My gym had an event with a company that brings a "Bod Pod" out to do body composition analysis and tell you how many calories you can eat and still lose weight based on your metabolic rate. The guy was professional but the whole thing was just weird - it was a trailer on the back of a pickup, and you go in the trailer with some guy you don't know, strip to your undies, and climb in a giant egg.

Anyway, I'm wondering about the implications. I'm woefully unfit right now - it seems like unless there's some sort of medical incident that prevents me from moving for an extended period, my muscle mass should only go UP with time.

Right now, I have a fat mass of 160 pounds (gulp!) and a fat free mass (muscle, Water, bone, organs) of 138 pounds. Does this mean, unless I lose an unhealthy amount of muscle mass, that it's unrealistic for me to ever get below 138 (or even higher, since we need some fat mass)? Or am I overcomplicating the whole thing and is it just a matter of percentages?

I recently went thru my required bod pod test at my surgeon's office and it was simuliar to yours. I had a fat free mass of 158. The way it was explained to me by the nutritionist is that "it would be impossible for you (me) to be under 160 pounds at the end of this journey." If that helps at all....

Yes! That's exactly the information I was hoping to find out. I've never been thin - I was a 120 pound first grader - so setting a goal has been the hardest part. This helps a lot.

Thanks!