weight going down, body fat and water going up

EyeOnThePrize82
EyeOnThePrize82 Posts: 59 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
2 days ago I restarted cut gluten and lowered sugar. I have lost 5.6lbs and 2" off both my waist and abs. 2 days! However, my body fat has gone up by 1.7% and my water by 6.4%.

Is my scale wonky? Is reducing carbs making me fatter while the scale is dropping? Or?...

Replies

  • hmadrone
    hmadrone Posts: 129 Member
    Are you doing any weight training? If not, you might be losing a lot of lean body mass instead of fat.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I would say a wonky scale. I don't know at what BF% you started, but it's highly improbable that you gained 1.7% BF in 2 days.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Are you doing any weight training? If not, you might be losing a lot of lean body mass instead of fat.

    In 2 days??? Also highly improbable.
  • jdholland5508
    jdholland5508 Posts: 162 Member
    The scale uses an electric current to estimate your body fat percentage. Your muscles hold more water so it conducts the current faster. The problem is when you start reducing carbs your body does not hold onto the water as well thus there is less water in your body and the scale reads a higher body fat percentage. These scales can swing very easily and should not be used for short term tracking.

    Also. If I go two days without carbs my scale has my bf% go up about 3% but I didn't actually gain fat.
  • jessjoye
    jessjoye Posts: 69 Member
    It's only been 2 days, you won't see any big changes from a diet change for a while. Maybe time to change the batteries in the scale? IDK! Time to be patient and stick to your diet, drink lots of water, and keep on moving with the exercise.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Scales that purport to measure BF are ridiculously inaccurate. Variables as seemingly innocuous as hydration level can affect the readings. I wouldn't put any faith whatsoever in the BF number from a scale.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    Scales that measure body fat and water have a couple shortfalls.

    One is that they send an electrical impulse through your body so it naturally goes up through one leg across the pelvis and down the other leg (path of least resistance, literally). As such, they really only measure body fat in the lower half of your body. (I am more pear shaped and so my scale gives me a body fat reading that is 10+% more than when measured by other methods (including calipers)). Women tend to lose weight from the top down so you are unlikely to see significant results until you have lost considerable fat.

    2 is that it bases your body fat percentage and water on the time it takes for the impulse to go from one foot to the other which can vary based on any number of factors (including bowel/bladder etc...)

    I think you would be better off getting a pair of calipers or a measuring tape and taking regular measurements using those. A scale (that measures bf etc) can give you an idea of overall trends (over a longer period of time or greater weight loss) but isn't really good for exact measurements.

    Pretty much any source that discusses measuring body fat lists these scales as one of the least accurate methods.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    2 days ago I restarted cut gluten and lowered sugar. I have lost 5.6lbs and 2" off both my waist and abs. 2 days! However, my body fat has gone up by 1.7% and my water by 6.4%.

    Is my scale wonky? Is reducing carbs making me fatter while the scale is dropping? Or?...

    Between original values and current values - you are looking at the wrong ones to assume are more correct estimates.

    If you lost all that water (and obviously water), then the BIA was not using correct hydration levels to begin with because of retaining water.

    Hence the reason the scale stats are only beneficial over months of time and general direction, when used correctly according to the manual.
  • hmadrone
    hmadrone Posts: 129 Member
    Are you doing any weight training? If not, you might be losing a lot of lean body mass instead of fat.

    In 2 days??? Also highly improbable.

    Oops, missed the time scale there.
  • EyeOnThePrize82
    EyeOnThePrize82 Posts: 59 Member
    Thanks everyone!

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