I got 2 body composition analyses, 6 months apart. I lost fat and learned I need to work out smarter to build muscle.

I started the new year strong: I got a body composition analysis and was mildly horrified by the results.

At a Life Time athletic club, I stood on an InBody body composition analyzer, which used electrodes to measure my body fat, skeletal muscle mass, and water content. (While DEXA scans are considered the gold standard — measuring how much muscle, fat, and bone you have using X-ray images — InBody is more affordable.)

I learned that while my weight was in the healthy range for my height, my body fat percentage wasn’t. While my BMI score can generally point to whether I’m overweight or not, it doesn’t account for how much of that weight is muscle or fat.

After the analysis, I was given tips to change my body composition. I needed to push myself harder at the gym and alter my diet to include more protein and whole foods. I was also encouraged to examine my portion sizes and alcohol intake.

Eight months later, I felt pretty confident. My pants felt slightly looser, and I was lifting heavier than ever in my strength training classes. I wanted to track my changes with hard numbers.

I learned that I did make progress. But I also had a setback in one major area, teaching me that fitness and fat loss are not as simple as I thought.

I lost muscle, even though I was lifting heavier than ever

As I hoped, I lost weight. I just wasn’t happy with all of it.

The analysis revealed that not all the weight was body fat, which is the only weight I’ve been advised to lose. While my body fat mass did drop since the last time, my skeletal muscle mass slightly decreased, too. Having enough muscle mass is important for healthy aging, such as preventing osteoporosis and injuries.

I was confused. Just days before, I hit my personal records in barbell squats and push presses in my weekly strength classes. How could I be losing muscle if I was the strongest I’d ever been?

The trainer who conducted the analysis told me that lifting super heavy doesn’t necessarily result in bigger muscles. If I want real results, he said, it’s better to go with a less heavy weight (but one that’s still challenging) and do higher reps with fewer rests between sets than to complete just three reps at the heaviest weight I can go and take longer breaks.

He suggested picking a weight that I could do 8-10 reps with for 3-4 sets, but one that I would really struggle to lift on the last two reps. That’s how I can tell that I’m pushing myself — and on the road to building more muscle.

Being more mindful of my diet paid off

I learned from last time that running a few miles at a leisurely pace didn’t help me lose fat as much as I thought.

To eat whatever I want without gaining body fat, I’d have to really exert myself. As of now, running is a highly meditative and relaxing activity I mostly do for my mental and cardiovascular health, and I want to keep it that way.

Instead, I tweaked my diet by trying to eat differently depending on what workout I did that day (if any at all).

On strength training days, I upped my protein intake to at least 50 grams of protein a day with protein powder, nuts, and some sort of high-protein lunch like salmon, cottage cheese-scrambled eggs, or sardines on whole-grain toast. (My trainer said I should aim closer to 100 grams of protein a day to gain muscle, something I physically struggle with because it’s so filling.)

On days when I did light cardio or walked, I simply ate smaller portions, saving the halves of bagels for later or taking more restaurant leftovers home. I also started opting for more salads and smoothies, drinking more water, and cutting down on alcohol.

I didn’t have drastic weight loss results because I knew I needed to start slow. If I suddenly tried to be very strict with myself, I’d abandon everything in a week. I still struggle with always being mindful, particularly when I’m going out for dinner, because we’re having such a great time, and why not order that second cocktail or dessert? But knowing I’m on the right track motivates me enough to handle the final boss: perhaps limiting how many little treats I say yes to in a day.

I’m learning to divorce data from feelings

While I made mostly positive progress, it was still hard to see my body fat percentage.

According to the analysis, my body fat mass hovers over the healthy range (14-31% for women, and 10-25% for men), which can put me at risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure later on if I don’t make changes.

I recently bought a scale — something I never thought I’d do — after I interviewed Christopher Kaufman, a man who lost 50 pounds by tweaking his diet and tracking his progress. At first, he struggled to look at his weight, but eventually he learned to just look at the numbers as neutral data. My colleague also said her relationship with the scale changed once she started weighing herself daily.

Weighing myself has shown me how much my weight fluctuates — and that my efforts are leading to progress. If there’s anything I’ve learned, fat loss and muscle gain aren’t always intuitive, and they certainly aren’t cake walks. I need all the hard numbers I can get, even if they sting for a moment.

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