The truth is, just because you don’t measure it, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. For years, I glazed over the fact that my husband measured peoples body fat professionally. Surely I didn’t need that…. Right? Wrong. Body composition and blood testing tells a much more complete story than just stepping on the scale or looking in the mirror, it’s truly a deep look at some of the factors that could greatly impact health and wellness down the road.
Thanks to my mom’s eye on health and insistence that I get my cholesterol screened, I have blood panel screen results from 18 years ago in my files. And I’ll be honest, the fact that my test results at 40 are FAR healthier than my test results at 22 keeps me going. It helps me stay on track with the importance of strength training, eating un-processed plant-based foods, and ethically raised lean proteins.
Both blood and body composition test results have helped me to know I’m on the right path. When Jeremy did a caliper body fat test on me for the first time two years ago (rest assured that I definitely hated every minute of it), I was actually totally fine with the results. And I was leaner than we both thought I was. It’s not all doom and gloom if you’re doing the right things, for YOU.
Actual quantitative test results can also help motivate you to make necessary and dramatic changes. For me, it’s not how I look in a swim suit (though it’s a nice perk), but how my overall health and wellness is impacted. I happen to have the test results that back up the benefits of weighing 10-12 pounds less (thank goodness college comes to an end) and doing regular strength training (thank you Jeremy). I just read this article on visceral fat by Harvard Health Publishing, and it helps me make sense of my dramatic, quantitative changes. And also how important it is to understand that fat stored in and around your organs effects how they are able to function, as well as your hormone levels.
I’ve made some pretty dramatic changes to the way I eat over the last year (inspired by test results showing low iron after five years eating a vegetarian diet). Measuring my body fat with the DEXA scan on May 15 and doing my annual blood screen (nothing fancy here, just the basics) with my naturopath will be more quantitive data to help me decide of if these changes were as good for me as I think they were. And if they weren’t? I’ll have the information necessary and the ability to adjust with guidance from my doc and Jeremy.
But the fact remains: even if you don’t measure it, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. The more we know, the better we can do. The better we can be.
Lee’s personal training philosophy
Our bodies are incredibly efficient. If there are joints, muscles and functions that we don’t use, our body stops maintaining those areas, putting attention to what we do use. Yoga is a powerful way to keep our joints moving, our muscles at their proper length and fresh, oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood moving throughout our system. These aspects make yoga a tonic of youth.
Hyatt Training is a collective of certified, enthusiastic and innovative personal trainers in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about our personal trainers or to set up a free consultation to see how they could help you, email us at Go@HyattTraining.com. To read more nutrition-related posts like this one, follow this link.
