These scales SURELY must be wrong, body fat way off!?

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  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I have a Tanita scale. I've always assumed that its estimate was a little low. The other day, it gave me an estimate of 23%, while a "military" calculator that I'd read was conservative gave me a reading of 26%. The latter has a margin of error of 2%

    I use the Tanita reading as a baseline.
  • BigDaddyBRC
    BigDaddyBRC Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Take that crap back.

    Do the US Navy calculations:
    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm

    Its far more accurate
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    It's definitely not, it says 65% BF. how frustrating!, thanks for the replies guys!

    To have a comparison, why don't you do a Google search for body fat percentages you can calculate with a tape measure?
  • Allic1971
    Allic1971 Posts: 145 Member
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    I have the weight watchers scales (BF reading 34.4%) and Accu calipers (BF reading 34%), both seem ok to me, and similar when I do the military body fat calculations.

    Hope you figure it out :noway:
  • Saffyra
    Saffyra Posts: 607 Member
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    Does it give you a choice between Athletic and Normal body types? This could possibly be the problem. I know it gives my husband a crazy reading if its not on Athletic.
  • shamr0ck
    shamr0ck Posts: 296 Member
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    Calipers are not accurate, far from it.

    The scales can be pretty close - mine usually puts me within a couple of points of the DEXA scan that i have done quarterly. DEXA is the current "gold standard" of body composition calculators - google it if you aren't already familiar.

    My hubby is 6'3", started at 240, and was 38% bodyfat at that weight, so 37% is definitely within reason for a male that has been out of shape for some time. The good news is that he is now at 212 and 20% bodyfat (took 6 months).
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Calipers are not accurate, far from it.


    I've read that calipers can be very accurate, but you need to know what you're doing. I use a scale.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I'm really tempted to just get callipers to be honest! Although I really wish the scales worked, I don't want to send them back again. I'm sure they'll just think I'm in denial lol

    Go to a store and try weighing yourself on a Tanita scale.
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
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    Calipers are not accurate, far from it.


    Calipers are incredibly accurate. But only in the right hands. I'll try the Athletic mode just in case, but. D have it set to normal. Just seems strange that two of the same models give a similar reading.

    And all the online ones that take into account measurements aswell as weir all put me around 35-37. I'm sooooo sure 65% is way off. I'll try Athletic mode later.
  • huntindawg1962
    huntindawg1962 Posts: 277 Member
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    Calipers are incredibly accurate. But only in the right hands. I'll try the Athletic mode just in case, but. D have it set to normal. Just seems strange that two of the same models give a similar reading.

    And all the online ones that take into account measurements aswell as weir all put me around 35-37. I'm sooooo sure 65% is way off. I'll try Athletic mode later.

    Or send it back for another one. There is the possibility that your unit has an issue in the calculations that is giving you an incorrect reading. Yours sounds like it may be giving you % of lean body mass instead of body fat.

    Calipers have utility - not very good on larger people as they can not get the "pinch" repeatably and as you state "in the right hands" of which I have yet to meet the trainer at health clubs that has had more than cursory training. And home use is really subjective.

    Get a DEXA or BodPod if you really want the facts as close as they come.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
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    Mine isn't as funky as yours but I think it is off. It pretty much always reads 35%. this ranges from last year when I was bedridden for months and obviously lost a lot of muscle tone to now with regular workouts, a little weight loss and lots of muscle building, inches lost etc. It appears that 35% bf would put me in the low ranges of obese (while a little plump I don't think I'm obese). A month ago I used one of those handheld electrical ones which said 32% and I used the military BF calculator on fat2fit and got 28%. Just the other day I recalculated according to fat2fit and am down to 26% that way but my scale still says 35%.
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
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    Does it give you a choice between Athletic and Normal body types? This could possibly be the problem. I know it gives my husband a crazy reading if its not on Athletic.

    I switched it to Athletic mode and its giving me a reading of 33%. Which sounds much more accurate. But seriously, athletic mode?! WTF. The instructions say: An athelete is defined as someone who is involved in intense physical activity for approximately 12 hours per week and who has a resting heart rate of 60bpm or less. Which I suppose could include me as I sometime cycle 2 hours a day for work. But seriously, I chose normal mode and I'm 65% BF, I chose Athletic mode and I'm 33%. What a load of tot. But at least this seems more accurate.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    I switched it to Athletic mode and its giving me a reading of 33%. Which sounds much more accurate. But seriously, athletic mode?! WTF. The instructions say: An athelete is defined as someone who is involved in intense physical activity for approximately 12 hours per week and who has a resting heart rate of 60bpm or less. Which I suppose could include me as I sometime cycle 2 hours a day for work. But seriously, I chose normal mode and I'm 65% BF, I chose Athletic mode and I'm 33%. What a load of tot. But at least this seems more accurate.

    How strange. I wonder how it measures differently.

    Off to google.
  • mbuchanan1989
    mbuchanan1989 Posts: 1 Member
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    You may want to monitor your water%. I noticed when I'm low in water the body fat% goes up. When my water count is normal, the body fat % returns to my last measurement ...unless I lost weight. Then it goes down.

    I agree with this comment!

    I have a trainer and have been participating in a fitness challenge where I get monthly weigh ins and measurements. When my hydration was around 45 my Body Fat% was around 34%- Yet when my Hydration was at 69 my body fat % went down to 14%-

    Water definetley matters!

    Just a note- the proper level for Hydration should be around 65 and my actual measurement of Body Fat% is 20% when calculated by my trainer so 14% is not exactly accurate but closer to the real number than 34%!
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    I have a scale like that (different brand, same concept). I can weigh myself before my shower and it will be one number. Then if I weigh myself after my shower when my feet are damp I get a much lower number. I don't put to much stock in the readings on these things.
  • garydoctor
    garydoctor Posts: 2
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    Those scales are way off. I'm around 10% body fat with dense muscle, it reads mine at 35%. Bull**** Salter scales. weight and BMI seems correct.
  • garydoctor
    garydoctor Posts: 2
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    Look at my pic that will definitely tell you i am not 35%. Ha Ha

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