julia.endo said:There is also a quality change that the scan cannot see.
I read this differently from julia.endo, on substance rather than tone. 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.
NurseKim_ATL said:Two DEXA scans eleven months apart: down 24kg total, of which the scan says 6kg was lean.
Sharing my comprehensive lab data relevant to lean mass:
| Biomarker | Baseline | Month 3 | Month 6 | Month 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (lbs) | 281 | 246 | 211 | 206 |
| A1C (%) | 6.6 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 5.3 |
| hsCRP (mg/L) | 6.0 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 0.7 |
| Triglycerides | 231 | 151 | 141 | 91 |
Protocol: Tirzepatide 10mg/wk, resistance training 5x/week, protein 1.5g/kg/day.
The improvements in lean mass are clearly reflected in these numbers. The inflammatory marker reduction (hsCRP) is particularly striking.
JennaRN said:I think this board over-worries about lean mass.
Bone density monitoring on lean mass: DEXA bone density at baseline and month 12.
Lumbar spine T-score: -0.8 → -0.7 (stable to slightly improved)
Femoral neck T-score: -0.12 → -0.8 (stable)
No significant bone loss despite 65 lbs of weight loss. Key factors: adequate calcium (1200mg/day), vitamin D (5000 IU/day), resistance training 3x/week, and adequate protein. Weight-bearing exercise is critical for maintaining bone density during rapid weight loss.
Sigma-Aldrich — Research-Grade Standards
Certified reference materials, analytical reagents, and research-grade standards for peptide verification. Trusted by laboratories worldwide.
Shop Reference StandardsOne thing that is still open after NurseAsh_DET’s answer:
Whether resistance training and protein change the ratio or only the absolute amount?
OP back with an update, since a thread like this is useless without one.
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.