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SCALE MANIACS OH boy she is mad now. She just threw her jacket on the floor in disgust. Must have been a pound or two over today. Damn that scale. I have never failed to see a frustrated person when I go down the steps to the lower level of the SRSC. Just look over towards the scale. I have seen it all: temper tantrums, sad faces, and angry people who march up stairs to take a run to nowhere on the treadmill until they shed those pounds. Too many people have an obsession with their body weight. Everyone has a different ritual for getting on the scale and some are more entertaining than others. Personally I make it point to get on and off in a timely manner. I feel that I make a point in doing so by not making people wait behind me. Others however get on the scale close their eyes and hope that they have shed those pounds. If they have not then there must be some mistake, so they get on again thinking the scale will come up with a different reading. Some people shed shoes or clothing to force the scale into submission. The fact is that scale readings are not nearly as important as people think. Scale readings can vary greatly depending on several factors. Elements such as time of day, meals eaten that day, water retention, bowel movements and so on will have a significant affect on scale readings. Being a couple pounds heavier on the scale than on the day before does not necessarily mean you put on a couple pounds of fat or muscle. Weigh yourself at consistent times for accuracy purposes, but do not be concerned with minor changes. Focus on the long-term data. How much do you weigh? Hah hah I weigh ten pounds less. Mean while the person hah hahing is obese and looks terrible. Body weight does not always tell the tale. The important measurement is Body Fat Percentage. How much of your body weight is fat? This is how people should evaluate their physical progress. Body fat measurements can be taken in a number of ways, but for the purposes of a college student caliper testing is the best. Certain small cross sections spread throughout the body are pinched with a hand held device which measures the thickness of the body mass. These measurements( typically 7 sites are taken) are then entered into a formula which calculates body fat percentage. Body fat percentage indicates how much of a person's body weight is actually fat. For example a 200 pound male with 10% body fat has 20 pounds of body fat and 180 pounds of lean mass. Over time people wanting to lose "fat" should concentrate on body fat percentages and not the scale. Unfortunately a societal obsession with bodyweight has lead many people to sacrifice too much lean muscle mass in an effort consummate a love affair with the scale. Lean muscle burns calories and fat. Many women incorrectly assume they do not need lean muscle weight. Lean muscle will allow both males and females to stay lean (have a low body fat percentage)in the long run. Body fat measurements are also the best way for people trying to gain muscle weight to gauge if the body weight they are gaining is fat or muscle. Experienced athletes will build a large diary of body fat measurements to go along with a training and nutrition journal. Analyses of this data allows for the athlete to figure out what nutrition and training plans lead to the best results. For example a person trying to gain muscle weight, but at the same time stay lean must evaluate body fat measurements to figure out how many pounds of muscle are gained simultaneously with fat. Often time's people will add a pound of fat per 2-3 pounds of muscle they gain. This is a good ratio, but if the athlete were to add 3 pounds of fat and 3 pounds of muscle simultaneously they might then consider cutting their calories to avoid those extra two pounds of body fat gain. Get your body composition measurements taken and set goals to reduce body fat if needed. Many people believe they are fat when in actuality they are in normal or exceptional statistical ranges for their age and gender group. Dr. Fred Hatfield of the International Sports Sciences Association has listed in the following values in his text.
Students can have a fitness evaluation, which includes a body composition test, cardiovascular endurance test, and strength and fitness test all for free at the health center. Faculty and staff must pay $17.50 for the same service. Call 855 7388 to schedule a 45 minute appointment for these useful tests conducted by the fitness testing division of the health and wellness department. LEGAL DISCLAIMER |
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