body fat % results

disintegratedgirl

I'm on about week 4 of a reset and managed to get my body fat % tested at the gym today. I got it tested there last October after I had been a member for a couple of months. I am feeling really really disheartened as in October it was 36% and today it was 42%. I wasn't that active before joining the gym, just a bit of walking every now and then and occassional bursts of doing a couple an exercise dvd so was really surprised that after a year working hard at the gym my body fat % has actually increased.

I know people experience an increase in body fat % during a reset but given I'm only 4 weeks in i am presuming this can't possibly account for the whole increase (I have been eating pretty healthily to try and up calories). Could this increase be due to over exercising and under-eating for the last year? I came to this plan because I hadn't been able to shift any weight for about 18 months despite exercising and restricting food intake. Is this increase in body fat % likely to be because of this? Was my body using lean muscle for fuel? Its quite a scary prospect.

I know I am on the right track with this plan but its still really difficult to get a result like that and not waver and wonder about going back to upping exercise and cutting calories. Sigh. Trying to hold on to the fact that other results had increased over the last year - my VO2 max went from the good to the excellent range and although my blood sugar and cholestral started in the normal range anyway they have both decreased.

alleekat

How was your body fat tested, calipers or scale?

disintegratedgirl

The machines with the electrodes that go on foot and hand.

heybales

Considering only 5% accurate at the most, and that's with proper setup by you, same hydration, no workout, ect, ect.

Your 5% accurate overlap, you likely didn't gain much at all if any.

And if those setup things by you didn't match exactly, both results are more for curiosity.

disintegratedgirl

Thanks for the reply. Wasn't sure what the accuracy was for the measurements so feel a bit reassured that it's not definite that I have gained 5% body fat. Should i adjust my TDEE according to the new measurement or not? This one is rather higher than the estimate based on my measurements, which is more in line with my previous body fat % taken last October.

heybales

I'd have that measurement done next valid day and see how much it changed, if more than 3 lbs of fat (so % will depend on your weight) - then I'd skip it, or at best avg it in with measurement calc's which are also 5% methods.

Bunch of 5% methods can't hurt. But I'll bet you'll find it moved more than 3 lbs, so NOT within 5% for the BIA method.

disintegratedgirl

Thanks. Not sure when I will be able to get it re-tested at the gym as the machine isn't always available but will try.

Since starting this programme I feel far far more committed to reducing my body fat rather than *just* seeing numbers go down on the scales but i am now wondering how I am going to measure that reduction. What's the most reliable method?

heybales

Reliable is measurements of many body parts where you use max or min girth, because then you don't have to be in exact same spot. And throw in 2 pieces of clothing that fit firmly for all over body measurement you might say. Don't wash clothing in hot water!

BIA can be reliable, but you have to hit it with same level of hydration, so you are the big variable.
Skin calipers can be decent, but again variable because of location selected for measuring and skill of person using them. At least with 7-site method you minimize any one measurement being off effecting the total as greatly.

I'd suggest spreadsheet on my profile page for 2 measurement calc's found most accurate in tests, they both mainly use different parts, so any one odd measurement can't totally throw it off.

disintegratedgirl

Thanks. Was already using your spreadsheet to calculate TDEE prior to getting body fat test so might continue to use that. I do like the fact that you can track the changes in measurements so easily with it. Its a great tool, thanks for sharing it with everyone.