[DEXA] 5'6''/182lb (1.71m/83kg) & 30.9% Fat - I came a long way

mauddib

New member
(Edit: 171cm is 5.6 feet, but 5 feet 7 inches. So.. I'm 5 feet 7 inches for all you americans out there. I hate your measurements. :D)

I got myself a DEXA-scan today. I wanted to share with this sub not just because I love to read these and see results from others but also maybe because I'm a little different from other women in this sub. And because I'm positively suprised by the results of the scan. Not just me, also the technician.

Since the stats and everything is in german I'm gonna list the most important stuff here in the beginning. I'm talking more about my background, motivations for the scan and the outcome down below. Here are the Scans as links: DEXA
  • Female, 30 Years old, 171cm (5'7'') and 83.6kg (182lbs)
  • Body fat: 30.9% (25kg - 55lbs)
  • Lean mass: 56kg (123.5lbs)
  • Bone: 2.4kg (5.3lbs)
  • Android Fat: 30.2% - Gynoid fat: 39.3% --> A/G ratio 0.77
  • Arms: 3.2kg of lean mass each (7lbs)
  • Legs: almost 11kg of lean mass each (24lbs)
  • Visceral fat around the organs: 88g
This is an album on imgur of how I look like today (and one foto is from 2 weeks ago): Probably NSFW - album. Stretch mark and loose skin galore! :D

Background: With a rampant Binge Eating Disorder and undiagnosed ADHD I managed to eat myself to a massive 145.5kg (321lb) bodyweight from 2008 to 2011. I always had problems with weight, impulse eating and binge eating but when i moved out and became a student it got worse than ever before. 2011 I began to lose weight with the help of weight watchers. I gained some back, but never up to my highest, lost again. Since late 2016 I'm counting calories. I've been down to 72.5kg(160lb) but my body dysmorphia went rampant and I couldn't find an identity and didn't feel well in my slim but untrained body (loose skin, bumping hip and other bones everywhere, couldnt sleep comfortably anymore). I began weight training in April 2017, starting with machine weights and including free weight OHP and DB Bench Press in August of the same year. In March 2018 I finally had the guts to switch over to free weights completely and began doing DLs and Squats and regular barbell bench.

Why I did the scan: The changes in my body happened rather fast, especially around the shoulders. Some months after starting I already had problems fitting in my M-sized shirts because my shoulders got visibly bigger, also my arms. Since the switch to free weights in all lifts I've noticed even more changes and muscle definition, even in areas that have a lot of fat left (thighs). I also increasingly get people estimating my weight 10-15kg lighter than I actually am. I however don't really trust my perception, especially because of my body dysmorphia that makes my brain think I look fat or slim in a matter of minutes. And I also started Wendlers 531 and want to do it at least for some months to get some structure in my training and see if it's effective. I wanted to know what my baseline is, how much muscle I have, how bad the situation is with my fat, esp. my visceral fat and android/gynoid ratio. I'm also naturally curious. I had a hard time finding someone that is offering this service here in Switzerland but lastly found someone.

My lifts:

DL: 85kg (187lbs) for 3 reps when I last tested

Bench: 45kg (99lbs) 1RM

OHP: 42.5kg (93.5lbs) 1RM when last tested a long time ago

Squat: working on form. Haven't tested max yet. I can go up to 35kg (77lbs) with good form and managed 45kg (99lbs) a while ago but with bad form.

Results:

The results surprised me to say the least. I was expecting a higher body fat especially because there have been one or two scans posted by people with similar stats as me. And it wasn't just me that was impressed - The technician/expert calculated my "lean mass per square meter" and calculated 19kg/m2 for me. He said that the average women has 14.9kg/m2 and that I have the lean mass expected from a leaner, less heavy athlete. It confirmed my suspicions that I was able to build up a lot of muscle mass. He said my legs have a lot of muscle mass as well - which is explainable by the fact that they used to carry around 145kg-Me. And which also explains why I was able to ramp up my Deadlift from "never done before" to "187lbs" in roughly 8 weeks.

I still have quite a lot of fat around my belly and my thighs, but the A/G ratio confirmed that I'm more a pear shaped person than an apple which generally is healthier.

What surprised both of us was the low amount of visceral fat (fat surrounding the organs). I only have 88gs of it. He said everything between 30 to 300g is a really good amount and stated (not asked) that my diet must be very healthy. He said he can absolutely tell from the visceral fat how a person eats (fast sugars, simple carbs, etc.). He also said he expected it to be way higher especially considering my weight, BMI and weight history. And then I also surprised him with my low fat high protein vegan diet. :D

What's left to say?

I feel like I wrote a novel. I'm very happy I did this. It tells me I'm doing the right thing even when I was doing stuff unstructured on my own. It confirms that I have way more muscle mass than I used to have and that I'm on the way to recomp and maybe lean out more. It confirms that I'm strong. And it does everything to help me fight my body dysmorphia and BED problems. It also confirms that I'm more healthy than I thought and that my way of eating vegan is absolutely fine in regards to building muscle and for training in general.
I'm gonna continue with Wendlers 531 and I'll be getting another scan in 6 - 9 months, and from then on regularly every year.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop them. :) -- (edit: if you're interested in how I eat (and cats) you can find me on IG with the name rosarot_vegan)
 
@mauddib Thanks for sharing your story and I'm so happy for you!

