(PRWEB) Knowing your body fat percentage guides you to the most effective weight by keeping track of the amount of fat lost. This is usually determined as a percentage of body fat a person is carrying in proportion to their actual weight. Widely available and inexpensive body fat monitors provide this information.

The most effective and by far the most accurate way to measure your body fat percentage is to use a body fat monitor. If you are serious about weight loss then a good body fat monitor is essential and will measure your body fat to within 0.1% of the actual total.

When someone says they want to lose weight, what they actually mean is they want to lose body fat; of course every human needs a certain amount of fat as it is essential for correct bodily function. Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body’s energy storage. However, too much body fat, especially visceral fat around the major organs, can cause wide spread problems such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

It is also a fact that women do carry more body fat than men; this is natural and means that a woman’s body naturally has a higher percentage of body fat than the body of a man. The percentage of essential body fat in a typical women’s body is between 10-12% whereas a man’s body contains only around between 2-4%.

Including our essential fat it is considered acceptable to have a total body fat content of between 25-31% for a woman and between 18-25% for a man. Anything above these figures and you would be considered to be both obese and having too much total body fat given the overall composition of your body.

When undertaking a weight loss program it is important to monitor body fat as this is a realistic indicator of your progress and if the diet is working for you. Remember, weight loss doesn’t always mean fat loss, yet fat loss should be the main aim of any weight loss or healthy diet regime. Many people often make the mistake of setting themselves impossible goals when they embark on a weight loss programme and lean body mass is not taken into consideration when setting yourself an ideal target weight.

By using a body fat monitor you can assess your exact requirements and achieve realistic goals. Judging exactly how much body fat you need to lose rather than how much weight is vital and this will lead to the maintenance of essential lean body mass which usually means calorie-burning muscle.

Body fat monitors use Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, which involves sending a very low electrical signal through the body. This offers an indirect measurement of body composition. A safe electrical signal (50Khz, 800 microamps) is sent through the body via contact points (hands or feet)

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis is based on the fact that lean muscle tissue contains high levels of water and electrolytes, and therefore acts as a conductor of an electrical signal. Fat mass is comparatively anhydrous and acts as a resistor to the flow of an electrical signal. Increasing levels of fat mass result in a higher impedance value, and correspond to higher levels of body fat.

Where to Get a Body Fat Monitor

Several online sources make getting your own device simple and inexpensive. EBay auctions offer many handheld devices made by Omron, which is what I own. You can also find the same devices on Amazon and other online superstores. The typical cost should be around $40 to $50.

Body fat percentage updates,

Dr. D

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