jamestucker
New member
I've been frustrated lately because I just couldn't decide what my goals should be, so I got a dexa scan. I thought the results were interesting, so I'm sharing them with you all!
(I made a new account for this because my old one has accumulated enough identifying information that I didn't really want to post pictures of me in a sports bra on it.)
Personal history:
Depending on how I measured my body fat, I got wildly different numbers: calipers said 28%, the squeezy electrical thing at the gym said 30%, and the army tape-measure method said 38%.
I had no idea how fat I actually was. I don't see myself as fat, though I know objectively I'm overweight. I don't experience problems with my weight, I can find clothes that fit, nobody's mean to me, my husband thinks I'm hot, my family says, "Oh, everyone has fat rolls when they bend over!", society alternates between telling me I should be a size 4 and that I shouldn't pay attention to the scale, basically it's all a bunch of noise. Plus, maybe I'm just super muscular? Or maybe my body just wants to be this way? Who the hell knows?
I started calorie cutting (again) July 5th, since by any of those measures I needed to lose some fat, but this time I'm eating the same. exact. thing. every day. Which makes it easier, though it's boring as hell. But I didn't know how long I should keep it up...
The dexa scan:
Screw this, I said to myself. I'm going to find out for real. So I made an appointment for a dexa scan at a sports medicine place near my house. Here are the results: I've never seen this information for someone my size, so I wanted to share it in case it was informative for anyone else.
What I learned:
I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has, or give more details. Most of the people I see posting on Reddit are either way more overweight or way more fit than I am, so I want to post this for any other ladies in my range. Thanks for all the great advice and discussion I've gotten from this sub! Good luck to everyone on their goals!
(I made a new account for this because my old one has accumulated enough identifying information that I didn't really want to post pictures of me in a sports bra on it.)
Personal history:
- Until I was 30, I was almost completely sedentary. I've been overweight since I hit puberty, and once I got married and we got a car I gained a few lbs a year. Nothing huge or alarming; I just got used to it.
- In my early 20s I lost 15 lbs by fairly extreme calorie restriction (1200/day at 175 lbs), but I gained it back pretty quickly and since then I've stayed between 175 and 185.
- I started getting more serious about exercise when I hit 30, and started being ashamed of my weight (around 180 and basically no muscle), so I tried various things; yoga, weight machines, etc. But I didn't find anything I enjoyed doing or that felt like it was doing anything for me.
- 2.5 years ago I started lifting heavy; thanks to /r/fitness! I loved it and have been doing it ever since. Did SS for a year or so, then 5/3/1. Tried calorie restricting now and then, but without a whole lot of success. And fat loss was never as motivating as strength gains.
- Stats as of July 1st: 5'6", 187 lbs body weight, 130lb bench, 225 squat, 285 deadlift, 85 ohp.
Depending on how I measured my body fat, I got wildly different numbers: calipers said 28%, the squeezy electrical thing at the gym said 30%, and the army tape-measure method said 38%.
I had no idea how fat I actually was. I don't see myself as fat, though I know objectively I'm overweight. I don't experience problems with my weight, I can find clothes that fit, nobody's mean to me, my husband thinks I'm hot, my family says, "Oh, everyone has fat rolls when they bend over!", society alternates between telling me I should be a size 4 and that I shouldn't pay attention to the scale, basically it's all a bunch of noise. Plus, maybe I'm just super muscular? Or maybe my body just wants to be this way? Who the hell knows?
I started calorie cutting (again) July 5th, since by any of those measures I needed to lose some fat, but this time I'm eating the same. exact. thing. every day. Which makes it easier, though it's boring as hell. But I didn't know how long I should keep it up...
- Breakfast: soylent-esque shake: 450 calories, equally split between fat/protein/carbs
- Lunch: either a chicken salad sandwich and a cup of tea (non-lifting days), or thai chicken stir-fry and brown rice (lifting days).
- Dinner: a large can of tuna with light mayo and 200 calories of fruit.
- Lifting days: bedtime snack of cottage cheese and honey.
The dexa scan:
Screw this, I said to myself. I'm going to find out for real. So I made an appointment for a dexa scan at a sports medicine place near my house. Here are the results: I've never seen this information for someone my size, so I wanted to share it in case it was informative for anyone else.
What I learned:
- Yes, I should actually be 155 lbs and not 185. I've already lost a tenth of the fat I need to lose, so I just need to power through it. (And then sustain, which I haven't been great at in the past.)
- My lean body mass isn't as huge under that fat as I wanted to think it was.
- I'm above average for amount of body fat (compared to the other people in their database) but way into the 'unhealthy' range.
- My head weighs 11 lbs.
I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has, or give more details. Most of the people I see posting on Reddit are either way more overweight or way more fit than I am, so I want to post this for any other ladies in my range. Thanks for all the great advice and discussion I've gotten from this sub! Good luck to everyone on their goals!
