Struggles are Powerful: Share Yours!

Today I want to share the POWER one gains by enduring and overcoming STRUGGLE.


Let's face it. We all feel alone sometimes, powerless and we all face struggle no matter how far we've come toward accomplishing our goals. What some of us fail to realize is that we are not victims of struggle, we are given POWER during struggle!


If you start to look at everything as happening FOR YOU rather then TO YOU, you will find that you are empowered! This empowerment will ultimately help people around you if you are willing to embrace and share your struggle in a positive way. 


Lately I have been sharing testimonies because I feel that it is so important for us to realize how many other people struggle with things, and are able to overcome just because of the shared care and concern that we show them. 

Jen is Empowered!

One recent example of mine is a woman named Jen who works out at the gym I train at. I have been acquainted with Jen for about 8 years, as we have regularly worked out at the same gyms in Reno over the years. The awesome thing about this woman? Not only is she a complete sweetheart, a very hard worker, and dedicated,  but she notices everything about everyone! I would come back from vacation and she'd notice my new pair of kicks on my feet, or if I cut my hair she'd be the first to compliment me at the gym. She has a natural ability to build others up!


So, lately I have noticed Jen's persona changed. I would see here in the locker room, and she just seemed down for about 2 weeks. Finally I asked her if she was okay, but not wanting to push. She told me that she was feeling discouraged because she's been working so hard and not seeing results, and actually feels like she's gaining fat. She concluded that she has medical concerns that she didn't want to discuss. Ironically (as you may have read in my last blog), I also have medical issues that I have been facing, and I decided to briefly share my concerns. Her eyes lit up! She told me that she has BOTH of the same issues that I have, and asked for advice. She told me that she's never known that about me, and asked how I deal with it in such a way that it doesn't bring me down. She also shared that she does not have health insurance, and cannot afford testing. I, myself was in the same situation for 2 years. I referred her to a doctor and cash lab, and kept on her for a couple of weeks about getting her lab work done & getting the issues treated. 


Then! Yesterday I was on the treadmill warming up between clients and she saw me and came happily trotting up the stairs! She told me that she went and got her lab levels done, and was able to afford it! She told me that I was the reason she finally went, and stop putting it off. She thanked me and over-complimented me in ways unnecessary. She said I am a light that shines among all others in the gym. I couldn't believe it. I made a difference because I shared my struggle in a positive and encouraging way. No excuses, just resolutions.... The more empowering part? Through my struggle, Jen ended up encouraging me and giving my confidence to more effectively do my job as a motivator; while also sharing my imperfections.


You see, I realized that my struggle was happening FOR ME to help others, not TO ME as a means to hold me back! Every single area of our lives will present a struggle at some point. It is our job to face our struggle head on, and empower others through not only our actions but our words. It is so easy to feel like things are getting in our way as means of distraction, but the truth is that we have the choice to make the situation work in our best interest, and that of others. 


I have seen too often lately people making excuses for themselves, and playing the victim role. If this is you, you need to quit! Look around you. Every single person has a struggle. You may not touch everyone's life, but if you touch one life and empower someone it is likely that they will be empowered to share their testimony with someone else; the cycle will continue! 

YOUR WORDS ARE MORE POWERFUL THEN YOU THINK. STRUGGLES HAPPEN FOR YOU TO HELP OTHERS, NOT TO YOU TO BRING OTHERS DOWN. 

YOUR WORDS ARE POWERFUL.

The Mirror: Facing Obstacles & Overcoming Defeat

All of us face obstacles and defeat (or what feels like defeat) at some point in our advancement of self. Too often we blame these obstacles or feelings of defeat on outside circumstances, and often fail to look in the mirror. I know this to be true because I am one who has recently been going through this in a major way in my personal and professional advancement. However, I would like to encourage each one of you to keep your faith in the end result even when there is absolutely no evidence of the end result near. Afterall, that is the definition of faith.

I would like to share my personal testimony of obstacles that I have & am currently facing in hopes of encouraging those of you who are facing resistence against accomplishing your dreams. I am a real person running into real walls just like you, and feel that the purpose of these obstacles is to grow and help other people in the process; especially as a motivator!

