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With so many diets and fads being offered on the market today,
it is no wonder why people are not just confused about weight
loss and health, but in many cases, actually doing their body
more harm than good. Unfortunately, one of the aspects of
dieting that you see most often is the reduction or elimination
of fat. The problem is that the body needs a certain amount
of fat to function but without going over a healthy level.
As you will see in this article, knowing what the right level
is and how to monitor it are crucial to overall health and
wellness.
Studies have been able to link certain conditions such as
heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure with high
levels of body fat. The key is to ensure your body has enough
fat to function properly but not too much, whereby disease
could become a problem. The best way for a person to determine
the level of body fat is by measuring it on a consistent basis
with a simple tool called a caliper. In a matter of minutes,
you will know exactly how much body fat you are carrying around
with you. With this information, you will then be able to
adjust your diet, cardio exercises, and weight training to
bring the fat-to-muscle ratio in line.
Keep in mind that there are several options, one being a body
fat analyzer. Additionally, there is the skin fold test whereby
waist to hip ratio measurements will be taken, circumference
measurements, hydrostatic weight, near infrared analysis,
bioelectrical impedance, total body potassium determination,
and a test recently offered called the plethysmographic measurement,
which is based on the principle of air displacement. All of
these tests are good indicators of your current fat-to-muscle
ratio.
Now, if you want to go through a professional to determine
your true body fat level, you have two excellent options,
both being accurate. The first is the Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry
(DEXA) and the second, Hydrostatic Weighing. With DEXA, a
full body scanner is used that reads and differentiates between
bone mass and soft tissue mass. This type of scan can be completed
in about 20 minutes and is painless, providing accuracy within
a 2% error margin. Many insurance companies will cover the
cost of DEXA but if not, you can have the scan performed for
around $100.
With Hydrostatic Weighing, the body is weighed underwater.
The test consists of sitting on a scale underneath water while
blowing out as much air from your lungs as possible. Then
when dunked below the water’s surface, you would blow out
even more air. Because fat does not weigh as  much
as water, the more fat a person’s body has, the more they
will float. Therefore, Hydrostatic Weighing works by measuring
underwater weight so that body density can be determined.
On the other hand, if you want to have the option of determining
your fat-to-muscle ratio on your own and every day if you
like, you can simply purchase a caliper from drug stores,
health equipment stores, and even on the internet. Just remember
that if you are interested in losing weight, instead of depending
on the bathroom scale, it is important that you worry more
about the excess fat being carried. While a standard scale
will tell you if you are losing weight from diet and exercise,
a scale will not tell if you are losing the body’s muscle
or fat.
Understanding how to measure and monitor your body fat gives
you a level of control to your future. The problem is that
the majority of people know very little about their bodies.
To become and stay healthy, you need to understand your body
- how it works and what your body composition is so you can
make choices that will be best for your overall health and
wellness. Again, the best way to achieve this is to incorporate
good diet, cardio exercise, and moderate weight training into
your daily routine, along with measuring your fat-to-muscle
ratio with a caliper.
While there are many different websites that provide you with
valuable information and guidance, one of the best is Composition
Tracker. With more than 25 different body fat formulas from
which to choose, you will feel confident knowing you can and
will succeed with losing unwanted fat. Composition Tracker
offers tremendous benefit to all types of people, whether
you are a man, woman, teenager, or elderly person. To gain
more information and to get started today, simply visit http://www.comptracker.com
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