Friday 15 August 2014

2nd Bod Pod Test Results & Shock Absorber Bra *REVIEW*

Body Composition Testing - Round 2

Back in April I had my first round of full body composition testing done over at The University of Bedfordshire's Body Hub (you can read all about it here). 

It was amazing to know in detail the true composition of my body, and where that put me in terms of the average fitness for my height/gender. I wish that I'd known about the Bod Pod and Tanita testing when I was at my biggest back in September: it would be amazing to have the results to compare just how far I've come between then and now.

I had aimed to return every 3 months to re-check my body composition, and chart my progress, so last week when the UoB dissertation students needed some volunteers to have the testing done to form data for their research I headed back to see what improvements I'd made in 3.5 months. 

Once again, I was weighed using state of the art Tanita scales to give me an accurate idea of my fat:muscle ratio, BMI, BMR and overall body composition. I also used the Bod Pod which is able to read your body fat % more accurately than any piece of equipment/machinery out there using air displacement. 

How did my body change in 3.5 months?

I was very pleasantly surprised! I had prepared myself for the worst, as you do, and had told myself it didn't matter too much if I hadn't changed my fat % or weight that much. Secretly though I was hoping all my hard work had paid off, and it has. 

In 3.5 months I have…

  • Lost 1 stone 8 lbs in total body weight
  • Lost 1 stone 10.5 lbs in pure FAT
  • Gained 4 lbs of muscle
  • Lowered my overall body fat % by 9.2%
  • Reduced the fat % in my trunk by 11.6%
  • Reduced my BMI from 30.7 to 27.3
The best result for me was now knowing that my total body fat mass puts me right in the middle of the desirable range for a woman of my height.

DESIRABLE FAT MASS RANGE FOR MY HEIGHT/GENDER IS:

14.3 kg - 26.4 kg

MY FAT MASS IS:

20.5 kg

I was so happy with those results - it has fired me up and spurred me on to lose this final bit of weight, and continue to exercise to improve my fitness.

So to date my total weight loss since september 2013 is 5 stone 9 lbs and counting!!

I now weigh 11 stone 7 lbs, wear a clothes size 14 (almost a 12), and have 7 lbs left to lose until I reach my target weight. 

SHOCK ABSORBER - Ultimate Run Bra *REVIEW*

The people at Shock Absorber kindly sent me one of their newest sports bras the Ultimate Run Bra in Purple to try out during my workouts. 

For me, having a decent and supportive bra when exercising is so important as I'm quite big chested, and am in need of support for comfort, and ease during exercise. Without good support I find myself hurting my neck and back, and I generally find the workout is uncomfortable and harder to do. 

I've previously worn shock absorber bras and always found them to be very reliable - I was sad when I slimmed out of my last one, so happily accepted to try this one out in a smaller size. 

I chose to wear a size 36DD. I found this to be a great fit, and true to size. The band is snug, as it should be, and there is little movement in my chest area, even during vigorous exercise. 

The straps are adjustable, and are very wide to give extra support. I also like the colour of this bra - usually sports bras are pretty ugly contraptions, but this one at least has a pretty colour! Although not hugely important when exercising, I found this bra actually gave me a nice shape, which helped me feel more confident when wearing it for my workouts. 

Here's what Shock Absorber say about their Ultimate Run Bra:

Designed specifically for runners, the award-winning Ultimate RUN bra reduces bounce by up to 78%* and provides ultimate friction-free comfort.

The bra has:

• Infinity-8 support system counteracts the breasts' figure-of-eight movement during running
• Soft, seamless inner reduces rubbing or chafing
• Non-slip, wide padded adjustable straps
• Reflective tape across cups for high visibility
• Full back opening for easy on and off
• Made from moisture-wicking, breathable fabric, sports performance fabrics
*University of Portsmouth 2009 (Scurr et al) - testing carried out against 'no bra' conditions.




Unfortunately, I couldn't very well review the bra without showing you guys what it looks like in reality. So, with red cheeks and a slightly apprehensive knot in my stomach, here's the bra on…


The Ultimate Run bra retails at £38 - which seems to me to be a pretty competitive price for a good sports bra of this quality. They are available to buy from Sports Bra Bar, Figleaves, Less Bounce and Booby Doo. 

So, as you can see from the above photo montage- despite my 5 stone 9 lb weight loss I've still got plenty of lumps and bumps - and there's still a little way to go before I will feel confident about my body. I do definitely feel so much better than I used to, my confidence is building, and the way I view my body is definitely different - I can now see my body as a machine that needs great care taken of it, nutritious fuel given to it, and plenty of exercise to keep it in good working order.

My new Shock Absorber Ultimate Run Bra will most definitely help ensure I stay supported during the exercise part, that's for sure! 

Do you wear a sports bra when you exercise? Or do you join the 48% of women who don't?

Mrs B

xxx

You can follow Shock Absorber on Twitter @No1SportsBraUK
Or on their Facebook page here