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Maintenance Mundanities

I'm in maintenance but still whittling down my body fat levels in order to achieve a reasonable body composition. I have very low muscle mass so, although I have a low scale weight and look slender, I have an unwelcome kinship with streaky bacon, except that the bacon has a more favourable fat:lean ratio. :oops:

Sarcopenia and TDEE

by SSure on 02 Sep 2014, 08:10

Sometimes, I'm asked why I follow 4:3 in maintenance whereas others manage with 6:1 or less.

The prime reason is that I believe that there may be some value to regular fasting, particularly for people like me who do not have metabolic diseases but are at risk of them (the last time that I had a Dexa scan, the results indicate that at 117lbs, I was still in the class of sarcopenic obesity which substantially increases the risk of diabetes II, CVD etc.).

The second reason is that it simplifies my eating decisions. I know that a lot of people struggle with the appetite of a high TDEE but the realities of a low TDEE, well, because I have a clinically, abnormally low amount of skeletal muscle mass, I have comparatively less tissue that is metabolically active than other people of a comparable weight/build: despite kayaking x4 a week, x2 gym visits and a fairly active life, my BMR at 117lbs was just <1100 (as approximated by Dexa scan and Miffin St Jeor equation) so now, it's less than that.

I kayak because I enjoy it, I do strength training to attempt to retain the muscle that I have. But, even being comparatively active, my current TDEE is <1400 so I find it easier to follow 4:3 than to maintain based on that. It creates a comparative sense of abundance on my non-fast days. :)

Given that most women lose muscle mass post-menopause and everyone is supposed to drop their metabolic rate by 10% per decade as they age, by the time I'm in my 70s, I'll probably have a BMR of approx. 800kcals a day. At that sort of level/age, I'd probably have to consider more fast days than non-fast days and some extensive supplementation as there's a level of food intake below which it's tricky to meet the RDAs.

If/when I regain weight, it will be in the form of body fat and it would be associated with metabolic consequences. For now, I'd rather minimise those consequences. Tho' I wish there were better guidance available rather than the unhelpful dire warnings about obesity with a distinct lack of the detail that would help people for whom Eat Less, Move More is wholly inappropriate.
Last edited by SSure on 02 Sep 2014, 08:16, edited 1 time in total.

HW: 168lbs (2011) CW: 102lbs BMI: <19
Maintenance IF 4:3

Dexa scan reports that I have low skeletal muscle mass and I'm categorised as sarcopenic, despite my age and fitness activities: body composition changed from 42% body fat at 127lbs to 20% at 103lbs.


SINS - Simple Is the New Sustainable
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