Did you know that after the age of 30 – you lose 250 grams per year of muscle and gain 500 grams of fat?
Point 1: Weight on the scale does not indicate a healthy body fat.
I love this image from Jason Seib‘s post on his client Deb’s transformation. Deb stayed the same weight, but leaned out considerably. And is now impressively strong.
- Waist went from 32.75 inches to 30 inches.
- Chest went from 39.75 inches to 37.25 inches.
- Hips went from 36 inches to 34 inches.
- Upper arm went from 11.25 inches to 10.75 inches.
This woman is 9 bls (4kg) heavier – yet looks leaner, especially in the abdomen
5 pounds of fat takes up THREE TIMES as much space as 5 pounds of muscle. If you’re shedding fat and gaining muscle your weight might not change but your clothes will fit better and you’ll look trim and fit.
Taking a look on the inside – DXA scan
A DXA (DeXA) scan (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) is a low dose x-ray known as DXA, to determine percent fat. DXA can be used to estimate bone density, lean mass and fat mass.
Here is a cool colour pic of a DXA scan
From this article: BMI scale not accurate measure for obesity
2 men – exactly the same BMI (What is BMI? – it is a ratio of weight to height, it does not tell you if that weight is healthy muscle, or unhealthy fat) DXA images below are of two adults with the same BMI. While their weight and height may be similar, resulting in the same BMI, the person on the right has twice as much body fat as the person on the left. DXA images allow doctors to analyse bone density, lean mass and fat mass.
Man on left:
Muscle Mass 88.7 kg
Fat Mass 13.8 kg
Bone Mass 3.8 kg
Body Fat 13%
Total Weight 106.3 kg
Height 1.83 m
Man on right:
Muscle Mass 69.5 kg
Fat Mass 25.8 kg
Bone Mass 2.8 kg
Body Fat 26.3%
Total weight 98.1 kg
Height 1.76 m
Many top athletes for example some of New Zealand's rugby players would measure obese according to their BMI. For example Sonny Bill Williams has a BMI of 29 – bordering on obese (height 6’4″, weight 238lbs)
And now for an amazing cross section of a leg: an aging triathlete, compared to a couch potato. A graphic illustration of the importance of keeping active – particularly strength exercise to maintain muscle mass
The Incredible un-aging athlete from this study Chronic Exercise Preserves Lean Muscle Mass in Masters Athletes
And here is a rather sobering view of the inside if you are very overweight
Crushed lungs, strained joints and a swollen heart – the extraordinary scans that reveal what being fat does to you
Take home message – keep up with your weight resistant exercise and eat real food
