We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Measuring body fat...

JstTheWayIam
JstTheWayIam Posts: 6,357 Member
edited November 2024 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
How is everyone doing this...

I have a body fat scale that says I'm around 14% in normal mode, or 10% in athletic mode...

I also have accumeasure one point suprailiac calipers, which are supposed to be accurate to within 1.1% of the dunk test, which is the gold standard... These calipers tell me that I'm around 10%

Problem is with loose skin from massive weight loss... I just don't see 10% in the mirror. Which makes me want to work on getting even leaner, but if I'm already 10%...I will probably not be able to get much leaner without losing lean mass in the process

Should I ignore the BF% on the scale, use it track weight only and just use the calipers?

You'd think if I'm gaining weight but still pinching 7mm on a suprailiac test, then missions being accomplished... But I'm just not that confident in the calipers... Especially when the scale is telling me I've added fat.. But every time I add weight the scale tells me that, so I wonder how much of your weight factors in to the scales calculation, vs actual biometric impedance.

Replies

  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    edited January 2017
    If you really want to be sure, your best bet is go get a Dexa scan, Bod Pod or hydrostatic test done. I compared Dexa and Bod Pod to impedance and visual scales and they were all fairly close. For me, my BF% tends to be 1% higher than scale and 2% less than visual (due to my fat distribution). So I can just go off of that and not have to pay for re-measuring unless I really want to know if I've added lean mass. For example, right now, my scale says 17%, I look about 20%, therefore I would estimate my BF% to be ~18%.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,438 MFP Moderator
    If that is a current picture, I would lean towards 10% . If you really want to know, than mom's is right with the other available options.
  • giovanna8830
    giovanna8830 Posts: 80 Member
    I have 11,29% <3:)
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    Your calipers will give you a much more accurate reading than the bioelectric impedance scale you're using.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,438 MFP Moderator
    edited January 2017
    giovanna8830 wrote: »
    I have 11,29% <3:)

    How was that measured because for a women that is well into essential fats range and no health to be long term.
  • giovanna8830
    giovanna8830 Posts: 80 Member
    Anthropometry- plicometry :)
  • JstTheWayIam
    JstTheWayIam Posts: 6,357 Member
    Today I retested and pinched a 5mm with my suprailiac Skinfold calipers, despite the scale telling me that I've gained a pound (with my diet and activity level, there's just no way).

    5mm equates to 7.6%bf, Buuut... I'm so sick right now...

    I haven't been this sick since the last time I got down to around 8%bf. Pretty sure I've compromised my immune system by going too low and exercising too much.

    Do any of you ever notice a weakening in your immune system if you get too low on BF?
This discussion has been closed.

Categories