Body Composition
Body composition is the body’s relative amount of fat to fat-free mass. Those with optimal body composition are typically healthier, move more easily and efficiently, and in general, feel better than those with less-than-ideal body composition. If you can achieve a better body composition goes a long way toward improving your quality of life and overall wellness.
Body composition is divided into two separate types of mass: fat-free mass -- which is comprised of all of the body’s non-fat tissues -- and body fat.
Body Composition ang Nutrition.
Your weight and/or body fat was measured during your medical exam. Take a look at the weight allowed for your height as shown in Table 1. If you exceed the weight listed for your height, you may not be over fat. Some well-muscled individuals have body weights that far exceed the values for weight listed on the charts for their age, gender, and height. Yet, only a small percentage of their total body mass may be fat.
This standardized PT program meets the requirement to be physically active everyday. However, you will still need to make changes to your diet to so that you can report to IMT at an appropriate body composition. Losing one to two pounds per week is a realistic goal, which is best accomplished by a combination of eating less and exercising regularly.
Table 1. Screening table weight. Reproduced from AR 600-9, table 1.
People always want to know if a particular food is good or bad for them. No single food choice is necessarily a bad choice. Too many bad choices over time can accumulate into a poor diet. Poor
choices like a lunch of soda, chips, and a hamburger once in a while will be balanced out by a better choice like a turkey sandwich with low-fat dressing on whole wheat bread and fruit on a regular basis. Eating for performance and health doesn't mean that you have to give up all of your favorite foods.
Build a healthy base by eating a variety of foods. Different foods contain different nutrients and other healthful substances. No single food can supply all the nutrients in the amounts you need. To make sure you get all the nutrients and other substances you need for health, build a healthy base by using the Food Guide Pyramid as a starting point. Choose the recommended number of daily servings from each of the five major food groups.
Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta Group: Foods made from grains (wheat, rice, and oats) should form the foundation of a nutritious diet. They provide vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates
(starch and dietary fiber), and other substances that are important for good health. Grain products are low in fat, unless fat is added in processing, in preparation, or at the table. Whole grains differ from refined grains in the amount of fiber and nutrients they provide, and different whole grain foods differ in nutrient content, so choose a variety of whole and enriched grains. Eating plenty of whole grains, such as whole wheat bread or oatmeal may help protect you against many chronic diseases. You should consume at least 6-11 servings daily from the base of the pyramid.
Consuming the recommended daily intake is not difficult if you understand serving sizes. A ½ cup of cooked rice, cereal, or pasta is about the same size as your fist. The best choices from this food group are bran cereals, oat bran, low fat bagels (pumpernickel, rye, whole wheat), whole grain muffins (bran, corn and oat bran), whole grain breads and rice, and stoned wheat and whole grain crackers.
Vegetable Group: The vegetable group is one area where many people regularly fail to consume enough. Vegetables are nature's vitamins. To ensure that you get essential vitamins and minerals, you should strive for 3-5 servings per day from this group. A serving size of raw or cooked vegetables is only ½ cup, and most people eat more. One cup of leafy raw vegetables is also a serving size, which is much smaller than the regular salad served with a restaurant dinner. A ½ cup of vegetables is about the size of a tennis ball. To maximize the vitamin and mineral content of your vegetables, don't overcook. Cook in a microwave, steamer, or wok only until tender crisp. The lighter colored vegetables, such as cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, and celery are mostly fiber and water with very little calories, vitamins, or minerals. Choose dark green, orange, and yellow vegetables. The darker the vegetable, the more likely it is to have large amounts of vitamins and minerals. A variety of different vegetables should be consumed to ensure that you receive a variety of nutrients. Broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, carrots, or winter squash are the best choices. A ¾ cup of vegetable juice also constitutes a serving from this group.
