What's wrong with losing lean muscle?

OP, what is your current weight, height, and body fat %? Probably hard to know where you should go if we don't know where you're at.

I know I'm probably going to get a thrashing for asking this (from what I've read you lot can get a bit hot tempered) but can somebody explain to me the scientific complications of losing lean muscle mass?

This is my personal opinion and I know many men and women will disagree but i would rather look like an Abbey Lee Kershaw then a Kate Upton or Cameron Diaz. I am not very sporty or athletic and don't really use muscle anyway. So what damage will losing muscle do to my body?

it would just mean you'd have to eat less to maintain because you'd have less muscle mass. when you lose muscle mass, your metabolism slows. really thin girls with no muscle usually can't eat very much to maintain how they look. women with muscle can eat pretty well and still look good. this is my goal. i want to be about 20% body fat but want to have some lean muscle too. it is really all up to you and what look you want. i really like to eat, so i'm going for somewhere in between. i think cameron diaz looks fantastic and i would love to look like her. i dont' believe she is too "muscley"... the only ones i think of that are too muscley are the ones in bodybuilding and you'd have to eat a lot and do a lot ot training to even come close to looking like that.

see ^^ that 'musclyness' is exactly what I want to avoid. I think Snejana looks amazing, so ethereal.

She is too skinny, very low muscle mass. Her body looks loke a 10 yr olds not a woman. How old is she?

Considering she is, in fact, a woman, it seems she does look like a woman.

I'm all for educating someone on the benefits of maintaining a healthy amount of muscle, but can we please stop insulting any woman who isn't YOUR ideal? Thanks.

Her body looks like a child's. I think from later pics she's put on some weight and looks better. I like the thin look but that is too thin. Intentionally done by under-eating.

And some women (yes, ADULT WOMEN) look like that without trying. I know several. I don't get why so many people here have to be insulting because another woman looks different than their particular goal.

How about some respect that we're not clones?

Muscle helps your metabolism increase also, and seeing as though it looks slimmer than fat, I'd rather have muscle.

Interesting debate of the aesthetic appeal and health of low bodyfat model vs fitness types.......but back to the original question......

Before we do lets level set. I think you are confusing Muscle with Lean Body Mass. 'Lean Muscle' is superflous. Muscle is Lean. LBM means everything non-fat. Water, organs, muscle, bones etc.

The origins of the desire to preserve muscle mass come from the worlds most proflific and expert dieters; the bodybuilding community. A bodybuilder may spend 10 months eating and lifting heavy to grow as much muscle as possible then 2 months dieting hard to reduce fat to super-low levels and show that muscle off. The last thing they want to do is lose any of that hard gained muscle.

This is true of anyone who lifts, not just competitive bodybuilders.

But not everyone lifts. Before I go on, lets pick up on another myth - "muscle increases your metabolism" - actually it's not a myth. It's completely true - but studies show the effect to me absolutely tiny. About the equivalent of half a small apple. Resting muscle has a very small metabolic demand. Single digit % compared to your organs.

So for those people who don't lift, do you need to be concerned with losing muscle? Assuming we aren't talking about doing stupid regimes like near starvation for 3 weeks to drop 20kgs, or 20 weeks of 1000cals a day then No, not all.

The body is a highly adaptive thing and the muscle that the non-weight trained person carries is an adaption to that persons daily needs. So if you were to diet a little too extreme for a week and did lose some muscle, when the time came to return to your regular caloric intake, the body would just adapt again and bring that back.

All that said, skinny looks damn ugly and a little muscle tone is nice, clothes hand better on a body with shape and you feel all round better.

see ^^ that 'musclyness' is exactly what I want to avoid. I think Snejana looks amazing, so ethereal.

She is too skinny, very low muscle mass. Her body looks loke a 10 yr olds not a woman. How old is she?

Considering she is, in fact, a woman, it seems she does look like a woman.

I'm all for educating someone on the benefits of maintaining a healthy amount of muscle, but can we please stop insulting any woman who isn't YOUR ideal? Thanks.

Her body looks like a child's. I think from later pics she's put on some weight and looks better. I like the thin look but that is too thin. Intentionally done by under-eating.

And some women (yes, ADULT WOMEN) look like that without trying. I know several. I don't get why so many people here have to be insulting because another woman looks different than their particular goal.

How about some respect that we're not clones?

I think your ideas about body shape and what is healthy is a bit off. How you can think the musclely pic is too muscular. I've seen too muscular pics on women and that wasn't one of them.

Unfortunately, you can't really compare your average person to super models or hollywood people as we dont' live their lives. Generally, without muscle you tend to be flabbed or skinny fat. Below are two stories of women who gained weight by adding muscle. Now, as long as you are eating a calorie deficit, you won't be gaining weight. And at a 110 lbs (which is underweight for the height), there really isn't much to lose except your health. Muscle is your bodies controller for almost everything. From your metabolism to immune system to insulin control. Lack of insulin control is why skinny people can still get diabetes type II. I can say since I consistently started weight training, I haven't gotten sick and it's been about 2.5 years. And I used to get sick as a teen and low 20's at least once or twice a year (personal experience and it may not apply to others).

