8 Week Measurements -- and Lisa Williams!!

OK a late post here -- a friend and I just got back from seeing Lisa Williams, and she was awesome, just like on her show.  Unfortunately, we didn't get readings, but some near us did and there were some very touching moments.

Anyway, because I had plans tonight, I didn't get to workout, but I did stop in for my 8 week measurements (that were due last week).   I dropped in weight, and in most areas in centimeters as well.  But once again my body fat percentage went up and my muscle mass went down.  How is this freaking possible?  Not only that but the centimeters I lost on my upper arm came back?  Hmm -- maybe all those bicep curls and push-ups you've got me doing?  I don't know -- but I'm not going to worry about it too much at this stage.  Anyway, just wanted to share the results.  Click the picture to view it larger.

What are these measurments taken by?

If you think this is humanly impossible maybe who ever is taking them is not using the most reliable measurements.  If it is fat calipers definitely do not get down about it because they are very inaccurate. I work with all kinds of body analysis machines and techniques in school and there are some that are extremely accurate and some that are extremely inaccurate.  Keep your head up either way

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Are you eating low carb? It is very possible, if you are exercising but not getting enough carbohydrate, to lose muscle weight instead of fat weight, making your body fat percentage higher even though you are losing weight. Our muscles are fueled by carbohydrate, which is why it is not recommended that athletes or people who exercise go on low carb diets. When not enough carb is available to fuel workouts, our bodies burn muscle to lower metabolism, because it is easier for our liver to metabolize muscle than stored fat,  for immediate energy. Our bodies interpret too little carb as starvation, so as a defense mechanism, it burns muscle to preserve fat stores.

Not low-carb

No, I'm not eating low carb - in fact, that's what my trainer has a problem with. Being as I follow basically a vegan diet, it is dependent on carbs. But I do try to keep them at or below 60% of my calories.

As to the other comment about body calipers, no that's not what they use - it's just a weight scale, the kind that also measures body fat, water, muscle mass, etc.  I'm not sure how reliable those are, but that's what they use.

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Dr McDougall agrees with you, Helen

I asked Dr John McDougall directly and he agrees with you, Helen -- I'm not getting enough starchy carbs, and my fat is too high.  Of course it's only high because I was trying so hard to keep my carbs to 60% of my total calories (which still wasn't as low as my trainer wants to see it) but I think I'll go with what Dr McDougall advises.  There are vegan athletes and body builders out there, so obviously you get enough protein on a vegan diet.  The time in our lives when we're growing the most is as an infant -- and breast milk is only about 5-6% protein, so I can't imagine I'm not getting enough.