27 Jul How to figure out if your weight loss is fat or if you lost precious muscle mass as well

I know you guys/gals are all focused on looking leaner, losing weight and getting toned, but do you really achieve what you want to achieve?

I have seen plenty of women run on the treadmill for hours, or guys dripping with sweat as they’re lifting weights and yet, a lot of them fail to achieve some or all of their goals because they don’t know quite how to get the muscle and lose the fat at the same time. The first step to accomplish your goals is an accurate baseline of all your measurements.  Here’s what you do:

1. Height: and I am not talking about the one that you put on your driver licence but the real one. Heels together, no shoes and measure after a deep inhalation, head is level.
2. Weight: use a balance beam scale. You should be nude or at least minimize clothes.
3. Body Fat Measurement: The best one, that is still practical is the caliper (pinch skinfolds) and use several sites, not just 3. Another one you can use is BIA, the electrical version that is provided by scales or handheld. Make sure you always measure at the same time of the day, preferably in the morning
4. Circumferences:
   1. Shoulders (widest point of the deltoid)
   2. Chest (nipple height)
   3. Waist (thinnest point in your torso, you can feel it sliding up and down with your hand alongside your body)
   4. Hip (Where butt sticks out the furthest 🙂 )
   5. Thigh (halfway between the sitting fold and your patella, standing on both legs evenly)

It is always better to have a trained professional, like a personal trainer or coach take the measurements. It will be more accurate. Due to interpersonal discreprancies in methods make sure to always have the same person measure.

If you would like help with your weight loss our personal training can help you achieve your fitness goals fast and safely.