Measuring body fat

angeldavis

Is there a scale or anything that would help you measure body fat? I would like to track that instead of the number on the weight scale

kimny72

BF is a notoriously difficult statistic for the avg person to get a reliable number for. Your options at home are a smart scale (which can be fooled by your hydration levels, the way you stand, etc) or calipers (which can be off if not used properly and if you don't have much practice). Some people find that while the actual number will be wrong, these methods at least show a general trend.

As losing fat will more often than not happen way faster than gaining muscle, going by weight combined with how you look in the mirror will probably tell you far more IMHO. Some people here do occasionally go for a BodPod or DEXA measurement but they are not available everywhere and are also not perfect.

If you belong to a gym, having a trainer with lots of experience with calipers measure you regularly might be a decent option.

purpleannex

The average person was far slimmer in the 80's than today. There used to be a saying "can you pinch more than an inch". This was meant to be on you hip/waist. If people lived by that they wouldn't go far wrong.

Azdak

Even at a gym, it's a crapshoot whether or not they have accurate equipment and staff who have any competence at measuring body fat.

The average person at home will probably do better with circumference measurements. You won't get a body fat number, but it is easier for someone to take accurate circumference measurements on themselves.

If you do get a body fat scale, you need to take your measurements under consistent conditions--time of day, hydration status, consistent eating and drinking, exercise, etc. And then you need to use it to see trends over time, not focus on the specific numbers.