Help!! Too low body fat percentage

[LindsayT 596]

I'm almost a year and a half since my RNY (November). I've lost about 135 give or take (I bounce between 125-130lbs). I haven't lost any fat free body mass since month 3, and have actually gained 5lbs of fat free mass since May. At my 1 year, in May, my body composition said I was at 18.1% body fat which is on the low end of "lean" I did another one last week because I was feeling off (tired, muscle cramps, brittle nails, headaches) My body fat percentage was at 12.3% which translated into roughly 16 pounds of my overall weight (130 at the time of the test) being fat. Anything under 15% is "at risk". I eat, what seems like all day long, I get my calories, Protein, healthy fats, Fiber. I take all my supplements. All my blood work I've had this year for random things and specifically for post surgery, has been normal. Nothing, other than feeling off, pointed to this. I do have an appointment with nutrition and my bariatric team this week. But wanted to see if anyone has gone through this, heard of this... Anything? My initial thought is how my body is absorbing nutrients, but again, my labs have been normal.

[ms.sss 15,713]

first, you dont mention that you are having any ill effects, but to be on the safe side, and to alleviate any angst, i'd suggest going to see ur doc.

second, are you getting these measurements from a DEXA scan (the one where you lie down and they pass an xray type machine around you); or a bioelectrical impedance device (like those that u stand on or hold onto) or skin calipers? (the first is the most reliable & accurate , the latter two, not so much)

third: my yearly DEXA scans never matched my at home body fat measurement scale on the same day. a couple times my at home showed more, but the other 4 times showed less ON THE SAME DAY....so i always take the results from at home with a grain of salt (many times over the years, it reported that i was less than 5%...and thats just not true...ever! lol)

fourth: my last DEXA scan last year was around 18-20%, if i recall correctly , and my doc was not concerned...i felt fine so i wasn't concerned either.

[LindsayT 596]

34 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

first, you dont mention that you are having any ill effects, but to be on the safe side, and to alleviate any angst, i'd suggest going to see ur doc.

second, are you getting these measurements from a DEXA scan (the one where you lie down and they pass an xray type machine around you); or a bioelectrical impedance device (like those that u stand on or hold onto) or skin calipers? (the first is the most reliable & accurate , the latter two, not so much)

third: my yearly DEXA scans never matched my at home body fat measurement scale on the same day. a couple times my at home showed more, but the other 4 times showed less ON THE SAME DAY....so i always take the results from at home with a grain of salt (many times over the years, it reported that i was less than 5%...and thats just not true...ever! lol)

fourth: my last DEXA scan last year was around 18-20%, if i recall correctly , and my doc was not concerned...i felt fine so i wasn't concerned either.

I have an appointment already this week. My body composition is done via bodpod at my bariatric clinic. So the accuracy is pretty spot on. At 12%, it's very concerning.

[SpartanMaker 882]

I don't know if this is your issue or not, but one thing I've seen from others in a similar situation is that they still eat like fat people trying to diet. If that's you, you need to completely change your mindset. Your job at this point is to GAIN weight, so dietary fat and carbs are your friends. A key change would be to look for and eat more calorie dense foods like rice, potatoes, Peanut Butter, full fat dairy, etc. If you eat meat, look for fatty meat, not lean cuts. Calories are your friends right now.

Just my .02.

Edited September 23, 2024 by SpartanMaker

[LindsayT 596]

2 minutes ago, SpartanMaker said:

I don't know if this is your issue or not, but one thing I've seen from others in a similar situation is that they still eat like fat people trying to diet. If that's you, you need to completely change your mindset. Your job at this point is to GAIN weight, so dietary fat and carbs are your friends. A key change would be to look for and eat more calorie dense foods like rice, potatoes, Peanut Butter, full fat dairy, etc. If you eat meat, look for fatty meat, not lean cuts. Calories are your friends right now.

Just my .02.

