How InBody can help you understand your body

This article has been reviewed and approved by Certified Nutritionist Samantha Lerviken on February 8, 2024.

Sometimes it feels like no matter what we do, our weight is not going in the right direction. We eat well, exercise properly and stay away from sweets, but still the same stubborn number appears on the scale. But did you know that body health is so much more than just the number of pounds we weigh? 

The human body is incredibly complex and is made up of different substances, all with varying densities. So when you feel thinner, but your weight is still the same as before, you may have gained muscle mass and lost fat.

What is a InBody measurement?

Since a regular scale does not take into account the weight difference between fat and muscle, a InBody measurement can be a great tool to better understand your body. Measuring your body composition with a InBody scale gives both you and your coach, nutritionist or personal trainer a deeper understanding of your body and its needs and progress.

InBody is an advanced scale that measures your body's composition of fat, muscle and water instead of just weight. It does this through small electrical impulses sent through your body. Because fat, muscle and water have different electrical properties, the InBody scale can distinguish between them and calculate how much of each is in your body. 

How does a InBody measurement work?

The measurement is done by standing barefoot on a scale and holding two handles to send small electrical impulses through your body. The resistance that the signals encounter is recorded and provides an estimate of what is fat, muscle or water in your body.

The pulses are very weak, so you won't feel them when the measurement is taken, but you should still not take a InBody measurement if you have a pacemaker or are pregnant, just to be on the safe side.

InBody-wave can give you insight into: 

• How much muscle mass you have on your body: usually we have more kilos of muscle than we think, and this component weighs the most.
• How the muscles are distributed on the body: maybe you use one side of the body more than the other, or maybe you are particularly strong in your arms. The InBody scale can see this.
• How much fat you have on your body: having too high or too low a percentage of fat is not good, and the scale can give you an indication of your situation.
• What kind of fat your body is made of: visceral fat, i.e. fat between the organs, can be dangerous, but the body needs subcutaneous fat to be healthy. The InBody scale can measure the percentage of visceral fat and give you an estimate of how much you need to lose.
• How your muscle and fat mass compares to an average of a large number of people your age: it can be fun to know how your body compares to others - maybe you're more (or less) fit than you think?
• How much water you have in your body: if you have been drinking a lot or eating food with a lot of salt, which binds fluid, your body can be heavier without having more fat. The bathroom scale does not provide this insight.

As you can see, there's a lot of information to be gleaned from a InBody weighing session that you can't get insight from just a bathroom scale and a tape measure. This also means that you can compare your body more fairly before and after an exercise program to see exactly how much better your body became after your efforts.

Whether your goal is to lose weight, build muscle or get better health in general, InBody measurements can be a tool to get the insight you need to make sure you're going in the right direction.

Things to consider for a InBody survey

During the measurement, you stand on the InBody scale barefoot and hold your arms outwards with one handle in each hand. 

You don't have to do anything during the measurement itself. Just stand relaxed with your feet on the marked spots on the scale. The measurement usually takes 2-3 minutes and you will not feel the faint electrical signals sent through your body. 

We usually recommend not to eat or drink just before the measurement, as food and drink in the stomach can affect the result and is perceived by the scale as fat mass. It is also best not to exercise just before the measurement, as physical activity can affect the body's water balance and thus the result of the measurement. 

What do the results of a InBody survey mean?

After the measurement, you will receive a printout with all the values. If you do the InBody weighing on Estetikcentrum , you will always have a review with our trained dietician who can explain what all the results mean and where you need to improve. Without this insight, it can be difficult to decipher what all the numbers mean or do anything about the results.

If you have a specific goal or are undergoing an exercise program, we recommend that you take a InBody measurement regularly to track your progress along the way. About 2-4 weeks apart is usually enough to see a difference.

InBody-measurement provides a good starting point for setting goals and working towards a healthier body composition. It can be used whether you are exercising, having a tummy tuck with or without liposuction, or participating in our Allurion or Saxess programs.

Would you like to book a InBody measurement at Estetikcentrum in Malmö? You can do so by clicking here.