The Importance of the InBody Machine with Jen M.

Hey Fit Fam! 

Do you dread stepping on the scale because that number sometimes feels like a slap in the face?

Even when we're checking off all the healthy boxes, a typical scale might not budge. In some cases, it might even move in the wrong direction. But is it moving in the "wrong direction," or is your scale not giving you the whole picture?

My name is Jen, and I'm a certified nutrition coach at Greenwood Village. Today's fit tip is about our InBody machine and shows you what those pounds mean. 

The InBody gives an in-depth view of your overall body composition, allows us to set concrete goals, and takes less than 2 minutes to complete!

We recommend getting them done every 1 - 2 weeks to ensure you are on track.

Let's break down the three most important numbers of your scan! The first and most valuable number will be your BMR. BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate, which is how many calories your body burns at complete rest.

So if you just lay in bed all day, staring at a blank wall and not moving a single muscle, your body naturally burns these calories! This is based on weight, muscle mass, height, and age! Using your BMR as a baseline, we can calculate how many calories you need to consume daily! 

Let's take miss Jane Doe. Jane's current BMR is 1168, and she is working out four times a week, lifting weights, incorporating cardio, and getting an average of 8 - 10 thousand steps per day! Our staff will multiply Jane's BMR by her activity factor, which is a number based on weekly activity and movement, to get her maintenance calories.

Now, based on her goals, whether it's to lose weight, maintain, or gain muscle, we can determine the proper amount of calories needed for her success. BMR is not a stagnant number! It will shift as your body changes, so recalibrate your goals periodically to see better results!

Next, we will look at your lean body mass! Lean body mass is made up of everything in your body that is not fat. We multiply your lean body mass by 0.8 - 1.1 g of protein depending on your goals to calculate your daily protein needs. 

Let's say your lean body mass is 135 lbs; if you want to lose body fat, we multiply it by 0.8 g. If you're going to maintain your body weight, we will multiply it by 1 g, and if you want to gain muscle, we multiply it by 1.1 g. 

The last vital number to keep an eye on is the total amount of water in your body. This number is an excellent estimate of your current hydration level in your body! Did you know that, on average, our bodies should be about 50% water? So, to ensure you keep hydrated, aim to hit half of your overall body weight in ounces of water every day (for example, if you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink a minimum of 90 oz of water every day!) Too easy? Level it up! Shoot for 100 - 120 oz per day, no matter your weight! 

Alright, we talked about a lot of numbers today. So instead of avoiding the numbers on the scale, use them to your advantage. Stop in by your local My Fit Foods store so we can help you focus on the whole picture and not just one number!