Body Fat Scale

cubbies77
cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Can anyone recommend a scale that will also measure my body fat %? I need one that will measure body fat over 50%. So far, all of the handheld devices I've found only go up to 30% or 40%.

I'd like to focus on body fat instead of weight since my weight fluctuates so much. Even though my clothes fit better, it's kind of discouraging. Also, because I'm so heavy, I could be losing from areas that don't normally get measured (such as: around my knees, my ankles, various areas around my abdomen, my shoulders, etc), so it's hard to see a difference in measurements even though I'm sure I'm losing inches from all over. A body fat scale would really help with this.

Replies

  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    Scales that measure body fat are notoriously inaccurate. Don't bother. I have one and it gives me an extremely low number which can't possibly be correct because I'm not muscular.

    The hand held devices are just as inaccurate as the scales.
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
    Blargh. :( I had high hopes for something like that. Maybe I'll just start weighing once per month and stop with the insanity.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    yeah, i wish they worked too. would be such an easy way to track it. maybe in the future someone will make one that actually works.
  • krissy_krossy
    krissy_krossy Posts: 307 Member
    They're all fairly useless. Honestly, a "rope and choke" with a measuring tape and an online calculator is probably more accurate.
  • julie781
    julie781 Posts: 221 Member
    A lot of colleges have health and fitness programs that do hydrostatic weighing. Thats what I've been looking into. As for scales that give body fat... I agree, completely inaccurate.
  • roxbox2013
    roxbox2013 Posts: 95 Member
    Don't waste your money. Are you a part of a gym? They often have people who can measure your BF% for you. Otherwise, buy some calipers from Amazon and do it yourself! c:

    I've stepped on body fat percentage scales that have told me 10% and 30% all while the same weight, when I was actually 21%. (This was way before I started heavily working out and lost more weight.) They're terribly inaccurate. Honestly, even the calculators on the internet are more accurate than the scales.
  • gogolola
    gogolola Posts: 17
    I am no expert, but reading your post made me think of measuring your own parts and charting them. I think you could find a sheet online somewhere that has a body diagram so you could print those and keep weekly or monthly charts. My old boot camp did the measurements every 4 weeks. There is room for error when we measure ourselves, but since you would be doing it each time, the difference would be true (rather than if you did it one time and someone else measured you the next time). Of course, you could make your own chart and keep track of the changes in the size of any body part you think is worth measuring.

    I do agree that the scales are not accurate. I have one. It has a program that calculates your height, age, gender and weight. YOu could do that yourself using the body fat calculators online--but since you said your weight fluctuates so much, I don't think body fat is going to help you much either (since it uses weight in it's calculation).

    I think you might be able to do the water test for body fat at a clinic or med school or health dept. We did it in PE back in college. The water test is supposedly the most accurate measure of body fat.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Scales that measure body fat are notoriously inaccurate. Don't bother. I have one and it gives me an extremely low number which can't possibly be correct because I'm not muscular.

    The hand held devices are just as inaccurate as the scales.
    You don't have to be muscular to have a low body fat...


    As far as scales and caliper and the like, don't focus on the exact numbers as accurate, they're usually not. But as a mechanism to detect if your body fat is headed in the right direction over a long period of time, it does the job. Don't rely on it day by day but month to month it well give you an idea of where you are shifting. Changing your body composition isn't quick job anyhow. You can lose weight and still remain at the same percentages. Do resistance training, read the manual for the scale and keep in mind of what variables cause it to go up and down.
  • vlnalto
    vlnalto Posts: 64 Member
    I can't speak to accuracy, but I recently purchased this scale at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and I like it. It says it measures pounds of fat, percentage of fat, percentage of water, percentage of bone, and BMI. You can also set different profiles for different users.

    http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/13059-conair-weight-watchers-glass-body-analysis-scale.html
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I bought a Tanita body fat scale several years ago and would look into that brand. I suspect that the scale underestimates my body fat percentage a few points (at least compared to some online calculators), but it provides a consistent baseline that gibes with the measurements I very occasionally take with a tape measure. Most people don't need pinpoint precision; just the confirmation that they're headed in the right direction.

