How do you know the lbs you lose is fat?

thisismynewmindset

Out of the poundage that is lost, how can you tell how much of that is fat, how much is water weight, how much is muscle, etc?

xcrystalx

if you lose say 2-3lbs in one day then its going to be water weight, but if you lost 2-3lbs in a week then its definatley going to be fat and maybe some muscle. if your losing weight but not losing inches then it could be muscle loss, its best to get a body analyser scale that tells you how much fat, muscle and water you have then you can see exactly what your losing.

taso42_DELETED

You would have to get your body fat tested. Some options for that are the Bod Pod, hydrostatic water test, or calipers. You could also use a body fat scale or handheld, to get a rough idea, but there are mixed reviews as to their accuracy.

Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet

I find that my body fat scale is consistent, albeit maybe not accurate. (Not sure Im at 28% BF and Im not sure Im qualified to be on the athlete mode). Anyways, itll tell you a % BF

WeightBefore * BF = Pounds of fat (i.e. 165 * 30% = 49.5)
WeightAfter * BF = Pounds Fat after (i.e 160 * 28% = 44.8)

You can do the same for your water percent before/after

Before - After for Fat = 4.7# of fat lost, 0# water loss--> I must have lost 0.3# of muscle...which makes sense.