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Muscle
vs. Fat: Measure What Matters
Understandably, many of us measure our weight with a scale.
Insurance companies and health professionals have used height
versus weight scales (body mass indicators, or BMIs) for
years to determine overall health. However, these indicators
are not always informative of an individual's overall health
because they fail to determine whether a person is muscled
or fat. In fact, BMI
calculators will inappropriately rate 1 out of 4 as
unhealthy.
Start concentrating on your body, not your weight. While
on a fad diet, most of the weight loss comes from water
and lean body mass loss. An exercise or weight program might
be accompanied by a slight weight gain. If you are working
hard to get fit and see a weight gain, you might think that
your work is in vain, but the truth is, you may be adding
calorie-burning muscle!
When determining your overall health or fitness regimen,
it's important to consider your appropriate percentage of
body fat to muscle mass ratio before establishing a target
weight. Someone weighing 200 pounds with a body fat
percentage of 25 is carrying around 50 pounds of extra fat.
That same person weighing 200 pounds with 10 percent body
fat would be carrying only 20 pounds of fat. This is significant
in terms of health. Not only would reduced fat levels impact
this person's energy levels, mobility and joint stress,
but the more favorable ratio of body fat to muscle mass
will also increase baso-metabolic rate (BMR)
which will allow for a greater number of calories to be
burned at rest.
Body fat percentage
Measuring your body fat percentage is a better indicator
of health and fitness. It measures exactly what it says,
body fat! Measuring body fat will help determine the composition
of your weight loss – the goal is to maximize fat loss
and minimize lean muscle loss. By having your body
composition measured by a qualified professional, you
can better establish goals which are truthful to your overall
health.
Skinfold
measurement is the most common technique used which
usually includes taking measurements at 3 sites on the body.
For women, the sites are the back of the arm, the abdomen
(side of waist) and the thigh. A caliper is used to lightly
pinch the skin and underlying fat. From these measurements,
the amount of fat and lean body mass can be estimated. This
quick and simple method of estimating body fat requires
a high level of skill to get accurate results. Skinfold
measurement is not 100% accurate, but having a skilled technician
will help produce more accurate results. Your body fat measurement
results should be used as a guide to help determine what
steps to take in your health and fitness program.
General Body Fat Percentage Categories
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Classification
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Women (% fat)
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Men (% fat)
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Essential Fat
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10-12%
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2-4%
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Athletes
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14-20%
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6-13%
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Fitness
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21-24%
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14-17%
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Acceptable
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25-31%
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18-25%
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Obese
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32% plus
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25% plus
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By determining your percentage of body fat in proportion
to lean muscle mass, you will have a clearer understanding
of what you need to do to be fit and healthy. Don't be afraid
of the mirror, as it can be a better indicator of your weight
than any scale. Most of all, don't get caught in the weight
trap, use it only as a guide in your quest towards better
health.
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