mona_PHX 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…
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 | 252 lbs | 212 lbs | 199 lbs |
| Fat mass | 102 lbs | 72 lbs | 49 lbs |
| Lean mass | 155 lbs | 151 lbs | 156 lbs |
| Body fat % | 45% | 31% | 23% |
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.
One thing that is still open after paige_pharma’s answer:
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?
dan_philly said:DEXA scan update relevant to lean mass: Scanned at months 0, 6, and 12.
Regarding lean mass: I accidentally injected my dose intramuscularly instead of subcutaneously last week (went in at wrong angle, too deep). Called my pharmacist — they said it's not dangerous but may absorb faster, potentially causing more GI effects.
Sure enough, had worse nausea that day. Lesson learned: pinch the skin properly and use the right needle length for your body composition.
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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.
roxy_nash said:Regarding lean mass: I accidentally injected my dose intramuscularly instead of subcutaneously last week (went in at wrong angle, too deep).
Agreed on the ranges, with the condition that a single DEXA is not a measurement, it is one draw from a distribution. Hydration status moves the lean compartment by a kilogram or more between scans, so any comparison of scans done at different times of day or different hydration states is noise.
Correct me if the detail matters more than I have assumed.