+ 3 DEXA scan says I’m 17.8% bf
I lost about 90 lbs. been stuck at around 230 for a few months but could tell I was recomping. My measurements were shrinking and my muscles getting bigger. Over the last few weeks I finally started losing some pounds.
My last DEXA in September I was 233 lbs, supposedly 22.6% bf. This week I was 223 lbs, supposedly 17.8%. I’d put on about 3.5 lbs of muscle and lost 13.5 lb of fat since September. What’s interesting is that my visceral fat is unchanged. My diet is pretty shitty at the moment but I’ve been so active I’ve been able to be in a deficit. I’m also on Hgh which is helping with the recomp.
The Navy BF calculator says I’m 23%. I think it’s a bit skewed though, I seem to keep a lot of my weight in my stomach and hips. Plus a good bit of loose skin from the weight loss. But I also don’t think I’m as low as 18%.
I have noticed that my abs are now sometimes visible depending on the lighting and if I’ve eaten or not, but I still have a gut under it which I think is due to the visceral fat
- Bookmark
- 3
- 0
hollyjealman huge congrats on that 90lb drop, that is absolutely massive work. honestly dont get too hung up on the navy calculator vs the dexa because they both have their flaws—especially with loose skin in the mix it totally throws the measurements off. if you are seeing abs peek through in the light but still feel like you have a "gut" underneath it could definitely be that stubborn visceral fat but keep in mind gh can sometimes cause some temporary midsection bloat too.
the fact that you put on muscle while dropping weight since september is the dream scenario man. visceral fat is usually the last thing to move so just stay patient with it. even if your diet is a bit messy right now being that active is clearly doing the heavy lifting for you. once you tighten up the food a bit more that belly will eventually have no choice but to flatten out. just keep doing what you're doing because those numbers are moving in the perfect direction. keep grinding brother!
Good job, that is some strong work. Just remember this takes time and is a long game (best way to do it for health).
Just keep doing what you are doing and the results will show.
I had a DEXA scan recently. Take a photo of the results. Open Gemini AI, upload the photo to the AI and ask it to create a summary report pointing out the good, bad, and ugly and to create an action plan. That report alone is worth the money you spent on the DEXA scan.
You're skinny fat.
Soluble fiber like that found in psyllium husk turns into a thick gel when it mixes with water in your gut.
Short-term clinical trials (usually 6 to 12 weeks) show that high doses of psyllium husk (around 10–15g) trigger specific biological changes that attack visceral fat:
Insulin Sensitivity: Visceral fat is highly "metabolically active" and sensitive to insulin. Within 6 weeks, soluble fiber helps stabilize blood sugar, which lowers insulin levels. When insulin is low, your body is biologically "unlocked" to start burning visceral fat for energy.
The "Android" Shift: A 6-week study on psyllium supplementation showed a significant reduction in the android-to-gynoid fat ratio. "Android" fat is specifically the fat stored in the trunk and upper body (visceral area), meaning the body began shifting its fat distribution away from the belly in just a month and a half.
The best psyllium husk I found is the Now brand Psyllium Husk POWDER (on Amazon) make sure it's the powder. I use a rounded tablespoon in my shakes twice a day. You need to chug it down before it becomes a gelatinous glob. Make sure you drink about 4 liters of water everyday.
On the Visceral Fat Index I dropped from 11 down to 6 over four months.
A visceral fat rating scale rating between 1 to 12 is healthy. A rating of 13 to 59 is excessive.
If you clean your diet up throw in some cardio and that should help out a lot there's a lot of guys on here that can help you out with meal prep tips
Good job so far keep it up buddy
First off, congrats on the massive recomp. The progress is obvious.
Tape, calipers, even DEXA all have margins of error. None of them are perfect, and once you’re truly below 12% they get pretty unreliable anyway.
What works better is being honest with the mirror. Look at reference photos and ask if you’re closer to 18-22% 15-18% or more like 11-15%. That range matters more than chasing a specific number.
What helped me most was consistency. Same measurements, same day every week, written down over time. The trend tells the real story, not one snapshot.
Body fat is individual. Two guys can sit at the same percentage and look completely different.
My opinion- you look like middle-high teens. Right in line with the dexa. The v-line is barely showing, ab muscle definition is just peaking through. Great job! Dropping at least another 5% bf before a bulk would be my recommendation.
I miss having a thicc head of hair so bad...
Congrats on the weight loss buddy. Time to put some muscles on.
According to DEXA I put on 13 lbs since April
I haven’t dexa scanned, ever. Need run it.
I’m definitely vascular in my quads and arms. I still hold fat in my lower abdomen too. It’s super annoying too.
Looking good though, bro ! Congrats on the fat loss and muscle gain
Congratulations on the huge weight loss accomplishment and recomposition. Huge wins!
Try feeding your dexa scan to AIs for deeper dives. I ran my training logs and dexa scan against a few of them this week and received some interesting insight. Here is an example when I had asked Claude code to do a deeper dive on my dexa and it relates to your question:
"Trunk Fat Distribution Pattern
The Data:
• Arms: 12.5% fat (leanest)
• Legs: 15.4% fat
• Trunk: 16.7% fat (highest)
• Android: 16.1% fat
• Gynoid: 17.5% fat
What This Means: This is a completely normal male pattern, BUT it tells us:
Your trunk stores fat preferentially. This means:
• First place you gain fat = trunk/midsection
• Last place you lose fat = trunk/midsection
• To see abs clearly, you may need to get leaner than someone with different fat distribution
Why this matters for your cut:
You're at 15.8% overall but trunk is 16.7%
At 12-13% overall, your trunk might still be ~13-14%
You may need to hit 11-12% overall to see really crisp abs
This isn't a health concern - it's just your genetic fat storage pattern. Some guys see abs at 15%, you might need 11-12%. Just sets realistic expectations.
No action needed - just awareness for goal-setting."
My forearms and calves are super vascular when i work out. I think 25 is too high. I literally can see my abs when I flex. Also I’m on 6mg of Reta already
I applaude the lost weight. 90 is huge. Ive been there. I was 300 at one time myself. Imo, l think you gotta be 180s for the bf goals you want. Im rather vasclar with no pump and im lucky if im 15. And yes l have some abs. Keep showing up. It just takes time. Hgh will speed up goals if not on it already also.
I have not used it but I have been told that Tesamorelin will get rid of visceral fat.
Man honestly the number doesn't matter, it looks different on everybody. Just focus on how you look in the mirror.