Took a Dexa Scan before resuming gym [M35 / 96 Kgs / 6'1 ft - 30% body fat, overweight]

[jake99901]

I am a 35 year old male who is trying to lose fat and gain lean muscle, with the main aim to change the visual appearance and shape of my body. I am pear-shaped with lower body fat around glutes and thighs, which makes me look bad in pants and overall body shape.

I have been going to the gym over 1.5 years, have seen some changes (last Kris Gethins' 8-week advanced program - got lost again after 8 weeks), followed some diet plans and exercise regimes, though the biggest thing I am looking for is to get a very scientific and quantitative plan to achieve goals.

As I am human, I will miss diet sometimes and exercise regimes but I want to constantly course-correct and keep moving to my goal of a lean, muscular cut body shape [brad pitt in fight club ]

https://preview.redd.it/ep5rgphg44i...bp&s=6a5e8bd339027bb3a51d346e69e915feea6c28e1

Personal coaches are too expensive (tried with one and wasn't too satisfied).

I am NOW planning to start getting bi-weekly/monthly blood tests, dexa scans and other medical markers (testosterone levels, sleep) to accurately track my progress and make biweekly/monthly changes in my diet/exercise routine to stay motivated, have clear sight of progress and actually hit goals. Might use an excel or an app.

Exercising in the dark is very demotivating, which generally leads to me missing gym at times.

Reaching out to all who have a similar goal: Are you continuously monitoring your med markers and do you believe that will help in achieving your goals on a weekly/monthly basis?

 

[argem17]

@jake99901 No, because it is nonsense to do your blood work and Dexa scan biweekly or even monthly. The changes are that small that simple things like amount of fluid drinken that day can influence the results and since the chamges are that small it can give you a nonsense result.
Just to give you an idea, muscle build-up is a few honderd grams per month (if you're not on steroids) at best. So, doing it bi-weekly will mostly show you a bit of weight loss (if you're doing it solid) and a bit of fat lot if you've lost it in the right way. So, basically, it is pointless. Also, your testosterone won't go up much after twee weeks etc. if it even low side. So, basically I do not see the point of this.

A more proven method: ensure your CICO tracking is solid! So, use a food kitchen scale and weight everything (incl oils used, drinks etc.), do not rely on portion sizes. Be in deficit. Track it with an app like myfitnesspal. Have a solid muscle training program (e.g. reddit PPL) and track your progress overload, track your progress with an app like boostcamp for example (or any other app that will enable the same). For in between tracking just use a regular scale (check your weight) and measure things like your waist, biceps etc. You can also measure body parts with calipers from time to time to track progress.

I would not do a biweekly dexa, but bi-annually would make a lot more sense. If you want to track sleep, just get a fitbit (do not rely on the kcal tracking) or a garmin (more reliable on kcal tracking, often even underestimating, but less good at sleep tracking)

Not sure in which you are, but here in Europe (NL), a personal trainer is cheaper than getting those done on a biweeky or monthly basis (once a week is enough, just to help with the program and movements).

I (m34) also reached a similar goal as you have (working on the last parts to have a good beach body this summer), but I haven't checked thise med markers on any moment in the journey and it won't help you as it is pointless to do it thay frequently as "noise" will intervene too much. Bi-annually or once you finish a program a DEXA scan might be ok, but everything else (sure, once a while blood work checks is fine) is just way too much...

 

[mynamechef]

@argem17 100% agree on CICO. How do you deal with the facts that calories on labels inherently have error rate up to 30%? Also it's impossible to precisely measure expenditure.

 

[argem17]

@mynamechef You don't have to be perfect. Not sure where you based, but 30% off is not allowed in the EU where I live. Furthermore, the best thing to prevent off label issues: eat wholefood without labels. For ultra processed foods, you're 100% dependent on a label. Those happen to be the unhealthiest types of food to eat.

Measuring expenditure is also a guestination at best, but in general it comes close enough. I use to calculate the average weight loss per week. If I lost 0.5 kg (about one lbs) I know I had on average a deficit of 500kcal. I see what I eat in myfitnesspal (it gives you a weekly average as well) and than I calculate back that my TDEE was (2300 intake + 500 deficit) 2800 for example...

