My body composition analysis on Friday was performed using incredibly accurate technology known as DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry). I had this done back in August 2009 as well, so I got to see the effect my behaviors of the last five months had on my body composition. Going beyond the basic number on the scale to find out what’s really happening inside the body is fascinating and, on another level, sobering. I’ll share my results later in this post, but first I wanted to describe the experience of being scanned.
The DEXA Scan Experience
When you get a DEXA scan, it is important not to be wearing any metal, as this can cause errors with your readings—that means no metal underwire, jewelry, zippers, etc. I dressed accordingly. My instructions also warned me not to eat or exercise vigorously in the two hours prior to my appointment.
The actual scan only took about 5 minutes to complete. All I had to do was lay there on a narrow table while the machine slowly scanned the length of my body. When it was finished, I got to look at the images produced by the scan. One showed my skeleton (bone mass), and the other showed the rest of me (fat mass and lean/muscle mass). A number of calculations were also tabulated.
In addition to being an accurate and helpful tool for those of us working to lose weight in a healthy way, DEXA technology can be very helpful for athletes and others looking to build muscle and/or lose fat in specific body areas, because it can further break down body comp percentages by trunk (roughly, your torso), legs, and arms. My legs are very lean compared to the legs of other women of my age and weight. My trunk is the fattiest part of me. Unfortunately, the trunk is probably the most dangerous part of the body to have extra fat stored. I have my work cut out for me!
In addition to telling me about my fat mass, the DEXA also reported my “fat-free mass” (muscles and bones). It is really helpful to know this number, because during my challenge I will be focusing on decreasing my fat mass while either keeping the fat-free mass stable or building it up.
Results: What Effect Has My Weight-Loss Plan Had on My Body Comp?
The good news: My body fat percentage is down 5.6% from where it was last August. I have shed 24.5 lbs of pure fat since then! Additionally, I’ve lost 4.6 inches off of my waist.
The not-so-great news: I have also lost 8.6 lbs of lean mass during the past five to six months. Lean mass is vital for strength and plays a part in a robust metabolism—I do not want to be sacrificing any more of it!
My Fat Loss Challenge Benchmark Numbers and Goals
- My body fat currently stands at 41%.
- I am carrying around 68.5 lbs of fat and approximately 98.5 lbs of fat-free mass (bone mass plus lean mass).
- My waist measures 39.6 inches around.
The first part of my goal for the Tiny Glow Fat Loss Challenge is to lose fat (obviously). I am setting a goal of 12 lbs of fat loss during the next 12 weeks. The second part of my goal is to maintain my current fat-free mass; that is, hold on to all my bone and lean mass. I would love to increase my lean (muscle) mass, but would be satisfied with simply holding steady while I chip away at my fat mass.
Although I will be weighing in on my home scale as usual (although changing my weigh-in day to Mondays), I will not be getting another DEXA scan until the end of the 12 weeks, so that’s when my true results will be unveiled.
Interested in Getting a DEXA Scan?
My local university owns DEXA scan equipment as part of their kinesiology and health education program, so I signed up through that office to have my body composition analysis performed. Costs may differ depending on your location and where you have the procedure done, but for reference, university affiliates (students and staff) in Austin pay $75 for a scan, and non-university folks pay $90.
I don’t know of any gyms that offer this service, most likely because the technology is quite expensive. My recommendation would be to search online for nearby universities or medical complexes that offer DEXA scans (term also appears as “DXA scans”).
Last Thoughts: The Power of Trustworthy Body Composition Numbers
At the start of my program, I just wanted to see the number on my bathroom scale go down each week. I focused on my total caloric intake and getting in some regular cardio, and turned a blind eye toward possible muscle loss that I now know was occurring alongside my fat loss. At the time, this made psychological sense for me; having failed many times before at weight loss, I needed every scrap of encouragement and validation I could find just to keep going day after day in the beginning. The scale provided that to some extent.
My confidence in my ability to follow through on a plan has increased gradually throughout the last few months, and I am ready to face some of the complexities of weight loss now. I am willing to take my current, nutritionally sub-par food plan and my old exercise routine and make changes to them in order to optimize fat loss and minimize lean-mass loss.
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