Body fat analyser scales

catbrand

Not sure about the best place to put this on the forum!

I bought some shiney new scales yesterday, because I was sick of mine giving me 3 different readings in a row. They are the body fat analyser ones that tell you your body fat % water % and muscle % and just to be extra mean the readout turns purple to indicate that I'm really, really fat :noway:

Reading the manual it says it's important for me to be aware of my muscle % during weight loss, but that's all it says, which was realy helpful:huh: So I was wondering what I should be hoping for? Obviously I know I don't want my muscle % to drop, but will it naturally increase as my weight drops or will it only increase if I work at it?

Also I know these body fat analysers aren't 100% accurate, but there is no way anyone is coming anywhere near me with calipers! It's just a guide at the end of the day, but I'd like to understand what I'm looking at!

SHBoss1673

it will generally only increase if you actively work at it, fat loss does not mean lean mass gains. In fact, it's nearly impossible to gain new muscle mass while in a calorie deficit. BUT your % of mass coming from lean mass will go up as you lose fat. And existing, but dormant, muscle fiber will reactivate as you become more physically fit (allowing you to become stronger without gaining muscle mass), which is helpful for both metabolic rate, and overall health, so even if you aren't actively trying to gain muscle mass, you're helping your muscle in that respect.

Widdymax

It just means if you've not lost weight but have gained muscle percentage, be aware of it. If you weigh yourself and your weight is the same, or higher but your percentage of muscle is going up, it doesn't mean you're getting fatter. This happened to me when I was working out with a personal trainer one time. Didn't lose a huge amount of weight on the scale but was the slimmest I'd been for a long time as more of my body was muscle (which was heavier than the fat it had replaced). At the end of the day I didn't care what I weighed, I was just happy to be slimmer!

catbrand

Cool, great replies, I get it now! thanks!!