 

[mynamechef]

@argem17 You are correct. I heard 30% in one of layne norton's videos. I guess, my point is the exact thing you wrote - it's a guestimation. Probably the best way to ensure you are on track is to measure weight and take photos regularly and adjust accordingly. I am in EU as well btw

 

[argem17]

@mynamechef Yeah, agreed and also, you don't have to track perfectly to get the proper results unless you do it for an Olympic qualification game, but those folks have a staff that enables them to it. Just to get a lean beach body doesn't require weekly medical check-ups as OP plans, that is just a waste of money and will get him only frustrated

 

[mynamechef]

@argem17 100%, thanks for the input

 

[uzezi]

@mynamechef Eat less food with labels. The margin for error in whole foods is much less.

 

[mynamechef]

@uzezi for sure, good point

 

[neco]

@mynamechef I think everyone inherently knows, to some degree, what a healthy diet looks like vs an unhealthy one. 1/2 a cup of yogurt and 1/2 a bagel for breakfast, a wrap with shredded chicken a little sauce and some greens for lunch (homemade so it's not stuffed with goopy preservatives), and a chicken breast with a little rice and veggies for dinner, repeat 5x a week for a year, would immediately help millions of Americans lose weight because of how bad their current diets are. You almost certainly wouldn't even have to count calories

Too many lose sight of things because they read a hundred different articles on how to do 20 different diets, get flustered, and stay eating burgers and fries and soda twice a day. My dad does this, gets all worked up about whether white rice or brown rice is healthier when both are much better options than what he typically eats for dinner. A healthy diet is a simple diet, and losing weight is very simple. It's not "easy" as it takes willpower, some effort to cook, etc. but it is pretty damn simple: smaller portions, more vegetables, water instead of soda is honestly like 80% of it

 

[rsm777]

@mynamechef i always round all calories up to the nearest hundred when on a cut. this is a mental shortcut, and you can use a scale to see if you're losing weight week to week. if you're not, eat less than

 

[mynamechef]

@rsm777 Yup, great advice, Thanks!

 

[jake99901]

@rsm777 so now started to logging food, mainly weighing what I am eating than going to Chatgpt to estimate my macronutrients and than put them in an excel via a google form.

check it out and please share your comments and observations directly on the google sheet too, if you like too - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...Y55GQ2qC4Alx8/edit?resourcekey#gid=1709737537

 

[jake99901]

@mynamechef so now started to logging food, mainly weighing what I am eating than going to Chatgpt to estimate my macronutrients and than put them in an excel via a google form.

check it out and please share your comments and observations directly on the google sheet too, if you like too - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...Y55GQ2qC4Alx8/edit?resourcekey#gid=1709737537

 

[yeshuabride]

@argem17 Sleep tracking can add a level of stress surrounding sleep and negatively affect your sleep. Sleep doctors I’ve talked to have said they’re one of the worst things to happen for people who have sleep issues. Better to set up and maintain healthy sleep habits.

 

[argem17]

@yeshuabride Agree woth that. Only do it if it does not add additional stress around measuring it (however, the same also applies for weighing your body weight, which is for some people a stressor...)

 

[yeshuabride]

@argem17 Totally different from weighing. Sleep tracking has a tendency to make many who have sleep issues sleep less which is far more detrimental. Whatever stress comes from stepping on a scale is far less impactful and possibly more related to body dysmorphia which needs to be addressed.

 

[argem17]

@yeshuabride Not sure if I agree with this. It all depends on the person... weight tracking can have the same issues people have a unhealthy relationship with their weight...

 

[yeshuabride]

@argem17 That body dysmorphia already exists without looking at a scale and is far different from sleep deprivation in its immediate and long term effects on the body.

 

[999escape]

@yeshuabride Stress induced insomnia and eating disorders/body dysmorphia aren’t as far apart as you think they are, and both can be exacerbated by additional fixation/focus. Stop talking about mental issues/disorders if you’re not an expert.