Measuring body fat...

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JstTheWayIam
JstTheWayIam Posts: 6,357 Member
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: 3,070 Member
    edited January 2017
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    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: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    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
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    I have 11,29% <3:)
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
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    Your calipers will give you a much more accurate reading than the bioelectric impedance scale you're using.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
    edited January 2017
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    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
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    Anthropometry- plicometry :)
  • JstTheWayIam
    JstTheWayIam Posts: 6,357 Member
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    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?

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