Body Fat vs Lean Muscle Mass: Results

On T6F as well as in the McDougall Friends group on Facebook I mentioned the fact I was going for a retest of my body composition analysis. In June “got tanked” for the first time and was surprised to see my results of a lean body mass of 86.2% and body fat of 15.6%. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was pleased with the results I had expected a high body fat content, but the 15.6% put me in the “healthy range” based on data from Dr. Kenneth Cooper.

Yesterday was my retest and I had been looking forward to see what 4 months at the gym had accomplished. I probably could have saved the $39 retest fee and looked in the mirror like I do every day and ask myself, “Do you like what you see?” Even when I answer “yes” it’s nice to see the science side support what I see in the mirror. The changes I have undergone have all been positive.

Many individuals base their BMI or body mass index on a weight vs. height calculation. For my weight of 174 pounds and height of 72 inches the BMI calculator says my BMI is 23.6% or a lean body mass of 76.4%. Comparing this figure to the results in June, it’s a difference of 5%. A BMI calculator will give you an approximate, while the hydrostatic testing will give you a more specific figure. Referring to the paperwork I was given after the test a 23.6% be on the low side of “fair” where as the original results of 15.8% put me in the “healthy range.”

Again, these are all numbers and calculations, so if you like how you look in a mirror then these numbers are irrelevant. I want to make that a point since none of the extracurricular things I do are necessary when following a “heart healthy” (that is a discussion for another day) plant-strong diet. On the heals of a very good physical in August, with confirmation on blood results that saw further improvement I was confident I had improve my body composition before going to this retest.

I was weighed (dry) in at 174 pounds (in June I was 179 pounds) and then climbed into the tub to start the testing. After three times submerging myself I climbed out and waited for the results. The entire reason for the testing, the body fat had decreased to 13.8%. This resulted in 3.9 pounds of fat being lost over 4 months. I missed the goal I had set by .8%, not bad at all!

Unfortunately with the fat loss there was an associated lean body mass loss. This means I was not fueling my body with enough calories and when working out I was losing lean body mass in order to fuel the workouts. That means I need to eat more on days I work out. The lean body mass dropped 1.1 pounds from 151.1 to 150, but the percentage of lean body mass was higher at 86.2 (vs 84.4% back in June).

No matter how I spin the numbers, I left with a smile on my face looking 4 months into the future to accomplish two goals. The first, work on gaining back that 1.1 pounds of lost muscle. This should be easy to accomplish, based on my resting metabolic rate, or the amount of energy expended daily by humans and other animals at rest or sleep,” I burn 1974 calories a day. On days I work out I need to increase my caloric intake by 500-700 calories. The second goal work towards 11% body fat. This doesn’t mean continue to lose weight, as I have already achieved a weight I want to be at (175 lbs.), but it’s the toning, firming and building of muscle to fill out my physique.

A major part of this is understanding nutrition (which is still a work in progress) and following a healthy diet. Thankfully I have that part under control, as I come up on 1 year since changing my lifestyle. Hopefully there will be some tweaking to my work out program, as well as making sure I have eaten enough pre and post workout.