The Necessary Ingredients For Weight Loss (NAPSA)—If you’re having trouble losing weight, you may need a drink of water. Studies show that being just one or two percent dehydrated can slow down 139C, ih your metabolism and raise stress hormones—and that can lead to weight gain. That’s one reason physicians have long measured water weight in their patients. Women should be between 50 and 55 percent total body water and men should be between 60 and 65 percent. SS — @ “Monitoring body water levels Monitoring water weight can help people lose weight. hormones,” says fitness expert J.J. Virgin. “We now know that stress plays a key role in storing fat Water Percentage. The scale, which is made by Tanita, uses a technology known could be doing everything else right andstill not losing fat.” sis, or BIA, to calculate body fat helps a person quickly compensate if levels are low. When people get dehydrated, they raise stress around the midsection, so you A second important factor in losing weight: monitoring body fat. Doctors say keeping an eye on body fat is critical because weight alone doesn’t give us a complete picture of our health. Men should have eight to 18 percent body fat and women should have 18 to 28 percent. People who just monitor weight during a weight-loss program may be losing precious muscle mass. So what’s the best way to monitor your body fat and water weight? One way may be to use an FDA-approved scale called Scale Plus Body Fat Monitor with Body as bioelectrical impedance analy- and water weight. BIA sends a safe, low-level electrical signal through the muscle and fat in the body, which enters through foot- pads on thescale. The signal travels more quickly through lean muscle because mus- cle contains more water than fat does. The length of time the signal takes to pass through the body, along with the user’s height, weight, gender and body type (normal adult, athlete or child), are all factors in calculating both body fat and body water percentage. For more information or to find a retailer, visit www. TANITA.com.