I looked at your pictures and your arms are amazing. You look great and I hope that you are able to see it too.

I'm getting my first ever DEXA in two weeks. These posts make me more eager to see the results.
 
@adaleow I started ohp already last year in August. I wish I had a secret but I don't. I just grind out the reps. I use the barbell (15kg/35lb) with a smaller diameter otherwise it wouldn't work. Does that count as secret?
 
@mauddib Amazing! We have very similar body shapes and are the same height. I’ve always felt like I have more muscle/strength than I should for the amount of time I’ve been training and I’m starting to think people who start at a high weight (I’ve lost about 60lbs) and lose weight while strength training/prioritizing protein have a small initial advantage over those who have never been overweight and had to carry around extra mass. I know ultimately consistency over time is what yields results, but this must at least be part of the whole “newb gains”...?

Also, I totally get the dysmorphia at a lower weight and is probably the biggest reason I want to do a body scan like this. I’m currently around 145 at 5’6” and still feel “big” and I don’t know if I know what I really even look like. I think I have a fair amount of muscle mass and would guesstimate my BF% somewhere in the high 20s but also maybe I’m kidding myself???

Thanks for sharing!
 
@leahratliff I think people who were overweight definitely have an advantage as far as leg strenght goes. I couldn't explain my DL weight otherwise. I think there's also the advantage that one can recomp and doesn't necessarly need to go through bulking and cutting cycles. Being skinnyfat is way more difficult to change than being slightly or a little overweight and trying to gain muscle.

I definitely estimated my BF % to be way higher. I was absolutely surprised.
 
@mauddib holy healthy lean mass! that's amazing how much muscle you're carrying and your quads look SO strong. But, I also know that your diet (via what you post on instagram) is very similar to the high-fiber, extremely low-fat diet eaten by former Ms Olympia Cory Everson and she is goals. NSFW-ish picture of Cory in a '80s bikini: http://www.tuvayanon.net/C-nm9-001001C-591218-1118.html

your numbers really look great and I know how much work goes into each of those gym sessions to build muscle and lean mass. glad you had a good experience and such great healthy results from your scan.

And once again, just wanted to say congrats on your journey. you are inspiration. thanks for being a friend. hope to see you share your Instagram (if you're comfortable with it) with members of the xx community since you're such a fantastic human and getting such exceptional training results from a fully plant-based diet.
 
@pedroinspain I just looked at pictures of you and others with similar stats and I think I see what you mean with my quads, especially from the side. They noticeable 'bulge' outwards. This was so normal for me that I never even spent a second thought that it could be unusual. My quads have definitely leaned out and lost a layer of fat. Thank you for making me look a second time.
 
@pedroinspain Thank you a lot :) I've always considered my thighs just as "fat". It's crazy how I can finally visually see muscle and others as well. :3

I've never heard of Ms Everson but holy hell.. She's impressive. She doesn't eat vegan tho I guess?

I keep missing Social saturdays. It's not like I don't want to post but I keep forgetting, or I'm at my phone where I have a hard time figuring out links and stuff. I'll have to remind myself on saturday. :)
 
@mauddib Everson wasn't vegan, but she was close (especially considering it was 30 years ago). From what I read in one interview, I believe she may have eaten fish 1-3 times per week and ate a lot like you 85% of the time--oatmeal, salads, curries, whole grains. Definitely no oil/butter ever and I don't remember her mentioning eating dairy/whey at all.

And I know first hand how the dysmorphia thing goes...but you are visibly muscular! And i think with my difficulty gauging my size and body composition, it's great to have gym-goals, such as lifts or reps. Hope to see you Saturday!
 
@mauddib Really really interesting! I’m a few inches shorter, a bit lighter, and more hourglsss/rectangle shaped, but your muscle/fat distribution looks pretty similar to mine, especially in the arms.

Out of curiosity, have you done body fat estimations using other methods (Navy, bioimpedance, etc) and what were the results?
 
@mauddib Makes sense! There was a conversation here about the Navy method a few days ago — it’s based solely on height/weight/measurements — and how accurate it was. I unfortunately don’t have DEXA commercially available where I am, but it’s something I’d really like to do.
 
@godislove19933 I had to search quite a long time here in Switzerland. Its almost the only one - some doctors practices offer it but for the sake of bone density testing and they generally then don't have an idea about the things the scan tells you other than that. I also paid 180 swiss francs for it (180$)...
 
@mauddib I think I remember you asking about it a while ago. It’s the same in NYC, oddly. There are a few medical practices that do it, but none for the purpose of testing body fat, so I think I’d have to get a prescription from my doctor and pay out of pocket.
 
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