I do. That's the problem. I do need to be careful with fatty meats because they make me nauseous. And carbs fill me up too quick so I end up eating that meal in rounds. I literally just got done eating a biscuit with butter and honey. Part of my Breakfast is about 14oz of full fat fairlife milk with my morning supplements and then oatmeal after or a half a bagel with Peanut Butter. I promise, I eat...a lot.

[SpartanMaker 882]

Have you tried smoothies? I find even with my restriction, I can down 500-600 calories in smoothie form, vs maybe 300-400 cals of most other things before I'm full.

You can load it up with fruit, Peanut Butter, Protein Powder, etc. to suit your tastes.

[SpartanMaker 882]

16 hours ago, LindsayT said:

I do. That's the problem. I do need to be careful with fatty meats because they make me nauseous. And carbs fill me up too quick so I end up eating that meal in rounds. I literally just got done eating a biscuit with butter and honey. Part of my Breakfast is about 14oz of full fat fairlife milk with my morning supplements and then oatmeal after or a half a bagel with Peanut Butter. I promise, I eat...a lot.

Are you logging your food? If you end up working with a dietitian, I can almost guarantee they are going to ask you to do so. You might as well start ASAP so they have something to work with. Specific amounts matter, so be sure to weight and measure everything. The reality is we just aren't good at determining how many calories we actually eat. Most people underestimate calories, but overestimating isn't unheard of either.

You mention a couple of times that you're eating a lot. What you need to understand is that the amount of calories you are currently eating just IS NOT ENOUGH for you. You need to be consuming eating even more calories and logging your current intake will often be the first step. Once a baseline is established, a dietitian can help you find ways to increase your caloric intake to where it needs to be, even if you feel like you can't physically fit any more food in.

[Lilia_90 516]

Sorry to ask this,

have your periods been regular?

[LindsayT 596]

2 hours ago, Lilia_90 said:

Sorry to ask this,

have your periods been regular?

No worries.i haven't had a period since 2018, so I can't use that as a guide. I've been to nutrition and my bariatric team. Nutrition gave me calorie and macro goals and I'll repeat a body composition the end of October. What's funny is I haven't changed how I eat, just tracking, and I've meet or exceeded the goals given. They also did blood work and everything checks out fine. At this point, the only thing I can think of are the times my activity level has been higher. However, I compensate for that by eating more calories. I'm very in tune with my body and adjust my eating as needed. I guess the key factor is calorie input/output. Also, my bariatric team seems to think the body composition was inaccurate. We'll see what the end of October brings.

[NickelChip 1,310]

My first thought was that the body composition measurement wasn't accurate. You're maintaining a steady weight, so it would seem odd that just your fat would drop but your overall weight would stay the same. If all your labs look good, I would see about getting remeasured. For the other symptoms you were having, though, it wouldn't hurt to take a look at what you're eating and make sure you are getting plenty of fruit and veg, and increasing your healthy fats if you can.

[Lilia_90 516]

29 minutes ago, NickelChip said:

My first thought was that the body composition measurement wasn't accurate.

I second that. I am at a lower BMI and hover between 18-19% body fat. I would say that 12% is quite far fetched. I suggest you see another clinic/doctor to determine your body fat percentage.

[ms.sss 15,713]

for funsies, here are a couple of pics that i googled what body fat % typically looks like on women (these pics show big diffs as to what 12% looks like, but i'd go with the less "ripped" one (the 1st slide) for realism purposes, ha.

my last scan indicated i was at 18-20%. in real life i look pretty much between the 15-20% pics in the first slide, but more like the 20-22% pic in the second slide (if not just a little bit fatter actually...)

so if you look like any of the first pics of either slide, your scan was probably right.

[LindsayT 596]

36 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

for funsies, here are a couple of pics that i googled what body fat % typically looks like on women (these pics show big diffs as to what 12% looks like, but i'd go with the less "ripped" one (the 1st slide) for realism purposes, ha.

my last scan indicated i was at 18-20%. in real life i look pretty much between the 15-20% pics in the first slide, but more like the 20-22% pic in the second slide (if not just a little bit fatter actually...)

so if you look like any of the first pics of either slide, your scan was probably right.