Do you think getting a DXA scan is worth it to calculate bodyfat % (especially if starting out)?
neely47
Posts: 30 Member
I am relatively new in my training program. I saw a place here in downtown Vancouver that offers a DXA scan for $120 Canadian. Anyone here had it done and do you think it was worth it? I don't trust bodyfat calipers or bodyfat scales. It would be nice to have an accurate baseline to start off with and the follow-up at a later date as I progress in my training.
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Replies
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Are you going to want to pay $120 every time you want to check on your progress?6
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I found a Groupon for a scan close to my home that's originally $150 USD for $90. Don't think I'll buy it now since I can get In body Analysis for free at Mayo Clinic (not as accurate, but I'm not focusing on bf% at the moment). Anyway, my point is check to see if you can find a good deal on it first, and then decide whether it's worth the price.0
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Personally I would not find it worth it. I use progress photos mostly as well as measurements, scale, gym progress.
If it is something you want to do and find worth the price, go for it.3 -
No methods are 100% accurate, so the important thing to measure is the progress. This can be measured by any method as long as you measure by the same method every time. I don't think dexa scans are worth paying that much for. However, making the investment might make you stick more to your diet if that is a problem for you, so it can help in that sense but then I would rather recommend getting a coach.1
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Yes--the DXA scan gives you a good & accurate "baseline" compared to other methods & follow up with them once/year (kind of expensive to do more often than that) but use other methods to track your progress along the way.
I plan to get my DXA scan in about 3 months so I can have a better idea of what my goal weight (for weight loss) should be for an appropriate % of body fat (I've lost 112 lbs since 1/3/2017 & figure I have about 30-60 more lbs to go but just not quite sure on exactly what my goal weight should be so the DXA scan will help me determine that).2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »Are you going to want to pay $120 every time you want to check on your progress?
If it's only once or twice a year, I don't see the harm in it.5 -
I got a DXA scan a couple of months ago when I started maintenance. One of my goals was to get to 25% body fat (24.8!) and I wanted to see where I'm at. I'm working on recomp now and plan to get another scan next year to measure progress. For me it was worth it.2
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »Are you going to want to pay $120 every time you want to check on your progress?
If it's only once or twice a year, I don't see the harm in it.
Agreed.
No method is perfect but DXA is more accurate and reliable than most others, except for hydro which is equal to DXA IMO.
I have had my BF measured by both DXA and hydro quarterly for the past 18 months. I did them both because I wanted to compare the data to test their validity, which was easy because there are discount mobile providers in my area who only charge $40-45/test.
If you are on a regular dietary/training program and your objective is to lose BF, testing every 6 months should be enough to allow time for changes to occur and to establish a trend.
I prefer DXA over hydro because of the additional data it provides (like VAT, bone wt/density and BF distribution by body part) but I prefer hydro because it always gives me a redult 3-5% lower than DXA.
My last BF results were 12.5% DXA and 8.3% hydo. I just average the 2 and consider myself at 10% but, if asked, I always quote the lower number. LOL!
More importantly, my VAT result was only 0.6# & 1.61 cubic inches (an extremely low level of VAT) down from 1.41# and 41.5 cubic inches in 18 months.
High VAT levels are directly associated w/higher risk for heart disease, diabetes and other medical issues and DXA is the only commercially available method to measure it.
If you are an older person at risk for osteoporosis, the DXA scan also measures your bone wt & density (which is what it was originally designed to do) which helps to assess your risk for that disease and, if you get tested regularly it will reveal any bone degeneration over time.
So, there are at least 2 reasons (other than to measure your BF) to get a regular DXA scan.
For health assessment, 1x a year would be enough but for BF measurement, I think you'd want to do it at least 1x every 6 months.4 -
I saw this post and had to reply as I JUST had Both a DEXA Scan AND A resting V02 Test done yesterday.
#1 - I would recommend this 2x a year. Also I checked Groupon and each test was $150 list but Groupon had the test for $79 each!! So I bought the tests on groupon and then called and scheduled an appt. it was easy.
#2 - The Resting V02 tells you what your BMR Calorie rate is at rest and gives you estimates of how many calories you will burn if your sedentary, slightly active or active. I no longer have weight to lose but more want to focus on gaining muscle. So this test was great as it is helping me to determine how to reset my daily calorie rate. I did this test at 6 30am as they want it to be fasting, no coffee, no food just water to give you the most accurate calculation of your resting calorie BMR.
#3 - I have been doing InBody Body composition testing every month and 13 months ago I was 44% body fat and 2 weeks ago Inbody had me at 13.5% body fat. Yes I've lost 95 pounds and put on muscle and am working out daily.