Myself & Jay Cutler @ Las Vegas Classics

Personal Testimony:

I have a formal education in dietetics and personal training. I currently am in the career field of personal training because I love the transformation process and helping to educate, encourage and motivate others throughout. What I do gives me a sense of reward, and allows me to feel that I give back equally or more what I get out.

About 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with thyroid disease after gaining approximately 65 within 4 months. Yep! You heard me... from a slim 132 to 199 within 4 months (I`m 5'7"). Not only did I just graduate with a dietetics degree and was working as a Clinicial Nutritionist, but I also was working as a Personal Trainer. The very beginning of my career and I got fat. Keep in mind my eating habits and exercise did not change.

After many doctors and tests I finally got a doctor to believe that my diet & exercise was not the culprit. He worked for the same regional hospital as I. To keep this short, it took over a year on medication to even see any kind of loss. Once I lost however, 30 pounds came off within 3 months. Of course, this still left me 35 heavier then before! Convinced that something else was wrong, guess what? It was. Another diagnoses and more medication. I was told by those close to me that maybe I`m just getting older and that was going to be the way I'd have to live. I refused and worked as hard as possible to prove that wrong! I knew this could not be possible.

One year later, I felt even worse (though I did not gain back the weight I had lost). So, I decided to go off of all but my thyroid medication and felt whole again. Finally self-healing was taking place through diet and exercise. Now, 4 years later I finally decided that it was time to pursue my dream of competing in NPC Figure Fitness! I hired trainers, started my diet 16 weeks out, and did everything according to the book. I was pleased to see results.... at first.

Week after week my body was not changing as we wanted it to or responding to anything except for a ketogenic diet. That felt like an answer and I was getting leaner! Until I hit a plateau with stress levels through the roof, and 2 hours a day of cardio plus lifting (18-20 hours per week) and dieting on top of a full and hectic work schedule training others. In the gym 24/7. I didn't care what it took, I was bound and determined. My coaches told me I needed to find a way to manage my stress levels better and they were right. Finally, they told me if I didn't see results soon I would not make my goal date of June 9, 2012 and advised me to go back to my doctors. Well, I did and my thyroid was fine. It was determined however, that while I am not a diabetic, my insulin levels were high related to other medical concerns. So, I started medication. Guess what this meant? No more ketogenic diet because of low-blood sugar. I was still determined to overcome this within 6-8 weeks til show time.

I say all of this because this has been my last 4 weeks and really my last 16 weeks and even my last 4 years. Recently, I ended up overtraining and not listening to my body. After being ordered to take a week off, I then got sick because of the rapid changes in my body. It felt like it hated me. I was doing harm and not good. I decided that I would not get myself down, but rather discover every trigger that made me stressed and aggravated along the way. My major problem? Stress! I started to have the "Got To" attitude instead of "Get To". It was no longer loving my health, but that I "got to go to the gym" or I "got to get up early". It felt like the fuel to my flame was dying out. Thankfully, my coaches were amazing enough to counsel me through all of this.

I am happy to say that after 3 weeks of feeling not myself or a little discouraged at times, I did not allow doubt to overtake me! I will not be competing next weekend, even though my family is flying here from out of town specifically for that reason (talk about added pressure)! I remain with my eyes and heart fixated on the goal because I have complete faith in my abilities to overcome with hard work. Not only that, but I have re-discovered my passion ten-fold and once again and am truly enjoying this process. Remember that process is progressional and takes time. Besides, this time I don't have to start from square one, and neither will you the second, third or fourth time around! Every single successful person has failed at something! MJ said "I have failed over and over again, and that is why I succeed". 

My coach always tells me not the let anyone OUT WORK me. I have a notecard in my car on my dash that says "I will not let anyone outwork me". That is my daily affirmation. I highly suggest that you start verbalizing and writing down affirmations for your goals. What you put out, you will get back if you have conviction and faith. You cannot be afraid of failure! Failure just shows you how bad you really want something.

