Should I pause my weight loss (@90% in) to work on lean mass? Post-DEXA scan question.

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Wynterbourne
Wynterbourne Posts: 2,200 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm an early 50s, 5'4.75" (164.5cm) female who has lost roughly 125lbs (56.7kg). I'm currently sitting at 158lbs (71.7kg) and am guessing that I will probably need to lose another 18 to 23 lbs (8.2 to 10.4kg). My main target is to be at a healthy weight for my age that gives me enough room for natural fluctuations without bouncing up and down over that estimated (grain of salt) normal/overweight BMI line. Of course, I would also like to be at a healthy (lower risk) body fat percentage. I splurged today and got a DEXA scan. (I was also scheduled for an RMR and VO2, but the machine was on the fritz today so they are rescheduled for later this week.) The results of the DEXA showed I'm sitting at 33.5% body fat. It should be noted that the last 15lbs that I've lost were at a much slower rate proportionately than my previous losses. I completely expected this. I know how the weight loss curve works and anticipated it slowing down. I'm also not currently experiencing any mental 'diet fatigue'. However, after seeing that body fat percentage, I was wondering if I should go ahead and eat at maintence or a tiny, tiny surplus for a bit, just to try and get a little more lean mass before trying to get that last little bit off the scale. Or should I just stick with the current status quo calorie-wise and start strength training while still in a deficit to maintain my current muscle and then start trying to improve my lean mass once I dipped below that overweight line? I was curious if any people with training in fitness had any opinions on this. I know there is no one right way, but are there any pros and cons that I should weigh regarding those options moving forward?

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  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,514 Member
    edited January 23 Answer ✓
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    You shouldn't concern yourself with BMI numbers.

    Let's say you had a target of 25% bf. You'd only need to lose 13 pounds of fat from now, so 13 pounds total weight assuming you lost zero muscle mass along with that. It may be that you don't need to lose as much as the 18-23 pounds you're estimating.

    You should absolutely start resistance training, yesterday.

    How long have you been dieting, since your last maintenance break? If it's been more than six months, I'd say take a maintenance break now. Not a surplus. Focus on lifting. Do this for at least three months. Maybe you get some noob gains to improve your body composition. Take before and after pics. Then when you get back into losing that last 15-20 pounds, add some more cardio then. Keep lifting though, to maintain what you have.

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  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,200 Member
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    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    You should absolutely start resistance training, yesterday.

    Yep, and I won't bother with the excuses I have for not having started sooner. :smile:

    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    How long have you been dieting, since your last maintenance break? If it's been more than six months, I'd say take a maintenance break now. Not a surplus. Focus on lifting. Do this for at least three months. Maybe you get some noob gains to improve your body composition. Take before and after pics. Then when you get back into losing that last 15-20 pounds, add some more cardio then. Keep lifting though, to maintain what you have.

    It's been about three months since my last break and that was for two weeks. My exercise, up until recently, had almost exclusively been walking around the neighborhood. In the last couple of months I've started trying to jog versus walking. Last week, I finally managed 30 minutes at 4mph for the first time, so I'm at least improving there. I'll probably go another month or two at a deficit as that will give me enough time to research beginning basic strength routines and figure out what I want to do for that.

    And just in case @AnnPT77 pops in, I do already have psuLemon's lifting program thread bookmarked. ;)
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,514 Member
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    Wynterbourne wrote: »
    It's been about three months since my last break and that was for two weeks.... I'll probably go another month or two at a deficit as that will give me enough time to research beginning basic strength routines and figure out what I want to do for that.
    That makes sense to keep going at a deficit since it's just been three months, and you're feeling fine with it. It's presumably a small deficit by now anyway?

    As you said, no more excuses for waiting to start resistance training. Three times a week full body. You can get a feel for various exercises and learn form, while researching a program. Full body each time meaning some form of squat or lunge, a hip hinge like a hip thrust, a row or pulldown, a push like a chest press, optional arms, 3-4 working sets of each. Don't push yourself the first week or you'll get painful DOMS probably.

    Huge congrats btw on your progress, both with losing all that weight, and with improving your walking/jogging.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,620 Member
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    If you still have a decent amount of fat to lose you want to run a proven beginners lifting program and have a moderate deficit that allows a pound a week or less of loss. The goal is to lose the fat and MAINTAIN your current lean mass.

    Adding muscle doesn’t do much of anything for speeding up metabolism as an extra pound of muscle only burns around 8 calories per day, plus trying to add simultaneously takes many factors to be in place so not worth it until you’ve leaned out and can reverse diet

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