Understanding Your body Fat

By Nicole Palacios, BSC

The scale in your bathroom may give you a number, but what is it really telling you? To understand where you stand on the fat front, you need to distinguish your body fat mass from your lean mass.

Muscle, or lean tissue, is comprised mostly of water (about 75 per cent). More muscle means your body is able to efficiently burn more calories at rest.
Fat tissue is comprised of only about 10 per cent water. It does not burn more calories at rest like its muscle counterpart.

Body Fat Percentage
Your body fat percentage may not be something you’re familiar with, but it should be. High body fat can lead to heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol. Even if you don’t look obese, you may have high body fat.

To calculate body fat percentage, you can check with a fitness professional at your gym for the old-school caliper test that will pinch and measure skin folds at various places on the body. There are also high-tech methods that can be more accurate but are also more costly. One test measures fat by sending electrical impulses through the body and measuring resistance. Another, the most accurate, is underwater weighing done at university research facilities using sophisticated equipment.

As obesity is rising steadily in North America, so are body fat percentages. So why are we getting fatter inside and out? A recent Princeton University study showed that lab rats gained more weight on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) than they did on sucrose. The researchers theorized that this may be due to “excess fructose being metabolized to produce fat, while glucose is largely being processed for energy or stored as a carbohydrate.” This study also indicated that the HFCS led to abnormal increases in body fat and a rise in triglycerides.

What this means for consumers of pre-packaged food is that all sugars are not created equal. You must be vigilant about purchasing packaged foods, as they may lead to an increase in weight and body fat.

Decreasing Your Body Fat
As common sense dictates, a combination of cardio, weight training and sensible eating are in order to lose weight. So what do the experts prescribe to lower your body fat?

Exercise
Working out regularly is essential. Peter Park, www.livestrong.com contributor and personal trainer, prescribes some form of resistance training to hold onto lean body mass. Fitness programs should include weight training which work all major muscle groups at least two to three times per week.

How Fat Am I?
There are different ways to determine the percentage of body fat. Different methods of testing include:

• DEXA: X-rays that scan the body for fat. Done in a private facility. Very effective and expensive (over $250 on average).

• Hydrostatic (underwater) weighing: most effective. Done in a private facility. Around $30 at University of British Columbia.

• Bioelectrical impedance: quick and quite effective. Can be done through special scales or at your local gym.

• Calipers: quick and often not reliable due to user error. Can be done at your local gym.

To determine your desired body weight, multiply body fat percentage by current weight.

Nutrition
Eating regularly and getting enough protein and healthy carbs are essential. J.R. Rosania, who has competed in 18 Ironmans, endorses eating 200 to
300  calories every 90 to 120 minutes until reaching your basal metabolic rate, the minimum number of calories needed to survive.

Park says it’s important to get 20 to 50 grams of protein at each meal and 15 to 20 grams for snacks, while Vancouver sports nutritionist Jill Anne McDowall says not to forget to consume enough carbohydrates so your body doesn’t end up breaking down muscle protein for energy.

For athletes getting ready for competition, numbers are important. However, endurance athletes should focus on carb loading. McDowall stresses that preparing for a competition or event is the wrong time to be thinking of losing weight. “Weight loss would best be addressed during the off-season… when adequate time can be set aside for weight loss without compromising performance,” she says. Why is this important? “Carbohydrate is the most efficient and preferred source of energy for endurance exercise, so it wouldn’t be in the athlete’s best interest to cut carbs,” she said. Dr. Tiffany Reiss, chair of Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Seattle’s Bastyr University, agrees.

“Losing weight while training for a long competition such as a marathon or century is not recommended and some individuals might even gain some weight in muscle mass due to the increase in activity.”

When and What Should You Eat?
The types and amounts of foods you eat greatly impact weight and body fat. Macronutrients, the primary groups of foods, can be broken down into recommended percentages. Registered dietician Mary Hartley of CalorieCount.com recommends anyone trying to decrease body fat should get 55 per cent of their diet from carbohydrates, 20 per cent from protein and 25 per cent from fats.

Where should these macronutrients come from? Lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats are optimal for fat loss, while avoiding processed and fried foods, white flour products and simple sugars other than for recovery right after intense training.

Optimal Times to Eat?
“Research shows that athletes who eat  within 30 minutes of training have the lowest amount of body fat,” Hartley says. “During that time, the body has a window of opportunity to refuel and replenish. It’s best to eat some carbohydrate and protein and some fat at that time.”

Park agrees that it’s important to eat the majority of your carbs following a strenuous workout, but to “keep it low for the rest of your meals.” He stresses the importance of eating five or six small meals throughout the day rather than three large meals.

Milk has also proven to be beneficial for fat loss. Research done by Dr. Stuart  Phillips of McMaster University suggests that women experience greater fat loss and muscle gain if they consume two glasses of milk following a strength training workout. A 2007 study of men came to similar conclusions.

 What About the Quick Fixes?
You see them advertised on TV and in magazines, but do these fat blasting products really work? “There are some drugs that prevent or block fat breakdown, but they may have side effects like diarrhea and or anal fat or oil loss,” says McDowall, adding that the best road to true fat loss is through a committed change in lifestyle. Consuming whole foods, sufficient protein and healthy carbs along with regular strength training are all on the menu when it comes to losing body fat. There is no quick fix, just hard work and smart eating. 

Nicole Palacios, BSc, is a certified personal trainer and fitness writer in North Vancouver, B.C.