Weighing Better Rather Than Less
Weight goals should be personalized to our body’s composition and function.
I was 25 and active. I hiked three times a week, walked regularly, paid attention to what I ate—and still, I wasn’t becoming the tiny, thigh-gap woman that was popular at the time. After a visit to my provider, I was reviewing my chart when I saw it: my BMI... and next to it, the word “obese.”
It felt remarkably unfair—especially as I sat next to a friend watching a chick flick while she ate an entire bag of Lays potato chips by herself.
For decades, the Body Mass Index (BMI) has been the default tool for assessing health. You’ve likely seen it on health forms or fitness apps—a simple calculation that divides your weight by your height squared. Based on the result, you're placed into a category: underweight, normal, overweight, or obese.
But here’s the truth: BMI is a blunt tool trying to measure a very nuanced picture.
And for many people, it’s doing more harm than good.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a provider tell you to “just lose weight” without offering a single action step tailored to your unique body or situation.
That’s the real problem—we’ve relied on the number on the scale as a health metric for far too long.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say: if your provider is still using BMI to evaluate your health, it may be time to find a new one.
What I wish more providers would say is:
“You need to gain more muscle”—instead of, “You need to lose weight.”
Because ironically, when you gain muscle, you also gain weight… but your body composition begins to shift in the right direction. Your metabolism improves, inflammation decreases, and your weight starts to redistribute naturally.
Just the other day, a friend said to me, “I know I need to lose weight…”
I stopped her.
“No,” I said. “You need to gain muscle. Focus on that, and the rest will start to sort itself out.”
The Problems With BMI
1. It Doesn’t Account for Body Composition
BMI doesn’t differentiate between muscle, bone, fat, or water. A muscular athlete and someone with low muscle mass and high body fat could have the exact same BMI and fall into the same "overweight" category.
2. It Ignores Fat Distribution
Research shows that where you carry fat—visceral vs. subcutaneous—matters far more than how much. A person with a "normal" BMI but high visceral (belly) fat may be at greater metabolic risk than someone with a higher BMI and strong muscle mass.
3. It Doesn’t Consider Race, Sex, or Age
BMI norms were developed from a narrow dataset that doesn’t reflect global diversity. Different populations naturally have different body structures, and women naturally carry more fat than men—especially during hormone shifts and pregnancy. Age also alters body composition and fat storage patterns.
4. It Can Lead to Misdiagnosis or Delayed Care
People in larger bodies are often dismissed or told to “just lose weight” even when other health markers are normal—or even optimal. Meanwhile, people with a “healthy” BMI may go undiagnosed for metabolic conditions like insulin resistance, PCOS, or other endangering conditions.
Health Is Multifactorial
Health is not a number on a scale. It’s a reflection of:
Insulin sensitivity
Inflammation levels
Hormone balance
Muscle mass
Mitochondrial health
Stress resilience
Sleep quality
Nutrient status
Metabolic flexibility
Two people can weigh the same, wear the same size pants, and have radically different health outcomes. That’s why focusing on function over form is the future of medicine and wellness.
So What Should We Be Looking At?
Instead of obsessing over BMI, consider these more individualized metrics:
Waist-to-hip ratio (for assessing visceral fat)
DEXA scans or InBody analysis (for body composition)
Bloodwork (fasting insulin, CRP, lipids, hormones, micronutrients)
Strength and mobility (can you lift, carry, move with ease?)
Energy levels and mood
Cycle regularity (for women)
Resting heart rate and HRV
Redefining "Overweight"
Instead of asking, “Am I overweight?”, consider asking:
Is my body functioning optimally?
Am I nourishing and moving in ways that support my goals?
How do I actually feel in my body?
Is my weight gain related to stress, trauma, hormonal shifts, or inflammation?
What Is Body Composition?
Body composition refers to the ratio of:
Lean mass (muscle, bones, organs, water)
Fat mass (essential fat + storage fat)
Unlike weight or BMI, it actually tells you what your body is made of—which is a much better indicator of health, strength, and resilience.
Why Body Composition Matters More Than Weight
Muscle mass protects metabolic health, prevents insulin resistance, improves strength and mobility, and contributes to longevity.
