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Winnipeg Free Press article talked in detail about body-composition scans. In the Free Press article, writer Doug Speirs published the results of his scan, which revealed his body fat was too high: 42.2 percent. The healthy range for males is about 18-24, and athletes are in the range of 6-13. On the positive side, Speirs had good bone density and carried a solid amount of muscle. That’s fantastic. Perhaps you’ve already been scanned somewhere with a Dexa or Fit3D machine. If you haven’t, we have an InBody machine that can tell you your weight, your body-fat percentage, your muscle mass and resting metabolic rate in about 20 seconds. But here’s the real question: How do you improve the numbers on the printout? It’s one thing to know what you’re made of, but it’s another to change it. That’s where we come in. We’re experts at interpreting the results of body-composition scans and providing an exercise and diet prescription that will help you make positive changes. For example, if Speirs brought his scan to us, here’s what we’d suggest: Step 1: If Doug is not active in any way, we’d recommend some activity. Something is better than nothing, and going to a gym with a specific plan is even better. Step 2: If Doug is currently working out, we’d have him prioritize weight training to ensure he maintains muscle mass while we reduce body fat. Lean muscle mass has incredible metabolic effects, and we don’t want him to lose much muscle. Doug’s boss trains with us, so he has a ride to our gym.  Step 3: From there, we’d look at Doug’s diet. We’d reference his resting metabolic rate and his activity levels, and we’d prioritize protein in his diet to help retain or build muscle mass. Then we’d adjust caloric intake to target fat loss, likely by changing the sources of carbs and fat in his diet. For example, we might recommend extra lean ground beef on a bed of spinach instead of a greasy burger and french fries. We’d prioritize reasonable amounts of whole foods, and we would absolutely get rid of any forms of liquid sugar. Step 4: We’d have Doug log his food intake, and we’d make adjustments as needed. We’d meet with him regularly and scan him to make sure things are moving in the right direction—and we’re positive that they would be if he combined exercise and sound nutrition. If you read the Free Press article and are interested in determining your body composition and making changes to it, contact us. We can help! Come to us with your scan results or book a scan with us, followed by a consultation. For more information about body-composition scanning, click here. For more info about 204 Lifestyle nutrition and food services, click here.