But faith goes beyond the end-result because we often have no visible evidence of our dream becoming a reality. We must not view defeat as defeat! Failure is only opportunity to grow and go in to our goal even better then we would have initially. For me, I do not want to get on stage at 70%, I want to be 120% ready and win! Now, I get that opportunity to show-case myself in a better way, and share with others my struggle. I do not feel like a failure because I KNOW my time is coming, others just don't see it yet! That's okay with me. My coach also says "Some of us just have to work harder then others".  I`m sure many of you reading this may feel that you're working so hard, and not seeing a big result. Keep working!!! You will see results, but sometimes manifestation takes longer then we hope for. What is YOUR current opportunity in your struggle?

There is always a purpose to our struggles IF we choose to view them that way. We can chose to play a victim or we can be victors and build others up! While I am not yet on stage like I said I would be, I can promise you that when I am within the next few months, all who doubted my abilities will be quiet! While this is not about "doubters" or "haters", you must realize that people will criticize and judge you during your journey. Do not listen to the nay-sayers. They are poison to your ears, mind and heart. This is why it's very important to choose your environment carefully, and sometimes you have to isolate yourself and make that sacrifice in order to acheive something for a greater purpose!

You cannot accomplish any of these things, however, without looking in the mirror. I will never blame anyone else or a medical condition for my short-comings. I believe that health is the absence of disease, and there has to be something else that I can personally do and change to be 100% healthy and disease free! This is my current project, and something that has manifested overtime - likely related to stress. It is SO IMPORTANT to listen to your body, and take care of yourself to the maximum degree. Do not get discouraged by other's opinions. In fact, choose whose opinions you will listen to and void the rest. Educate yourself as much as possible about your goal and the process that it will take to accomplish your goal. The more knowledge you have, the more faith you can affirm because you will be able to develop a plan.

In summary, when faced with defeat you must do the following things:

• View this as an opportunity to shine brighter
• Be honest with yourself about where you messed up in the process
• Ask yourself if you lacked progress or if it just didn't meet your expectations
• Ask yourself if you gave it your all?
• Evaluate your support system. Are they helping or hurting you?
• Re-evaluate WHY you want to achieve this goal. Is it for the right reason?
• Consider, verbalize and plan out your next steps and new game plan. If the first game plan didn't work, choose another approach.
• Finally, remember that the process will be hard work, but should be enjoyable. You will never be completely successful at something you do not enjoy.

When you run in to a wall don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it. - Michael Jordan

7 Tips: What You Should Know about Eating Healthy on the Go

I hear time and time again how people are just "too busy" to eat healthy. My response to this is simple, no you're not!

Eating healthy is a matter of preparation. I know what some of you are thinking, you don't have time to cook, or eating healthy is just too expensive. My goal is to convince you otherwise and provide you with some tips on Eating Healthy on the Go. I garauntee that most of you are spending more money on eating out then I do on eating healthy.

Here are my 7 tips for eating healthy on the go:

1) Go grocery shopping and stock up on foods that you enjoy. Take a list with you that includes items for meals that you can make ahead of time & tupperware up for the week (or just a few days if you prefer fresher food).

2) Stock up on water & eliminate sugary drinks. Water is the most overlooked item in a healthy eating plan!

3) Prepare your meals at least a day in advance if you have a hectic schedule.This is extremely important! Get your lunchbox ready the night before work so that you have healthy snacks and meals to last you all day. If you don't, you'll find yourself  either a) running to AM/PM for an afternoon snack or b) going through a drive through on your way home because you're so ravished. Prepare or prepare to fail!

4) Choose food items that fit your lifestyle & that you enjoy. For example, I know that I often eat breakfast in my car after the gym & on my way to work (horrible I know!), so I make sure that on the mornings I`ll be eating in my car I have made items that are easy for me to eat like oatmeal. Sometimes I have eggs & stop at 7-11 to use their microwave & grab a fork! It CAN be done. Afterall, if I didn't have my food I would be stopping there for food anyways. 90 seconds in and out. If you're a diabetic, make sure you have snacks rich in carbohydrate and fiber to raise blood sugars up to normal levels and sustain for a period of time.

5) Don't cheat yourself. Do not buy most of your groceries healthy, and then buy cookies and cakes to have around the house. Especially if you're like me and will eat them if they're in sight! It's better if you treat yourself to food to go out for a treat. Do not sit around on the couch eating cookies. Remember the 80/20 rule!

