Body Fat Scales - Reliable?

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frizbeemom
frizbeemom Posts: 101 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Also posted to a much less frequented board... I am fairly new to strength training consistently. Am doing the Body Revolution program but am having so much fun with it and seeing the results that I want, that I want to continue some sort of strength-training/body building after these 90 days are over. I am finding out that I'm not losing weight very fast, but I'm losing inches. I would like to start tracking my body fat percentage, since it's kind of a downer to be working so hard and seeing the weight hanging around the same number. Since it's not very feasible to do a BodPod or something of that sort on a consistent basis, I was thinking of getting a scales that measures body fat percentage. Especially since the scales I am using is starting to really show a range of about 5 lbs and I'd like to replace it with something very accurate. I know that the body fat percentages can be a bit "off", but I'm just looking to track over time. Does anyone have a certain one they'd recommend for reliability and consistency for weight and body fat percentages or is it not worth it to get one of these? Or if you don't think the body fat scales is worth it, do you have a consistent and accurate weight scales brand/type you highly recommend? Thanks!

Replies

  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Scales that measure body fat are woefully inconsistent, as they rely on bioimpedance, which can be skewed by hydration levels. They have a margin of error of over 10%. I have one that I've seen swing wildly up or down 5-10% in a single day. Best bet for tracking body fat is a good pair of calipers.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    Scales that measure body fat are woefully inconsistent, as they rely on bioimpedance, which can be skewed by hydration levels. They have a margin of error of over 10%. I have one that I've seen swing wildly up or down 5-10% in a single day. Best bet for tracking body fat is a good pair of calipers.

    yah. I can agree. I have the fitbit aria scale. it measures body fat and is really inaccurate. there are other devices out there, im sure someone will chime in.

    if you actually want to measure bodyfat, those scales are not an option.
  • CatMcCheesey
    CatMcCheesey Posts: 143
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    Buy one that also displays your body water percentage. (Weight Watchers has one made by Conair) If you keep your hydration level consistent, the numbers are more accurate.

    Edit: By the way, the above mentioned scale carries the Good Housekeeping seal of approval.
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
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    The scales are an option. Thjey give you at least a genereal idea of progression. Are they very accurete, no. But they are fine if that is all you have. Callipers are better though but they can be pretty inaccurete as well. The best guage is to keep tracking those inches.
  • markluersen
    markluersen Posts: 2
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    I LOVE fat scales! Calipers can hurt sometimes and they can be used incorrectly. I find the body-fat foot scale to be more accurate than the hand held device. I have used both on several friends, family, coworkers in the past and find it to very accurate, but the hand held tends to be different than the foot device, so I take the average of the two. I noticed the people who complain usually don't like the numbers, or they are dehydrated which will skew the numbers. My best advice when using it: use it on a weekly basis (daily can play tricks with your mind), use it at the same time of day, and stay well hydrated before using it. This is an awesome tool that professional certified trainers with experience will have in their tool bag. My foot scale also measures bone density, visceral fat, metabolic rate, metabolic age, muscle mass, and water content (if the number is low, than the other numbers are not as accurate). In terms of being 100% accurate, you will never get this, but as a gauge to measure progress, it works tremendously if you use it correctly.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    The scales are an option. Thjey give you at least a genereal idea of progression. Are they very accurete, no. But they are fine if that is all you have. Callipers are better though but they can be pretty inaccurete as well. The best guage is to keep tracking those inches.
    I used to think the same--that at least you could track progress on them, even if the numbers themselves weren't accurate. Then, after months of insisting I was at 18-19% body fat (which I knew wasn't accurate just by looking in the mirror--and online calculators put me at 27-28%), one morning I stepped on the scale and it gave me 31% instead. It's been consistently above 30% for weeks now. At least that's closer to reality, but I trust the sucker even less now than I used to.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Just get some calipers if you really want to know. Beyond that, I say just workout and look in the mirror...it will give you all of the info you need. Don't be tethered to a random number on the scale or some particular BF%.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    The scales are an option. Thjey give you at least a genereal idea of progression. Are they very accurete, no. But they are fine if that is all you have. Callipers are better though but they can be pretty inaccurete as well. The best guage is to keep tracking those inches.
    I used to think the same--that at least you could track progress on them, even if the numbers themselves weren't accurate. Then, after months of insisting I was at 18-19% body fat (which I knew wasn't accurate just by looking in the mirror--and online calculators put me at 27-28%), one morning I stepped on the scale and it gave me 31% instead. It's been consistently above 30% for weeks now. At least that's closer to reality, but I trust the sucker even less now than I used to.

    I lost 20 pounds before my scale even showed any difference in body fat measurement. I carry most of my fat in my lower body and since the scales only measure that, it shows my body fat as much higher than it actually is. I had a DeXA scan preformed so I actually knew what my body fat was and my scale showed a higher body fat percentage by 10%+.

    I recommend a good tape measure and set of calipers.
  • CharlieJuliette
    CharlieJuliette Posts: 459 Member
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    The scales are an option. Thjey give you at least a genereal idea of progression. Are they very accurete, no. But they are fine if that is all you have. Callipers are better though but they can be pretty inaccurete as well. The best guage is to keep tracking those inches.
    I used to think the same--that at least you could track progress on them, even if the numbers themselves weren't accurate. Then, after months of insisting I was at 18-19% body fat (which I knew wasn't accurate just by looking in the mirror--and online calculators put me at 27-28%), one morning I stepped on the scale and it gave me 31% instead. It's been consistently above 30% for weeks now. At least that's closer to reality, but I trust the sucker even less now than I used to.

    I lost 20 pounds before my scale even showed any difference in body fat measurement. I carry most of my fat in my lower body and since the scales only measure that, it shows my body fat as much higher than it actually is. I had a DeXA scan preformed so I actually knew what my body fat was and my scale showed a higher body fat percentage by 10%+.

