Hi-- I recently rechecked my stats using the body calculator, and found my LBM had gone down. Why does this happen? I have not changed my exercise regimen at all (or lack of one :wink: ), and have only lost in the neighborhood of 15 lbs. (I probably have about 8-15 to go, depending on where I decide I feel best, fat % wise.) It didn't go down much, from 105 to 101, but 4 lbs. seemed significant. I do notice that I have lost weight all over (arms, thighs, hips, belly), but my waist is about the same, circumference wise. (Example: I wore a suit today for a conference that has always been tight in the waist. Now it is quite baggy in the legs, looser on top, but the waist fits nearly as tightly as it did before). I am now within my BMI for my height range, and at my biggest was only one or two points over, so I didn't have too far to go. I have been following the zone pretty well, and being quite careful about portion sizes, measuring, weighing, and timing.II do admit to a few "off" days, but I am back at it the next morning. (Recent migraine cycles have been horrible for chocolate cravings.) Any thoughts on this? Thanks in advance. Ronica

Hi Ronica- Keep in mind the accuracy of the calculator on this web site. It only measures your weight to the nearest 5 lbs, height and other measurements to the nearest 1/2 inch. It is a mathematical impossiblilty to have an answer more accurate than it's factors. It should only be used as a general guideline. If your LBM continued to drop over a period of time, that would be cause for concern. However, if it fluctuates up and down throughout a period, it is just the accuracy (or lack thereof) of the calculator. The most precise way to have it done is in a hydrostatic tank or with calipers (depending on the measurer). Congrats on being SO CLOSE to you goal!! I am jealous :mrgreen: !! Michelle

[quote:b1fc22ad06="RBrownson"]Hi-- I recently rechecked my stats using the body calculator, and found my LBM had gone down. Why does this happen? I have not changed my exercise regimen at all (or lack of one :wink: ), and have only lost in the neighborhood of 15 lbs. (I probably have about 8-15 to go, depending on where I decide I feel best, fat % wise.) It didn't go down much, from 105 to 101, but 4 lbs. seemed significant. I do notice that I have lost weight all over (arms, thighs, hips, belly), but my waist is about the same, circumference wise. (Example: I wore a suit today for a conference that has always been tight in the waist. Now it is quite baggy in the legs, looser on top, but the waist fits nearly as tightly as it did before). I am now within my BMI for my height range, and at my biggest was only one or two points over, so I didn't have too far to go. I have been following the zone pretty well, and being quite careful about portion sizes, measuring, weighing, and timing.II do admit to a few "off" days, but I am back at it the next morning. (Recent migraine cycles have been horrible for chocolate cravings.) Any thoughts on this? Thanks in advance. Ronica[/quote:b1fc22ad06] Hi Ronica, LBM is everything but fat. The body is mostly water so LBM can vary significantly. Also as Michelle said the measurements are not precise. You say waist is last to reduce and you are soooooooooo right. BUT when you have no more surplus fat in other areas, ALL fat will come from waist. You are doing great, Keep up the good work, www.Anne-Marie.ca is looking for a first testomony, Charlie has offered, Maybe you should post before him ? First in, Best Dressed White Light White Light

Hi, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned this already. :shock: LBM loss is a direct result of not eating enough protein. The others answers seem to be assuming your LBM loss is a result of an inaccurate calculation, but it's also very possible you really are losing muscle along with fat. I would strongly consider eating at least one additional balanced Zone block on a daily basis. Sue

[quote:8c407fea88="RBrownson"]Hi-- I recently rechecked my stats using the body calculator, and found my LBM had gone down. Why does this happen?[/quote:8c407fea88] When one's body fat starts to get close to ideal, extra monounsaturated fat is needed. If insufficient calories are coming in and body fat is low to ideal, the body will catabolize muscle. [quote:8c407fea88] I have not changed my exercise regimen at all (or lack of one :wink: ), and have only lost in the neighborhood of 15 lbs. (I probably have about 8-15 to go, depending on where I decide I feel best, fat % wise.) It didn't go down much, from 105 to 101, but 4 lbs. seemed significant.[/quote:8c407fea88] Yes I would be a bit concerned about 4 lbs. of LBM. Remember water fluctuations can also affect LBM. [quote:8c407fea88] have been following the zone pretty well, and being quite careful about portion sizes, measuring, weighing, and timing.II do admit to a few "off" days, but I am back at it the next morning. (Recent migraine cycles have been horrible for chocolate cravings.)[/quote:8c407fea88] I believe when the body craves something it is a built-in signalling mechanism of a macronutrient that is too low in one's body. In this case if you are craving chocolate, that would signal to me that there is insufficient calories coming in by way of fat. IMO, I would try some extra nuts and see what happens.

