Body fat % scale/weight scale

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Replies

  • emuhawk
    emuhawk Posts: 62 Member
    My Tanita says I'm 10% higher BF vs measuring with calipers.

    Same here. I have had a Tanita scale for about 10 years now, during which time my body has changed drastically (in both weight and composition) and it has said that I have 33% BF that entire time. The gym at my office had one of those hand-held monitors available a few weeks ago, and I was at about 22% based on that. The various online calculators put me in that range as well, so I think the scale is just full of you-know-what!
  • sundaywishes
    sundaywishes Posts: 246 Member
    bump, look at links later
  • twinmom14ek
    twinmom14ek Posts: 174 Member
    I have a Tanita, and have never had a good basis of comparison for the BF% number it gives me. Just checked out the links other posters have provided, and the estimates are within .5% of my scale. I'd still be interested to see what results I got from calipers or a more accurate method, but looks like the Tanita is close enough for me.
  • Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim
    Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim Posts: 267 Member
    bump
  • ichigo007
    ichigo007 Posts: 97
    From what I understand stand on scales that take a body fat% measure ment are going to be more inaccurate than hand helds that go from hand to hand. The most accurate ones are suppose to be the scales that measure from hand to foot. The websites specially the ones that go by weight and age always put me way high even the ones that go off helght neck and waist for some reason. I have a lot of leg and arm muscle mass and a large skelital structure and my bone surgion, nutritionist, and primary doctor said I would be lucky to ever be under 210 lbs in perfect health where most of the formulas say I am suppose to be no heavier than 189 lbs
  • ichigo007
    ichigo007 Posts: 97
    Hey!! I'm an exercise science researcher and body composition happens to be my area of expertise! These scales employ the technique of bioelectrical impendence and are not accurate, they drastically underestimate your true body fat %. However, the difference that they show if you lose or gain is relative! So if it says you have gone from 25% to 20% body fat, in reality you have probably gone from 40% to 35% body fat but you have still lost 5% body fat!!

    The only truly accurate measure of body fat % is the DXA scan. You can try and get one of these through your primary care physician as it is this scan which is used to diagnose osteoporosis. Try and sweet talk the doc into referring you for one and try and get them every six months. You will not lose body fat mass much quicker anyway!!
    Please explain: "try and get them every six months. You will not lose body fat mass much quicker anyway"
  • cunfewzed1
    cunfewzed1 Posts: 80
    I'm a firm believer that those scales are nowhere near accurate. Measurements are really easy to take and are actually really encouraging. They show you that your body composition is changing when the scale won't budge.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    They're OK, I track body fat on my scale as well as weight to gauge progress.
    Losing fat is simple but hard. You can also check body fat here for free:
    http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html
    The key is what will produce consistent results.
    Good luck - ALL IS POSSIBLE :drinker:

    This tool gives the exact same number as my Taylor scale for BF%.
  • DPernet
    DPernet Posts: 481 Member
    I have an electronic scale. No idea what brand. It measures Weight, Water %, Fat% and Muscle%. Also tells me BMR and BMI.

    It gets the weight spot on every time. The other numbers all seem to be fairly consistent. Over the last 6 months the Fat% has been decreasing and the Water and Muscle numbers have been increasing.

    I also use a tape measure, the US Navy Calculator and the machine at the gym to compare every month or so. The % Numbers are different but not hugely so and they are all showing the same kind of trend. So its all good as far as I'm concerned.

    Make sure the scale is on an even, flat firm surface and always measure yourself at the same time every day.

    http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy
  • dstanley753
    dstanley753 Posts: 32 Member
    My wife and I use the Fitbit Aria and it is pretty accurate, but is affected by water intake. We trust it though. Plus since it syncs with our Fitbit accounts we have a good journal of the changes from weigh in to weigh in.

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