Lean Body Mass
Our goal body shape is a balance between our lean body mass increase and our body fat loss. Obese people in OMAD consistently lose body fat until we reach a BMI of 24. This is considered the normal shape, no longer obese, not even overweight. However, what happens when we continue the OMAD regimen? do we continue to lose body weight indefinitely? In my experience, once the ideal BMI (around 24) is reached, it becomes increasingly difficult to lose additional body weight.
My example
In Sep. 2014 I reached my lowest body weight at 162.7lb (fat=19.6%, BMI=23.3). I had been in 5 years of non-stop OMAD regimen. I started in Sep. 2009 when I weighed 227 lb (fat=40%, BMI=32.6). At the time I felt I had reached my goal (fat=20%, normal BMI). So I stopped OMAD and began to have a light breakfast and a light dinner. At about the same time, I increased my workout routine to include intense calisthenics and body weight lifting. I also started consuming a protein supplement of 24g of protein in milk whey. Since then, I have grown my muscle mass well beyond my wildest imaginings.
For reasons I did not understand then, my body weight began to increase again, and I reached 170lb. This is when I made the mistake of cutting back on my caloric intake, instead of going back to OMAD. Not surprisingly, my body weight went back down to the lower end of the range. By Nov. 2016, I neared my lowest weight ever at 161.7lb. It made sense, based on the calories in, calories out paradigm.
The biggest loser
Coincidentally with the release of the study of contestants from “The Biggest Loser” (TBL) TV show, my body weight started to rise again. Ironically, without knowing, I was doing the very thing TBL contestants did: Follow a low caloric intake diet and intense exercise. Just like TBL contestants, I was back up into the 170s by the early of 2018. My body fat was 22% and my BMI was close to 25.
Back to OMAD
This is when I found out that OMAD was “a thing”. That all along I had been following the right approach to body weight loss by controlling my Insulin blood levels. With OMAD I was avoiding multiple postprandial spikes in insulin, without caloric restriction. This is when I began to study intermittent fasting in general and OMAD in particular. I learned that science was behind me in my early, very successful weight loss regimen. I was immediately back to OMAD, eating to satiety. One of my biggest concerns was that my routine workouts would be deep in my fasting. I thought that this could affect my performance. To my amazement, I could do my routine better than ever, even when I was close to the end of my 23hr fasting. Not surprisingly, my body weight came down, again. Currently, however, my body weight is rising again, leaving me to ponder the reasons for that.
I am interested in determining if increasing the intensity of my workouts would have an effect on my body weight, either by further increasing my lean body mass or further decreasing my body fat. Contrary to the fear of many people, my OMAD has not reduced my lean mass. I have kept a high protein content in my diet, and the intensity of my workouts have only increased over the years. Is it possible that my fat percentage is reducing? Not according to the balance I use at home. That measurement, however, seems to be a reflection of my entire body weight. Currently, I am weighing 168.7lb (Fat=21.1%, BMI=24.4). Using a different method from Calculator.net, my body fat returns a 16.5% value. Well below the 21.1% estimate.
Is my body weight increasing because my lean body mass is increasing? what method more accurately reflects the changes I am experiencing? I will continue this discussion in my next post.