6) Coupon and know where to shop. Know the best places to go for overall value if financials and produce / meat freshness is an issue to you. Really, it's an issue to everyone. Cost may be more upfront then a box of cookies is, but long-term you`ll save thousands of dollars for your pocket book.

7) Stock up your vehicle! Keep bars, crackers, almond or peanut butter or other healthy snacks in your car or purse in case you end up being gone longer then expected. Life happens! If you have something on hand you are not as likely to stop for food elsewhere, and if you do there is NO EXCUSE.
Eating healthy is much easier, and much more affordable then you may think! Just like anything else, give yourself a few weeks to develop this new habit. If you're still skeptical or affordability, save every receipt this next week for every drink, snack and meal that you buy out. You will be shocked at how much you're spending!

Remember when it comes to your health and how you eat, YOU are in control.

Do you have control?

Process of Progression: Finding Purpose Beyond End Result

When it comes to well-being there are countless avenues to explore and opinions to consider. For the purpose of this blog however, I am revealing a personal thought process about the process of progression toward a goal (end-result).

Most of us set goals and work uncounted hours in order to acheive them. Once we reach that goal, we rejoice for a day and move on to our next goal. Depending on our goals, we have different preperation times. Sometimes preperation takes a month, sometimes it takes years. Regardless of the time period it takes to accomplish our goal, we always have the end-result in mind when challenged in our process. When we are challenged, we are forced to focus on the end-result rather than the challenge we face at the time. We tell ourselves "The results will be worth it all" ...we are looking forward in to the future.

While this is certainly necessary during the process, I have found for myself that unless the process brings enjoyment or fulfillment of some sort, I tend to lose interest, get stressed or doubt the fulfillment that I expect the end-result to bring me. Not saying that things should be easy by any means because I love hard work, not just the results from hard work. Hard work gives an immediate satisfaction feeling, sense of accomplishment, and immediate rise in confidence. There is no delay in the enjoyment from hard work. It is enjoyable in and of itself.

This leads me to ask: WHY do I want to accomplish this goal (end-result)? Throughout the process my goal itself rarely changes, but the reason for accomplishing my goal often does. I doubt I am alone in this. The process brings me more or less appreciation for accomplishment of a specific goal based on my experience during the entire process.

Have you ever had 2 similar experiences and the first time you experienced something it was amazing, exciting, and gave you a sense of satisfaction; while the second time you were bored, unphased or disappointed? Sometimes goal accomplishment is a lot this way too. During one preperation phase you may feel satisfied or fulfilled, and another time you may feel a lack of purpose or joy during the process or end-result. Each experience brings out a different vision within ourselves. While we may always have the end-result in mind and may be able to visualize the end-result, the process often changes our vision based on our experience. That is to say that our goals will be everchanging based on our gained knowledge, exposure and our mind-set.

Think about a college class you may have taken, and walked away with very little information because you were not engaged and barely passed the class. Then years later, you find yourself in conversation about a topic your class may have covered that you used to have little interest in for whatever reason; for the purpose of this example I will say the presentation was unappealing to you. But now, later in life you find yourself actively interested and studying the topic just for fun. Ever had a similar situation?

This is to conclude that the presentation of the process is everything. We are turned on or off not necessarily by our vision that we see in the future, but by what we see in the present moment. This switch we activate often determines our progressional velocity. The more we are turned off, the slower we tend to travel toward to the end-result and vice versa. It is not just the goal (end-result) that is important to consider during challenges and obstacles, but where you are currently at in your process of progression that will ultimately affect your progressional velocity and overall experience. If you want to have an enjoyable experience, you must find a way to enjoy the process itself. This is why most people are great at things they truly enjoy.

Work hard, but most of all have fun!

Listening to Your Body

I have felt compelled to write on this topic due to my own personal experiences with being forced to listen to my body lately. I am convinced that while our bodies do adapt to anything we put it through, if we do not listen to our body's needs overtime, our body's will do the talking for us - FORCING us to listen!

We live in a fast paced society where bigger is better, faster is more productive, and we squeeze every single free hour in our appointment books full of other tasks. While this is amazing for short-term productivity and accomplishment, this style of life is not a way to live every day. (I am in NO way degrading sacrificial efforts for specified time-periods, in fact, it is absolutely essential that you are out of balance from time to time to accomplish great things)!

