The InBody Scan: What Will It Tell Me?

Of course, we can’t tell you exactly what your results will be before we get them… (hopefully that much is obvious!) but what we can tell you the format in which they’re delivered, what kind of data you’ll expect to receive, and why this might be helpful to you.

It’s first worth stressing that everyone’s InBody scan results will be different, and it’s important to understand what the results mean, and not to jump to conclusions or make any assumptions based on what you might have read on the internet or heard your hairdresser’s neighbour’s aunty talk about.

This is why we always spend as much time as needed explaining the results after each scan, how they effect you as an individual, and what they mean in relation to your goals.

First things first – what does it involve?

The scan begins by us measuring your height. The InBody Scanner comes with a digital measuring device, so there’s no need for you to stand by a wall with a book on your head or anything like that! The body scan itself is then carried out on the machine. Expect to be asked a few simple questions about yourself first, including your age. The user will stand on the machine, bare footed (but no, you don’t need to be naked!) and hold a paddle in each hand. A staff member will talk you through the set up to ensure it’s all correct.

The scan itself only takes a few moments, and you won’t feel a thing – no discomfort whatsoever. It will feel just like standing on your bathroom scales. Simple! The results will then be printed out then and there.

What data do the InBody Scan results show?

Muscle Fat Analysis
This consists of a comparison of weight, skeletal muscle mass, and body fat mass. The results show a sliding scale of under, normal, and over for each result.

  • Weight
    This is simply your total mass – but more accurate than your typical bathroom scales!
  • SMM – Skeletal Muscle Mass
    Normal Skeletal Muscle Mass refers to the ideal quantity of Skeletal Muscle Mass for a person’s expected weight. There are three types of muscle; cardiac muscle, visceral muscle and skeletal muscle. It is the quantity of skeletal muscle that is the most changed through exercise, which is why the InBody displays Skeletal Muscle Mass separately from Soft Lean Mass.
  • Body Fat Mass
    Normal Body Fat Mass refers to the Body Fat Mass that a person should typically maintain for his/her standard weight.

Obesity Analysis

  • BMI – Body Mass Index
    The formula for BMI is Weight (kg)/Height2 (m2). BMI has been widely applied in the general, dietary, and sports medicine fields as the main means of diagnosing obesity. However, this method as a single measure is flawed, in that it cannot be applied to adults with high levels of SMM, children, those over the age of 65, or pregnant females. Also, there can be occasions when weight is normal, but fat mass is too high and muscle mass is too low. BMI will not detect this as being an issue if the overall BMI is considered to be within the normal range. This is just one of the many examples where it’s important for results to be explained, as data can easily be misinterpreted out of context.
  • PBF – Percentage Body Fat
    Percent Body Fat indicates the percentage of body fat to body weight.

Other Information
The results will also show a number of other stats and figures, including visceral fat level, typical calorie expenditure for various exercises, and an estimated BMR, but again, it’s important to note that not all of these will be relevant to everyone’s goals. The coach carrying out your scan will answer any questions you have, and will point you in the direction of the specific measures that are relevant to you, and which will be signs of your progress and success.

What happens next?

For some clients, the scan is enough to give them the information they require to decide how they’d like to proceed on their own. For some, it is simply an accountability tool, and having quarterly scans helps keep check on real life data. For others, it paves the way for a more detailed nutrition journey, as part of ongoing 1-2-1 nutrition coaching with a member of the SCFIT team. What this looks like varies greatly depending on the person, their goals, and what kind fo support best suits them. Every person’s journey is different, but what they share is dedicated time – time with a nutrition specialist to build them up, install healthy, long-lasting habits, and help them work towards their goals.

Is there anyone who shouldn’t use the InBody Scanner?

For safety, we will not scan those with artificial electrical implants, such as pacemakers. We also recommend the that women who are menstruating or pregnant avoid having a scan, purely because they may not show accurate results due to natural changes in their hydration and body water levels.

And finally, we appreciate that detailed statistics such as those delivered by the InBody scan is not always the most helpful measure of a person’s wellbeing. The scans form just one part of the nutrition services that we offer at SCFIT, and isn’t a service that all of our Nutrition clients make use of. Sometimes, clients will choose have the scan so that their coach has some real figures to work from, but will opt out of viewing the results themselves. So what is the right thing for you? Chat to us. We can explain the various ways we can help, and depending on your current situation and your goals, will advise if we feel an Inbody Scan would be helpful towards reaching those aims. Remember there are countless other ways to measure your health and wellbeing, from physical body measurements, clothing sizes, or the more qualitative measures such as energy levels, perceived effort and performance in the gym, not to mention how you feel in yourself and your relationship with your body.

What users say

Here are three comments from InBody Scan users within SCFIT to give an idea of how it has helped:

“I use the InBody scans as more of a maintenance and accountability tool. I’m happy overall with my body, and I’m generally pleased with the results it shows, so my nutrition journey is more about ensuring I stay on track fuelling myself with enough to keep energy levels good in the gym and to support healthy numbers on the scans.”

“I was really nervous about my second scan because I didn’t feel like much had changed since the first one, but seeing the results showed me that I’d made progress in the right direction, and perhaps I just hadn’t noticed the changes yet. Whilst my weight had barely changed in just a month, I was so chuffed to see that my body fat had gone down, and muscle mass gone up. It gave me the boost I needed to know that the work I’m putting in is paying off, and it’s worth it. The changes I’m making with my coach aren’t a quick fix – they’re lifestyle changes I hope to keep up for life, so I expect it to be a gradual process but I’m so glad that I can track my progress even if it’s just baby steps.”

“Knowing that I’m not where I want to be right now body-wise, I didn’t want to see the results of my scan, but I chose to have one so that my coach could know what my starting point was. I do better not knowing exact numbers, so instead I work to the targets and aims my coach sets with me based on what he knows from my scan.”

Summary

The InBody scanner is a great tool to provide us with data to help us see results and track progress as well as seeing a starting point to help with accountability going forward. It is important to understand the results are different for everybody and must be interpreted and explained to provide useful, personalised advice. At SCFIT we offer 30 minute InBody Scan appointments for members looking to book and pay for a one-off scan, as well as offering the service as part on ongoing nutrition coaching for clients. If you’d like to know more about the service or would like to book, simply get in touch by emailing us: info@secondcityfitness.com.

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