Do you think that you need to lose weight?
Have you jumped on the scales and been shocked by what is looking back at you despite exercising regularity and feeling really good in yourself?
If this is the case for you, I would like to suggest that you focus on body composition rather than your weight on the scale.
What Is Body Composition?
When you jump on your everyday weighing scales, what you will generally see is your total body weight. Occasionally you will have more comprehensive scales that will also tell you your total fat mass as a percentage, but rarely will you be given your total muscle mass and never will you receive a bone mass figure. Your body is composed of different types of tissue that have different effects on your overall health, so it is good to see yourself as more than just your total weight on the scale, because your total weight is not the whole picture.
Why Is Body Composition Important?
As I have mentioned in previous posts, as we age, we are prone to losses in muscle mass and bone mass and increases in fat mass (visceral & subcutaneous). Your weight on the scale may be the same, but what your body is made up of is changing. As much as we can't stop the natural ageing process, there are many things that we can do to slow down the loss of bone mass and muscle mass and reduce the likelihood of gaining additional body fat.
Best Way To Measure Body Composition.
Periodically, I believe it is beneficial to take a closer look at your body composition using high tech equipment like an InBody Scan (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)) or a DEXA (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) Body Composition Scan. A DEXA Body Composition Scan is considered the gold standard in body composition analysis for those wanting a more precise measurement, but BIA scans like the InBody Scan is sufficient for what most people need when it comes to analysing their total fat mass, total muscle mass and total lean mass. My suggestion is to stick with the same method across a period of time so that you can see consistent and comparable changes. On a side note, if you are interested in accurately measuring your bone mass (density), this should be performed in conjunction with your medical practitioner who will take a full medical history and ensure you have the right type of scan and advice for this concern.
I hope you have found this information useful. If you have any questions, send me a message.
Mel x
#weightloss #bodycomposition #musclemass #fatfreemass #bonedensity #healthyweight #inbodyscan #DEXA #growstrong #strongwomen #stronglikeawoman
Hi, my name is Melanie Briony and I am a fitness and lifestyle coach with over 10 years experience in the fitness and wellness field. As I reached my late 40's, I began to notice how women my age and older were missing from the conversation when it came to their fitness needs. I was also noticing changes in my own body that I couldn't find answers to which was really frustrating considering all the study I have undertaken over the last decade. Learning about menopause has been really enlightening, how did I not know this about my own body? That is why I am making it my business to bring this information to you from the best research available. Have any questions? Send me a message. Just because you are getting 'older' doesn't mean you have to give up trying. Getting older is inevitable, how you age is 100% your choice. This is the time in your life to really get to know who you are, what you want and how you are going to achieve it. These are the best years of your life, don't waste another minute.
