Body Fat Monitor wrong???

Kenzieb07
Kenzieb07 Posts: 207 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone!
I got a body fat monitor in March and it said I was 24.0% -- at that time I was 132.4lbs and had only been working out for a month. I've now been working out for 4 months, have lost over 7 lbs (I'm now 125lbs), but my BFM says I'm still at 22.7%. I know I'm not losing muscle, because I've only been gaining muscle through weight lifting and notice a huge difference.

1.3% in 3 months, when I've lost 7lbs since then, doesn't seem accurate! I'm hoping someone else on here is more of an expert in the body fat world and can tell me if this seems accurate and perhaps my expectations are just too high... I figured I'd be to 20% or less by now!

Thanks for any advice you can share!

Replies

  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    How would you be under 20%? If that 7 pounds was literally all fat, you'd be at 21%.
  • Kenzieb07
    Kenzieb07 Posts: 207 Member
    Again, I'm no expert and am asking for help... Even so, all 7lbs should be fat since I've been building muscle this whole time... certainly not losing it.

    Anyone?!
    How would you be under 20%? If that 7 pounds was literally all fat, you'd be at 21%.
  • reneelee
    reneelee Posts: 877 Member
    It looks right to me I looked at old weight loss papers and a 2 pound loss = .25 lost in body fat
  • Kenzieb07
    Kenzieb07 Posts: 207 Member
    Thanks!! This is very good to know... I'm clueless.

    It looks right to me I looked at old weight loss papers and a 2 pound loss = .25 lost in body fat
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    I'm sure someone more expert will chime in soon, but my understanding is that it's darned near impossible to add muscle mass at a calorie deficit. You lift to prevent loss of muscle.

    The difference you are noticing is probably mostly that you have toned and improved existing muscle mass. But you've still lost a little since you are at a deficit.

    The fastest way to improve your body fat percent, as I understand it, is to actually gain muscle - which means eating at a surplus (with a lot of it in protein) and lifting heavy.

    Again, this is my understanding. I'm still a cardio addict. :)
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    It looks right to me I looked at old weight loss papers and a 2 pound loss = .25 lost in body fat

    This makes no sense to me. So, you lose two pounds, and nearly 88% of that is lean muscle mass and water, rather than fat? That seems backwards.
  • LadyIntrepid
    LadyIntrepid Posts: 399 Member
    Sounds about right. Here's a good body fat calculator: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ibw/
  • Kenzieb07
    Kenzieb07 Posts: 207 Member
    Thanks for this! It tells me I will need to weigh 118 (7 lbs less than I do right now) to get to my goal BF% of 18%. Oh man... still have a lot of work to do!
    Sounds about right. Here's a good body fat calculator: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ibw/
  • Grandysl
    Grandysl Posts: 189
    It recently took me about 30 lbs to drop about 4% body fat.

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