Tuesday, January 8, 2019

I Got Punched in the Face and Lived to Tell You About it...

....ok, so it wasn’t an actual Fist-To-Face punch but let me be honest, that probably would have hurt less. And for sure been a MUCH better story to tell.

Danny Rand AKA Iron Fist. Any other fans out there??

So about a month ago I was contacted by Lyn about a cool opportunity to get a DEXA Scan. So this post is sponsored and the scan was paid for by them. But the review I’m about to give is an honest one of my experience and thoughts on the process, the information obtained, and the scan itself. And to be clear, the scan itself was NOT painful at all...it was simple, easy, and quick...the information blow about my body fat percentage? Well...THAT hurt.

So what exactly IS a DEXA Scan? I’m glad you asked!  A DEXA scan is a way to precisely measure body composition; muscle, fat, bone.... it is a great way to see exactly where you are right now and measure progress in the future, or no progress if that’s the case.  The scan can show you cool stuff like muscle asymmetry, which can lead to injuries, and visceral fat which is the dangerous fat around the organs. You can also check your bone's health to prevent any bone related diseases like osteoporosis.  So essentially it’s a cool way to take a look at what’s underneath our skin and what is inside our bodies.

The DEXA scan gives you the most precise information about your body fat, muscle, and bone composition, and it lets you track changes in your body composition over a period of time. Fitness enthusiasts, athletes, normal people who want to see what the inside of their body is doing, can use this scan to get a baseline of where they are now and to objectively measured progress. Four instance finding out that you have 112 pounds of lean muscle and a skeleton that weighs 7.7 pounds is super cool information! And to toot my own horn for a second the lady who did my scan said that my bones were "amazing" and my bone health was at the top of the charts, being excellent for a woman of my age (21 years old.....for the 19th time). She also said my lean muscle of 112 pounds was "really, really good." So my lean muscle mass and bone density where the two positive things about my scan.

The results show you your overall body fat, lean tissue, or muscle, bone weight and percentages, and gives you a breakdown for the right and left side of your body. This shows you if your arms and/or legs differ in comparison.  The scan can show you where your body fat and muscle is distributed, and the gross reality of visceral fat, the dangerous fat around your organs. The primary advantage of a DEXA scan over using a fat estimated device like bio impedance scales, calipers, tape measure or the displacement estimate device (like the hydrostatic dunk tank or the Bod Pod that I reviewed a few years ago-the red word Bod Pod is a link to that post) is that the DEXA scan is actually measuring your body fat and giving you precise measurements showing you WHERE on your body that fat is located.  The bod pod that I did just gave me an overall idea, it didn’t show me how much fat and muscle was in each arm, each leg, my trunk, my big toe, or my hands... it just gave me the overall breakdown of fat, muscle, bones and organs.

I was surprised to see that my arms and even my legs were symmetrical in muscle and fat distribution. The DEXA scan gives you a precise measurement of the fat and muscle distributed
around your body. This allows you to see asymmetry that can actually lead to injury if you don’t correct it. So if one arm is stronger than the other, or you feel like you might be stronger in one arm than the other, this can actually tell you for sure if you have more lean muscle in your right arm than your left arm, thus telling you you’re not crazy and you do know your body. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything. 

When I arrived to the Lamkin Clinic the actual scan was so quick and easy! I filled out a small questionnaire and was shown to the room with the scan. I didn't have to change clothes or anything, I even left on my Ugg boots....but had to remove all jewelry. I just laid down on the table, she strapped my feet together so  I could relax a bit, I held my arms close to my body, and she began the scan. It didn't take long at all, maybe 7 minutes, if that. It went the length of my body, slowly, making some kind of futuristic scanning sound that made me think I was either getting cloned or turned into a super hero (ok ok...too many DC and Marvel movies).


When the scan was complete I was given a three page report with the scan broken down for me. It was easy to read and interpret and detailed my results. The lady went over the numbers with me and we discussed any concerns and questions I had.


And this three page report is where I got punched in the face....not by the lady, she was great, but by the numbers....we already discussed the lean muscle and the bones...but the overall number of pounds of my body (which, blog to come about that mess soon....) and the percentage of body fat. Ugh...OUCH.

But now I know.  I know the truth, I know where I stand. I know what is happening with my body...and I know I have a ton of muscle, a strong healthy skeleton, and too much body fat for my liking.


So on one hand this information was hurtful and brutally honest. But on the other it was also valuable and necessary. It provided me with a wake-up call that I needed. I am working my tail off 4-6 days a week doing crossfit. I am strong! But my performance is lacking due to the excess of body fat and I now have a realistic idea of how many pounds, or I actually prefer a realistic body fat percentage, that I can shoot for losing. I don't want to lose muscle or strength. I want to lose fat. And knowledge is power....

So if you are interested in getting a DEXA scan check out this website for a location near you:  DEXAscan.com 

Have you ever had a DEXA Scan or a done the Bod Pod or any other test to give you this kind of insight? Thoughts about it?

1 comment:

  1. According to Stanford Medical, It's indeed the SINGLE reason women in this country live 10 years longer and weigh 19 KG less than us.

    (Just so you know, it has totally NOTHING to do with genetics or some secret exercise and EVERYTHING to around "how" they are eating.)

    P.S, I said "HOW", and not "WHAT"...

    Tap on this link to see if this brief test can help you find out your real weight loss potential

    ReplyDelete

You're pretty much awesome!!

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