Body Fat vs Lean Muscle Mass: Part 4
It’s been an amazing journey on the road to health, not only based on what I see in the mirror, but the numbers that confirm a plant-based, whole foods diet has been the most beneficial part of this equation. I have gone through number blood tests that reflected an improvement in numbers such as total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides. Change, in the case was a good thing, as I felt better having more energy, clothes I had not worn in years were suddenly fitting!
In conjunction with taking control of my diet and introducing a plant-based diet in October, 2011 I added exercise at the start of 2012 (with Power 90) followed by a home work out routine on our Bowflex Revolution. It wasn’t long after I got bored with Tony and his kids that I cut this out of my of my routine, replacing it with walking while at work. In May, I joined the local gym, Diamond Hills Sports Club in Oakley and started with a split routine. A few months later I teamed up with a co-worker who introduced more split routines to me. Unfortunately at his passing I was left without a workout partner.
Enter Stronglifts 5×5 where I have been since beginning this program in October, 2012. To date, it’s been 12 weeks of lifting weights on this program and I have been very impressed with the results. While looking in the mirror I haven’t been able to see much of a physical change, my lifting log tells a different story. All the lifts I perform have seen an increase in weight.
On Thursday I went for another body composition test, a test I had undergone 2 previous times (results from the first test) beginning June, 2012. This provided me a realistic baseline of lean body mass vs body fat. The first test was revealing and I was pleased when my body fat was 15.6%, which was just a bit on the high side of the healthy range. Four months later, I had dropped 5 more pounds from 179 to 174 and decreased my body fat to 13.8%. Unfortunately I also saw a 1.1 pound decrease in lean body mass (from 151.1 to 150).
It was just 5 days later I would start Stronglifts (read New Approach: Stronglifts) and 12 weeks later I would see positive results. I continued to follow a plant strong diet and even though my weight has increased by 8 pounds (182 lbs on the day of the test) my clothes are still fitting comfortably and I feel good about how I look. I gained 5 lbs of lean body mass (now 85.15%), which is hopefully attributed to muscle with the lifting program I have been following. That was exciting to hear and the results I have logged while lifting weights seem to back up this number. I also picked up 3 pounds of fat (body fat now 14.9%), which could be attributed to eating more calories in order to replace what I burn through out the day and when I am exercising.
What’s next? Reevaluating my weight lifting goals in order to achieve improved results in the next 4 months when the body composition tests returns to our gym. These numbers will be part of what I hope to achieve in a 12 month period of weight lifting. With a 4 week and a 1 week break during this 12 week program, I have not met the goals I originally set. Still, I saw positive results in the body composition test.
