How do I Measure Success?

How is weight management best evaluated?  The scale - no.  BMI - no.  Then how do I know how I am doing? 

There are many ways to determine how you are doing with your weight management.  Individually, most of us are used to using a scale.  In fact, that is how I have been updating my management.  Short-term a scale can be helpful.  But as we discussed yesterday, a scale can lie based on hydration and other variables.

Long term, health is most important.  For health, weight management is about maintaining a healthy level of body fat.  Research suggests that individuals that carry too much fat also carry higher risk for chronic disease (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.).  So then, we are trying to lose fat or maintain healthy levels of body fat.  Research about obesity and its related complications usually use BMI or Body Mass Index.  It is a very easy number to find.  It is calculated using body weight and height.

Here is the equation: wt / ht / ht x 703 = BMI.  The problem with this formula is that it only takes into account total mass and not fat vs. fat free weight (by the way, a scale does the same thing).  You want your BMI to be below 25 to be considered healthy, but at least below 30 to not be obese.  It is at 30 that research suggests people begin to be associated with higher health risk.

What we should be looking at is body fat %.  You can have yours tested by a fitness professional or purchase a scale that gives you BIA, or bioelectrical impedence.  This method sends a low level current through the body.  Fat is not a good conductor of electricity, so the more fat the slower the reading.  ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) suggests that for women Body Fat be between 20-32% and for men 10-22%, with high level athletes lower. 

So weigh, daily or at least weekly.  But also check your body fat monthly to see changes.  If you are building muscle and burning fat, a scale may not be able to show you change, but body fat will.  Keep Going!