Apparently losing 90% muscle

[CBRIT89]

In short:

Lost 15kg in the last 13 weeks.
Was 100kg at the start, so 1% loss, now 1.5% loss per week
Eating 140g of protein every day
Lifting weights 6 days a week
Lifts have improved or stayed consistent
Doing cardio 3x a week

The scales (I know, I know) say I've gone from 162lbs of LBM to 152lbs, and I would normally say OK, a lot of loss so 10lbs of muscle for 23lbs of fat isn't a massive surprise, BUT....

Over the last 4kg of weight loss, I appear to lost almost all muscle, and my scales have gone from 19.2% bodyfat to 19.3%

Wtf? I was supposed to get to 85kg and start a slow bulk, but now I don't know what to do - I've still got rolls of stomach when sat down and muffin tops.

What's the deal here - other than speed of loss, I feel like I've stuck to the rules by lifting, high protein etc.

[SuffolkPunch]

Dude, you've been here long enough to know how inaccurate those scales are - you're reacting to 0.1% difference when the error is way larger than that. BIA has both systematic and random errors - you could get back on later with a 1kg weight in your pocket and get a completely different reading.

Key question - did you get massively weaker across all lifts?

[alec935]

Lifts have improved or stayed consistent

you didn't lose 90% muscle

[CBRIT89]

Dude, you've been here long enough to know how inaccurate those scales are - you're reacting to 0.1% difference when the error is way larger than that. BIA has both systematic and random errors - you could get back on later with a 1kg weight in your pocket and get a completely different reading.

Key question - did you get massively weaker across all lifts?

I know that the scales are finger in the air, which way is the wind blowing, but they're surely still useful as a guide? Frustrating to see the fat% going up whilst my overall weight has been steadily going down.

All of my lifts are equal or have improved, which says I haven't lost muscle, but I haven't been losing any visible weight.

I guess I am a little frustrated that in the last 3 weeks I have lost 6lbs and I haven't seem improvements in how I look over this period.

Probably time I post another bodyfat estimate request.

[TolerantLactose]

I've still got rolls of stomach when sat down and muffin tops.

If you're like most men, that will probably be the case until you get sub-12% or so.

[SuffolkPunch]

I know that the scales are finger in the air, which way is the wind blowing, but they're surely still useful as a guide? Frustrating to see the fat% going up whilst my overall weight has been steadily going down.

All of my lifts are equal or have improved, which says I haven't lost muscle, but I haven't been losing any visible weight.

I guess I am a little frustrated that in the last 3 weeks I have lost 6lbs and I haven't seem improvements in how I look over this period.

Probably time I post another bodyfat estimate request.

You've lost weight and kept your strength. Sounds like a win to me. But the stupid scales are turning it into anxiety instead. Seriously, get rid of them or just use them for weight only.

We've all been through the scenario of losing weight and not looking any different. Could be that BF was just higher than you thought. Even though I just trashed BIA, it is saying 19% and it can't be THAT far off. As mentioned, you need to get closer to 12-14% to see definition.

It could be a case that it's not worth trying to get this lean until you've spent some time building up more muscle.

[CommitmentRulz]

You know the scales are inaccurate and simply a TOY, yet you are stressing over what it says????????

I have some advice. Throw the scales away. Yes, in the trash. Go buy some scales that ONLY tell you your weight. Problem solved.

[Luclin999]

I know that the scales are finger in the air, which way is the wind blowing, but they're surely still useful as a guide?

Your scale is useful for telling you your weight and basically nothing else.

Just reset the scale, delete the metrics that it requested to setup a "profile" for you and just step on it, look at the weight once or twice a week and then walk away from it.