We need oxygen to survive. Breathe....

In my most recent personal experience, I have experienced lack of sleep and lack of overall-balance in order to achieve great goals. In doing so, I ignored all that my body was telling me  like rest, slow down, and get more sleep (yes, we all do it!). The outcome? My coaches ordered me to take a week off of the gym entirely and listen to my body while easing back in to training. While I did this, it was inevitable that I got sick and have had the flu for a week. Talk about down and out! Guess that's a way to force you to slow down and sleep. The second I slowed down, my body decided that sleep is the number 1 thing that I have needed. Ever had this experience?

So while I felt down and out for a couple of weeks, I have now learned that embracing this time of rest and recovery is absolutely essential to overall well being. This can be extremely difficult on the mental state of someone (such as myself) who is a go-getter and always looking to do more, be more, rise to the top and outwork anyone else! It's funny how as motivators we are forced to practice what we preach at all times. If we don't, it shows! Whatever you put your body through WILL in fact create some sort of response; whether positive or negative. It is important to recognize these triggers and nurture your body in the way that it needs to recoup and function efficiently. This is true in the fitness and nutrition world which go hand in hand. You must recover from muscular tears and breakdown, and also fuel for performance in order to function at optimal levels. It is also true in day to day life pertaining to relationships, family, fun, spirituality, and every other part of our lives.

With all this said, whether you need a day of nothing, a day of spiritual feeding, physical rest, a day of fun, or just a mental break from the hectic parts of life listen to your body! The worst thing for our body's is stress which actually has many negative health effects on all of the hard working efforts you are putting forth, not to mention reduced productivity and focus.

Evaluate yourself and your situation where you're currently at. Look at your schedule, and allow yourself to breathe (even if you have to schedule it in!). There is a fine line between lazy and recovery, so be weary and have an action plan to stay on track with your goals.

It is okay to recover when necessary. Though I may be subconciously affirming this to myself by putting it out to my readers, I also hope that anyone else who is struggling with acheiving balance will benefit from this, and take some time to listen to your body over everything.

Afterall, health means something different to us all. The important thing is that we enjoy our precious lives & find the beauty in the process. Without struggle there is no progress. Keep faith alive no matter what obstactle you are faced with! Embrace your struggle, and you will certainly overcome it!

The mind is deceiving. The body never lies.

What is your body telling you?

Success: Individually Defined

My job is a motivator, an encourager, an educator, a role model & most days a therapist (coaches/ trainers you can see the humor here) for not just physical fitness, but overall health and well-being. In my life, and life, and in the society we all live in we always want to be SUCCESSFUL. We dream about it. Talk about it. Think about it. Yearn for it. We read self help book, books on secrets to success, we listen to successful people speak, we seek out encouragement and motivation, we are always aiming to do more and more to be "successful". While growth happens during the process of "Success", what does "Success" truly mean for our lives? How do we define it?

We hear people say daily, "I want to be successful".

My response? That's great! But, what does success mean to you? Is it more than having money, more then buying that house, more then getting your dream spouse? So here I ask you (yes you!)

WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL?  

ARE YOU HOLDING OR HIDING YOUR KEY TO SUCCESS?

To most, I have determined that being successful  means simply accomplishing goals. Make sense right? Accomplish your goals, get what you worked for and feel good; therefore, you will be successful. This is partially right, but the problem is that obtaining a specific material reward will never make us successful!!! The even more unfortunate part is that most people have not created an action plan of their achieving their goals. In turn, they lack focus and fail to progress.

Is this you? Do you lack focus? Do you know what it means for you and the truth in your life for you to be successful? If not, I challenge you to really dig deep down within you, and consider defining success for your life. Everyone is different. Society tells us that success is a sum of our successes or our failures. If you fail over and over you are a failure - you will never be successful. You know the stereotypes, the people who are just a statistic waiting to happen?

Then on the flip side, if you succeed enough times you will be "successful". If you get straight A's in school you will be able to go to the best college, get the best education, and get the best job. We all know this has the potential to be true, but depending on circumstances does not always happen. It is completely individualized. With that said, is success really just a sum or our good or bad doings? Our choices?

