But Why am I Gaining Weight?
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| Reyna F |
There are several reasons why your weight might increase:
- Good News. You are gaining muscle.
- Bad News. You are gaining fat by consuming more than you are utilizing as energy, and/or
- No News. You are consuming more carbohydrates in which the storage form, glycogen, retains water molecules.
So how do you know if you are gaining fat or muscle? The easiest way is to see how your clothes fit. Is the waist the same and your thighs bigger? If so, I would guess you are gaining muscle. I get concerned when a female client tells me she doesn’t like her thighs. Women: muscular legs are sexy! However, if you find your waistband is getting tighter, chances are you are gaining fat.
If you want to use a more scientific method, you can get your
body fat measured. The gold standards
are underwater weighing or Dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry, or DXA (formerly DEXA). The margin of error is
approximately 2-3%. But these
are expensive options that insurance usually will not cover.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a low cost way of determining body fat. Many people have scales in their apartment which do this. BIA consists of two or more conductors attached to a person's body where a small electric current is sent through the body. The scales often take into account a person’s gender, age, height and athleticism. However, they are not consistent or as accurate as the gold standard. Hydration, exercise and food can impact the results. But it is a tool that you can use to get a good approximation of your body fat and to monitor trends.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a low cost way of determining body fat. Many people have scales in their apartment which do this. BIA consists of two or more conductors attached to a person's body where a small electric current is sent through the body. The scales often take into account a person’s gender, age, height and athleticism. However, they are not consistent or as accurate as the gold standard. Hydration, exercise and food can impact the results. But it is a tool that you can use to get a good approximation of your body fat and to monitor trends.
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| Body Composition Monitor |
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| Using Skin Fold Caliper To Estimate Body Fat |
Some people use Body Mass Index (BMI). I don’t recommend using BMI because it only considers height and weight. If you are heavy but very muscular, you may
be inaccurately considered obese. BMI is not valid for athletes.
Okay, now you've got a number. What does it mean? The self-explanatory chart below shows
categories of body fat.
*American
Council on Exercise
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Classification
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Women
(% fat)
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Men
(% fat)
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Essential Fat
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10-12%
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2-4%
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Athletes
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14-20%
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6-13%
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Fitness
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21-24%
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14-17%
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Acceptable
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25-31%
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18-25%
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Obese
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32%
plus
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25%
plus
|
We need essential fat to protect our internal organs. For women, essential fat is crucial for our reproductive hormones. Women: Do not consider going below 12% body fat. It is dangerous and unrealistic. And men should not go below 4%. Extremely low body fat percentages can also be a sign of an eating disorder.
If you find that your weight gain is due to muscle,
congratulations! But if you find it is due to a fat gain, you need to consider
if you want lose it. If weight loss is
important to you, how do you do it without compromising your nutrition needs
while maintaining muscle? The answer is
to lose weight very slowly, 1/2 to 1 pound each week. No more or you may be losing muscle mass, and
you may not consume enough nutrients to train, race and recover.
How do you lose ½ pound per week? Stay tuned and I will answer that question in
another blog entry down the road.
-Reyna F,
Registered Dietitian,
Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics
Certified Personal Trainer
Registered Dietitian,
Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics
Certified Personal Trainer
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