Too little fat (especially in women) can cause hormone dysregulation, cycle disruption, and immune suppression.
Too much visceral fat (around the organs) increases risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory conditions—even if weight is "normal."
Why the Scale Isn’t the Best Metric
The scale measures everything—muscle, water, inflammation, fat, food, and hormones.
But it can’t tell you:
If your insulin is improving
If your inflammation is resolving
If you’re building strong, healthy muscle
If you’re holding water from stress or hormones
If you’ve shifted from toxic fat to metabolically healthy fat
That’s why body composition scans (DEXA, InBody, Fit3D) give far more actionable insights than daily weigh-ins.
Fat (%)
While most devices (like InBody) measure visceral fat as a rating or area in cm², researchers estimate that visceral fat should make up no more than 10% of total body fat.
Optimal Visceral Fat % of Body Weight:
Women: < 3%
Men: < 2.5%
Types of Fat in the Human Body
Not all body fat is bad — in fact, fat plays a vital role in hormone production, cellular health, temperature regulation, and organ protection. But the type, location, and amount of fat matter significantly.
1. Visceral Fat
Location: Deep within the abdomen, surrounding internal organs (liver, pancreas, intestines)
Function: Provides cushioning and emergency energy
Risk: Excess is highly inflammatory and associated with:
Insulin resistance
Heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
Fatty liver disease
Hormonal dysfunction
Ideal Range:
< 3% of total body weight (women), < 2.5% (men)
Visceral fat area: < 100 cm² (DEXA/InBody)
2. Subcutaneous Fat
Location: Directly under the skin (arms, thighs, hips, abdomen)
Function: Insulation, hormone production (leptin, estrogen), energy storage
Risk: Generally less harmful than visceral fat, but still contributes to metabolic burden if excessive
Ideal Balance:
Subcutaneous fat should make up the majority of total fat stores, ideally 80–90%. When it’s well distributed (rather than centralized in the abdomen), it is far less metabolically risky.Women - 20-33%
Men - 8-22%
3. Brown Fat (BAT - Brown Adipose Tissue)
Location: Neck, upper back, around shoulders and kidneys
Function: Generates heat by burning calories (thermogenesis)
Perks: Helps regulate body temperature and improves insulin sensitivity
Goal: Increase brown fat activity, not volume
Stimulated by:
Cold exposure (e.g., cold plunging)
Exercise
Adequate sleep
Certain peptides (e.g., MOTS-c)
4. Beige Fat
Location: White fat that can “brown” under the right conditions
Function: Acts like brown fat—burns energy instead of storing it
Perks: Flexible and responsive to environment (especially cold and exercise)
Goal: Encourage white-to-beige fat conversion
This is a target of many weight loss and longevity interventions.
5. Ectopic Fat
Location: Fat stored in non-adipose tissues, like the liver, heart, pancreas, or muscles
Function: None — it's pathologic
Risk: Highly inflammatory, impairs organ function, and increases disease risk even in “lean” individuals
Most commonly identified via:
Elevated liver enzymes
Fatty liver on imaging
Decreased insulin sensitivity
High triglycerides
Goal: As low as possible
Fat Type Breakdown in Men vs. Women
Each person stores fat differently based on sex hormones, age, and genetics. Here’s how the composition and distribution of fat typically differs between men and women:
Women naturally carry more total fat (essential fat + subcutaneous), especially around the hips, thighs, and breasts due to estrogen.
Men store more visceral and abdominal fat due to higher testosterone and lower estrogen, which puts them at earlier metabolic risk when overweight.
For Longevity & Hormonal Health
Women often do best with ~22–28% body fat if menstruating, and slightly higher (~25–32%) during perimenopause/menopause to support estrogen balance.
Men thrive with 12–18% for optimal testosterone, recovery, and cardiovascular health.
Too lean can be just as problematic as too high—especially when it’s paired with chronic stress, under-eating, or excessive cardio.
