Ok, according to my scale, my body fat % for my weight of approx 180 lbs is 28%. Online calculators with measurements are 27%.

That means my current lean body mass is 130 lbs. I have an original goal weight of 140 lbs. That would be extremely unhealthy.

So. to be 22% body fat i would have to weigh 163 lbs with that in mind. Does that sound to high? I don't know how I feel about staying that high at my height.

about how much lean body mass can i expect to lose as I continue to diet? I guess I'm kind of shooting for a realistic goal.

I have a pic of me in my link at the bottom. Tell me if you think 20 lbs would do it, or should I push to lose more. If i calculate my new weight with the % loss of body mass to expect, then i could get a good goal to look forward to.

i also do weights and resistance, and WILL NOT give that up. Should i still expect to lose lean body mass?

Yes, even doing weight training you will lose some lean body mass as you lose weight. Remember, lean body mass is not just muscle, but includes fluids and tissue as well. And you will lose some muscle unless you are doing a strict buy builder's lean out regime- eating copious amounts of lean protein and squeaky clean carbs, strategically timed to maximize muscle building.

Losing some lean body mass is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you have it to lose. If you weren't doing any weight training, about 25% of what you lose would be LBM. Not good. If you are working to retain it, you could keep that LBM loss more in the 15% range without getting too crazy.

I think for your height (without knowing your build), your original goal is fine.

Mel

i would be unhealthy at that weight IF I didn't lose some lean body mass. That was what i was asking. So I am going to calculate losing 20% of my lean body mass. That would be 26 lbs. So my lean body mass would end up to be 104 lbs.

Which would make my goal weight: 137 lbs. to be 22% body fat.

i have a pic of me in my link. I have 42 more lbs to lose to get to that goal.

if I get down closer to my goal and I still have higher lbm than expected, i will adjust that!

MEL, THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR ADVICE!!! IT REALLY HELPED.

Brown do you know your current body fat %? If you are healthy, why do you need to lose more weight. I start looking really thin-unhealthy at 130 lbs. I have a muscular build though.

When I was anorexic as a teen I weighed 125 lbs and everyone told me they could see my ribs through my shirt.

I just wouldnt worry about it until you get closer. Get to 163 remeasure. Get to whatever..remeasure.

I did not lose hardly any LBM at all when I lost weight, but I think I had 102-105 lbs of LBM. I run a little higher than that now, but I am just not going to set a goal weight, I set a goal %. I'll know it when I get there!

The other thing to keep in mind is that any measurement of bf% other than autopsy (and who is volunterring for that???) is an estimate. Your scale is not accurate (sorry) and neither is the measurement technique. A 9 point skin fold pinch usually comes really close if done by someone who is extremely experienced. What is important is the trend. As you lose weight, if the bf % goes UP or drops precipitously, you know you are doing something you don't want. Aiming for 22% is great, but you may never really know if that is where you are. When you reach your goal, you'll know it by how you look and how your clothes fit.

Mel

Thanks Mel, i know the scales are not 100%. I really appreciate your help, when I get to about 160 if I am still pinching lots of fat, then I will keep going. Just like ennay suggested. Which was good advice thanks ennay.

Wow, that you didn't lose alot of lbm too ennay, it means you were doing it right! I am going to be watching the bf% on the scale because it is the most accurate thing i have for now.

my goal is not to be skinny, and I don't want to lose my figure. My idea of healthy is like pro-wrestling women--not nicole kidman. I definitely want to keep my curves if at all possible. I know low carb diets tend to make you lose alot more lean body mass- i did that before, it caused me to shake alot if i lifted weights. I don't like that.

I think messing with numbers may mess with your head. They can either be very motivating or very demotivating. I started out at the point where I was looking at what sizes other 5'4" inchers were wearing at my weight and wondered how on earth they squeezed themselves into those tiny sizes. Now I'm on the other end of that scale...I think I'm wearing a smaller size than my weight would suggest.

There are just too many factors to tell you what you are going to look like in 20 pounds.

I have a pants size in mind that I'd like to try to achieve. I'd love to be in a 6 or 4. After that, I will just play it by ear. I don't think being in a 6 or 4 would be unhealthy for our height. (And you know what...an 8 sounds lovely too! )

Eliana, at my smallest, that is what I wear a size 8. I have never strived to be smaller than that. I was a size 8 at 140 lbs. I just got too much junk in my trunk, i think.

I was a size 10 at 145 twelve years ago. Today I am in a 10 at 170. Even if we adjust for vanity sizing, that's like me wearing an old size 12 at 170 and would put me in an old size 8 maybe around 150.

...meh...typing out loud.