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Just like in medicine, where a physician needs the proper tools (think stethoscope, otoscope, reflex hammer, etc.) to aid in his or her profession, we too must arm ourselves with tools that give us the best chance to succeed in leading a healthy lifestyle.
The typical bathroom scale has been the bane of many a dieter. Those three numbers have a dramatic impact on one’s psyche and many a fitness regimen has been stopped prematurely based on those numbers not reflecting progress as quickly as desired.
The problem with the traditional bathroom scale is that it just reflects the TOTAL weight of an individual.
As many of you know, the human body has many components, with the two most relevant in determining the fitness level of an individual being skeletal muscle mass and body fat. For a given volume, skeletal muscle mass weighs more than fat.
As an unhealthy individual begins a proper fitness program, the percentage of fat decreases and the percentage of muscle mass increases.
Because of the differences in mass between these two components, an individual can indeed be losing fat but not see the desired drop in weight due to the increased muscle mass making up the difference.
There are many expensive gold standard methods to determining true body fat:
- DEXA (Dual energy X-ray Absorbtiometry) Scan
- Underwater Weighing (requiring total body submersion)
- Whole Body Plethysmography
Skin fold measurements can also give a reasonable estimation but require another individual accurately performing them.
For those that don’t have the time or budget to try these gold standards, a body composition scale is a reasonable compromise. These devices use bioelectrical impedance to estimate body composition (fat causes greater impedance (resistance) than muscle).
Most of these body fat composition scales have sensors only located in the base.
The body fat composition scale I use daily and recommend has an additional handheld attached component which I believe raises the accuracy level: Omron Body Composition Monitor with Scale – 7 Fitness Indicators
This particular scale also comes with a very handy Body Scale Tracking Chart
As you can see with this chart this scale will allow you to track:
- Weight
- BMI
- Body Fat%
- Skeletal Muscle %
- Resting Metabolism
- This is the baseline amount of calories your body will burn at rest without any physical activity.
- Body Age
- I have no idea what the algorithm they use but it displays a number which estimates an age your body appears to be versus your actual age
- Take this value with a grain of salt as it has often stated I am 10 years older in body age than I am (while my girlfriend repeatedly gets a value often a decade younger than her actual age (which I guess this is the better scenario for me to have).
- I have no idea what the algorithm they use but it displays a number which estimates an age your body appears to be versus your actual age
- Visceral Fat Level
- This gives an estimate of the harmful intra-abdominal fat that surrounds your internal organs and has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, etc.
It is also important to remember that it is not the absolute number of these values that is important (they are not meant to be gold standard accurate as the more expensive methods, but rather a close approximation), but rather the general trend of these numbers that will be important when monitoring your fitness progress.
To your health.
Curious to see what other items are in my doctor’s bag?
Just open the bag and peer inside, you may find something of use.
-Xrayvsn
NOTE: The website XRAYVSN contains affiliate links and thus receives compensation whenever a purchase through these links is made (at no further cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Although these proceeds help keep this site going they do not have any bearing on the reviews of any products I endorse which are from my own honest experiences. Thank you- XRAYVSN
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a body composition scale before. Its almost like you have experience with machines that can look inside the human body…. At any rate, I always think of BMI as being the best indicator of whether or not someone is overweight. However, this device seems to give a much more complete picture. This would certainly help people who are working hard, but not seeing the pounds drop off become less discouraged. Progress is a great motivator and this body composition scale seems to give you a much better way to evaluate your progress. -Ray… Read more »
LOL. Yes I play with a ton of gadgets at work and at home that let me deconstruct the body. BMI is good for sure unless you are at an extreme (like super muscular (I don’t have that problem). For me this particular scale was helpful because early on in trying to get healthy the pounds were not dropping as much as the effort I was putting in. And the body age that it displays is a novelty but was a big hit when I brought it into work when they did a Biggest Loser competition.
I lost a lot of weight last year. While I’m not thin I do feel much better, look better, and have a lot more muscle and less fat. Your article is a good reminder that just because a scale isn’t moving doesn’t mean you aren’t making progress.
Thanks Kayla for stopping by! Congratulations on the weight loss. It is amazing how even a few simple pounds shed can change everything from physical appearance and more importantly emotional changes such as increased confidence. So again kudos for your transformation and keep up the good work.
I’m in the BMI is bunk group. I’m at a half inch by height, so if I round down I’m overweight but if I round up I’m not. That’s just silly. Especially because I have more muscle now than I did 10 years ago. Also BMI was calculated for males in the 1830s. I prefer different methods of evaluation that are more realistic and supported by current medical & physical science.
Great points for sure. I think BMI can be quite inaccurate at the extremes, especially if you are in the bodybuilding/highly muscular group. What methods do you currently use/prefer?