For most of my life, I was that annoyingly consistent size 6 to 8, breezing through decades without really giving much thought to body fat, bone density or what was going on under the surface. Then I hit my 40s… and let’s just say, life got lovely. I got happy, I stopped worrying, prosecco became a good friend, and somewhere along the way I also became… 75kg. I’ve got a desk job, a gym membership that gathers more dust than muscle, and in my rock and roll lifestyle, the furthest I tend to venture most days is a thrilling trip to Sainsbury’s.
Working at BodyView, surrounded by people checking in on their body composition, RMR, VO2 Max and all things health and performance, I realised it might be time to practise what we preach. So I booked myself in for a DEXA Weight Loss package, and stepped up (or rather, lay down) and took the BodyView Challenge.
I know all about subcutaneous fat - that’s the stuff you can pinch, prod and see in the mirror when you're trying to squeeze into last year’s jeans. What had me curious was the invisible stuff, visceral fat, the kind that hides inside around the organs, and I also wanted a peek at what my bones were up to, because at 42, surely things can’t be that bad. I need a bit of clarity, a bit of motivation, or at least a nudge to stop ignoring my gym membership! So off I went to my appointment, a little apprehensive, but excited to see my results...
Right, so… turns out my DEXA Body Composition results weren’t exactly something to frame and hang on the wall. I’ve got too much subcutaneous fat, that’s the cheerful yellow bits on the scan. What really raised my eyebrows was the visceral fat reading at 134 cm². For context, a healthy level is under 80 cm². This can actually put me at a much higher risk of things I’d really rather avoid, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and a whole host of other health conditions that definitely aren’t on my wish list. I had absolutely no idea it was even there, but it is not welcome, and it has to go.
Next up was my bones, my lumbar spine and left hip got the full scan treatment. This test measures bone mineral density, giving a clear picture of how strong or fragile my bones are. It can detect conditions like osteopenia or osteoporosis, which signal thinning bones and a higher risk of fractures. After seeing my visceral fat reading, I was hoping for a good result here, that at least my bones were holding strong!
I got quite a shock when I found out I have osteopenia. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that at all. I’d assumed my bones were holding steady, but it seems they’ve been quietly losing strength without me even noticing. It was definitely a surprise and a clear sign that it’s time to pay a lot more attention. I mean how often, unless we break one, do we really think about our bones?
I’m a positive person, and while it’s not the best news, the good news is that knowledge is power. Now that I know this, I can take real steps to tackle my fat mass and visceral fat, and work on improving my bone density. It’s all about turning the results into action - or at least this is what I will tell myself. I can't let this become like my dusty gym membership.
After getting my results, I did what any sensible person would do I went online and bought some Vitamin D to help with my bone density. Very responsible, I thought. But knowing me (and my track record with remembering anything that isn’t glued to my hand), I also bought a pill pod with a built-in alarm. Let’s be honest, at 42 you’d think I’d remember to take one tiny tablet a day… but apparently not. If it doesn’t beep at me, it’s not happening!
So now I’ve seen my body composition results, which are not great, and my low bone density result was a bit of a blow. I want to understand what I can actually do about it. I have tried silly fad diets I've read about, namely, the cabbage soup diet - that did nothing! It made me feel pretty ill, and was frankly disgusting! So instead, I am having the VO2 Fax Max and RMR tests.
I’m curious to know how my body uses energy, both at rest and during exercise. It feels like I need the full picture before I start making changes. This isn’t about suddenly turning into an athlete, just figuring out what’s going on and where I can make improvements that matter, and make a difference.
So, I had the RMR test. It’s probably the most low-effort part of the whole process - I just lay there breathing into a machine for about 20 minutes. It’s the same quality kit they use in intensive care units, so it’s incredibly accurate.
The result? My Resting Metabolic Rate is 1681 kcal per day. That’s the number of calories my body needs just to function, if I lay in bed all day doing nothing.
It was actually a bit of a relief to know the exact figure. No more guesswork, no more picking random numbers off the internet or following plans that aren’t based on me. If I want to lose weight, I now know I need to stick to around 1681 calories a day. Simple as that. No silly restrictions, just proper data based on my body.
I have never been one to count calories, before I could get away with what ever I liked but now that has changed. I have downloaded myfitnesspal. It is pretty handy with barcode scanners, and easy to log what I consume. So now all I need to know is when my body burns fat. My Body Composition scan results, mean I definitely don't want to eat into my lean mass and bone density. I need to burn fat calories, and not carbohydrates calories, so the Vo2 Fat Max test is just what I need - to tell me exactly what I need to do.
Some of these results haven’t exactly been glowing, but luckily, one thing I’ve always had on my side is a faster metabolism. I've no idea how I’ve held onto that, but I’ll take it!
Fat calories are the purple bars on the graph, those little yellow blips are when my carbohydrate calories kick in.
The best news? I’ve now learned that my optimum fat-burning zone is when my heart rate is between 101 and 107 bpm, basically a brisk walk at around 2 to 3 mph. That means I don’t need to run or push myself to exhaustion to start burning fat efficiently. No sprints. No bootcamps. Just a good walk.
So with my RMR sitting at 1681 kcal a day, and now knowing the exact pace and heart rate to aim for, I can finally stop guessing and start doing what actually works - for me. Small effort, real results.
The bad news? I have just written this blog, so there is no turning back! I have put it out there, so I can't give up now. I will report back with updates as I go along! Care to join me?
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