“Make the decision to achieve your goal, then do something everyday – no matter how small – to move towards that goal.” -Tara Marcinkowski, ND
Fad diets and weight loss commercials may have you thinking the goal of weight loss is only to see that number go down on the scale. Yes, getting your weight down is an important part of the goal. But it isn’t the only goal – how you get that number down is even more important! The real goal of healthy ‘weight loss’ is fat loss and lean mass increase a.k.a. attaining a healthy body composition.
Body composition describes what you are made up of on the inside. A simple in-office test, Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA), quickly and accurately measures the amount of water, fat and lean body mass that composes your physical structure. Why is this important? If you have too much fat, and too little lean mass, you are at higher risk for chronic disease. Now here’s a real shocker: even if you are the right weight for your height, you can still have too much fat, little lean mass and also be at higher risk for chronic disease. Read more here about Skinny Fat People in the context of men’s health.
Let’s take a look at how unhealthy body composition can affect you. These conditions below are linked to a high fat and low lean mass body composition:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Cardiometabolic syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes
- Excess estrogen
- Certain forms of cancer
- Back pain
- Gallbladder disease and gallstones
- Kidney disorders
- Osteoarthritis
- Respiratory problems
- Sleep apnea
- Fatigue
- Urinary incontinence
- Depression
So to treat these conditions or minimize your long-term risk of developing them, not only should the number go down on the scale, but your fat levels should decrease and lean muscle should be maintained or increased, depending on your current body composition. Achieving an ideal body composition is the true meaning of healthy weight loss. Cultivating a healthy balance of fat and lean mass predicts the future of your health!