The theory is that we have an essential amount of body fat. Kind of a minimum level allowed in the tank.
For men this amount is roughly 5% of body weight, for women it’s closer to 13%.
Admittedly I have not explored the science behind these numbers, but for the purpose of this blog post, let’s assume they are correct.
(I also find basing the essential amount as a percentage of total body weight as opposed to a percentage of leanbody mass to be odd…but I digress.)
So for me, 5% is essential.
Then as a ‘safety cushion’ let’s assume enough fat to provide 2 weeks worth of energy should I need it.
That’s about 8 pound of fat ( 28,000 back up Calories at my disposal – more than enough)
That means that at my LBM (roughly 150-155 pounds…we’ll say 152.5) I should have about 8 pounds of essential body fat.
(152.5 / 0.95 = 160.5 160.5 – 152.5 = 8 pounds)
Now adding on my 2 week buffer I have 16 pounds body fat, or a weight of about 168 pounds.
So at my height and given LBM I know that I really wouldn’t want to weigh any less than about 162 pounds, but have no reason to weigh more than 168 pounds.
Anything extra is just excess weight.
Since I don’t see any reason I would be without food for more than 2 weeks, there is no reason for me to carry any more than 16 pounds of body fat.
And this is where the term ‘excess’ comes from
Excess – more than or above what is necessary, usual, or specified
I think this is something we have to remember when we are losing weight. We’re getting rid of the Excess – It’s kind of like housecleaning for your body.
It’s weight you don’t need. And that you have no use for. And while it’s a chore to get rid of it, it’s a freeing feeling to do so.
Just like de-junking your house or apartment – it’s a lot of work, but it feels great once it’s done….and really, you don’t need most of that stuff 😉
BP
