One randomized trial using a low fat, calorie-restricted diet reports that at eight years, participants lost only 4.4 pounds (2 kilos), almost all from lean mass rather than fat mass. However, consistent with clinical experience, other studies question the sustainability of calorie-restricted diets and their long-term results. One randomized trial reports that 12 weeks of calorie restriction reduced fat mass by 11 pounds (5 kilos) and visceral fat by 16%. ![]() In some studies, calorie restriction leads predominantly to fat-mass loss. The key, however, is reducing calories in a way that helps you lose fat mass without also losing muscle mass. But so too can practically any means of reducing your calorie intake. Low carb eating can help you lose body fat, as we detailed in the previous section. As we have shown, eating protein can significantly improve muscle mass. Improving body composition involves gaining or preserving muscle and losing fat mass. This is often referred to as “normal weight obesity” or colloquially as “thin on the outside and fat on the inside (TOFI).” 4 Numerous studies have called attention to the health risk of having a normal weight while also having a number of metabolic risk factors more commonly associated with obesity. 3įor some people, improving body composition has nothing to do with losing weight. Higher muscle mass with lower fat mass may also be related to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and dementia, and may be a predictor of longevity. Preserving muscle and bone helps prevent sarcopenia (muscle loss), frailty, and osteopenia (bone loss), in addition to improving the ability to do everyday tasks. 1 To assess this aspect of healthy weight loss, you need to know your body composition.įor better health, most people want to lose fat mass and preserve or gain lean mass. Muscle, bone, and water are frequently combined and referred to as lean body mass, which differentiates them from fat mass.Īs we describe in our healthy weight loss guide, not all weight loss is “healthy.” Ideally, losing weight means losing mostly fat mass - not lean mass - with minimal reduction in your resting metabolic rate. Body composition can be expressed as a percentage (like body fat percentage) or an absolute amount (like pounds of muscle mass). ![]() Knowing your body composition gives you a better picture of your overall health than just knowing weight or BMI.īody composition refers to the amount of fat, muscle, bone, and water that contributes to your total weight. The athlete has a healthy body composition. What’s different? The two men have different amounts of muscle tissue and fat mass. ![]() They have the same weight and the same BMI, but very different health assessments. A busy doctor may be six feet tall and weigh 225 pounds with a 39-inch waist (99 cm) and a bulging midsection. A professional athlete may be six feet tall (183 cm), weigh 225 pounds (102 kg), and be in fantastic physical condition with a 32-inch waist (81 cm) and bulging muscles. The scale and BMI are rudimentary tools for gauging your overall body composition, meaning they don’t tell you enough to determine if you are at a healthy weight. Do you know what that means, and is it necessarily bad news? ![]() Or, maybe your doctor tells you that your body mass index (BMI) is high. Does that mean your efforts “aren’t working?” But when you step on the scale, nothing has changed. You may have started a new diet and exercise program and feel you are making progress.
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