    I've read that there are scales that estimate water content as well as fat. If I were buying a new scale today, I'd look into that. Sorry, I don't know the maximum measurement they provide.
  • markdavy1982
    markdavy1982 Posts: 109 Member
    Totally agree with using body fat as a direction aid instead of an accurate reading. they work by measuring water so even being dehydrated or having wet feet can change the reading.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member


    I think you might be able to do the water test for body fat at a clinic or med school or health dept. We did it in PE back in college. The water test is supposedly the most accurate measure of body fat.

    Actually, my understanding is that the DEXA scan is now the gold standard. Although I'd be happy to have either test.
  • laccy40
    laccy40 Posts: 136
    I recently bought the ww scales that measure weight and bf. I don't know how much it goes up to though. It measures me at about the same as the tape measure methods do, though I doubt either are accurate. But at 30% bf it gives a good enough reading to track progress.
  • dolphinswimmer15
    dolphinswimmer15 Posts: 30
    MFP will let you track your own measurements. You just go to your home page, click "check-in", then under the measurements you'll see "track additional measurements"
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member


    I think you might be able to do the water test for body fat at a clinic or med school or health dept. We did it in PE back in college. The water test is supposedly the most accurate measure of body fat.

    Actually, my understanding is that the DEXA scan is now the gold standard. Although I'd be happy to have either test.

    DXA scan is the best. My university offers them for $75 for students and $90 for people unaffiliated with the university. They do have a package deal where you purchase two, 3 months apart for a discount. It is great for making sure you are losing body fat and not LBM. It can be kind of pricey but I think it's worth it.
  • zsehiralti
    zsehiralti Posts: 8 Member
    Can someone direct me to a good online calculator? I'm curious about it :)
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Blargh. :( I had high hopes for something like that. Maybe I'll just start weighing once per month and stop with the insanity.

    It's not insane to want to try to keep track of such a vital datum of weight loss success. It's good to get feedback from various sources. If you're consistent, you will see trends over time, regardless of whether each and every tool is 100% accurate, which they're not. You need to observe your own patterns and use your judgment. The information will help -- but don't obsess over it -- THAT would be insane. :smile:
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    Here's one that I like. All you need is a tape measure and regular scale. I would recommend that you get the assistance of someone to take the measurements. (They won't cheat.) :wink:

    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member


    I think you might be able to do the water test for body fat at a clinic or med school or health dept. We did it in PE back in college. The water test is supposedly the most accurate measure of body fat.

    Actually, my understanding is that the DEXA scan is now the gold standard. Although I'd be happy to have either test.

    DXA scan is the best. My university offers them for $75 for students and $90 for people unaffiliated with the university. They do have a package deal where you purchase two, 3 months apart for a discount. It is great for making sure you are losing body fat and not LBM. It can be kind of pricey but I think it's worth it.

    I think it would be very much worth it, although I'd still use my scale.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Here's one that I like. All you need is a tape measure and regular scale. I would recommend that you get the assistance of someone to take the measurements. (They won't cheat.) :wink:

    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm

    You have to make sure they measure in the same place with the same tautness every time. It's good to have measurements, but nothing is 100% accurate.

    Accurate measurement is not as straightforward as you might think. This issue comes up in bespoke tailoring and dressmaking. Different people measure differently.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    Here's one that I like. All you need is a tape measure and regular scale. I would recommend that you get the assistance of someone to take the measurements. (They won't cheat.) :wink:

    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm

    You have to make sure they measure in the same place with the same tautness every time. It's good to have measurements, but nothing is 100% accurate.

    Accurate measurement is not as straightforward as you might think. This issue comes up in bespoke tailoring and dressmaking. Different people measure differently.

    True that. That's why I always get my DH to take my measurements. At least, he keeps measuring me in approximately the same way each time. :smile:
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Hand held body fat devices are inaccurate, but they do tend to measure CHANGE accurately when used by the same person over time.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Can someone direct me to a good online calculator? I'm curious about it :)

    I usually just Google. But know that the one based on the "Military" formula usually yields the highest result. So make sure to include one based on that to get the full range of readings.

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