Dr.PainCLE 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…
Filing a mild objection. Mild because I might be wrong; an objection because nobody has addressed the case that does not fit. I think this board over-worries about lean mass. Some lean loss is obligatory — you need less muscle to move a smaller body, and preserving mass you no longer need is not a health outcome. The question is whether strength and function held, and mine did.
LarryQC_SD said:I lifted three times a week throughout and still lost lean mass.
Body composition tracking via bioimpedance on lean mass (InBody scan every 3 months):
| Metric | Baseline | Month 3 | Month 6 | Month 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skeletal Muscle (lbs) | 68 | 68 | 68 | 72 |
| Body Fat (lbs) | 95 | 76 | 54 | 42 |
| Body Fat % | 40% | 31% | 27% | 22% |
| Visceral Fat (cm²) | 165 | 120 | 85 | 55 |
Note: skeletal muscle mass dipped initially then recovered with consistent resistance training + high protein. The visceral fat reduction is where the metabolic magic happens.
NurseKim_ATL said:I think this board over-worries about lean mass.
Sharing my comprehensive lab data relevant to lean mass:
| Biomarker | Baseline | Month 3 | Month 6 | Month 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (lbs) | 283 | 238 | 213 | 198 |
| A1C (%) | 6.8 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| hsCRP (mg/L) | 8.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 0.9 |
| Triglycerides | 223 | 143 | 143 | 93 |
Protocol: Tirzepatide 15mg/wk, resistance training 4x/week, protein 1.6g/kg/day.
The improvements in lean mass are clearly reflected in these numbers. The inflammatory marker reduction (hsCRP) is particularly striking.
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Shop Reference StandardsOne thing that is still open after ben_calgary’s answer:
Whether resistance training and protein change the ratio or only the absolute amount?
Closing the loop on my own question.
Follow-up: I dropped the cardio to two easy sessions and put the effort into three real lifting sessions. The scale slowed and the scan improved.