Also, muscle supports all your tissue and ligaments. The less muscle you have, the more prone to injury as your muscles won't be supporting your frame. And you don't need to be an athlete to slip and tear an ACL, MCL or meniscus.

Now, I know we all have an idea of what we all want to look like and we have to respect that. But all the guys I know, prefer the athletic look.



http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/392784-skinny-fat-vs-fit-photo?hl=skinny+fat&page=2#posts-5441852

While everyone is entitled to their own choice to encourage you to lose any more weight would be to encourage an eating disorder. Sorry. Please seek help and take care of yourself.

see ^^ that 'musclyness' is exactly what I want to avoid. I think Snejana looks amazing, so ethereal.

She is too skinny, very low muscle mass. Her body looks loke a 10 yr olds not a woman. How old is she?

Considering she is, in fact, a woman, it seems she does look like a woman.

I'm all for educating someone on the benefits of maintaining a healthy amount of muscle, but can we please stop insulting any woman who isn't YOUR ideal? Thanks.

Her body looks like a child's. I think from later pics she's put on some weight and looks better. I like the thin look but that is too thin. Intentionally done by under-eating.

And some women (yes, ADULT WOMEN) look like that without trying. I know several. I don't get why so many people here have to be insulting because another woman looks different than their particular goal.

How about some respect that we're not clones?

The runway is nothing but clones , why are you defending it? Seriously, you talk about respect and not bowing to other people's ideal images, yet the professional modeling world is nothing if not the epitome of bowing to an ideal image. Instead, you're getting snippy on people who support women being at a comfortable body fat % with a healthy muscle tone to promote a healthier way of living that reaps benefits even into old age.

OP, Everyone has their "ideal" body type. Skinny, curvy, fit, toned - there are lots of different shapes and sizes for a reason, because we're all individuals. I think what has everyone up in arms is the fact that you're striving to reach an unrealistic and potentially unhealthy ideal, which is pretty much the definition of an eating disorder. I will not criticize that model - she could fit in my shirt sleeve, I'm pretty sure :P - and I won't criticize you. But I will urge you to seek a physician's advice before continuing the process of becoming unnaturally thin. Some people may be able to do this and remain healthy. I would wager that most cannot.

Just be safe and healthy, that's all anyone cares about!

see ^^ that 'musclyness' is exactly what I want to avoid. I think Snejana looks amazing, so ethereal.

She is too skinny, very low muscle mass. Her body looks loke a 10 yr olds not a woman. How old is she?

Considering she is, in fact, a woman, it seems she does look like a woman.

I'm all for educating someone on the benefits of maintaining a healthy amount of muscle, but can we please stop insulting any woman who isn't YOUR ideal? Thanks.

Her body looks like a child's. I think from later pics she's put on some weight and looks better. I like the thin look but that is too thin. Intentionally done by under-eating.

And some women (yes, ADULT WOMEN) look like that without trying. I know several. I don't get why so many people here have to be insulting because another woman looks different than their particular goal.

How about some respect that we're not clones?

The runway is nothing but clones , why are you defending it? Seriously, you talk about respect and not bowing to other people's ideal images, yet the professional modeling world is nothing if not the epitome of bowing to an ideal image. Instead, you're getting snippy on people who support women being at a comfortable body fat % with a healthy muscle tone to promote a healthier way of living that reaps benefits even into old age.

I'm not defending the runway. I'm defending all the "real women" out there who don't fit the ideal of the people in this thread who have called them "ugly" and "disgusting."

Believe it or not, there are women -- REAL WOMEN -- who are very thin and not because they starve themselves or don't work out or whatever. Some women really are just very thin. And, you know what? Some people -- men and women -- actually find that look attractive.

Just imagine if I came on here and said any women with a body fat percentage below 25 were "disgusting" and "ugly." Would you be upset about that? I think so.

If you dislike someones body type -- please don't use terms like UGLY and DISGUSTING. There are other people who look like that model and the sporty girl out in the world and those words can cut like a knife.

Thank you. That's what I've been trying to say.

While everyone is entitled to their own choice to encourage you to lose any more weight would be to encourage an eating disorder. Sorry. Please seek help and take care of yourself.

Thank you for the concern, but as i have stated before I am naturally lanky, I didn't join MFP to lose weight and I have not lost or plan to lose any weight. I just wanted to make sure I'm eating healthy. I have been the same weight since I stopped growing and I do not / have not ever had an ED. It is a bit offensive when people tell me to 'seek help' for being born this way.

At the height and weight you stated, your BMI is 15.6. That is not, nor will it ever be healthy. And you want to lose more and think your legs look too thick? That's the definition of an ED. You need professional help.