Weight Alone Can Be Deceiving
Weight and finess goals are usually achieved through small changes in physical activity and nutrition over a period of time. Trying to lose weight without the right fitness or nutrition can negatively change your body composition by increasing your body fat and increasing risk to diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. By focusing your plan to improve body composition rather than focusing on weight, the results will be long term health, improved muscle mass, changes in the way clothes fit and increased stimina and energy or total fitness level.

Why Use Body Composition?
Body composition can assist evaluating your risk to disease and a key to your internal health. Athletes use body composition to help fine tune their performance. During weight loss, body composition can show how dieting is affecting your internal fat composition, muscle mass, and resultant metabolism.

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?
Basal metabolic weight (BMI) is a weight to height ratio. This is a crude method to determine obesity. The National Institute of Health and the World Health Organization have determined that a healthy BMI is between 18.6 and 24.9. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 indicates overweight. A BMI above 30 is considered as obese. BMI is NOT a reliable tool for many individuals. It does not consider if a person has weight due to muscle or fat and is primarily a screening tool for health.

What is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?
BMR measures the energy (or calories) used or burned by the body at rest. Metabolism may increase with normal daily activity and exercise. Metabolism may also increase when a person has more muscle. Strict diet will decrease metabolism. Knowing your BMR can help you know how many calories you need. Improved muscle mass and fitness can help improve BMR as part of a weight management program.

Why is Fat Free Mass Important?
Fat free mass is your weight without all your body fat. It includes the weight of your bones, muscle, and water. A high amount of fat free mass will help keep you strong, support your bone health, and help improve your metabolism (or BMR).

Please contact Bodyfuel, Inc. for a personalized body composition evalution via email or by calling 913-648-2568.