Losing Weight without a Plan–Not Such a Good Idea

Working with numbers has never been a favorite thing of mine. Maribel is the one who does all of the accounting and keeps our banking in order. I’m a royal mess when it comes to those things. I say this because measuring is not something I do naturally. Yet, when it comes to my health, I’ve realized that numbers are often useful, not when they become the end of all of a target, but when they help tell a more detailed story of where I am and where I want to be.

In a prior post I wrote about the apprehension many have to go on the scale. Often this number becomes a tyrant of sorts leading many to drop weight by reducing calories and exercising inordinately. The immediate results for such efforts is often an initial and sometimes dramatic loss of weight. The problem arises, however, when the person stops the extreme actions, and the weight not only returns, but does so with the demoralizing presence of more added pounds than before the diet.

Maintaining a healthy weight is a struggle for many. I wish there were an easy way to deal with this problem. The reality is that there is no one way to go about it. It’s a complex issue that is not just a mathematical problem to be solved. Ultimately, each person needs to figure out what works, not just in the short term but more importantly, in a way that is lasting and satisfying.

There are things that can help how to do this. Since we focused on the scale on the last post, I want to bring to your attention another marker or number that is an even better way that can help determine the path forward. This number is often ignored or overlooked by many medical professionals. Knowing and understanding this number may help open a door for you toward greater health.

I’m referring to your body mass composition number which provides you with an estimate of how much fat, lean muscle mass, and skeletal structure you carry. I’m not referring to BMI which is basically your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared. BMI is not useful in determining how much muscle and fat you carry. In fact, you can have an ideal BMI and be muscle deprived, a phenomenon popularly known as skinny fat.

This distinction is important. BMI is only a crude indicator of health. Body mass composition provides a better picture to determine ideal weight, diet, and exercise. Again, the scale and BMI are useful but only in a very limited way.

At the end of the post I’ll let you know how you can find this number.

Consequences of Not Having Enough Lean Muscle Mass

Ignoring body mass composition is not a good idea as it is a key factor in long term health and longevity. Here are some things to consider:

  1. Muscle is a bank account of sorts for amino acids that keep the skin, brain, heart and liver healthy. When facing critical illnesses such as cancer, the body relies heavily on amino acids stored in the muscles to help the body heal.
  2. The muscle mass you have prior to an acute illness or injury is a determining factor in recovery. The less muscle mass you have at the start of an illness or injury, the longer the recovery.
  3. If we don’t do any form of weight or resistance training, we lose up to 50% of our muscle mass between the age of 35 and 90, leading to sarcopenia or the progressive loss of lean muscle mass tied to frailty as we age and the inability to maintain balance, complete basic tasks such as taking groceries from the car to the pantry, playing with a grandchild on the floor, or enjoying the goodness of love making.

If you are under 30, all of these are good reasons to work now on improving or increasing muscle mass. If you are older than 30, you can regain what you have lost if you have not worked out before.

Benefits of Increasing Muscle Mass

Knowing how much lean muscle mass will help you figure out how much and what kind of exercise you need to do, and  how much and what kinds of foods to eat. Again, the more muscle mass you carry in the body, the better off you are. Here’s why:

  1. Improves metabolism, allowing you to eat without relying on a calorie restricted diet.
  2. Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes.
  3. Reduces risk of Alzheimer’s by 50%. (You need at least 150 minutes per week of a combination resistance and cardio exercise program.)
  4. Reduces cardiovascular risk.
  5. Helps build bone density.
  6. Improves mood.

Measuring Lean Muscle Mass

There are a number of ways to measure your lean muscle mass. You can have a DEXA Scan which provides the most accurate measurement of your body composition, hydrostatic weighing (water dunk test), or you can have a caliper test. The first two options are most accurate but somewhat expensive. The caliper test is not as accurate, but the results can be used as a powerful baseline to track changes and improvements. The absolute number is not as interesting as the way the number either goes up or down over time. You want to know if you are getting leaner and more muscle mass instead of just becoming skinnier and losing muscle mass in the process. The latter is what too often happens and the long term results means weight gain and loss of health.

Can We Help?

If you are interested in having your body mass composition tested using the caliper method and would like to sit down and figure out how to work with this number to increase muscle mass, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Many times people come to us wanting to drop weight and change their bodies, but too often they come with a deep misunderstanding of the process for this to happen. We hope this short post helps you. You are not alone.

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