body fat test day?
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mike_littlerock
Posts: 296 Member
Hey gang..
I am about due for another DEXA scan and thought i would check to see if anyone else is interesting in trying.. Baptist has a DEXA scan machine. its $50 for the first scan, and $25 for additional. its the MOST ACCURATE test available.. the old gold standard was the dunk tank, but DEXA is now the most accurate. you get about a 7 page report, that gives you not only body fat, but lean mass and bone density. it even gets down to telling you how much fat and muscle in each arm and leg, and torso, etc.. very neat to see.
as you get subsequent tests, you can see your changes over time and its a great way to see how you are doing. My first one was sobering, I was not happy to see that i was about 50% body fat, but the second one was much better and will do it again in the next couple of weeks and expect to see my improvement continuing.
NOTE: you can only do the test every 6 months, as it is a low dose x-ray.
I am about due for another DEXA scan and thought i would check to see if anyone else is interesting in trying.. Baptist has a DEXA scan machine. its $50 for the first scan, and $25 for additional. its the MOST ACCURATE test available.. the old gold standard was the dunk tank, but DEXA is now the most accurate. you get about a 7 page report, that gives you not only body fat, but lean mass and bone density. it even gets down to telling you how much fat and muscle in each arm and leg, and torso, etc.. very neat to see.
as you get subsequent tests, you can see your changes over time and its a great way to see how you are doing. My first one was sobering, I was not happy to see that i was about 50% body fat, but the second one was much better and will do it again in the next couple of weeks and expect to see my improvement continuing.
NOTE: you can only do the test every 6 months, as it is a low dose x-ray.
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Replies
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Sounds cool! Too bad I don't have $50 to spare right now
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Wow, it's only 50 bucks? That's a lot cheaper than I would have thought.0
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That is a lot cheaper than I would have thought! I just moved to NWA or I would definitely take advantage of that. Good for you that you're seeing your improvements on a much more accurate level than a scale!0
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I am an engineer, so I tend to like having metrics and tend to be a tiny bit obsessive about the data and accuracy. as a result, I not only do DEXA, but I also have a pretty detailed spreadsheet that I maintain that has scale weight, measurements and a few calculators built in. (katch-Mcardle and Miffin-St.Jeor for BMR for example) plus a goals sheet where i document my milestones and date achieved (getting out of the 260's, 250's, day i was no longer "obese" according to BMI, etc.)
I find that the combo of scale weight with an accurate scale, and with measurements, to be the most effective.
NOTES:
for the scale, we purchased an Eat smart scale from amazon (which received 5 star customer reviews)
http://www.amazon.com/Eatsmart-Precision-Bathroom-Technology-440-Pounds/dp/B0032TNPOE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1339596181&sr=8-2&keywords=scale
important note regarding measurements. I feel that it is important to take the measurements in a repeatable way, as consistency is the key. We use a flexible measuring tape and try to not put any tension on the tape, just conforming to the body.. Also. for measuring your thigh, do it in the same position, and measure from a consistent point. E.G. if thigh is 18 inches long (number pulled out of thin air) then try to determine the mid point, and then measure from the bump on your tibia (below the knee cap, technically called the tibial tubercle). the next time you take that measurement, you will be able to repeat the same spot on the thigh via the reference point.0 -
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My results are in..
total fat loss 65lbs
last 6 months i have lost 10lbs of pure body fat, and GAINED 16 lbs of muscle.
Its not as remarkable as I hoped for, but if I continued on that path I would be at my goal in 6 months.0 -
That's AWESOME!!!0
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