Michael Jordan said this...


"I have failed over and over in my life & that is why I succeed." 


--- Can his success or identity be defined merely by outcomes? Or does EFFORT play a role in "Success"? If you fail, but you gave it your all is that really a failure? Who is defining that for you? You or the critics in your life...?

My challenge this week for you is to defined what "Success" means for you. List out your goals, your life objectives (or just your current objectives). If you want to make a difference define HOW you want to make a difference, and with whom. Do not be vague. If you're vague, you will lack focus. This is dangerous territory because without focus, you cannot put forth effort toward making your "Success" a reality for you.

Once you have defined what this looks like for your life, you will be able to gain a new perspective and insight to your individuality and what accomplishments that you believe will allow you to live the life you desire.

Dream Big! Remember, your "Success" is individually defined...

Believe in Yourself to Achieve for Yourself

Today I want to encourage you to believe in yourself, and give you some tools to help you make your dreams a reality! You must believe in the dream that you have visualized for yourself. You can make your dreams a reality! Whatever it is that you want to do is within reach, but it is a process...

Muhammad Ali put it this way:

"It's a lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself."


So what do you need to do to achieve your dreams? Well, you need to start with a few things.

1. Have a Vision

2. Set a Game Plan

3. Expect & Prepare for Success

Vision 

This means your eyes are wide open even when you feel blind.

You must have a vision so strong that you can play what it looks, tastes and feels like in your mind. I`m not talking about waking up one night from a crazy dream and going for it (though some may do that), but I am talking about the plays & replays in your mind of your dream becoming a reality. Something so wanted that you already know what it's going to feel like and mean to you once you accomplish that goal.
You create your destiny.

Game Plan 

Write Down Your Goal(s)

Set a Game Plan - How many innings do you have to swing in this game? How many quarters do you have to make something happen this game?

Truth be told, you will not get far without a plan. Without a plan you do not know your focus or where the work, time and energy needs to be invested. You MUST have a game plan. Plain and simple. So how do you do that? Include a time frame for achieving that goal. Be as specific as possible!

Example: My goal is to become the top sales consultant in my region within 6 months, and sell at least $50,000 within that time frame.

Now, you know where you're going. Set a specific measurement (in this case a dollar amount - money). You can't get somewhere unless you know exactly what it will take to be the best. If the top sales consultant sells $45,000 in a 6 month average, then you know that you need to at least sell $50,000 to be at the top.

Now, expand that goal. Don't stop there.

HOW are you going to get there? What sacrifices are you willing to make for that time period? 

Example: I will be at work 15 minutes early every day in the next 6 months to pre-organize my day, and get a head start before anyone else even gets in. In order to do this, I will cut out 15 minutes of my morning news program (or not watch tv at all). 

WHY do you want to achieve this goal? This is the single most important aspect of making something happen. You have to realize WHY you want something. Do you want to be top in sales so you can pay off your debt, or maybe propose to your girlfriend, or maybe to give your wife the honey-moon you two never took, or maybe to invest in your child's college fund. Whatever the reason(s) - Be specific.

The WHY is what you`ll write down, and always go back to on the days that you really don't feel like giving an effort. The days that you're tired, doubting, or just not feeling it. If you are specific and honest in this process you will find yourself motivated by the prize. Although, the prize is not your focus. Like ET the Hip Hop Preacher puts it "Your focus should be the process, not the prize... When you focus on the process and get that right, the prize will come later."

Expect & Prepare for Success 

It's Coming!

This is crucial! This is the DOING portion of achieving where you implement your game plan. You must now follow through and put in to motion the process of working toward your goals. You gotta work!! Where you're starting now, does not have to determine where you`re going. Although, where you're at now is because of the choices that you have made. So choose wisely moving forward.

Nothing good will come to you sitting around, watching tv, staying stagnant day in and day out, or feeling sorry for yourself. Who does that help? No one! So many people say that they want to achieve a goal, but what are they doing to make their dream a reality? Nothing!! Do not be this person.

To expect success means that you have the faith in knowing that your day is coming! You know the end result is within reach.

