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

Sharonks

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

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

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

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

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

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

Look at my pic that will definitely tell you i am not 35%. Ha Ha