RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We've all heard a friend or relative say, "I just lost 10-20lbs doing ______." After the obligatory "wow" & "congrats" the next thing out of our mouth should be, "how much body fat % did you lose?" Nine times out of ten the answer will be "I don't know. Didn't measure that." The scale & BMI are irrelevant if the body fat % is not coming down. It IS possible to lose on the scale, but not lose body fat = loss of water/muscle or fluid fluctuation. Body fat % should be our main measure of progress, because that's where our disease risks come from. After body fat %, look at inches lost and how you feel internally.

WOMEN: 18-35yrs old body fat % should be 18-20%, 35-50yrs old should be 20-22%, 50yrs old + should be 22-26%

For MEN: 18-35yrs old body fat % should be 12-14%, 35-50yrs old should be 14-16%, 50yrs old + should be 16-20%

Have a qualified health & fitness professional calculate your body fat % TODAY, so you can begin tracking REAL (getting healthier) progress!