Cornerstone

It is often said that 95% of diets fail, that is, most people gain all their weight back (or more). Anyone who has ever dieted would say it is easier to lose weight than to maintain those losses.

From the standpoint of health and even appearance what matters most is the proportion of body fat to muscle. Scale weight does not take this in to account. Muscle is much denser than fat and therefore weighs more per unit volume. So shooting for a particular weight instead of a healthy body fat target percentage actually puts more muscular (fit) people at an apparent disadvantage.

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is overwhelmingly determined by your degree of muscularity ie the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest and with exercise. Therefore if you want to burn more calories, even while you are sleeping, you want to keep as much muscle while you only lose fat.

In terms of health and longevity what matters most is the proportion of fat to muscle. Only your knees care how much you weigh (increased weight bearing). With regards to health effects (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease) all that really matters is the number of fat cells you have, where in your body this fat is stored and how full of fat these cells are.

Many people who have dieted on and off on low or very low calorie diets have essentially replaced much of their healthy muscle with unhealthy fat. Though they weigh less they have less muscle and proportionally more fat. This is known as "skinny fat" or TOFI (thin outside, fat inside) or normal weight obesity.

One of the most accurate techniques to measure body fat and lean body mass is electrical bioimpedance. The Cornerstone program uses the BC-1 body composition analyzer which is the most accurate bioimpedance device on the market. Recent clinical studies performed at USC Keck School of Medicine created separate algorithms for men, women and children that put the BC-1 measurements within 0.5 % of DEXA measurements, and DEXA is considered the "gold standard", more accurate than hydrostatic weighing.

The measurements are performed using a technique called bioimpedance. A painless, small electrical current is passed through your body and since muscle conducts electricity and fat resists current flow, that number can be translated into body fat and lean body mass (muscle).

The BC-1, despite it's technological superiority, is inexpensive enough that patients can use them at home once they have graduated from their physicians fat loss program. Because measurements are transmitted through the Internet, your doctor can continue to follow your trends without your having to come in to the office.

A pre-set very healthy body fat goal range is determined for men and women. Even if that goal is never reached, if you are at least moving towards that goal you will be getting healthier, feeling better, reshaping your body and looking fitter. It is not all or nothing-even a small change in the right direction can markedly improve your health and appearance.

Remember your goal needs to be lifetime management of healthy body composition. This will insure less likelihood of fat regain. The benefits will be greater health, less risk of disease, greater vitality and of course better appearance and improved self-esteem, which is intimately linked to appearance.

You now have access to the most technologically advanced tools to reach and maintain the body shape you desire, especially when combined with the other functions of the Cornerstone Wellness program- the online meal planning, the aerobic and resistance training modules, the CT-1 online calorie tracker and the daily educational articles. The rest is up to you!