Want to Measure More than Just your Weight? Try out the BeestBlu Smart Scale

You know scales and I are not good friends. Mostly because it does not tell you the whole story. Of course, if you factor in your age, sex, height, and muscle mass, the number on the scale could mean less or more. Because of this, I tend to stay away from scales and focus on body fat percentage and BMI.

But why? Why do I care about these things? Well, your body fat and your BMI are a much better indication of whether you are healthy or not, whether you will look more 'cut' or have some more flab, and whether you are eating right as well. 

Keeping Your Fitness Resolutions?

Excerpt from "11 Things You Must Know if You Made a New Year's Resolution to Get Fit" on Huffington Post

Did you proclaim 2014 your year to get fit? Here are a few things you should absolutely know if you are going to really make that resolution stick.

What’s All This Hoopla About the Scale?

As a person in fitness, I hear this at least 10 times a week: “I need to lose XXX kilos or pounds by XXX month. The scale has become the universal obesity measure.

I agree that if a person weighs 300 pounds, there is probably an indication that he/she needs to shed some of those pounds. And of course, if a full grown adult weighs 90 pounds, that’s probably a problem too. However, the weight you see on the scale is affected by so many different factors, including your height, your bone density, your muscular structure, etc. And because every single body is different, how do you use this number to tell you all it needs to?

In this fitness journey, it is important to take several things into consideration rather than just focus on the scale and compare it with what Eva Longoria says she weighs today.

Body Mass Index

You may have heard of the BMI calculator. This is a fairly reliable estimate that takes your weight and height into account to help determine if you are overweight or underweight. The BMI formula has been disputed as being reliable because it is not completely accurate and does not take other factors like muscular structure or activity level into account. But at least it is a great start to help you identify if you may be at risk for some diseases.

Want to find out your BMI? Just input your height and weight into the BMI calculator below. If it is under 18.5, you may be qualified as underweight. If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, you are considered to be of normal range. If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you may be considered overweight. And if your BMI is over 30, you may be considered obese. For folks with BMIs not in the normal range, please see a doctor for confirmation and advice.

Bariatric Surgery Source - Research on Obesity & Weight Loss Surgery

Body Fat

Men and women store fat differently. Women tend to store fat in their hips, thighs, and triceps first, while men store fat in their abdomens first. Because your bones and muscles take up different percentages of your body than the next individual, the major reliable way to tell the difference between two people is by figuring out how much of their weight is actually fat. Of course, you want to have more muscle than fat because besides making you warmer in the winter, too much fat really puts you at risk for some diseases.

How is body fat calculated? Well, here is the problem. It is not as easy as buying a scale (which is probably why most people turn to the scale for guidance). You have to use calipers, infrared, or underwater weighing to give you a fairly accurate reading. Which means you would probably need someone else – a personal trainer, doctor, or other healthcare professional – to do it.

Once you get your reading, you can put yourself in a range. Healthy body fat range is 8 – 22% for males and 20 – 35% for females. Anything above that is considered obese.

Waist circumference

Your waist circumference may not tell you enough because it usually depends on your overall body width. And if you are already overweight when you calculate your BMI, this just confirms that you need to take action. However, if you are of normal range when you calculate your BMI, the waist circumference calculation simply helps confirm if you are within ‘safe’ range (i.e. not incredibly at risk for certain diseases). Again, BMI does not tell us much because it relies just on the scale and your height, so if you are unable to get your body fat ratio, the waist circumference may be a good way to go in addition to the BMI.

What waist circumference is considered a risky range? If a man has a waist circumference greater than 40 inches, and if a woman has a waist circumference greater than 35 inches, this is considered high risk.

Lean Body Mass

LBM is also calculated from your body fat ratio, so you’d need that number before you can get this one. From the name, you can tell what it is really. It’s basically the inverse of body fat. If 20% of your body is fat, then the remaining 80% is what is considered LBM. It is calculated by multiplying your body fat ratio by your weight, and then subtracting that from your weight.

LBM = Weight (lbs or kg) – [Weight * Percentage of body fat]

Why do we need the LBM at all? When you are determining how much you want to drop, you should be using your body fat ratio if you can. The LBM just helps you keep track of how much muscle you are building as opposed to fat. When you work out intensely (both cardio and strength training), and your muscles develop, you may not see the number on the scale drop like you would expect. So it is important to note that the scale does not always drop when you burn fat.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: 101exercises.com

Can't Get the Scale to Budge Anymore?

I always say that the body is like a machine; if you take it to get checked up regularly, keep it oiled, and perform your daily maintenance activities, it would run smoothly. If you don't well... it could catch up to you later on.

However, unfortunately, sometimes, the body gets used to the same routine. i.e. standard meals, standard calorie count, and the same exercise routine. So if you have been consistently working out and losing weight for a while, you may realize you have gotten to a point where the scale would no longer move. This is actually more common than you'd realize.

The good news is that you've noted the problem and can work to fix it. It may seem counter-intuitive sometimes (If you're exercising and eating right, it should be all good, no?), but here are a few steps you can take to get your body back into that fat-zapping state.

Switch up your diet: It doesn't matter whether your whole diet consists of protein shakes or veggies; your body gets used to what you put in it. It basically gets into a fuel-and-burn routine where your carbs come from the same food, your protein comes from the same food, and all your other nutrients come from the same food. To give your metabolism a kick, it is important to change your diet. You still want to keep your calories low, but change what foods your nutrients come from. Also, if you work out a lot, you need to make sure you are getting enough carbs to work out, and enough protein to rebuild muscle.

Change your calorie count: The number of calories you need is relative to your body weight, sex, and activity level. Take a look at this article for more details on the math behind your weight loss goals. Now, if you lose weight, that also means your body needs less calories and so you need to reconfigure your diet to fit your new weight. Sometimes though, you may also need to rev up your metabolism by upping your calorie intake just a little for about 2 or 3 days and then adjusting it back to what you need for your weight loss regimen.

Try new exercises: There is a term called muscle memory, where your muscles work similar to your brain. When you establish a habit, your brain automatically remembers to do it without much effort. Your muscles are similar. When you are used to doing an activity, your muscles require less effort to do the same activity. This means you may be using less energy and burning fewer calories. So mix up your routine to keep your calorie burn up.

Break up your exercise routine: After exercise, your body continues to be in fat-burn mode for a while. If you are used to exercising at one point in the day, you may be losing the chance to get your metabolism revved up during other points in the day. If you break up your routine (e.g. half of it in the morning and half in the evening), that could help burn more because your body would be in fat-burn mode during other points of the day as well.

Strength train: Sometimes, when people are trying to lose weight, they may focus just on cardio exercises. This isn't completely wrong because cardio exercises burn fat. However, building lean muscle also helps the body stay in a state where more fat is burned. And so it is important to get your body toned up so it can keep burning calories even during rest.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Fitbie.msn.com