This is interesting, seeing as my posts of a few weeks ago dealt with excessive late-afternoon hunger and added blocks, adding fat, etc. I can't say I have had a very controlled approach to my dealing with this, but this is what I've seen. If anything, I have eaten more protein than I should, rather than less. This is harder for me to measure when in a restaurant (example: 3 blocks of shrimp is VERY different from 3 blocks of chicken--and like you ever get the right amount of shrimp, or favorable carb veggies!), and at home when making a meal for both Jeff and me, (stir fry makes it harder to measure exactly how many of those little pieces of chicken I am eating verses him). I don't feel that I have lost any muscle, but I guess I can't be sure. When I can, I do measure and weigh the amount (breakfast and lunch are always measured). I asked if I should have a 2 block snack in the late afternoon, due to hunger and cravings and not making it to dinner. On days when I add extra nuts, it does help, but I want to keep eating nuts until the cows come home! I guess I haven't found yucky tasting nuts! The chocolate cravings, I have noticed, come when I am cycling up to a migraine. I had a cycle in June (3 weeks), one in July, and now in Oct. These are partially stress-related, but also I believe environmental/weather (a friend at school also seems to be cycling when I am). I do not crave other fatty foods during these. (Seratonin?) I am not craving other carbs either. Once I am craving it, it is hard to get past, but I will (soon I hope.) Then I will go weeks without a thought of it. This week was difficult due to Halloween and teaching in elementary school. I did well, though, and avoided candy until today (I was at Music Teachers conference, and there are so many samples, etc. I admit, I slipped.) Lately, I have had the urge to snack a lot. This could be due to high stress right now, in many aspects of life. When I get stressed, it's hard for me to sit still. This is also related to the headaches--I can't stop moving, doing, thinking--, and thus I can't sleep, and thus I get blistering knife-in-the-skull headaches. Anyway, this is a big long diatribe of nothingness, but I am interested in finding the right combination for me. Is it going from 11 blocks to 12, as one of you suggested, or is it adding fat? How much fat? Do I need to be careful with the amount, or just eat extra nuts until I feel satisfied? Should I wait until this subsides, and then try each version for a period of time? Should I get one of those bodyfat percentage scales (do they work?) (I get paid tomorrow!!! :) ) Thank you for your help, and for the encouragement. I really feel like I need it right now, and you guys make me want to keep trying, and keep reading. My husband is very affirming, but it also helps to hear it from someone else. It's weird, but I was quite depressed this morning because one of my favorite suits was way too big--the crotch hung halfway to my knees. What a stupid thing to be depressed about--your pants being too big. :shock: Anyone know a good tailor in Madison? :wink: Any thoughts and help are very appreciated. Happy Halloween! Ronica

Hi Ronica- I am not anywhere as near as you are to my goal weight but I have a few comments. First of all, I agree with Anne-Marie. If you are craving it, your body is telling you that you need it for one reason or another (most of the time). I find that the week before my periods are terrible. I feel like I am continually hungry, even if I just ate. I also find that with migraines I crave carbs, Imitrex makes the cravings worse, but the migraine better -I'll take it!! :lol: I used to beat myself up about it, but month after month those times came and went, I got through them, however I needed to, and the weigh still came off. So now I don't stress about it. If I eat 4 extra blocks in a day because it is the week before my period, or if I eat a pile of chips because I have a carb craving from a migraine, so what ?!! 99% of the time I follow the Zone, sticking to favorable carbs, fats and proteins and the correct number of blocks for me. Some months the weight comes off faster and some months the scale barely moves. But, I know that it will continue to move over the long run. So, I listen to my body. It is far more complicated than I will ever understand. Who am I to argue with it? :wink: Michelle p.s. you can always try to reach me at the phone number on my website, if you don't get my emails. We can figure out a time to meet each other!