To prepare for success, you have to know and DO whatever it takes to get there. Hard work. No way around it.


Some days will be hard. You`ll be tired, but you cannot negate the faith that your day is coming no matter how hard it gets. Once you doubt yourself, you will create an internal downward cycle of negativity, and if you let that consume you, you will not accomplish what you've set out to do. If you find yourself in this place, you need to turn your attitude around, and replace those negative thoughts with affirmations of success.

Believe to Achieve. 

Believe in yourself. Believe in the process. You will achieve. You will progress.

BMI : Is the Number Significant?

"What should I weigh? " is one of the most commonly asked questions I see in the fitness field.

There are many commonly used measurements to determine a person's general health status. The average American, and even fitness and health professionals tend to focus their energy on their scale weight. Even now, most health professionals (i.e. some doctors) use BMI (Body Mass Index) in assessment of a person's health risks. Thankfully, because of the following information I am about to give you, the number determined by BMI calculations no longer hold the significance they once did.

Let me explain. 

What is BMI? 

Body Mass Index is a height to weight ratio that was implemented by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in June 1998 in an effort to get health professionals on the same page for assessing health related risks; specifically obesity.

How Accurate is BMI as a Health Measuring Tool?

It seems that BMI accuracy is difficult to calculate, but is a reasonable measurement for assessing obesity rates in comparison with under to healthy weight individuals. A BMI of > 25 means overweight, a BMI > 30 indicates obesity and <25 indicates underweight. 

The problem with BMI is that it does not take in to account factors other than height, weight and gender such as: body fat percentage, muscle mass, lean mass, bone density and structure. This can especially become a problem with dealing with athletes, bodybuilders, men (generally speaking for the athletic male), and the elderly. 

Another noted problem I have found in my research is that BMI was developed based on Caucasian men and women. It is no secret that different races have different body compositions. Consider the following finding from a 2009 study performed on BMI accuracy at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Houston in a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in comparing BMI conclusions to DEXA scan conclusions:

"It's important to break down the BMI numbers," Bray said. "Just because you weigh a certain amount doesn't necessarily mean you are overweight. Take, for example, an athlete who is very muscular and still weighs up to 300 pounds."

When the two results were compared, researchers found that the DXA estimate of percent fat of African American women was 1.76 percent lower for the same BMI compared to non-Hispanic white women. Since BMI is assumed to represent body fatness, an African American woman would not be considered overweight or obese until she reached a higher number than what is indicated by the current BMI standards. The opposite is the case for Hispanic, Asian and Asian-Indian woman. Their percent fat is higher by 1.65 percent, 2.65 percent and 5.98 percent, respectively. So they would be considered overweight or obese at amounts lower than what the BMI standards indicates. The results for men were similar.

This is only one example of many studies conducted on the accuracy of BMI, but most findings conclude that BMI is not the most accurate measurement of obesity or general health. 

What are Some More Accurate Measures of a Healthy Body Composition that you Should Consider ?

• Skinfold measurements
• Underwater weighing
• Bioelectrical impedence
• DEXA - Dual Energy X-Ray Analyzer
• Bod Pod (Air Displacement)

How Accurate are these Methods? 

(Listed High to Low)

1. DEXA Scan- New technology found to be the most effective tool for measuring. 
2. Underwater Weighing - Approximately +/ - 1.5% marginal error
3. Skinfold Measurements - Approximately +/- 3% error (if conducted properly)
4. Bioelectrical Impedence -  Approximately +/- 3% error 
5. Bod Pod -  Approximately +/- 3% error 

Please keep in mind that each of these measurements have cons including (not limited to) : cost and availability of equipment, trained professional usage (are they skilled and accurate every time they measure?), getting wet, difficult variables to control (such as hydration and eating prior to testings).

If you are considering evaluating your body composition in comparison to your health status and / or risk factors, contact a trained professional to have one of these tests conducted. If you'd like to learn more about each of these tests individually I have included a link on this blog to New Fitness that breaks down each measurement in a very easy-to-read way. Click here: Body Composition Measurement Testings

REMEMBER: The mirror is your friend. Make it your friend if it's not already. Stop focusing on numbers, and start focusing on being healthy! You only have one body. Make it work for you!