Total Body Water (TBW %)
This includes all water inside and outside cells:
Gender
Women:
Health Range- 45–60%
Optimal- 50–55%
Men:
Healthy Range- 50–65%
Optimal- 55–60%
Cellular hydration quality matters too:
ECW/TBW ratio < 0.39 is ideal
Higher ratios, which are more common, are signs of:
1. Systemic Inflammation
Inflammatory cytokines increase capillary permeability, causing fluids to leak into the extracellular space.
This can make you look and feel swollen—especially in the face, ankles, hands, or belly.
Seen in:
→ Autoimmunity, MCAS, mold exposure, infections, post-viral syndromes
2. Lymphatic Congestion
When lymph drainage is impaired, waste and fluid accumulate extracellularly.
This leads to a “puffy” appearance and fluid weight that doesn’t respond to diet or exercise.
Seen in:
→ Sedentary lifestyle, estrogen dominance, chronic illness, trauma, toxin buildup
3. Kidney or Liver Stress
These organs regulate water and sodium balance.
Dysfunction can lead to fluid retention—particularly lower extremity edema.
Seen in:
→ NAFLD, chronic stress, histamine overload, low bile flow
4. High Cortisol or Estrogen
Hormonal imbalances cause sodium retention and impaired water distribution.
Cortisol also breaks down muscle, shifting the water balance from intracellular to extracellular.
Seen in:
→ Chronic stress, overtraining, perimenopause, HRT without proper monitoring
5. Low Muscle Mass
Muscle tissue holds most of your intracellular water.
Low lean mass skews the water ratio—even if your TBW % is technically high, your hydration is poor.
Seen in:
→ Aging, under-eating, chronic illness, sarcopenia
High TBW % Without Muscle = Red Flag
Sometimes total body water appears “high” on a scan (e.g., >60% in women or >65% in men), but this doesn’t always mean hydration is optimal.
High TBW with a high ECW/TBW ratio usually means:
Intracellular water is low (dehydrated cells)
Extracellular water is high (inflammation, fluid retention)
You’re puffy but not truly hydrated
Lower ratios, are signs of:
1. Dehydration (Acute or Chronic)
The most obvious cause. Not drinking enough water, or losing too much through sweat, illness, heat, or diuretics.
Signs: Dry mouth, low energy, dizziness, constipation, elevated heart rate, low blood pressure.
2. Low Intracellular Hydration
Even if you’re drinking plenty of fluids, poor cellular absorption of water can lead to low TBW. This often reflects:
Low electrolyte balance (especially sodium, potassium, magnesium)
Inflammation or oxidative stress damaging cell membranes
Mitochondrial dysfunction
Common in: fatigue, insulin resistance, chronic illness, overtraining.
3. High Extracellular Water (ECW) Ratio / Water Retention
If TBW % is low but ECW/TBW ratio is high, it often suggests:
Inflammation
Lymphatic stagnation
Histamine or MCAS symptoms
High cortisol or estrogen dominance
This can create "water retention" without true hydration—you feel puffy but your cells are actually thirsty.
4. Low Lean Mass (Muscle)
Muscle tissue holds a large percentage of the body’s water (up to 75%). If someone has low muscle mass, their TBW percentage will reflect that—even if they're drinking water normally.
Red flag in: sedentary lifestyle, chronic dieting, aging, sarcopenia.
5. Undereating or Low Protein Intake
Protein helps maintain fluid balance and draw water into cells. If you're chronically under-eating or protein-deficient, your TBW and intracellular hydration may suffer.
Weight Gain Often Reflects Inflammation & Water Retention — Not Just Fat
We’ve been taught that weight gain is simply about calories in vs. calories out — but real-life biology is more nuanced.
In many cases, sudden or stubborn weight gain is less about fat accumulation and more about:
Systemic inflammation
Intracellular dehydration + extracellular fluid retention
Hormonal imbalance
Stress-related metabolic dysregulation
Inflammation & Fluid Retention: The Hidden Weight Driver
When your body is inflamed — whether due to diet, stress, mold, histamine issues, poor sleep, gut dysfunction, or trauma — it retains water and sodium to “protect” tissues and dilute toxins.
This results in:
Extracellular water buildup (the puffiness you feel in your face, belly, or hands)
Increased capillary permeability (fluids leak into tissues)
Sluggish lymphatic drainage
Altered cortisol, insulin, and aldosterone signaling
You may feel “heavy” but not fat — you’re inflamed and retaining water.
