Body comp scan humbled my bathroom scale

2026-10-07 16:46

I got a DEXA scan last week instead of guessing from my bathroom scale. Background: roughly 14 months on a GLP-1, down 41 lbs on the scale, lifting twice a week and walking after lunch.

The scan put me at 34.8% body fat, with fat mass down 29 lbs and lean mass down 6 lbs compared with a scan from 10 months ago. I'm not panicking, but it does make me side-eye the idea that every lost pound is pure fat.

It also showed a meaningful visceral fat drop, which is the part I care about most. Now I'm trying to separate signal from noise: hydration, food, training, scan timing.

For anyone who repeats DEXA scans, do you standardize the day/time and pre-scan routine, or just watch the broad trend? Did RMR or VO2 testing add anything useful, or was it overkill?

2026-10-19 11:38

The lean mass drop is the part that made me start treating protein like a priority. I aim for 30g at breakfast now—Greek yogurt with a scoop of collagen—and it’s the only thing that kept my arms from feeling softer.

Did you change your lifting split or just keep twice a week? Also, hydration on scan day can swing lean numbers a bit, so don’t over-read one result.

I started tracking waist and hip measurements monthly instead of stepping on the scale daily.

2026-10-20 00:45

The lean number is the one I’d track next. My DEXA looked similar after a big loss; I was lifting but my between-kid meals were basically coffee and crusts.

I started a snack-drawer rule: two grab-and-go proteins (turkey roll-ups, Greek yogurt cups) + one crunchy thing, prepped Sunday. Not perfect, but my next scan held lean better.

Were both scans on the same machine? Mine varied a bit when I switched clinics, so I now compare trends over 6+ months, not one scan.