Success though weight loss statistics...

Having read this interesting link:
http://www.fitwatch.com/weight-loss/3500-calories-to-lose-a-pound-is-this-formula-all-wrong-237.html

I thought I’d look at my weight loss statistics spreadsheet….

Ok, some confessions, I’m at accountant and I like spreadsheets. I’m a bit obsessed by my diet and weight myself every day. Sometimes more.

I have tanita body fat scales and have logged the weekly weight plus monthly weight, bodyfat and body measurements.

In October I weighed 173lbs, this was post pregnancy and breastfeeding. I have now lost 54lbs. I started off doing general low calorie but I switched to low carb (although not a ketosis diet) whilst still monitoring calories in month 5.

Before: 173lbs, BMI 30, Body Fat 40%, Hips 43 inches, waist 36 inches
Now: 119lbs, BMI 20, Body Fat 19%, Hips 34 inches, waist 26 inches

After reading that article I thought that I’d look at my figures!

In the first 4 months of my diet, although it was reasonably healthy (1400 calories, plus exercise cals of which I ate at least half) I was eating cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and daily snacks including chocolate (as part of calorie allowance). I was doing mainly cardio training as I was working towards a triathlon.

In month 5 I switched to a high protein diet (initially dukan) and although I am not strictly following dukan anymore, I still eat lean protein at each meal and always overshoot what MFP suggests on protein and always undershoot on carbs. I now eat minimal processed foods, and I just cut out diet drinks (but only in last month).

In month 6 I had 2 weeks off my diet as I was on holiday and when I came back I started doing more resistance training.

What the figures below tell me (see %fat loss column) is that a normal healthy iet with mainly cardio training can result in a loss of lean muscle as well as fat (although I guess that some of initial loss will be water).

But add lean protein and resistance training into the mix and muscle mass can be preserved (or maintained).

Weight Body Fat
Month 0 173 40% Loss Fat Loss Other Loss % Fat % Other
Month 1 158 36% -15.00 -12.32 -2.68 82% 18%
Month 2 152 34% -6.00 -5.2 -0.80 87% 13%
Month 3 144 31% -8.00 -7.04 -0.96 88% 12%
Month 4 136 28% -8.00 -6.56 -1.44 82% 18%
Month 5 131 25% -5.00 -5.33 0.33 107% -7%
Month 6 126 24% -5.00 -2.51 -2.49 50% 50%
Month 7 125 23% -1.00 -1.49 0.49 149% -49%
Month 8 121 21% -4.00 -3.34 -0.66 84% 17%
Month 9 120 20% -1.00 -1.41 0.41 141% -41%
Month 10 119 19% -1.00 -1.39 0.39 139% -39%