Salutations, Fit Fam, summer approaches, and I’m going to be honest with you: Earlier this year, I stepped on one of our InBody scanners and I was 200 lbs at 29.8% body fat. I had on some extra body weight and that was...
Not a good feeling.
As the founder and CEO of a growing healthy meal prep company, I'm busy and things can get stressful. On top of that I knew my lack of healthy daily habits was not doing me any favors. My weight was creeping up, my blood pressure was increasing and my waist size was getting bigger.
And quite honestly I was starting to look like a cute little marmot.
The Power of Daily Habits
The reality is my daily behaviors were not in alignment with a truly healthy lifestyle. The daily behaviors we need to be healthy come down to:
Eating
Hydration
Movement
Rest
I was eating about 10-15 MyFitFoods meals a week. But what was really holding me back was sitting at a desk and being in a car all day. These sedentary habits only helped me gain some extra body weight and allowed my blood pressure to increase.
If you have a desk job or any sedentary habits it's extremely important (life and death!) to make time to move for at least 5-10 minutes every two hours.
And that's the story of how I came to wear what I affectionately term as the fat suit.
Fast Forward Two months
I’ve got better behaviors and a doable exercise routine. Currently I'm down to 190 lbs at 22% body fat. When people look at my results they may only see a reduction in 10 lbs. but here's what really happened:
Now I could crunch numbers all day — but enough about me...
Where are you at?
Are you in great shape? Are you not in great shape? Do you want, or even need, to lose some extra body weight?
For me, my fat suit was a metaphor. It was an anchor, a ball and chain—a representation of what was holding me back from my best life. For many of us, this anchor is the extra weight we carry around all day, every day. But for others, it could be friends, family, substances, and other external circumstances holding us back.
Whatever the case may be, ask yourself, what's holding me back? You may be surprised how quickly you generate an answer.
The real question is, will you listen?
If You’re Like Me
Then you're probably carrying some extra body weight. Now that may just sound like old-dog-gym-speak, so let's dive into the numbers.
What is my body composition?
There are two ways to calculate this: BMI and body fat percentage.
1. Body Mass Index (BMI)
Frankly speaking, most serious health care professionals, including your friends at MyFitFoods, think BMI is silly (and that's me being nice). But because you are likely to encounter BMI out in the wild, we’ll give it its moment.
BMI is a simple calculator of weight relative to height, providing only the most general indication of health. You may calculate your body mass index here. The main problems with BMI are that it does not distinguish between muscle and fat, nor does it account for body fat distribution, bone density, or any individual variations impacting body composition.
All that to say, let's use this metric instead:
2. Body Fat Percentage
Body fat percentage specifically measures the proportion of body weight that is fat tissue in relation to lean mass (muscle and bone). This offers a more precise view of body composition, and for the sake of interpreting the data below, we’ll be using this superior metric. But what exactly is..
Body Fat Tissue.
Body fat, or adipose tissue, is connective tissue primarily composed of fat cells. Here is a visual breakdown of the cell:
This adipose tissue is essential for several key functions, including:
Energy storage
Insulation
Organ protection
Hormone regulation
While body fat is essential to health, excessive body fat, specifically visceral fat, which is located around the organs in the midsection, can significantly increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. As has been recently explored in this Fit Tip: Green tea can help torch visceral fat and extra body weight.
Body Fat for Women
When calculating body fat percentage, it's extremely important to be aware of key differences between the two sexes. Women typically have a higher body fat percentage—about 6–11% more than men—as well as a different distribution due to factors related to reproduction and childbearing.
Women also generally store more fat around the thighs and hips as a result of reproductive adaptations. During puberty, estrogen production increases, enabling women to develop these fat reserves in preparation for future reproductive needs.
Body Fat Classification for Women
MyFitFoods categorizes body fat percentage for women like this:
Lean | 18% to 22% |
Healthy | 22% to 30% |
Work To Do | ≥30% |
Nice, simple, and easy to remember, right?