How to Disperse Inflammatory Weight (Water + Fluid)
Here’s how to shift from “swollen and stuck” to “light and lean” — without crash diets:
1. Open Drainage Pathways First
Think lymph, liver, kidneys, bowels
Dry brushing, rebounding, sauna, red light therapy
Lymphatic drainage massage or PEMF mat
Castor oil packs (liver and gut)
GI support: magnesium, fiber, bitters, motility agents
2. Shift From Inflammatory to Anti-Inflammatory Terrain
Remove food triggers (gluten, dairy, seed oils, histamines)
Add omega-3s, turmeric, resveratrol, ginger
Support mast cells (DAO, quercetin, luteolin)
Test and address stealth infections or mold if relevant
3. Hydrate Intracellularly
It’s not just about water — it’s about electrolyte balance.
Add minerals: magnesium, potassium, sodium, trace minerals
Rotate excess plain water without salts (it can dilute minerals) and mineral based hydration
Use coconut water, bone broth, or electrolyte powders
4. Balance Cortisol & Insulin
Sleep deeply (7–9 hours)
Eat protein-rich meals with stable blood sugar
Avoid overtraining — especially chronic cardio
Try adaptogens (ashwagandha, rhodiola), LDN, or vagus nerve stimulation
5. Move Lymphatically & Build Muscle
Walk 7,500–10,000+ steps/day
Do strength training 2-3x/week
Try infrared sauna or cold plunging to mobilize fluids
Breathwork & vagus nerve work to shift out of sympathetic dominance
Weight gain without a change in diet or activity often reflects internal dysregulation, not “failure.”
When you lower inflammation and support drainage + hormones, the weight usually sheds quickly and your body feels leaner, lighter, and more stable.
Lean Muscle Mass (%)
What Is a Healthy Lean Muscle Mass Composition?
Lean muscle mass is one of the most important—but under-discussed—markers of health, performance, and longevity. It’s the amount of skeletal muscle on your body, excluding fat, bones, and organs.
And no, you don’t have to be a bodybuilder to care about it.
Why Lean Muscle Mass Matters
Building and maintaining skeletal muscle supports:
Insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation
Basal metabolic rate (muscle burns 3–5x more calories than fat)
Hormone regulation (testosterone, growth hormone, myokines)
Bone density and fracture prevention
Cognitive health and mitochondrial function
Mobility, independence, and injury prevention as we age
Muscle is your metabolic engine. The more you have (within healthy range), the more resilient your body is to stress, inflammation, aging, and disease.
Healthy Lean Muscle Mass % by Gender
Women (% of total body weight)
Low< 24%< 33%
Healthy Range- 24–30%
Athletic- 30–35%
Men (% of total body weight)
Low < 30–35%40
Healthy Range- 33–39%
Athletic– 45%+
These numbers reflect skeletal muscle only—not organ tissue, water, or bone.
Real-World Example: Woman
Total body weight: 150 lbs
Healthy lean muscle mass target (30%):
150 x 0.30 = 45 lbs of skeletal muscle
If she’s 150 lbs and has 45 lbs of muscle + 25% body fat, she’s metabolically healthy and hormonally balanced—even if the scale doesn’t say “120.”
Real-World Example: Man
Total body weight: 180 lbs
Healthy lean muscle mass target (40%):
180 x 0.40 = 72 lbs of skeletal muscle
This man may weigh more than expected for his height—but if he’s lean, strong, and insulin sensitive, he’s in the optimal zone for long-term health.
Don't rely solely on the scale—you can gain muscle and lose fat without seeing a change in weight.
How to Build Healthy Muscle Mass
Strength train 3–5x/week
Focus on compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, presses, rows)
Prioritize progressive overload (increasing resistance over time)
Eat enough protein
Aim for 0.8–1g per lb of ideal body weight
Include complete proteins: meat, fish, eggs, collagen, whey, etc.
