IS YOUR SCALE HIDING SECRETS?
What if I told you that the weighing scale you step on is not telling you the whole truth about your weight, and in fact, your scale is actually hiding many secrets from you?
Scale weight is not representative of your ideal total body composition, nor is it necessarily an accurate indicator of how healthy, or in shape you really are? Your body composition numbers (body fat – lean mass – total body water) are much more important biomarkers to be aware of and track, than the single number on your scale. That scale number fails to distinguish good versus bad body weight. In other words, scale weight is only a representation of your body’s relationship with gravity.
Let’s take a deeper look at the secrets that body composition measurement unveils:
BODY FAT:
The average body fat percentage in a person is 10-30%. As we know, everyone is different and lifestyle habits, exercise and nutrition can impact these numbers drastically. Muscle (lean mass) has a much greater density than fat, meaning it takes up less volume than an equal mass of fat. A pound of muscle will appear about 5 times smaller than a pound of fat. This explains why it is possible to get visibly slimmer without a significant drop in scale weigh. In addition, not only is body fat less dense than muscle, but body fat also burns less calories at rest than muscle does. In short, you will burn more calories just by having more muscle. More muscle while maintaining a healthy body composition is a key component to sustainable weight management.
If you’re about to start a weight loss program, it is strongly recommended that you get a body composition assessment to baseline and track your body fat and lean mass as you progress forward. Another benefit of doing so, will ensure that the program that you are under, is properly targeted to your specific body rather than using generic recommendations. Body composition measurement will also help you set data-driven attainable goals and subsequently give you the positive and objective reinforcement that you deserve by distinguishing “good weight” gains vs. “bad weight” losses.
DRY LEAN MASS:
Dry lean mass in the body is everything that isn’t body fat. It’s a mixture of skin, bone, body water, and primarily muscle. Once we understand that all of these elements are a part of our total weight, it is easy to understand why a scale that cannot differentiate what is good weight or bad weight becomes largely irrelevant.
Let us explore the concept of “gaining sometimes is the key to losing!” As counter intuitive as this statement may sound, gaining muscle mass which can have us gain “scale weight”, will in fact, help in the process of losing body fat, which should be the primary goal of any weight loss fitness regimen.
The same is true with proper hydration; increasing daily water intake to reach ideal hydration will help losing the unwanted “bad weight” even though overall scale weight may go up at the beginning. Don’t get discouraged when the scale doesn’t change or even when the number goes up at the beginning of your journey, instead get objective reinforcement with periodic body composition retests that will help you discern good weight gains against scale weight gains.
HOW TIME CONSUMING IS IT TO TAKE A BODY COMPOSITION TEST?
HOW SAFE IS IT?
WHERE CAN I GET ONE DONE?
A body composition test is simple, fast and non-invasive and typically cost less than $100. At CERULEAN we use the most accurate medical-grade Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) unit available on the market to perform the test. The test is performed in minutes and will give you personalized data specific to help you baseline and track your progress. Don’t short change your weight loss commitment to yourself, get your body composition assessment, set your goals with confidence and measure outcomes with optimum objectivity.
