Body fat % question!

MrBecky

When can you expect to see a body fat percentage change?

I've lost 8lbs so far and my scales are still telling me I'm either 35 or 36%, I would have thought it would go down a little bit? Like just 1% even!

I've not been exercising LOADS but plenty of squats and push ups (against the wall as that's all I can manage at the moment!) and walking and a little tiny bit of running.

Are my scales broke or do I just need to be a bit more patient?

TavistockToad

scales arent very accurate for measuring bodyfat, so i would take the number with a pinch of salt to be honest.

karlahere

^ Tru dat.

What did you use to compute for percent body fat?

MrBecky

ah, ok.
What's the best way to measure body fat then?

KinoM

To be honest, you're better off with a measuring tape than anything else. There's a fairly large margin of error on all the body fat measuring systems short of a Bod-Pod or Dexa scan, but they're going to cost you $50-$100 a shot at a minimum. The margin of error on any other system I know of is large enough to mask or fake a 1% loss.

drop_it_like_a_squat

To be honest, you're better off with a measuring tape than anything else. There's a fairly large margin of error on all the body fat measuring systems short of a Bod-Pod or Dexa scan, but they're going to cost you $50-$100 a shot at a minimum. The margin of error on any other system I know of is large enough to mask or fake a 1% loss.

Nope. A measuring tape is fairly inaccurate, too. It only measures size in comparison to weight, height, etc. So it could actually give someone who's bigger due to fat the same result as someone who is bigger due to muscle mass.

I would recomment using a caliper. They're quite cheap and you can do it on your own. There's loads of how-to's on the internet and it will definetely take some practising. But it is still the best conclusion regarding use and price.

KinoM

To be honest, you're better off with a measuring tape than anything else. There's a fairly large margin of error on all the body fat measuring systems short of a Bod-Pod or Dexa scan, but they're going to cost you $50-$100 a shot at a minimum. The margin of error on any other system I know of is large enough to mask or fake a 1% loss.

Nope. A measuring tape is fairly inaccurate, too. It only measures size in comparison to weight, height, etc. So it could actually give someone who's bigger due to fat the same result as someone who is bigger due to muscle mass.

I would recomment using a caliper. They're quite cheap and you can do it on your own. There's loads of how-to's on the internet and it will definetely take some practising. But it is still the best conclusion regarding use and price.

A tape will show progress in weight loss, especially before getting down to the healthy weight ranges. Calipers are notorious for being used incorrectly, and are more difficult to get an accurate read with when using on yourself as it makes multi-site tests nearly impossible. I'd agree that in terms of cost v accuracy it would be your best bet, but it still will not be accurate to the nearest whole % as used by the average person on the street.

MrBecky

So in summary... all methods apart from paying to get a body composition scan somewhere are unreliable!

That's ok - I'm not majorly worried and I'm pretty sure my body fat is going down. My scales are quite old and I'm thinking of getting some new ones soon anyway, and maybe just use them as a guide for BF% every so often.

MinMin97

It's a math thing....assuming you are doing things to maintain muscle mass (such as weight training), you'll see a reduction in the bf% as you lose weight.
Sorry, I don't know the formula, as I just use the handheld unit at the gym.
It's motivating to train those muscles, as that's what will give you a good metabolism for torching the fat.

BTW I can see your progress, you are looking fitter!!

jr235

Some gyms will measure body fat % with calibres. I think some nutritionalists will as well. At the gym in my work they do it for $10 as a part of their healthy initiative.

TavistockToad

So in summary... all methods apart from paying to get a body composition scan somewhere are unreliable!

That's ok - I'm not majorly worried and I'm pretty sure my body fat is going down. My scales are quite old and I'm thinking of getting some new ones soon anyway, and maybe just use them as a guide for BF% every so often.

personally i use 2 methods... the mirror and my favourite skinny jeans...

stand in front of a full length mirror in your underwear... happy? no? lose some more bodyfat....

put of favourite jeans... comfy? looks good? no? put down the cake, pick up the weights!

ferocityturbine

One of the issues with most scales is that the electrical impulse travels up one leg and down the other, using the readings from your lower body to estimate a total body fat percentage.

I've tried playing twister on mine (one hand, one foot; other hand, other foot; attempted handstands etc.) but to no avail...

Have you tried Sara and Sidesteel's body fat estimation thread?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/826435-bodyfat-estimation-thread

It's good to get a visual estimation to collate with all the scale-gymnastics, calculators, caliper-yoga and other inaccurate attempts at self-measurement

SuffolkSally

When can you expect to see a body fat percentage change?

I've lost 8lbs so far and my scales are still telling me I'm either 35 or 36%, I would have thought it would go down a little bit? Like just 1% even!

I've not been exercising LOADS but plenty of squats and push ups (against the wall as that's all I can manage at the moment!) and walking and a little tiny bit of running.

Are my scales broke or do I just need to be a bit more patient?

I feel your pain, lol. I wanted to switch to bodyfat % as my progress measure as my weight is now well into the healthy range but I haven't been able to identify a satisfactory way of estimating it...

I happened to have measuring scales which work by footpad measurements, and the estimate they give has dropped considerably over time, I'm just going to have to use that as one factor that I consider - it's good to see a downward trend even if the figures aren't accurate,if you see what I mean. There are other types of scale which use a handheld device as well as footpads, which may be slightly better, but not enough for me to invest in a whole new set of scales.

I've got calipers now, but I agree about the difficulties of accurate self measurement. I'm planning to up my weightlifting routine in the autumn, and then I intend to use them to measure my two most hated fatspots every month or so, along of course with tape measure and clothes fit.

karlahere

Get measured at the gym first, and pay attention to the places you're being measured. Then buy a caliper and do it at home. There are tons of sites with body fat calculators. I use the tape method when I'm in a jiffy.

steffij100

Interesting question, seems that calipers are the way to go unless you want to fork out a fortune. By the way, can really see your progess- it looks like a lot more than 8lb, so whatever you are doing, keep it up, you look great!