Regulate inflammation + stress
Inflammation blunts muscle protein synthesis
Support recovery with sleep, electrolytes, sauna, and magnesium
Cycle nutrients for hormone balance (especially for women)
Match carb/protein intake with menstrual cycle phases or stress levels
Healthy Muscle, Healthy You
Having healthy lean muscle mass means:
More energy
Better metabolism
Sharper cognition
Hormonal resilience
Increased longevity
You’re not aiming for a certain weight—you’re aiming for a composition that supports how you feel, perform, and age.
Bone Mass (%)
Bone mass makes up a small but important portion of body weight:
Healthy Range
Women- 3.5–4.5%
Men- 4.0–5.5%
Bone mass percentage declines with age if not actively maintained through strength training, hormone balance, and nutrient intake (vitamin D, K2, calcium, magnesium). Women especially need to continue resistance training as they age to maintain healthy bone density.
A more nuanced metric to look at is Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM):
Men: 33–39% of total body weight as lean muscle is considered healthy and ideal.
Women: 24–30% lean muscle is ideal for metabolic health, strength, and hormone balance.
How to Assess Body Composition
DEXA scans (gold standard for accuracy)
In Alaska there are several places where you can get a DEXA Scan:
InBody / Evolt360 / Fit3D scans (convenient and widely available)
Calipers (less precise but affordable)
Bioimpedance scales (good for trend tracking, within 3%-4% of a Dexa scan)
Our recommendation is to have two DEXA Scans a year to review your progress and get accurate information annually. Then add a Bioimpedance scale at home so you can track your progress throughout the year. We have seen this be an effective tool for equipping and empowering you with personal data to begin making a difference.
How to Improve Body Composition
Strength train 3–5x/week
Prioritize progressive overload, compound lifts, and resistance over cardio.Eat enough protein
Aim for 0.8–1g per pound of ideal body weight.Optimize metabolic health
Regulate blood sugar, sleep deeply, reduce inflammation, and manage stress.Cycle nutrition & training
Especially for women—match intake and training intensity with hormonal fluctuations.
Why the Scale Might Go Up—And That’s a Good Thing
When you begin improving your health, **your body composition changes in ways that can confuse or frustrate you—**especially if you’re watching the scale too closely.
The truth is:
You can gain weight while getting leaner, stronger, and metabolically healthier.
Here’s why.
Muscle Is Dense, Healthy Weight
Muscle weighs more than fat by volume, but it also:
Takes up less space
Burns more calories at rest
Supports insulin sensitivity
Improves mobility and strength
Regulates hormones like testosterone, growth hormone, and myokines
So when you start resistance training or optimizing protein intake, your muscle mass increases, sometimes raising your total body weight—even while fat mass drops.
It’s not about weighing less. It’s about weighing better.
Measure Health by Composition, Not Just Pounds
If your:
Muscle mass is going up
Inflammation markers are going down
Clothes fit better
Energy and mood are improving
Strength is increasing
...you’re getting healthier—even if the scale goes up.
How to Shift the Ratio in Your Favor
Cold therapy → boosts brown/beige fat activation
Strength training → increases muscle, lowers visceral fat
Anti-inflammatory diet → reduces ectopic fat deposition
Improved sleep & circadian rhythm → improves fat distribution hormones (cortisol, leptin, insulin)
Peptides like MOTS-c or 5-Amino-1MQ → target brown/beige fat and metabolic efficiency
Stress regulation (cortisol drives central fat)
Support thyroid & sex hormones
We hope by now you’re realizing your goal shouldn't be a low number—it should be a functional body that’s strong, hormonally balanced, and metabolically flexible. That looks different for every person.
A scale can’t tell you if your body is thriving.
But a strong body, steady mood, regular cycle, clear mind, and energy throughout the day? That’s what optimal feels like.
Optimal doesn’t mean lowest weight. We consider hormone health, strength, energy, sleep quality and menstrual regularity more important than the number on the scale.
There’s a big difference between “overweight” and “overburdened.” And many people carry extra weight not because of willpower, but because of dysregulated systems—gut health, cortisol, thyroid, mast cells, and more.
Let’s stop using BMI as a health gospel and start seeing people as more than a number. True health is personal, holistic, and rooted in how your body functions—not just what it weighs.