InBody Scan

The gym offers something called an InBody Scan. First, the personal trainer enters some data (height, age, gender). Then you stand on this scale-like machine and hold out some funky handle thingies. In five minutes the machine pops out a body composition analysis, a muscle fat analysis, an obesity analysis and a bunch of other information.

According to the machine, I have lots of fat. So much so, that it should be impossible for me to drown! Seriously, the numbers were pretty dismal. According to the machine, I am almost 45% fat and my BMI is a whopping 33. In fact, the only good news is that I'm still 5'5" tall. I haven't shrunk since boot camp -- 32 years ago. Also, I have a slightly higher than average skeletal muscle mass. (I want to enter cronehood with as much bone as possible.)

We're going to repeat the test in a month and see if the numbers change any. I'm not holding my breath.

One oddly positive thing: the analysis recommended that I lose 57.3 pounds to reach an ideal weight. I did the math, and now I have a definite goal weight -- 145 pounds. When I started Weight Watchers they asked for a goal weight. I didn't know what to say. I've been carrying around so much extra weight for decades that I don't even know what a good weight is for me. 145 sounds good. Of course, I can adjust that number as I get closer. (I've ben told that Weight Watchers stopped flogging failures in the 80s.)

The trainer also said losing that amount of weight should realistically take a year or more with proper diet and exercise.

A year.

OR MORE.

I'm trying not to let it get me down. It's not working. I've had a lousy week -- no exercising, no walking, lots of stress, some bad food choices. I'm afraid to step on the scale tomorrow. I'm afraid I'll be fat forever.


P.S. I stepped on the scale anyway. No change. Despite my rotten week, I was able to maintain my weight. In my book, that's a win!