How Often Should You Check Your Weight and Body Fat Percentage?

I did my weigh-in and I was checking my body fat percentage with my bioelectrical impedance device. I use an Omron, it's a standard BEI device you find in a lot of gyms and used by a lot of personal trainers, strength coaches and different fitness people. It's non-invasive and gives you a general ballpark figure on your body fat percentage. People always get wrapped up about the level of accuracy. 

The whole thing is to consistently do it like I do mine with my clients and myself. I try to do it every Friday at the same time between like three to six pm. That consistency using the same number is the whole goal. Is doesn't matter how accurate it is. I want to make the number go down. It is the same thing when I used to use skinfold calipers. 

Back in the day I also used the measuring tape, especially when I was a weight control NCO in the army. I used to run the weight control program and the remedial fitness program for the different companies I was in with the army. I've been doing this for a long time and I've tested a lot of people. 

I don't recommend checking it more than once a week and doing it at the same time, not every day. I'd take my clients and check them, for the past couple of decades on Fridays, at end of the week at the same time whatever their appointment time was. So they knew every Friday that they were checking their numbers. 

Once you see every your numbers every Friday and you're checking it consistently, that number is either going up or down. You can then make necessary adjustments for the next week. Don't worry about it week to week. Don't worry about it day to day because if you check the numbers every day you'll drive yourself insane. Your weight can easily flex two to five pounds up or down every day.

 

I get on my scale every day just to prove the point. Today my weight was like 233lbs. A couple of days ago it was 238lbs. I'm not trying to lose weight. I'm actually trying to gain weight so I'm failing miserably. The whole point is don't don't worry about it. Check your stuff consistently on a weekly basis and make the necessary adjustments after you get your numbers. Then hit the next week hard and you'll achieve victory. Stay at it my friends, be consistent, and never quit.

Watch the video here:

 

Calculate Your Calorie Requirements with the NASM Calorie Calculator

Many weight loss and fitness gurus tell you that you don’t have to track calories in or out. And when you are experienced in these things, you do not have to. 

But the average person is not experienced in these matters at all. There is a time and place for you to listen to your body and go with how you feel. A beginner starting a fitness and nutrition program doesn’t fit that scenario. You need data and the more the merrier.

While everyone tells you to simply eat less and exercise more, your body has a specific list of requirements in order for you to safely and effectively reach your goals. 

Calculating your calorie requirements is a way to sift through the madness and see what is really going on with you. 

There are numerous ways to calculate your calorie requirements. You can go old school and do it by hand using a formula and simple math. Or you can use one of the many online calculators or apps which are readily available. 

I like to do mine by hand and then spot check it with an online calculator. I use NASM’s online calculator on their website. 

NASM calorie calculator link:

https://www.nasm.org/resources/calorie-calculator

First I find out what my BMR or basal metabolic rate is. Your BMR is the baseline number of caloric requirements which you need to be able to be alive and functioning. I can guarantee you that most people’s BMR is more than 1200 calories. 

Here is my BMR. This is what I need to take in just to be alive. I won’t keel over and die if I don’t eat this much. But nothing good will happen if I’m under this amount consistently for any length of time. This is my first requirement. 

Then I have to determine my maintenance calories or total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

Based upon a moderate activity level, my TDEE or maintenance calories are 3005. This is what I would consume to maintain my present body weight. 

But say I want to lose 5 pounds or a 3-5 % body fat, in the next certain number of weeks or months, then I have to calculate things based upon that goal. 

The calculator then takes into account your desired macronutrient ratio. 

Let’s say I’m going to use 40-30-30 for my macros.

I punch that in the calculator and designate a desired goal date. The calculator with then provide me with my “deficit calories” or what I need to cut down to. 

So I have to cut my intake down from my maintenance calories of 3005 to 2943. This is a massive 62 calorie drop. - (sarcasm). So now I know what I need to do. 

The important part of all this is that I need to know what I’m actually doing right now so I can tell if I need to increase or decrease my caloric intake to reach my designated numbers. 

As you can see, this is much more complicated than just “Eat less and exercise more”. And the caloric requirements are way higher than the “1200 calorie diet” my doctor would put me on to lose weight. 

Now here is the reality check. I have to track my numbers at least once a week so I have an idea of where I’m at. So after tracking a recent day’s calorie intake, I took in 2150 calories. 

This is way lower than my deficit calories of 2943. So I’m already in a deficit that is too big. And, (wait for it…), I have to eat MORE not less to reach my deficit calorie requirements. 

That’s what I struggle with daily. Eating enough of the right stuff at the right time is the challenge. Because clean healthy food is rich in nutrients but low in calories. So you gotta eat huge to meet your numbers. 

Never starve yourself or suffer on a diet again. Use this information and take charge of your nutrition plan. 

Bottom line is that the eat less and exercise more mantra, and the doctor’s 1200 calorie diet, are garbage. 

Eat the right amount of the right stuff at the right time in order to reach your desired goal. 

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist,

NESTA Certified Sports Nutrition Specialist,

NASM Weight Loss Specialist 

Active and Dynamic Warmups for Older Adults

Into the arena to face the beast on a Monday night. Never Let Monday Win!

Standing band chest press using a wooden short staff. 

Your active and dynamic warmups should mimic the activity that you are actually going to do in your workout. 

This is different than doing general physical preparedness training which many perform as a warmup. 

As we get older, specific warmups become more important. I use the standing band chest press for the bench press because it warms up the actual muscles and joints used in the bench press.

Increased blood flow and synovial fluid production are important to reduce the risk of injury. The bands also are less painful than the first set on the bench. I also use my first set on the bench and all exercises as an additional warmup set. 

This also allows you to dial in the correct muscles that you will be using during the workout. Muscle activation training is a side bar benefit of specific warmups. 

Warmup and go hit the weights!