Functional Elements

Healthy food choices support long-term health—but weight loss still comes down to maintaining a consistent caloric deficit.

To read Part 1 a 3 part series of articles by Jaime, RD, LD about weight loss click 🔗 on the comments

Weight Loss, Part 1: Why You're Not Losing Weight (It Starts With the Math)

Understanding the calorie deficit—and why guessing rarely works.

One of the most common questions we hear at Functional Elements Training & Nutrition in Creve Coeur, MO is:

"Jaime, I'm eating pretty healthy... so why am I not losing weight?"

The answer usually comes back to one thing:

Energy balance.

Let's start this three-part weight loss series with the least glamorous topic of all...

Math.

I get it. Nobody wants to hear "calories in, calories out" one more time. But before we talk mindset, before we talk protein, before we talk meal timing, we have to understand the equation that sits underneath all of it.

What Is a Calorie Deficit?

A calorie deficit occurs when your body consistently burns more calories than it consumes. It is the foundation of healthy, sustainable weight loss.

Food quality, protein intake, exercise, sleep, and stress all play important roles in your long-term health and body composition—but weight loss begins with understanding your energy balance.

The One Rule That Never Changes

At its most basic level, weight loss happens when you consistently burn more calories than you consume.

How do you get there?

You take in less energy than your body burns.

That's it.

Eat foods that aren't considered "healthy" while remaining in a calorie deficit?

You'll still lose weight.

Eat nothing but clean, nutritious foods while consistently consuming more calories than your body needs?

You won't.

Food quality absolutely matters for your health, energy, muscle mass, and long-term success.

But when it comes to body weight itself, the calorie deficit is what drives the change.

Where People Get This Wrong

One of my biggest pet peeves as a dietitian? People choosing a calorie target completely out of thin air.

1,200 calories.

1,500 calories.

Whatever number someone on social media says worked for them.

The problem?

A calorie deficit that's too aggressive often backfires. Go too low for too long and several things begin to happen:

To read full article by click 🔗on the comments...

Meet one of the most valuable tools in our studio. The InBody scanner helps us measure what actually matters—muscle, body fat, and meaningful progress over time.

An InBody scan measures far more than your weight, providing valuable insight into muscle mass, body fat, and overall body composition.

To read full article of how to interpret InBody results and what numbers actually matters, click the 🔗 on the comments section.

How to Read Your InBody Scan Results (And Which Numbers Actually Matter)

If you've ever had an InBody scan and wondered what all those numbers actually mean, you're not alone.

Whether your goal is weight loss, building muscle, improving body composition, or simply aging healthier after 40, understanding your InBody results can help you make smarter decisions.

At Functional Elements Training & Nutrition in Creve Coeur, MO, we use InBody body composition scans as a decision-making tool—not a report card.

Because while the report includes dozens of measurements, only a handful truly matter.

What Is an InBody Scan?
An InBody scan is a body composition analysis that measures muscle, body fat, water, and other health metrics. Unlike a traditional scale, an InBody scan shows what your weight is made of, helping you track fat loss and muscle gain over time.

Unlike a traditional scale, it shows what your weight is made of, not just the number.

1. Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) — The #1 Metric
This is the most important number on your scan.

Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) tells you how much functional muscle you have.

Why it matters:

Drives metabolism

Supports joints and reduces injury risk

Improves insulin sensitivity

Strongly tied to longevity and independence

Simple rule: More (quality) muscle = better health and long-term outcomes

What to look for:

Are you maintaining or increasing muscle?

If you’re losing weight, are you preserving muscle?

Reality check: If your weight is going down and your muscle is going down… you’re not improving your body, you’re just shrinking it.

👉 Learn why muscle mass matters more than your weight after 40.

2. Body Fat Mass (BFM) — More Important Than Percentage
Most people focus on body fat percentage. But the more useful number?

Total Body Fat Mass (in pounds)

Why it matters:

Shows how much actual fat you’re carrying

More actionable than percentages

Less influenced by hydration or muscle changes

What to look for:

Is body fat mass trending down over time?

Are changes sustainable—not extreme?

3. Body Fat Percentage (PBF) — Context, Not the Goal
Body fat % gets all the attention—but it needs context.

Why it matters:

Shows ratio of fat to total body weight

Helps categorize general health ranges

The problem:

It can change without real progress

Lose muscle → body fat % can go up

Gain muscle → body fat % may go down

Takeaway:

Use it as a supporting metric, not your primary target.

For full article click 🔗 on the comments section...

Traveling doesn’t mean your nutrition has to take a vacation.

When you prioritize protein and vegetables, you can enjoy great food, stay on track, and still have an amazing meal. 😋 Consistency beats perfection every time. 💥

📍Fresh Championship Winning BBQ