At work they have a “Healthy Tigers" program where you can get $25 a month off your health insurance if you get your body composition/cholesterol assessed, but the reason I went was to learn more specifics about my body. My friend went last month and learned a lot of cool stuff and it piqued my interest.
I was nervous because I had a gain this week and I am finishing up my period, HOWEVER I was PLEASANTLY surprised.
Body Composition
- BMI: 26.8% (Normal BMI is under 25)
- Fat %: 32.2% ("Desirable range” for my demographics 21-33%)
- Fat Mass: 59.41 pounds (“Desirable range” 33.2-61.6 pounds)
- Fat Free Mass: 125.0 pounds
- Total Body Water: 91.4 pounds
I’M DESIRABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cholesterol
- Total Cholesterol: 161 (goal is below 200)
- HDL (Healthy Cholesterol): 49 (goal over 50, optimal over 60)
- Non-HDL Goal: 112 (goal is under 190)
- Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio: 3.3 (goal is under 4.0)
- Glucose: 87 (goal is below 200)
Blood Pressure
- 112/74 (normal value below 120/80)
What a confidence boost. I got the stamp of approval health-wise from a physician! It’s crazy to think that over 91 pounds of me is WATER. The doctor also told me that my Fat Free Mass reflects mostly muscle and that it was great. It’s so crazy to think that only 60 pounds of me is fat. I’ve spent so much time looking at my flaws and how I need to lose 5 pounds here and 10 pounds there. When really there is only 60 pounds of fat to lose and obviously I don’t want to lose ALL of it. I’d love to be in 30-40 pounds of fat range I think.
I also learned that my Basal Metobolic Rate is 1658 kcal – which means that how much my body burns just living. The doctor suggested for me to consume a few hundred more because of my running. As a “bigger” (height/body type) it’s refreshing to see that “high” number because it can mess with your head when you read about others eating 1200-1400 calories (due to their body), but my body NEEDS more to function.
So in addition to dropping fat mass and BMI, I also want to increase my HDL (good cholesteral). Some tips for doing so are:
- Avoid food that contains trans fat, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
- Increase monosaturated fats (olive oil, avacado, peanut butter)
- Increase soluable fiber (oatmeal, citris furits, broccolo, carrots)
- Increase fish and omega-3 fatty acids
It was VERY educational and only took 15 minutes. I’m so glad I went!
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