For a long time, like many overweight people, I claimed to be “big boned” and other ridiculous stories to justify and rationalize my size. While it may be true for some, it is not for me. I’ve known for a while that I have basically bird-sized wrists and miniature hands. I didn’t need to be told that underneath everything I have a petite frame. Not that I shouted that fact from the rooftops either.
Then, as life tends to do with me, my assumption of my “petiteness” was proven as a fact. As part of my experiment with the folks at Naked Labs, I was asked to get a DEXA scan. The scan proved without any doubt that I’m a delicate little thing under all my skin, muscle and yes…that terrible word…fat.
What is a DEXA Scan, you ask?
This nifty tool is usually used to measure your bone density – spoiler alert: mine is totally normal – but in this case, it was to measure how much of me was what. Almost like an MRI scan, you hop on a bed, and this scanny thing slowly rolls down over your body to give an insanely accurate measure of your body makeup. In addition to your weight, the scan measures how much is bone, muscle, and fat.
Below is an image from some other brave soul who posted his results on a public forum.
I’m not posting mine because there was WAY too much red (fat) and, in some cases, a ridiculously small amount of green (muscle). And I thought the scale was depressing. The image from the scan put me in a funk for quite some time. There was a lot of red.
The surprising result, however, was another assumption I’d made about my body that was proven to be true. I’ve alway thought that I carry my fat quite evenly across my body. I believed the ratio of muscle-to-fat on my forearms was about the same ratio for my butt. While this even distribution might seem pretty impressive to many, it means that as I grow and shrink I pretty much look exactly the same, just smaller or bigger. It also means that while I certainly don’t look slim, people are often surprised with how much I weigh.
I’m not sure if this even distribution is a good or a bad thing. It is, however, who I am.
I’m telling you all of this because in a couple of weeks I have to head back to the scanny people to get another scan. I’m interested to see the difference. Since this project started, I’ve significantly upped my exercise levels (please let there be more green) and done better on the food intake (please let there be less red).
I’ll let you know how it goes. In the interim, please feel free to follow me on Instagram. I’m documenting 100 days of running there. I ran across a stunning field of daisies one day, a herd of goats the next. It’s never dull.
L.I.L.A. - the Late in Life Athlete 