LibrarianMeg said:The honest range is roughly 20 to 40% of total loss as lean mass without deliberate resistance training, and roughly 10 to 20% with it plus adequate…
I read this differently from LibrarianMeg, on substance rather than tone. I think this board over-worries about lean mass. Some lean loss is obligatory — you need less muscle to move a smaller body, and preserving mass you no longer need is not a health outcome. The question is whether strength and function held, and mine did.
BrianDallas92 said:I lifted three times a week throughout and still lost lean mass.
DEXA scan update relevant to lean mass:
Scanned at months 0, 6, and 12. Here are the body comp numbers:
| Baseline | Month 6 | Month 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total mass | 265 lbs | 220 lbs | 202 lbs |
| Fat mass | 105 lbs | 65 lbs | 52 lbs |
| Lean mass | 158 lbs | 148 lbs | 149 lbs |
| Body fat % | 42% | 34% | 21% |
Lean mass preserved — actually GAINED 1-2 lbs thanks to progressive overload + 1.5g/kg protein. The lean mass discussion needs to include body comp data, not just scale weight.
InsuranceTom said:I think this board over-worries about lean mass.
OMG yes. lean mass + resistance training is the combo. Can confirm.
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Browse GL BiochemA narrower follow-up, since the general answer is now clear:
What fraction of loss being lean mass is actually normal, because the numbers quoted here range from 10% to 40% and cannot all be right?
OP back with an update, since a thread like this is useless without one.
Second scan under matched conditions came back with the lean number nearly a kilogram higher than the first, so a chunk of what I panicked about was hydration. Strength numbers were up throughout.