Bizdoms®: The Body Fat Balancing Act

By SmartSamantha

Over the past 10 months---two times a week---my body has been pumping iron and building up muscles never seen before.  Why did I embark on this exercise journey? To increase my energy levels to deal with the demands of running a successful business. 

My trainer has been Sherri Allen of Impact Fitness in Atlanta, Georgia.  Sherri has taught me so much about how proper fitness is a balancing act.  And it all begins with finding out your body fat.  Here are some quick facts on body fat:

Sherri, Why is body fat so important?

Body Fat is essential so that our neuromuscular system can make good "connections" when sending information to our muscles. It is also used as a stored source of energy. Our bodies are built for survival, so this is the most saturated energy source we have available in our bodies.

Do men and women have different beginning points for measuring/maintaining body fat?

Men need 3% essential body fat and women 12% to conduct normal functioning. Sometimes this may drop below due to extreme physical training (marathon running or bodybuilding), but is not recommended. Women, in fact, can lose their menstrual cycle ( Amenorrhea ) if their body fat drops too low, which is why it is always a concern for prepubescent girls, especially those who run, to pay close attention that this number does not get too low.

How does our age play into the body fat act?

As we grow older, our body will tend have the need to store additional body fat to keep us warm, and to protect our organs, as well as to have that storage of energy in case needed. It is a fact that we must stay active as we grow older to help regulate this and keep our bodies strong and burning the fat we do have efficiently.

Sherri, we see so many of these reality shows where many of the contestants drop extreme weights.  But how much can a working professional who has limited time expect to lose? Isn t this where it become a balancing act?

Yes, this is where it definitely becomes a balancing act.  The Five key steps to get your body fat in balance are: proper sleep, proper nutrition, cardiovascular exercise, muscular strength training, and muscular endurance training.

Truly, if you do all of the 5 above things correctly, month to month, you can expect to lose around 1.5 to 2% a month if you are VERY dedicated and strict.  It is unnatural and not to be expected to lose more TRUE body fat than that per month, except in extreme cases.

Sherri so reminded me of the importance of leading a balanced life.  And the fact--- it will lead to a reduced body fat---increased energy and stamina making it a top notch act ---for any busy professionals.

And by the way, I am proud to say that my body fat is now at 17.5%!

BIZDOMS® are a registered trademark of SmartSamantha and for informational purposes only and are not intended to provide any legal, financial or other advice.  You should consult with a professional in such fields before acting on any information on this or any other website.