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How to Evaluate Your Body Composition by: Phil Goglia What Does It Mean to Be Lean? How to Evaluate Your Body Composition Many people believe that scale weight is the primary determinant of whether or not they are fit. That belief has resisted not only the test of time but a lot of the true scientific research behind weight loss and weight management. The reason for this is that many high-profile health professionals continue to use scale weight as the measure of successful dieting and health instead of the true gold standard of weight loss: body composition. Whether your ultimate goal is to lose weight, improve your general health, or to simply have a more toned and attractive body, you need to understand that your primary focus should be on body composition'”your ratio of fat to lean tissue'”rather than just on how much you weigh. This article offers a definition of good body composition and gives guidelines on how to evaluate your own body makeup'”professionally or at home. What Comprises a Lean Body? It is a myth that low scale weight automatically means lean. The world of dieters is filled with what I refer to as 'skinny fat people,'¯ those who have managed to reduce their scale weight considerably through calorically-deprived weight loss programs but at the sacrifice of lean muscle. The body requires a basic amount of calories every day to repair and maintain lean tissue and to keep one's metabolism efficient at burning fat. When a person is eating the correct type and amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrate daily to support their metabolism, they will drop body fat and build and maintain a healthy percentage of lean muscle, even if they are overweight to begin with. When a person is eating too few calories to repair lean tissue and support metabolic function, the body will have to get its energy sources from somewhere'”it will literally cannibalize its own muscle tissue to feed and repair itself. A person will lose scale weight on this type of diet, but it will be the wrong kind of weight. So, instead of being firm and svelte, these individuals will look flabby and gaunt. The correct definition of having a lean body is how much you weigh per square inch. A pound of fat is three times the volume of a pound of lean tissue. Muscle tissue is very dense and compact. So, you could literally lose five pounds of body fat and gain five pounds of lean tissue and have a much leaner and tighter body with no scale weight differential at all! Below is a chart defining healthy and unhealthy levels of body fat. BODY FAT PERCENTAGE LEVEL MEN WOMEN Athletic, very lean 10.0 or lower 15.0 or lower Good/lean 10.1 to 15.0 15.1 to 18.0 Average 15.1 to 20 18.1 to 22.0 Fair/Fat 20.1 to 24.0 22.1 to 27.0 Obese Above 24.0 Above 27.0 How to Have Your Body Composition Evaluated If you do not want to go to the expense of having your body composition tested by a professional, there is a simple at-home test that you can perform that is reasonably accurate. There are both female and male versions of this test. At-home Body Composition Test for Females Multiply your hips (inches) _____ X 1.4 = _____ minus 1 = ______ (A) Multiply your waist (inches) ____ X 0.72 = ____ minus 2 = ______ (B) Add A plus B = ________ (C) Multiply your height (inches) ______ X 0.61 = _______ (D) Subtract D from C, then subtract 10 more: C '“ D '“ 10 = _______% Your answer will be your approximate body fat percentage, if you are a female. At-Home Body-Fat Test for Males Multiply your hips (inches)____ X 1.4 = ____ minus 2 = ____ (A) Multiply your waist (inches) ____ X 0.72 = ____ minus 4 = ____ (B) Add A plus B = ____ (C) Multiply your height (inches)____ X 0.61 = ____ (D) Subtract D from C, then subtract 10 more: C '“ D '“ 10 = _____ percent This is your approximate body fat if you are a male. If you wish to calculate how many pounds of fat and how many pounds of lean body weight you carry, use the following two formulas: Total weight (lbs.) ____ X percent body fat ____ = ____ total pounds of fat Total weight ____ minus total pounds of fat ____ = ____ total pounds of lean weight Knowing how many pounds of body fat versus lean muscle you have can be a great motivator to make a body composition change. Getting Your Body Composition Evaluated by a Professional If you prefer to have a body composition test conducted by a trained technician, other options, in order of price and accuracy, include hydrostatic weighing, bioelectrical impedance, and skinfold measurement with a caliper. Although it is the most expensive test, costing between $100 and $'150
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