The Skinny on Fat

          I was once found guilty of first degree scale obsession!  Every morning I would strip down, take a deep breath in (I actually thought that it would make a difference) and close my eyes as the scale read my weight.  When I opened my eyes those 3 numbers would either put me in a great mood or bum me out for the rest of the day.  Either way, the scale owned my emotions and how I perceived myself as a person and woman.

          First of all, separate the scale or your body type from whether or not you are a good person.  Your body has NOTHING to do with your character as person.  I made that mistake and it created nothing but misery for me and those around me.

          Secondly, here's a little science for those who are still convinced that those daunting numbers represents your body composition and what kind of shape you are in. Yes, it is true that if you take 5 pounds of muscle and 5 pounds of fat and weigh them on a scale, the scale will read 5 pounds for both.  However, that does not mean they weigh the same in the sense of volume.  When you talk about volume, muscle is actually heavier than fat....not by much but if you measure accurately you will find that muscle is heavier than fat.

                                          Here is a visual of 1 pound of fat vs. 1 pound of muscle:

          Lean muscle mass is more dense than fat and therefore takes up less space in your body than fat mass.  When you compare your lean muscle mass to fat mass you are evaluating your body composition.  Having your body composition tested such as skin fold measurements with calipers is more accurate than going off of the scale or BMI (body mass index, which is a rough calculation of a healthy body composition based off of weight and height.)

            Another example I'd like to share with you is the comparison of two people of the same age, height, weight, and gender.  In this example we will use 2 men, 35 years old, 6'0", and 250 lbs.
This is what they look like:

          Enough visual for you?  Guess what, even though their BMI and weight read the same their bodies are obviously polar opposites.  The Body Builder is 250 pounds of dense muscle with probably 3-5% Body Fat while the "other guy" is probably over 30%.  Just looking at their BMI on paper a doctor would think they were BOTH morbidly obese!

          The numbers to focus on is the comparison of muscle vs. fat, not the scale or BMI!  The only way to build lean muscle is to lift weights and eat a healthy meal plan that supports muscle growth and fat loss. Now, I know many of you do not want to go as far as bodybuilding so maybe this example seems a little extreme so I will give you another "realistic" example.

          Take my transformation for example.  I once was 129.0 lbs at 22% body fat.  I had gotten down as low as 10% body fat at 126 lbs for a competition.  I am currently NOT competing and am 135 pounds which is heavier than where I started my transformation in November 2010. However, my current body fat is right at 16% !  I weigh MORE NOW then I did before my transformation but I am actually LEANER and have less unhealthy and unwanted bodyfat.   If I would have continued to only obsess over the scale and never educate myself about of fat vs muscle I would be a complete wreck!  I am very happy, strong, and lean with tons of energy.  I currently eat about 2,000 calories a day and am still gradually lowering my body fat as I prepare for summer and competing in the near future.
                                                                         BEFORE:

  This picture was taken sometime in 2010 about 1-2 months before I decided to train for bikini.


                                                                             NOW:

 This picture was taken about 6 weeks ago. Since then I have added more muscle :)

I encourage all of my readers to STOP with the scale and go find a fitness professional whether it be a trainer or a nutrition coach and get pinched!  In order to move forward and make any kind of change you must first find out where you are starting. 


XOXO,

Abby

To read more check out:

"My Biggest Nutrition Pet Peeve...Ever!

"Food Made Simple"

"Supplements For Bikini Competitors"

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