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BMI question for LCHF & Keto dieters

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BaconSan2
BaconSan2 Posts: 260 Member
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When I started this diet almost 3 weeks ago my BMI was 55.6 since then I have lost 10 pounds and my BMI is 55.8. What gives am I burning up organs & lean muscle mass? Aurghhhh. I have a Fitbit Aria scale that is telling me my BMI. :(

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  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    it's the scale. Devices like that that use bioimpedance to "calculate" your BMI are horribly inaccurate and can be wildly skewed just by how hydrated you are on any given morning.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    Scales are good at one thing: giving your weight. Everything else that the fancy-dancy ones claim to be able to do well, they in reality do very poorly (BMI, body fat %, etc)
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
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    Is it tell you your BMI or your Bodyfat %? They are two different things.

    Also, the scale is inaccurate as @Phrick mentioned.

    The more accurate measures cost more money such as a Bodpod or a DEXA scan.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    samanthaluangphixay wrote: »
    Is it tell you your BMI or your Bodyfat %? They are two different things.

    Also, the scale is inaccurate as @Phrick mentioned.

    The more accurate measures cost more money such as a Bodpod or a DEXA scan.

    ^^^^This.^^^^

    Your BMI is a simple mathematical formula.
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
    If you lose weight, it goes down. Period.

    The scale is attempting to tell you your body fat, not body mass. And they are wildly inaccurate.
    I don't stay on the scale long enough for it to give me the number, as I know it's meaningless. I follow the weight number.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
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    Yeah, something is either off with your understanding reading the numbers, like it's actually body fat%... Or one of the calculations is wrong.
    BMI is calculated based on height and weight.

    Body fat % on those scales varies constantly. Gut contents and water will affect the measurement too.
    What I do to get the most accurate measurement possible from mine is take a reading every morning for a week then calculate the average. Then I compare weekly averages to previous ones. Same with skeletal muscle measures. It's still just a ballpark measurement, but close enough to be useful as a measure of long term progress.
  • BaconSan2
    BaconSan2 Posts: 260 Member
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    OK thanks everyone. That is very good to know.

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