body fat/body water analyzing scale

forevermaryb
forevermaryb Posts: 108 Member
in Getting Started
I just bought an Escali body fat/body water analyzing scale (GREAT price through groupon). Does anyone have any ideas on how accurate these are? It is weighing me correctly, at least according to my other scale at home, but should I trust the body fat percentage it's giving me? And I really don't quite understand what the body water percentage really means despite doing some internet research on it. I guess I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the body fat percentage it is reading; 20.3 I am a 5'9" tall 46 year old female with a current weight of 145. I don't feel as if I look as lean as someone with a BF% of 20.3, but I have fat goggles on when it comes to looking at myself. I always see a big person in the mirror or pictures.

My other question is how good of a tool would this be for maintenance? This morning, I weighed in at 144.8 with a BF% of 20.3 and body water % of 53.7. To play around with the scale, I weighed myself throughout the day, something I have never done. After lunch, I was 148.8 with the same BF and BW %'s. After the gym, I was 147.8 with the same percentages and after dinner, I was 149.6 with the same percentages. So given that weight can fluctuate by quite a bit, should I just track the BF% when it comes to maintenance?

Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    It's fine to track long term trends, but I wouldn't rely on it to give an exact number.

    That's what the mirror is for. :smile:
  • GiGiBeans
    GiGiBeans Posts: 1,062 Member
    My Tanita scale is totally whack. Despite weighing at the same time it gives me anywhere from 12% to 26% BF. The lower the BF the higher my water, which is anywhere from mid fifties to mid sixties.

    I am obviously part water balloon tho. Maybe yours will show some consistency as far as trending. Mine is useless.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    Not sure which type you purchased, but when I looked into one brand, it was based on a generic calculation for gender and height - sort of like the BMI index. It required you to enter your age, height and gender, and it took your weight and spat out a value from a generic formula. So, if you have a body type that falls outside that generic window, the data means nothing. Much like the BMI index, where for example a guy with very good muscle build may register overweight on BMI, or a sickly scrawny guy with chicken legs and a belly full of omental fat and cholesterol would register as healthy BMI.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    I have one and I would say it's pretty close. I would not say it is 100% accurate though.
  • forevermaryb
    forevermaryb Posts: 108 Member
    It's fine to track long term trends, but I wouldn't rely on it to give an exact number.

    That's what the mirror is for. :smile:

    Unfortunately, I can't seem to put the fat goggles down long enough to be a good judge of what I see in the mirror:(
  • forevermaryb
    forevermaryb Posts: 108 Member
    Not sure which type you purchased, but when I looked into one brand, it was based on a generic calculation for gender and height - sort of like the BMI index. It required you to enter your age, height and gender, and it took your weight and spat out a value from a generic formula. So, if you have a body type that falls outside that generic window, the data means nothing. Much like the BMI index, where for example a guy with very good muscle build may register overweight on BMI, or a sickly scrawny guy with chicken legs and a belly full of omental fat and cholesterol would register as healthy BMI.

    Yeah, I did have to input age/height/gender. However, I would assume even if it's a generic formula, I shouldn't be too worried about weight loss at this point?? It does say it uses a low-level electrical signal passed through the body. I had 2 of my sons use it. My 17 year old is 6'3" and had 8.1%BF. He is skin and bones, so that seems feasible. My 13 year old is 6'2 1/2" and had 13.2%. He has a little heft to him, so it makes sense. Actually, I thought he would be a little higher.

    Thanks for the replies. I guess I will just keep experimenting.

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