Should I Get a DEXA Scan After 40?

A DEXA scan is optional. Some women like a starting scan and a repeat a year later, and that's a fine way to see the bigger picture. Your smart scale's body fat number is best read as a trend, not one reading. What we track most is simpler: photos, how your clothes fit and how strong you're getting.

Numbers can help.

They just aren't the whole story.

And they're never the boss of your morning.

Why are so many women asking about scans right now?

Because the scans got easy to find, and the scales got smart.

A lot of the women we talk to come to their first call with a number in hand:

A scan report. Done at a clinic or a gym, sometimes before they ever reach out to us.
A smart scale reading. Weight, body fat, water, muscle, all in one step every morning.
An old number they can't shake. The one that told them their body fat was higher than it's ever been.
Nothing at all. And a quiet worry that they should have a number before they start.

All of those are fine starting points.

You don't need a scan to start coaching with us. And if you already have one, bring it. We're happy to look.

So should I get a DEXA scan?

That's your call, and both answers are good ones.

Here's how our coaches usually put it:

It's optional. Plenty of the women we coach never get one, and they change their body composition just fine.
Some women like the data. If you're the kind of person who likes to know, a starting scan and a repeat about a year later can show you the bigger picture.
Once a year beats once a month. Body composition changes slowly. Scanning too often mostly measures your patience.
It's one tool. It sits next to everything else we track. It doesn't replace any of it.

Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.

A scan is one way to see that. So are your jeans.

What if my scan report mentions bone density?

Here's the thing.

A DEXA report can show more than fat and muscle. If yours says anything about your bones, that part is a conversation for your doctor.

We coach. We don't read medical results or diagnose.

Bring the report to your doctor. They know your history and can tell you what it means for you.
Ask what you're cleared to do. Especially if they mention osteopenia or osteoporosis.
Tell your coach what they said. Your plan gets built around it.

If your doctor has mentioned low bone density, here's how we coach strength training with osteopenia.

Can I trust the body fat number on my smart scale?

Trust the trend more than the number.

Home scales that show body fat can move from one morning to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with fat. Water, a salty dinner, a hard workout, the week before your period.

So here's how we suggest using one:

Same time, same conditions. First thing in the morning works for most women.
Watch the trend over a few weeks. One reading tells you very little. A month of readings tells you more.
Read it next to everything else. Clothes, photos, strength and energy.
Take a break if it's messing with your head. Tell your coach, and weigh in less often for a while.

Right?

The scale is a tool. It doesn't get to decide how your day goes.

For more on why the number can sit still while your body changes, read the scale isn't moving but my clothes fit better.

What do our coaches actually track?

The simple stuff, because it tends to tell the truth.

Progress photos. Same spot, same light, same outfit. Changes you can't see day to day show up side by side.
How your clothes fit. The waistband, the jeans in the drawer, the shirt that used to pull across your back.
How much stronger you're getting. Heavier dumbbells, more reps, moves that felt impossible in week 1.
Your energy, sleep and mood. How you feel at 3 p.m. counts too.

Chris has a reason for keeping it simple. Measurements taken slightly differently each time can give you a different number. A photo in the same spot doesn't argue.

Your coach looks at all of it with you at your weekly check-ins, and you can reach her in between.

What if I'm building muscle and the numbers look strange?

That happens a lot, and it's usually good news.

When you strength train and eat enough, a lot of the women we coach lose fat and build muscle at the same time. The scale weight can barely move while your shape changes.

Chris calls the goal shrink wrap. Leaner, firmer, stronger, and still you.

Here's what supports that, in our 8-week 35+ Metabolic Reset:

Strength training at home. Follow-along video workouts, about 50 minutes, 4 a week.
Enough food, built around protein. Real food. No calorie counting, no food scales.
A coach who's been there. A PN-certified coach, a woman over 40 who has done the Reset herself.

We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks. Most of them did it without a single scan.

Ready to measure what matters?

Get the scan if you want the data.

Skip it if you don't.

Either way, the plan is what changes your body.

Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.

If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.

He reads every application himself. On the call, bring any numbers you already have, and he'll tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.

Your clothes keep score too.

Let's give them something to notice.

Frequently asked questions

Should I get a DEXA scan before I start losing weight?

It's optional. Some women like a starting scan and a repeat about a year later to see the bigger picture, and plenty of the women we coach never get one and change their body composition just fine.

Is the body fat number on my smart scale accurate?

Read it as a trend, not a single reading. Water, salt, a hard workout and your cycle can all move it from one morning to the next, so watch it over a few weeks next to your clothes, photos and strength.

How often should I get a DEXA scan?

If you get one, a starting scan and a repeat about a year later is plenty for most women. Body composition changes slowly, so scanning more often mostly measures your patience.

My DEXA report mentions bone density. What should I do?

Take it to your doctor. They know your history and can tell you what it means and what you're cleared to do, and your coach builds your plan around what they say.

What do Forty Forward coaches track instead of the scale?

Progress photos, how your clothes fit, how much stronger you're getting, and your energy, sleep and mood. Your coach looks at all of it with you at your check-ins.

Should I get a DEXA scan? Can I trust the body fat number on my smart scale?