Body fat% keeps going up...why?

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OrianaK
OrianaK Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been watching what I eat (fruits, veggies, very minimal carbs, nothing packaged or processed, proteins {I usually meet or come close to mfp recommendation}) I drink a gallon of water a day and I'm exercising about an hour or so, sometimes longer everyday. I do cardio kickboxing, some strength training and I'm trying to get into jogging/running. I have an Aria smart scale by fitbit and almost everyday my body fat percentage goes up. I've lost about 3 lbs or so in 2 1/2 weeks. Am I doing something wrong?
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Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    the body fat % reading on those scales are wildly inaccurate.
  • OrianaK
    OrianaK Posts: 3 Member
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    I used the skinfold calipers also and it was almost exactly the reading the scale gave me.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    Those types of scales can NOT accurately measure body fat. I would ignore it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Those scales aren't considered terribly accurate. If you do continue to use it, do it under the same conditions of hydration each time - so first thing in the AM before you drink anything would be easiest.

    http://dailyburn.com/life/health/how-to-measure-body-fat-percentage/
  • OrianaK
    OrianaK Posts: 3 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Those scales aren't considered terribly accurate. If you do continue to use it, do it under the same conditions of hydration each time - so first thing in the AM before you drink anything would be easiest.

    http://dailyburn.com/life/health/how-to-measure-body-fat-percentage/

    Thanks for the tip. I did use the skinfold caliper to determine body fat percentage the same time I started using the biometric scale. I got basically the same results...there was a 1% difference.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    Are you experienced with using calipers? Skin fold testing is wildly inaccurate if done by inexperienced/ untrained people
  • skydiveD30571
    skydiveD30571 Posts: 281 Member
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    Skinfold calipers are also pretty difficult to use consistently. Technique can make the number vary all over the place.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    Watching what you eat (low carb, low fat, fad of the year) and drinking a gallon/day of water have no direct correlation to reducing body fat. If they indirectly cause you to eat less calories then you expend, then you'll lose weight and most of it will be fat. So we can ignore that portion of your post. You did say you lost weight though, so you would expect a drop, but 3lb isn't much of a weight change and could all be water weight, we don't know.

    As for you, you are relying on a bio-electrical impedance device, which are not particularly accurate. If you are changing the scenarios under which you are measuring (right after waking up vs after exercising) you will get different results, which may lead to what you are experiencing.

    2-3 weeks also isn't long enough to determine a trend. I take my BF% every monday with calipers and fully expect some Mondays to be up/steady, and other Mondays to be down despite losing weight.

    So, ultimately, understand the limitations of the tool and take the readings with a grain of salt.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    Calipers can also be inaccurate especially if done by someone who isn't trained.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
    edited January 2016
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    LOL sooooooooo is anything accurate? I'm seeing a pattern here. Even my bod pod test seemed to say 2% error rate on either side. Greattttttttt. So I can't even bank on that 27%? Maybe it's 29%? Or should I be optimistic and say 25%. Yeah. For sure 25...maybe 24.99 even... Yeah...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    CalorieCountChocula wrote: »
    LOL sooooooooo is anything accurate? I'm seeing a pattern here. Even my bod pod test seemed to say 2% error rate on either side. Greattttttttt. So I can't even bank on that 27%? Maybe it's 29%? Or should I be optimistic and say 25%. Yeah. For sure 25...maybe 24.99 even... Yeah...

    DEXA is considered to be one of the more accurate measures.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    CalorieCountChocula wrote: »
    LOL sooooooooo is anything accurate? I'm seeing a pattern here. Even my bod pod test seemed to say 2% error rate on either side. Greattttttttt. So I can't even bank on that 27%? Maybe it's 29%? Or should I be optimistic and say 25%. Yeah. For sure 25...maybe 24.99 even... Yeah...

    iirc DEXA is more accurate but yeah, there isn't much out there that's 100% accurate.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    Seems like a crappy metric to strive for or measure progress by unless you're already fit considering how difficult it is to accurately measure.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    CalorieCountChocula wrote: »
    Seems like a crappy metric to strive for or measure progress by unless you're already fit considering how difficult it is to accurately measure.

    I get the sentiment, but the scales are fine for showing trends if used correctly (same time every day over a long period). All you really want is for that number to work its way downward. As long as you don't put stock that the actual number is correct, you'll be fine.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    stealthq wrote: »
    CalorieCountChocula wrote: »
    Seems like a crappy metric to strive for or measure progress by unless you're already fit considering how difficult it is to accurately measure.

    I get the sentiment, but the scales are fine for showing trends if used correctly (same time every day over a long period). All you really want is for that number to work its way downward. As long as you don't put stock that the actual number is correct, you'll be fine.

    I feel like this should be correct but in practice isn't. Any temporary spike throws the whole thing off and it doesn't seem to recover. Maybe the results are better if you're leaner and don't swing as much water as I do. Just to throw out a couple of my numbers back last August I had a day where I was 237 and 28.9%. Cut to just a couple weeks ago and I was 226 and 28.5%. I call BS.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    CalorieCountChocula wrote: »
    stealthq wrote: »
    CalorieCountChocula wrote: »
    Seems like a crappy metric to strive for or measure progress by unless you're already fit considering how difficult it is to accurately measure.

    I get the sentiment, but the scales are fine for showing trends if used correctly (same time every day over a long period). All you really want is for that number to work its way downward. As long as you don't put stock that the actual number is correct, you'll be fine.

    I feel like this should be correct but in practice isn't. Any temporary spike throws the whole thing off and it doesn't seem to recover. Maybe the results are better if you're leaner and don't swing as much water as I do. Just to throw out a couple of my numbers back last August I had a day where I was 237 and 28.9%. Cut to just a couple weeks ago and I was 226 and 28.5%. I call BS.

    Going back further, one day in May 2014. 251 and about 29% LOL. Yeah. OK.
  • christch
    christch Posts: 238 Member
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    There is one way to get accurate bf measurements but you kind of have to be dead ;) even with the inaccuracies of calipers or anything else you use if you treat it as a tool and track the downward tread and use it in conjunction with scales and body measurements.
  • CalorieCountChocula
    CalorieCountChocula Posts: 239 Member
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    christch wrote: »
    There is one way to get accurate bf measurements but you kind of have to be dead ;) even with the inaccuracies of calipers or anything else you use if you treat it as a tool and track the downward tread and use it in conjunction with scales and body measurements.

    Sweet! I'm not fully convinced I'll reach my goal weight until 6 months after I'm dead so can we hold off on the test until then? #finallybeachready #absnotflabs #shirtlessselfietime
  • FabianRodriguez94
    FabianRodriguez94 Posts: 221 Member
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    Measuring BF is very hard to pull of with accuracy. I'd say your best bet is to simply measure your waist, hips, chest, arms, and thighs with tape every month or so. You CAN also plug these numbers in to an online calculator which can give you an estimate of your BF, but again- this may not be completely accurate.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
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    FabianRodriguez94 wrote: »
    Measuring BF is very hard to pull of with accuracy. I'd say your best bet is to simply measure your waist, hips, chest, arms, and thighs with tape every month or so. You CAN also plug these numbers in to an online calculator which can give you an estimate of your BF, but again- this may not be completely accurate.

    I approve of this post.

    Don't pay too much attention to the actual bodyfat estimates (they may be way off) but look at the trends.

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