Many people who are on the lengthy road to lose weight typically use weighing scales as a guide to measure their weight. In any case, their foremost objective is weight reduction. But there's this one fact you should consider: a scale weigh not only your fats, but also your bones, muscle, and fluids. At the end of the day, the figures that appear on your weighing scale isn't at all the important numbers. Necessary numbers are those which means more in terms of total well-being. Such numbers are numbers that indicate the percentage of body fat Foster City. As most of us have heard, muscles certainly weigh more than fat.

You begin to have problems only when your body stores too much fat. Remember that too much of anything is bad for you, and too much of this substance can translate into a host of health issues, which may include hypertension, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance, among others. Perhaps the most dangerous stores are the ones at your waist. This is why in your efforts to lead a healthier life, it is important to measure not just your weight, but your composition as well. And composition measurement necessarily involves the measurement of fat percentages.

Today, anyone who's eager about weight loss virtually needs to be a mathematician. There are simply so many numbers to cope with. One of the vital numbers to calculate is the percentage of fats. It's an advantage how people can now measure their fat percentage at the comfort of their own home.

The scales on their own are a really poor indication of changes in your body, and that's where its Composition comes in. If we take another reading, your Fat Percent, we can make sure we're losing the wobbly stuff and not the shaping muscle. For example, let's say you've lost 10 lbs over the past six weeks. You see it in the scales, but you don't see it in the mirror. Immediately you wonder why. How can you lose the best part of a stone and not look any different?

Why Use Body Fat Monitors? It is the most recent and best type of scale to have as we speak. An even better weighing scale to have is one with a water monitor - many people are pretty dehydrated nowadays, and they don't even know it. A water monitor can help them keep on top of hydration, thereby achieving better general health.

BI, or bioelectrical impedance, is still another method by which you can measure percentage levels. This method uses electrical signals to measure your composition. The signals travel through your body and pass through all of its components, muscles, water, and bone.

Still another method for measuring the percentage is called DEXA. This is a recent technology that is known for its accuracy and precision. It divides your body into three compartments, namely: lean mass, mineral, and fat tissues. The technique makes use of a full-body scanner with X-rays that read both your bone and lean mass simultaneously. The scan lasts for about 10-20 minutes and is completely safe and non-invasive. The only requirement is for you to lie still all throughout the procedure. Perhaps the only drawback to this method is its relatively high cost.

There are several other ways by which you can get measurements of your body compositions. And the method that you choose will depend largely on your individual preferences and needs. It may be a good idea for you to ask those who have tried any of the available methods for feedback as regards accuracy of measurements and the usefulness of the method in their fitness and health efforts.