Tag Archives: LBM

Well … that is one explanation.

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If you’ve caught up on my last two blog posts you’ll know that I had a challenging May, and switched things up in June to help push my weight numbers back in the right direction.  May was such an up and down month, that when I went to put the tape to my body for measurements I was discouraged and didn’t record them. It just wasn’t very encouraging to watch the numbers rise and erase what I thought was good progress.

The end of May, I went up in how many calories I was eating to “maintenance” (or what I should eat to stay at my current weight) then in June I started a more modest calorie reduction that was aimed at staying above my BMR while consuming at least some of the exercise calories that I’d burned.

image The result was a steady downward trend in weight, right in line with my target goal of a pound per week.  This was while eating about 300-500 calories more than what I usually was eating prior to switching things up after my dismal May.

My exercise totals were about the same as normal for the month of June, thanks to starting to bike commute to work periodically, and continue to train for longer running distances.  I don’t do a lot of strength training, except to help promote knee strength to support my running, and that is mostly just body weight training.

So at the end of June (last night), I braved the tape and took my measurements again.  I had resolved to take what the numbers told me, and just like June was a re-start month, this would be a new re-start.  So after taking all the measurements, in total I didn’t lose any inches since April.  That, however is not the whole story.  It’s where I lost inches and where I gain inches that give a different story.  Waist and chest measurements went down an inch each.  Calf and thigh gained an inch and collectively, and my hips gained an inch all by themselves.  My total weight was down by a pound since April (3.5 since the end of May).

Those numbers are entering arguments for the Military Body Fat Percentage calculation that I keep after each measurement.  End of April I was at 31.1% body fat (BF%), which when applied to my total weight gave me a Mean Body Mass (LBM) of 193.9 pounds. [NOTE: Lean Body Mass /= muscle, just non-fat body parts, including bones, water, undigested food, etc…] After June, the calculation gave me a BF% or 29.7% which leads to a LBM of 196.7 pounds. Or a gain of almost three pounds of LBM.

This is good news, because at least some of that 3 pounds is in muscle, which is the fat burning machine we all have that needs fuel while we are at rest, and is burning calories all day long.  I think I can contribute the gain in LBM to eating and fueling my body more consistently (though I do admit not every single calorie I eat is the best type of food) so my body can repair and generate what it needs to support my activity level.  So YAY!

Now on to the weird stuff.  I’ve realized that losing an additional 108 pounds after my initial 42 pound loss is just not going to happen.  I really think it’s best to not lose significant LBM during a prolonged diet, and for me to reach a sub-200 pound weight goal (and what the silly BMI calculators say I should weigh for my height) I’d have to scavenge from my LBM to get there, or be at such a ridiculously low body fat percentage that is unattainable.  So I have to modify my goals, and frankly … mentally that sucks.  Intellectually, I get it, I’m on board.  Emotionally, I’m a bit bummed.  I know I shouldn’t because the  108 was just a number that I pulled out of a rather obsessive LOST addiction, but it does. 

At any rate, I’m processing that.  A good goal is still 108 in total, which puts my goal weight at around 234, which would put me in the middle of a healthy BF% range of 11-22%.  BMI will still tell me I’m slightly obese to largely overweight.  But I’ve chosen to not believe in BMI, therefore it doesn’t exist. 😀

Some things coming up in July: