Hello fitness friends. My apologies. I have not forgotten you. I hope you are sticking to your wellness journey. You’re doing this for your health.

Obesity is an epidemic in my country (USA). It’s causing all kinds of problems. It’s not just impacting adults either. It’s impacting children. Heart disease, diabetes, and shortened life span….are just a few problems with obesity. We have reality tv shows geared towards helping people lose weight who are morbidly obese. One gentleman I saw a few years ago weighed 700 pounds. For breakfast he would eat 2 loaves of bread, several pounds of bacon, a dozen eggs, and more! Lunch might be a dozen tacos from Taco Bell, a liter of soda, and more menu items, dinner (5 to 8 large pizzas and 2-2liters of soda). They estimated he ate over 10,000 calories a day. He was bigger around than he was tall.

You might be saying, “I’m not that bad!”

I hope not, and if so I hope you’re working towards healthy living.

At least in America we focus much of health on weight loss. I can tell you that you can be light on the scale and be unhealthy and heavy on the scale and healthy. Opt for fat loss over weight loss.

Some body fat is good for you. For women especially if your body fat drops too low it impacts reproductive health. Your body needs some fat to regulate monthly cycles.

Too much fat (even if you’re light on the scale) poses a health risk, especially if the fat you carry is around your mid section. Studies have shown fat accumulated on your stomach puts you at greater health risk.

The more muscle you have, the more support you have for your bones, the higher your metabolism, the younger you appear, the lesser your risk of osteoporosis, and you have less risk of developing many health issues such as type II diabetes. Excess fat is not our friend.

There are several ways to have your body fat measured. The best ways are often expensive: water submersion test. Yet most gyms and some doctors can perform the caliper test for you. If your pockets are really lean, you can use the military standard (Army or Navy). They both assess your body fat based on your body measurements. You need your weight, height, measuring tape, and to follow their instructions.

I am nearing the end of my Get Ripped Competition and we did the caliper and Navy method. My results were only 2 percent different. For some of the men, the difference was greater up to 5 percent.

Check out the Navy method:

Navy Body Fat Calculator

Fat takes up more space than muscle. Keep that in mind and muscle looks better. Keep losing fat and building muscle. Always consult with your doctor before starting any program or taking supplements. I incorporated CLA (safflower oil) as it helps your body rid of belly fat and maintain lean muscle. If you can’t take supplements, cut out the sugar and high glycemic foods. You would also need to resistance train if your doctor approved. Resistance training twice a week for 10 weeks can reduce your body fat percentage 2 percent.

Good luck! Stay healthy. Cheering for you. You can do this.