DEXA Scan had me at 14.1% body fat which I think is pretty darn close to where I'm at.
At one point I dropped all the way to 1500 calories a day (high protein, high fat, low carb) to break through a stubborn plateau. Since I was doing the monthly in body I had confidence that if I started to lose allot of muscle it would tell me. Good news is it worked and then increased to 1700 then again to 1900 and after the V02 Test I'm going to 2100 to 2300 again keeping the macros of Protein and Fat at 45% each and carbs at 10%. That is what seems to work for me the best.
Highly recommend it!4 -
I say worth it — it cost me $75. The variance between the Dexa and my home scale was huge (like 5% higher.) I think once a year for a benchmark is perfect. I’m going back for my 2nd annual next week.2
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Not for me. Calorie counting is, at best, an inexact science. As long as the number on the scale is going down, I'm not concerned. When I have less body fat to work with, giving me a slimmer margin for error, I might reconsider.0
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »Are you going to want to pay $120 every time you want to check on your progress?
If it's only once or twice a year, I don't see the harm in it.
OK. It wasn't intended as a leading question. If you really care about this one data point, and you're willing to pay that much to get it, it's your money and your decision. I wasn't sure from your original post whether you were picturing it as a one-time cost and that you'd be able to meaningfully compare BF% obtained in the future from free or less expensive methods.
It wouldn't be worth it to me, but value can be a highly subjective concept.2 -
I personally liked getting it done. It helped me change my goals. I got mine through Groupon for about $100 when I was starting out. I definitely plan on doing it one more time when I feel like my body is where I’d like to switch to maintenance.
Disclaimer - using the military measurements I was within 3% of what dexa said so if it’s not super important to you that will work as an estimate. That’s what I do now to track progress1 -
I had a Dexa scan done last year for free as part of a research study I volunteered for. It gave me the same body fat % as my scales at home, which I wasn’t expecting! I guess for me, I wouldn’t pay for one as I’m not hung up on numbers. I lost almost half my body weight and roughly halved my body fat too, gained some weight and some fat back, had the scan done. If I was hard out bodybuilding and hung up on getting to a particular body fat % then I’d probably pay to repeat it, but so long as my clothes size is getting smaller and my muscle definition is improving I really don’t care.
So it really depends on how much you care about the exact numbers.0 -
If cost wasn't much of an issue I might consider it. But for now I'm content with the mirror, progress photos and very general comparisons with pictures of those with various percentages.
I've taken measurements, compared pictures, and done the (very rough) calculations. The calcs and the pic comparisons appear to be in line with each other and I'm not that concerned with the fact that it's only an estimate. That, and the actual body fat percentage is not that important to me. As I see muscle start to be more defined while cutting, I have a pretty idea what's healthy. I appear to be at about 18-19% right now and wouldn't mind losing a few, but at 55 it's actually not a big deal to me. It is much more important than the number on the scale though.
The only thing that is a big deal to me is the improved health markers and the ability to do more stuff. The rest is gravy.1 -
While I will acknowledge that they were absolutely NOT necessary, I have to say that I am very happy with the series of scans I got because they definitely added interesting information to my weight loss and maintenance period.
I will note that the amounts are in Canadian dollars so $120 is US$90.
Peter (I am assuming you're looking at bodycomp imaging) charges less for subsequent scans, offers a multi scan package, and does include a degree of both nutritional and training advice with the scan session.
He gives you a printout and emails a pdf (you may have to ask the first time) of your results.
As he enjoys lower carb than I do, I never spent much time with him discussing the nutritional aspect but he did show me some modified exercises to address injured body parts.
I've definitely recommended his services to my friends and I believe I'm now up to 7 scans, though the last two were each a year apart as I am no longer trying to lose.
The printouts to August 2017 could only fit 6 scans and did not do the VAT measurement mentioned above. I know about the 6 comparison point limit because I asked Peter to redo my latest pdf so as to continue to have my oldest scan as the initial point of comparison.
As it is sometimes desirable to use the same machine and operator to minimize sources of variance when comparing scans, Peter mentioned in late august 2017 that it would be my last scan on the old machine, as he had a new dexa scan machine on order.
You may want to confirm with him whether the new machine is operating and whether it also does VAT. At risk women can probably combine the scan with a look at bone density levels if they so wish. Peter used to work as a hospital radiology technician and seems to be quite careful and thorough (he did one for my mom).
