Measuring Body Composition

[Listen to an audio version of this blog here.]

Almost two years ago, I had my body composition measured utilizing a DXA scan (this is the company I used). I had it done again the other day, and the results showed slow and steady progress.

First things first, DXA stans for “Dual X-ray Absorptiometry.” It’s a quick and easy scan that took a total of seven minutes, and it’s one of the most reliable ways to measure body composition. My results showed not only lean body mass and fat body mass, but bone density, resting metabolic rate, visceral adipose tissue, and the muscle balance in my arms and legs (my right leg is a pound lighter than my left, while my right arm is a pound heavier than my left).

DXA scans require very little preparation. I just showed up in my yoga pants and laid down on a recently disinfected table. They recommended that I arrive hydrated and without much food in my stomach. I was in and out of my scan in under ten minutes, and my results were sent to me almost immediately.

Previously in my life, when I was in the midst of my eating disorder, I was obsessed with the scale. A pound up or down could determine my mood for the day, and I weighed myself constantly. When I entered treatment, I was forced into breaking my daily scale habit, and didn’t weigh myself for years. I learned to rely on how my body…