    I recommend a good tape measure and set of calipers.

    I didn't know that they only measure fat in the lower body - is that true? I use my body fat scales once a week. I'm very aware that they are not accurate - but it's good to have a guide - no matter how vague!
  • markluersen
    markluersen Posts: 2
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    I didn't think that was true, but that would explain why the foot scale is always more forgiving than the hand held fat monitor for me because I carry more of my weight in my mid-section.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    I've owned a Tanita scale for several years. I weigh myself under the same conditions a few times a week. It's good for showing longterm trends. The best method is a DXA scan. Calipers are an option, but they require skill.
  • Astra250
    Astra250 Posts: 5 Member
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    Scales that measure body fat are woefully inconsistent, as they rely on bioimpedance, which can be skewed by hydration levels. They have a margin of error of over 10%. I have one that I've seen swing wildly up or down 5-10% in a single day. Best bet for tracking body fat is a good pair of calipers.

    This is right on the money.

    However, the benefit of a scale that measures bodyfat is that if you can see a trend if you use the scale under the same conditions. For example, I use mine every Friday morning at the same time and graph the results. While the measurement may not be completely accurate, the bodyfat measurement drops each week.
  • frizbeemom
    frizbeemom Posts: 101 Member
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    Scales that measure body fat are woefully inconsistent, as they rely on bioimpedance, which can be skewed by hydration levels. They have a margin of error of over 10%. I have one that I've seen swing wildly up or down 5-10% in a single day. Best bet for tracking body fat is a good pair of calipers.

    This is right on the money.

    However, the benefit of a scale that measures bodyfat is that if you can see a trend if you use the scale under the same conditions. For example, I use mine every Friday morning at the same time and graph the results. While the measurement may not be completely accurate, the bodyfat measurement drops each week.

    This was exactly how I wanted to use it. I have a spreadsheet that has daily stats of weight, calories eaten, calories burned thru workouts, macronutrients, fiber, sodium, temp, how I feel, etc. Bit of a spreadsheet nut. I wanted to track the downward trend over time and slowly see it dropping. :)
  • littlebudgie
    littlebudgie Posts: 279 Member
    Options
    The scales are an option. Thjey give you at least a genereal idea of progression. Are they very accurete, no. But they are fine if that is all you have. Callipers are better though but they can be pretty inaccurete as well. The best guage is to keep tracking those inches.
    I used to think the same--that at least you could track progress on them, even if the numbers themselves weren't accurate. Then, after months of insisting I was at 18-19% body fat (which I knew wasn't accurate just by looking in the mirror--and online calculators put me at 27-28%), one morning I stepped on the scale and it gave me 31% instead. It's been consistently above 30% for weeks now. At least that's closer to reality, but I trust the sucker even less now than I used to.

    I lost 20 pounds before my scale even showed any difference in body fat measurement. I carry most of my fat in my lower body and since the scales only measure that, it shows my body fat as much higher than it actually is. I had a DeXA scan preformed so I actually knew what my body fat was and my scale showed a higher body fat percentage by 10%+.

    I recommend a good tape measure and set of calipers.

    I didn't know that they only measure fat in the lower body - is that true? I use my body fat scales once a week. I'm very aware that they are not accurate - but it's good to have a guide - no matter how vague!

    A body fat scale passes a small electrical shock through your body. It takes the most direct path - up one leg and down the other, and doesn't go into your upper body. So if you've lost fat from the upper part of your body, you won't see that loss reflected in a body fat scale.
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
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    I have a Tanita brand scale that has both footpads to measure your lower body, and hand grips to measure your upper body. I feel like this is likely more accurate than those with only foot pads, but honestly, I've never compared it to a more accurate methodology to know for sure.

    While it may not be 100% accurate, (it could be 5-10% off for all I know), it has always been pretty consistent over time and that's all I really care about. My goal in using it is to do like you do and track more data to know how various activities and diet changes effect me. I've been pleased with it based on those criteria alone.

    I agree with the poster that mentioned hydration makes a big difference, so as long as you are consistent in when you weigh, I think you'd like the results. After all, I'm not going to go get a DEXA scan, or get weighed hydrostatically every week. I'd go broke!

    I see several folks seem to suggest calipers as an alternative. While they're certainly cheap, I'm not a fan. I believe way too many people don't know how to use them properly, and thus they are just as inaccurate as BIA, if not more so.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Scales that measure body fat are woefully inconsistent, as they rely on bioimpedance, which can be skewed by hydration levels. They have a margin of error of over 10%. I have one that I've seen swing wildly up or down 5-10% in a single day. Best bet for tracking body fat is a good pair of calipers.

    This is right on the money.

    However, the benefit of a scale that measures bodyfat is that if you can see a trend if you use the scale under the same conditions. For example, I use mine every Friday morning at the same time and graph the results. While the measurement may not be completely accurate, the bodyfat measurement drops each week.

    This was exactly how I wanted to use it. I have a spreadsheet that has daily stats of weight, calories eaten, calories burned thru workouts, macronutrients, fiber, sodium, temp, how I feel, etc. Bit of a spreadsheet nut. I wanted to track the downward trend over time and slowly see it dropping. :)

    That's how I use it, and assume most people use it. Honestly, ordinary people [not athletes or body builders] with ordinary weight loss issues don't need high-tech measuring equipment, even if we could afford it. I would like to get a DXA scan at some point, but it's not like I could have that done every week, there would be radiation-exposure issues.



    There's a trend on MFP of people expecting cheap devices to function as if they were top medical grade equipment, or to measure things they weren't designed to;; I'm thinking of people who use the calorie estimates on their heart rate monitors, instead of using them just for their heart rate.

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