I believe the web site has examples of print outs. If you want to have a look at mine (which is presumably based on older software) private message me.2 -
Here is a good link for mobile body fat testing http://www.bodyfattest.com they have many locations in the united states, i see your in BC, I have used body fat test .com many times and they are really good, the person i have used is brain lee he is located in the seattle area, i think its a good idea to get a dexa or hydrostatic body fat test done, it gives you a good starting point, good luck1
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I got a bodpod scan done a while back and it was nice to see truly how much my measurements were then. The deal was 2 scans and I have yet to go in for the follow up and half the reason is I have yet to get to my goal weight.
I know Dexascans are more detailed and will show you where the fat is and bone mass. If it is something you can afford why not.0 -
Do it! I really, really wish I had done it at the start of my weight loss to be able to compare to now. I do use them now (about once a quarter) to check my progress as I'm in recomp.0
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Here is a good link for mobile body fat testing http://www.bodyfattest.com they have many locations in the united states, i see your in BC, I have used body fat test .com many times and they are really good, the person i have used is brain lee he is located in the seattle area, i think its a good idea to get a dexa or hydrostatic body fat test done, it gives you a good starting point, good luck
Thanks. But what is the difference between DEXA and hydrostatic body fat test?0 -
What does it matter, look in the mirror, if you're not happy with what you see, keep going until you are, if you are happy...stop and maintain.
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Here is a good link for mobile body fat testing http://www.bodyfattest.com they have many locations in the united states, i see your in BC, I have used body fat test .com many times and they are really good, the person i have used is brain lee he is located in the seattle area, i think its a good idea to get a dexa or hydrostatic body fat test done, it gives you a good starting point, good luck
Thanks. But what is the difference between DEXA and hydrostatic body fat test?
One uses a machine to scan you. The other you get dunked into water to get your results. DRY/WET0 -
What is your goal? If it's health, observe health progress. If it's looks, use the mirror and your own subjective satisfaction with the way you look. If you're looking to lose fat in general, a combination of scale weight, measurements, and progress pictures should be enough. If you're looking to achieve a specific body fat number for competing, then DEXA may be worth it to you.
I personally don't find it worth my money, but ultimately, you pay for what you feel is worth paying for. Even if your goals don't depend on knowing your accurate body fat you could still feel it's worth it to pay for a DEXA, and that's completely fine. What other people think is irrelevant.1 -
Here is a good link for mobile body fat testing http://www.bodyfattest.com they have many locations in the united states, i see your in BC, I have used body fat test .com many times and they are really good, the person i have used is brain lee he is located in the seattle area, i think its a good idea to get a dexa or hydrostatic body fat test done, it gives you a good starting point, good luck
Thanks. But what is the difference between DEXA and hydrostatic body fat test?
DXA uses a form of x-rays to calculate the measurements based on tissue density.
Hydro measures the difference between your weight normally and under water; fat floats.
DXA is the most convenient because you just get undressed down to your skivies, lay down and get scanned.
W/hydro, you have to wear a bathing suit and drunk yourself under water and blow out as much air as you can out of your lungs (because air makes you bouyant and throws off the fat measurement) and you have to do this 3 times.
My hydro tech says that blowing out the air is the biggest problem for most people. The less air blown out, the higher and more inaccurate the BF reading.
So, for comfort and convenience, DXA is best but, if you're comfortable under water and have no difficulty blowing air out of your lungs, hydro probably will give you a lower BF%, as it does for me.0 -
I found a Groupon for a scan close to my home that's originally $150 USD for $90. Don't think I'll buy it now since I can get In body Analysis for free at Mayo Clinic (not as accurate, but I'm not focusing on bf% at the moment). Anyway, my point is check to see if you can find a good deal on it first, and then decide whether it's worth the price.
DEXA scans only cost me $50...0 -
I’m planning on getting one when I hit my goal weight. I love numbers and am curious not just about body fat, but bone density as well. I could see doing it yearly for progress markers after that.3
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I don't think they're necessary at all, but it's a nice to have if you have the extra cash lying around. However, even dexa scans are not super accurate. See this article by James Krieger before you decide https://weightology.net/the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-part-6-dexa/
The whole series on bodyfat measurements starts here https://weightology.net/the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-part-1
It's an interesting read!0 -
No. I can't see the point. There are other ways to measure body fat % that don't involve what is in reality a medical procedure. Better yet, look in the mirror and judge from that. Not "trusting" other methods is not a reason for this.3
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I had a Dexa done and brought my Aria scale with me so I could see the variance and calculate accordingly on an ongoing basis.
Turns out my scale is less than 1% off, so I'll wait until maintenance to get anothet scan
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