I got a fancy new scale (Eufy Smart Scale P3) for Christmas to keep me motivated. I've gained some weight in the last few years (~25pounds) and I'm trying to slim up and tone. The scale gives me...

Weight
BMI
Body Fat%
Muscle Mass
Water%
Body Fat Mass
Lean Body Mass
Bone Mass

None of them are really glowing right now and some are down right depressing....haha. Anyway....which is the best metric for me to concentrate on? I know losing weight is important but if I'm also trying to build muscle should I be hyper focused on that?

A scale is used to track progress towards a goal.

A test of fitness is doing something fitness and then doing it again after a time and seeing if you are improving, in my view.

None of those metrics aside from the top 2 are going to be precise to your actual body composition from a scale you stand on.

Waist to height ratio. But the scale doesn't help with that. A $2 sewing measuring tape will do it.

You want these lines to go down:

Weight
BMI
Body Fat%

And these lines to go up:

Lean Body Mass
Bone Mass
Muscle Mass

The scale won't be accurate as to the amount of all of them, but if they're trending in the right direction then you're making progress.

Or how many times can you bench press 225 - as per the NFL.

I can usually tell if I'm fit or not by just looking in the mirror

Waist (around belly button/top of hip bones) vs height ratio.

And a CAC score (it is a chest xray to measure blockages in your coronary arteries).

There are skinny people in terrible health (see clogged arteries), so BMI and body fat % don't tell the whole story. Pretty much nothing in isolation tells the whole story.

Marathon time

I like the old sayings "can you pinch and inch?" and "just a mirror and a scale".

BMI is probably a decent indicator for most of the population but not for men who are very muscular.

As a generalist, I focus on my strength-to-weight ratio and performance in cardio events ranging from about 400m to 5k.

wcb said:

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Anyway....which is the best metric for me to concentrate on?

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TexAthlon ranking.

Speaking of, it's been a while.

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tri Aggieland

wcb said:

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Quote:

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Anyway....which is the best metric for me to concentrate on?

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TexAthlon ranking.

Speaking of, it's been a while.

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Summer of 2012. Holy cow!

My results from 2013 (vs. 2012).

TexAthlon

1,000 yard Swim - 24:33 (-1:34)
Long Jump - 103 in (+ 4 inches)
Softball Throw - 198 ft. (+ 12 ft)
200 meters - 27.80 sec (-1.18 sec)
Bench Press - 270 (+ 5 lbs)
Pushups in 60 seconds - 66 (+1)
Chin-Ups in 60 seconds - 24 (+2)
10k Run - 56:40
Squat Reps @ 100% of Body Weight (150 lbs) - 21 (-11)
10 Mile Bike - 38:52

You'd have to look it up, but Peter Attia recommended something like 2 minute dead hang, 2 minute 90 degree wall sit, farmer's carry body weight for 2 minutes, etc.

Grip strength is apparently a good predictor of longevity even before you get old.