A body composition analysis shocked me into changing my diet, gym routine

19
Jan 25
  • I did a body composition analysis through my gym, with a trainer explaining the results to me.
  • While my BMI and muscle mass were at healthy levels, my body fat was not.
  • The results encouraged me to add more weights to the gym and drink more water.

If there was ever a time for me to scan my body for any health weaknesses, it was now. With the start of the new year, I went back to training almost every day and started dry January.

I was ready: I ​​booked a 30-minute body composition analysis at Life Time, a popular athletic club. A trainer met me and explained the process: I would take off my shoes and socks (when I forgot to repaint my toenails, of course) and stand in an InBody body composition analyzer.


An InBody body composition analyzer in a gym.

An InBody body composition analyzer at my gym.

Julia Pugachevsky



The scanning process took about five minutes. First, the machine weighed me, then scanned my skeletal muscle mass, body fat and water content while I wore the hand electrodes.

At first, my stats looked good. I quickly glanced at the printout and saw that my BMI was on point. So was, to my pleasant surprise, my muscle mass – strength training seemed to pay off!

It was when he revised my body fat percentage that I panicked a bit. I’d like to say it was a belated wake-up call, but it was more of a confirmation of what I already knew: I needed to change my routine.

The hot new trend in body composition measurement


A woman standing in an InBody body composition machine

Hand electrodes help measure how much muscle and fat you have.

Time of Life



The scanner, made by InBody, was first developed in South Korea in the late 90s as an alternative to traditional scales. In the early 2000s, the first InBody body composition scanners hit the US market.

In 2020, InBody unveiled the new technology at CES, a high-profile scientific conference. This update can apparently analyze belly fat and total body water, advancing the accuracy of body composition results.

In the following years, body composition scans became popular due to their ability to measure overall health better than BMI.

An InBody 570, like the one I tested, can cost up to $15,000. Getting an InBody scan is considered to be a more affordable and convenient alternative to a DEXA scan, which uses X-ray images to measure the amount of muscle, fat and bone you have. The new DEXA scanners cost anywhere from $45,000 to $80,000 and can only be used by healthcare providers, while personal trainers can use the InBody machines.

DEXA scans are considered more accurate than InBody, which can give skewed results if you eat right before, drink alcohol 24 hours before, or apply hand lotion.

BMI doesn’t tell the whole story

I’ve known for a long time that BMI is not a good health metric because it doesn’t separate weight differences between muscle and fat.

Still, because mine was always in the “healthy” range, I used it as a quick barometer of my overall health, the same way I listen to my horoscope if it tells me I’m crushing it in life.

While my BMI and skeletal muscle mass were both at healthy levels, my body fat percentage was just above the healthy limit. I also had the maximum healthy limit of visceral fat, the fat stored near my internal organs.

Right now, my trainer said, I’m at a “crossroads” with my visceral body-to-fat ratio. It’s still pretty easy for me to bounce back through more challenging diet and exercise. But if it continues to rise, he said, I will be at a higher risk of developing heart disease later in life, even if my BMI stays the same.

The analysis gave me targets for how much body fat to lose and muscle to gain to be in peak shape. Knowing my body, hitting those goals would require me to basically live in the gym and be incredibly strict with my diet, two things I’m not willing to do.

However, I agree with the larger goal: lose some body fat and gain some muscle, which requires monitoring my diet and getting my heart rate up at the gym.

My diet needs work


A pasta dish with peas and a side salad.

The analysis scared me into eating more salad.

Julia Pugachevsky



My trainer said most of the work would be on my diet, meaning I would need a calorie deficit. He said I should prioritize whole foods like lean protein, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, basically following the Mediterranean diet.

I’ve already focused on getting more protein and eating enough plant-based foods. My breakfast is either oatmeal with berries and peanut butter or scrambled eggs. Every week, I prepare several variations of fish with vegetables and grains. Even when I make pasta at home, it’s always whole wheat with a homemade sauce.

With the start of the new year, I cut out alcohol to improve my health, something that will definitely help me lose body fat. I have also been working on eating smaller portions. When I was training for a marathon or preparing to lift my deadlift, I got into the habit of eating a lot more than I used to. Now that I’m doing neither, all that extra food is turning into fat that I’m not burning.

I still have room for improvement. He said I should drink more water, which can help with fat loss. By reflecting on my diet, I can be more mindful of how many small meals I feed myself per day (probably less than three!). Given his emphasis on raw foods, I knew I needed to change my diet to include more fruits and vegetables.

The same day I got the estimate, I texted my husband: Our miso-butter pasta comfort dinner would come with some salad.


A text that reads "If you have time today, can you go to TJ's and grab the arugula? Thinking I could make a side salad for that pasta lol"

Julia Pugachevsky



Heart rate is key

When I started running a decade ago, I quickly lost about 15 pounds without changing much in my diet.

Recently, I started going to strength classes about two to three times a week and running two to five miles on other days, usually with a day off. I also live in a city, so I often walk or bike to find places.

I put them together, I thought it would keep me lean and healthy.

My coach explained to me that it’s not that simple: if I’m more relaxed with my runs (which I am), I’m not getting my heart rate up enough to burn fat. It matters less that I can run a marathon than how fast I can walk.

The same goes for strength training: if I’m not actively increasing the weight I’m lifting, I’m not building enough muscle to experience the fat-burning benefits.


A woman who does deadlifts

Deadlifting helped me strengthen my legs.

Julia Pugachevsky



When I did a strength training class later that day, I challenged myself to sprint harder on the running portion and lift more weight on the bench press.

Additionally, I recorded my weights so I could track my improvement.

A few days later, I chose to join a faster paced group at my running club. It was challenging but doable – exactly what the coach said I should aim for.

He also said that HIIT classes can help me burn fat and gain muscle, so I’m planning to try one soon.

While it initially shocked me to hear that I wasn’t in as great health as I thought, I also learned how to control my body. I was already working on fixing my eating habits and gym routine. The body composition analysis is just there to remind me why I do it.

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