Body Weight is Meaningless Without This Data: A Guide to your complimentary InBody Body Composition Scan 

Your body weight does not matter and it certainly does not define you. 

You likely have a bodyweight in mind that you think would mean your life would be better or perfect. 

Where did that number come from? That was when you felt good in your body (you were also 22). Or that’s the number your mother “suggested” you should weigh. Or it was the last time someone told you that you were looking good. 

What if I told you that if you actually weighed 115 pounds you would look real weird and your body probably wouldn’t be able to support itself? 

What you think will happen at 115 pounds might actually happen at 140 pounds because your bodyweight by itself does not matter. It does not give you enough information. 

That is why we use body composition scans to assess our progress and to figure out where we actually are at. 

What is Body Compositions? 

Body composition refers to the breakdown of that bodyweight number. 

Of the 200 pounds you weight, how much is muscle (Skeletal Muscle Mass)? How much is fat (Body Fat Percentage)? How much is just your bones and organs and things you can’t lose? 

• Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) – You may not want to be body builder, but your body must have muscle to move safely and well, and to look good. And, the higher your SMM, the more calories you burn at rest. That means burning calories without doing anything. Pretty great. 
• Body Fat Percentage (BFP) – This is what takes the place of bodyweight in our minds. Generally we are aiming to get our females clients below 28% body fat and to get our men down toward and eventually below 20%. This suggests we are doing well health wise and allows us to begin to see our hard work pay off when we look in the mirror. 

When you understand these two things you then will worry less about your overall bodyweight. You do not need to lose weight just because you way 150 pounds (or whatever you weigh). 

Your Complimentary InBody Scan

Black Wolf members receive complimentary scans on our InBody 270. 

This machine produces a result sheet with 20+ data points (we don’t use all of them but they are fun to learn about) in about 60 seconds and all you need is bare hands and bare feet. 

How often should I do a body composition scan? 

Everyone should do one 2-3 times per year just to keep in touch with where you are at. But if you are not focusing on a specific project (nutrition, working out more, losing weight) then more frequently is not necessary. 

But if you are in a season where you are focusing on your nutrition, or specifically trying to change your body, then hopping on monthly or even bi-weekly can help keep you on track. 

Do I need to do anything to get ready for the InBody Scan? 

For the most accurate readings possible you would ideally not have eaten for 2-3 hours before your scan. And you would not have had large amounts of fluids in the hour leading up to your scan. You would like to be as empty and dry as possible.

Scans are best done before your workout, not after as that messes with the fluids in your body quite a bit. 

With all of that being said, getting a baseline does not require you to follow these instructions perfectly. The next time you are coming in for a workout, go to the bathroom when you arrive and then hop on. 

What do I do with my result sheet? 

It is yours to keep. The purpose is to establish your starting point or to measure your progress. If you feel like there are changes you want to make you can discuss those with us during your next Goal Review. 

Or, if you are now really motivated to lower your body fat percentage then we can setup a Nutrition Intro Meeting to discuss setting you up with lifestyle and nutrition plan specific to your goals and background. 

Let me know what you think!

Ben