well damn. Guess I should have known that. I keep thinking "well I'm still a bit wobbly in places, so clearly there's fat to lose," without thinking of the accompanying muscle loss.
I just honestly haven't been hungry and assumed my body would yell at me if it needed cals.
Just my one man's opinion...but what you described is often referred to as being "skinny fat". Again, that's not a judgment or meant to be derogatory in any manner...but describes someone who doesn't weigh a lot, but doesn't have much muscle mass either. I found myself in the same position when I was at my lowest weight.
My suggestion is to seriously consider eating at maintenance or at a slight surplus for the next several months while really upping your strength training. You'll recomp and/or add a bit of muscle which will help with the body composition while not moving the scale all that much. It will take some time and dedication...but based on what you've described as your goals, seems to be the right next step for you.0 -
How much protein are you eating/day?
Do you take part in progressive strength training?
5 things impact the loss/maintenance of LBM while in a deficit
-Size of deficit (larger deficit most likely higher % loss in LBM)
-inadequate protein (not enough protein will lead to a larger loss of LBM)
-inadequate strength training program (if you don't challenge the muscles you will more likely lose more than if you did)
-how lean you are already (lower BF% you are the higher the % LBM lost will be)
-Genetics
So I would say by eating less you will lose more LBM, but if you are doing the other 2 and have "good" genetics, you may not be losing much, but eating closer to maintenance should still reduce the loss.
^ This.
If you truly care about fitness more than a number, then what are you fitness goals? If your goal is to maintain muscle mass, then you need to eat closer to your TDEE and lift heavy in order to maintain/increase your muscle mass.
You've lost almost 8 lbs in a month, I think you should start tracking your calories in/out and ensure you're getting the nutrients you need in order to maintain or increase your LBM.0 -
How much protein are you eating/day?
Do you take part in progressive strength training?
5 things impact the loss/maintenance of LBM while in a deficit
-Size of deficit (larger deficit most likely higher % loss in LBM)
-inadequate protein (not enough protein will lead to a larger loss of LBM)
-inadequate strength training program (if you don't challenge the muscles you will more likely lose more than if you did)
-how lean you are already (lower BF% you are the higher the % LBM lost will be)
-Genetics
So I would say by eating less you will lose more LBM, but if you are doing the other 2 and have "good" genetics, you may not be losing much, but eating closer to maintenance should still reduce the loss.
Not eating a ton as is, on top of being vegetarian, I'm probably not getting the protein I should be. I just really like vegetables...
I'm not doing any specific program. I just go to our little apartment gym and bang around until I'm sore all over. I know it's not the most organized or efficient routine, but I enjoy it and I can tell I'm getting stronger.
With exercise, I aim for something slow and steady that I'll stick with rather than high intensity that I'll burn out on.
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The answer to wobbliness is not always losing fat. Sometimes (often when you get down to the weight where you are at your height) the better thing to do would be to focus on adding muscle. To do that, you'd have to eat more and lift heavy.0
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ceoverturf wrote: »eyeofnewt555 wrote: »ceoverturf wrote: »Not judging - but at 5'6 and ~120 lbs, there's no way you should be losing 1 lb per week...in fact I dare say you probably don't need to lose any more weight at all...and what you are losing is probably likely MOSTLY muscle mass.
Well damn. Guess I should have known that. I keep thinking "well I'm still a bit wobbly in places, so clearly there's fat to lose," without thinking of the accompanying muscle loss.
I just honestly haven't been hungry and assumed my body would yell at me if it needed cals.
Just my one man's opinion...but what you described is often referred to as being "skinny fat". Again, that's not a judgment or meant to be derogatory in any manner...but describes someone who doesn't weigh a lot, but doesn't have much muscle mass either. I found myself in the same position when I was at my lowest weight.
My suggestion is to seriously consider eating at maintenance or at a slight surplus for the next several months while really upping your strength training. You'll recomp and/or add a bit of muscle which will help with the body composition while not moving the scale all that much. It will take some time and dedication...but based on what you've described as your goals, seems to be the right next step for you.
Very well put!0 -
Thanks for all the help guys. Y'all just reaffirmed what should have been common sense. I need to realign my focus to be on building muscle rather than losing weight (which I admit, I gave more priority than I should have).
I'll start:
1) tracking cals and nutrients to make sure I'm getting what I need, and will likely need to increase intake (despite my busted hunger response).
2) killing it in the gym (with more focus on strength than cardio, rather than the reverse) and maybe a more organized, progressive program.
Anything else? Again thanks for the help and the lack of judgement.
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eyeofnewt555 wrote: »Thanks for all the help guys. Y'all just reaffirmed what should have been common sense. I need to realign my focus to be on building muscle rather than losing weight (which I admit, I gave more priority than I should have).
I'll start:
1) tracking cals and nutrients to make sure I'm getting what I need, and will likely need to increase intake (despite my busted hunger response).
2) killing it in the gym (with more focus on strength than cardio, rather than the reverse) and maybe a more organized, progressive program.
Anything else? Again thanks for the help and the lack of judgement.
I would recommend a program called New Rules of Lifting for Women (NRoLFW). There are lots of great programs, but if you do not have access to Barbells, NRoLFW, has lots of alternative exercises, yet keeps a focus on lifting progressively heavier to gain muscle and strength.
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eyeofnewt555 wrote: »Thanks for all the help guys. Y'all just reaffirmed what should have been common sense. I need to realign my focus to be on building muscle rather than losing weight (which I admit, I gave more priority than I should have).
I'll start:
1) tracking cals and nutrients to make sure I'm getting what I need, and will likely need to increase intake (despite my busted hunger response).
2) killing it in the gym (with more focus on strength than cardio, rather than the reverse) and maybe a more organized, progressive program.
Anything else? Again thanks for the help and the lack of judgement.
I would recommend a program called New Rules of Lifting for Women (NRoLFW). There are lots of great programs, but if you do not have access to Barbells, NRoLFW, has lots of alternative exercises, yet keeps a focus on lifting progressively heavier to gain muscle and strength.
Thanks! I'll check it out.0 -
eyeofnewt555 wrote: »Not eating a ton as is, on top of being vegetarian, I'm probably not getting the protein I should be. I just really like vegetables...
Beans are our friend! I'm vegetarian also, and have been trying to up my protein consumption. Beans, protein bars, and protein powders would be a good start. The beans are more inexpensive though, so stock up.
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eyeofnewt555 wrote: »Thanks for all the help guys. Y'all just reaffirmed what should have been common sense. I need to realign my focus to be on building muscle rather than losing weight (which I admit, I gave more priority than I should have).
I'll start:
1) tracking cals and nutrients to make sure I'm getting what I need, and will likely need to increase intake (despite my busted hunger response).
2) killing it in the gym (with more focus on strength than cardio, rather than the reverse) and maybe a more organized, progressive program.
Anything else? Again thanks for the help and the lack of judgement.
If you want to gain new muscle, then you need to eat in a surplus of calories and need a progressive weight training program such as KSY suggest. This also means, you will gain new fat (~ 50%) as it's inevitable. But before you would do a bulk, which I suspect you mean you want to get stronger and lose some body fat, you would want a solid lifting foundation and should read Bulking - a complete guide for beginners
But if you want to get more lean (aka lose some fat and maintain muscle while getting stronger), then you want to have a small deficit (300-500 calories), focus more on getting more protein, and using a progressive weight lifting program (like NROLFW).
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