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) categorizes body fat percentage for women:
Essential fat | 10% to 13% |
Athletes | 14% to 20% |
Fitness | 21% to 24% |
Average | 25% to 31% |
Obesity | ≥32% |
It is worth noting that women should never be below 10% body fat, and it's important to understand that female body composition goals will differ from men's.
Body Fat for Men
Generally, men have a lower body fat-to-lean tissue ratio than women, accounting for the substantial difference in range (2).
MyFitFoods categorizes body fat percentage for men like this:
Lean | 8% to 12% |
Healthy | 12% to 20% |
Work To Do | ≥20% |
According to ACE, the breakdown for men is:
Essential fat | 2% to 5% |
Athletes | 6% to 13% |
Fitness | 14% to 17% |
Acceptable | 18% to 24% |
Obesity | ≥25% |
For men, a healthy range can be anywhere from about 20%-24% body fat, and for women, this range increases to about 30%. Anybody with extra body weight above these percentages means:
There's work to be done.
Sorry, but it's true (that's the old dog in me, again).
According to 2017–2018 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey:
Nearly 1 in 3 adults (30.7%) is overweight
More than 2 in 5 adults (42.4%) have obesity
About 1 in 11 adults (9.2%) have severe obesity (3)
Are you curious what your body fat percentage is?
Are you ready to calculate exactly how much work needs to be done between now and summer? Or more importantly, between now and your gloriously unwritten future?
You're invited to come into any of our MyFitFoods locations, meet with an associate, and step on our InBody Scanner— at absolutely no cost to you. (Most places will charge you for this service, just sayin’)
What Is an InBody Scan?
Our InBody scan is a completely non-invasive body composition analysis tool that uses a low electrical current to measure the resistance of different tissues in the body.
It’s able to identify:
Body fat percentage
Muscle mass
Total body water
Because muscle and water conduct electricity differently from fat, this machine is able to accurately distinguish between the two.
I am not pulling your chain. Come by any of our locations and give this machine a shot. Tell’em Mario sent you!
Hey, we’ll even help interpret the data and consult you on how to dial in your summer countdown protocol to effectively drop some of that extra body weight. Who knows, you may even be a good candidate for our 21-Day Challenge!
What’s the worst that will happen?
Rhetorical question, I know, but here’s what will happen when you start to loose extra body weight (I know because it happened to me):
You're going to feel better, you're going to feel lighter,
Your blood pressure is going to go down,
Your cholesterol is going to go down,
Your energy levels are going to go up,
Your biomarkers are going to be better.
When we shed pounds and bring our body fat percentage from “work to do” to “healthy” and “lean” we’re going to notice some seriously real results.
Potential reduction of stress on weight-bearing joints like knees, hips, and back
Possible improvements in mobility, which could support more movement and the release of feel-good endorphins and dopamine
A chance to experience a boosted mood and self-esteem, along with reduced stress and more feel-good hormones
And believe me, that's just the tip of the Fit-berg (fit iceberg?). Don't even get me started on the potential for:
Better sleep
Stronger bones
Better metabolism
Improved insulin sensitivity
Reduction in all-cause mortality
I could be here all day. These are really just some of the improvements I personally notice when I put in the work to get rid of that extra body fat. And the reality is this body and this life is all a work in progress. There is no fit-retirement.
I'm human, you're human, so that being said –
From One human to Another
Why wait? If there's some weight to be lost, let the time be now. Summer beckons, but more importantly, your life awaits!
What’s holding you back?
Maybe it’s extra body weight. Maybe it’s fear, doubt, and old habits. As it was for me. Whatever it is, it’s time to advance.
At MyFitFoods, we’ve seen what’s possible when people decide to take control. They say the journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step. Fortunately for you, we got that first step super dialed.
The First Step:
Let MyFitFoods help you get the 1,000 mile party started: Our 21-Day Challenge is a proven way to help build the foundation for a new, healthier life. Let us take care of the meals while you focus on moving, drinking water, and getting rest.
Start by taking our Fit Quiz, and let’s tailor a plan that fits the real you, not the version weighed down by old habits.
