When is the best time to measure your body fat?

rms922
rms922 Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was just wondering if anyone knows the time of day that would give you the most accurate measurement in regards to your body fat. Mine seems to constantly fluctuate through out the day day, and it is hard for me to get an absolute measurement. I usually weight myself in the morning shortly after I've woken up. Some mornings it says I have a BF% of 14. Others it says 14.5. This morning it said 13.9. But then if I check it again later in the day, say around noon, it may say I'm 15% BF, or even 16%. Now my scale has always been relatively accurate, and I can say for a good amount of certainty I have cut my BF% in half over the past 8 months. However, I'm a guy who like precise numbers especially for things like this. It's weird too because when my BF% was rather high it never went significantly back and forth between numbers. I was generally at 27% BF. Times changed, I started eating better, working out, and now I'm 13.9%-16% BF, I guess. But a fluctuation of 3.1% BF seems rather off. I was thinking there has to be an ideal time of day to use the scale to get the most accurate readings from it. Can anyone please help me out? I'd very much appreciate it. -Regards

Replies

  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    The only accurate way is to be weighed under water. If you are relying on what a scale says, it is never accurate.
  • rms922
    rms922 Posts: 18 Member
    The only accurate way is to be weighed under water. If you are relying on what a scale says, it is never accurate.

    Thanks. I actually have heard that before, but doesn't it cost money to get that done? I'd rather use the scale I have even if it isn't the most accurate reading. I'm sure it's not too far off anyway
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Measure in the morning, to minimize water fluctuations. But also, the scale is a total crapshoot.
  • toholio
    toholio Posts: 46 Member
    Impedance measurements (like your scale is doing) fluctuate a lot. If you're making big changes then you'll get a trend over time which is still useful but day to day it'll be all over the place.

    Get a set of $10 body calipers and try measuring your fat using some of the multiple point methods you can find. You might need a second set of hands for some measurements to be taken accurately.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    If you're using your scale at home, accuracy should not be your concern. It's inaccurate. You may however get to see the general trend. If anything pick a consistent time of day to do it, like first thing in the morning.
  • evgenythe2nd
    evgenythe2nd Posts: 36 Member
    make sure you are well hydrated(drink water day before, dont be thirsty in the desert or dried out like a raisin.

    make sure you eat well balanced diet including sugar. dont do creatine. and measure in the morning without any excercise prior, like dont even walk in supermarket.


    or just get a caliper..... 4$ from ebay
  • Zombriana
    Zombriana Posts: 764 Member
    Impedance measurements (like your scale is doing) fluctuate a lot. If you're making big changes then you'll get a trend over time which is still useful but day to day it'll be all over the place.

    Get a set of $10 body calipers and try measuring your fat using some of the multiple point methods you can find. You might need a second set of hands for some measurements to be taken accurately.

    Yuuuupp! ^^

    My scale says my body fat is 26% but with my caliper and a 7 point pinch test I'm actually closer to 19%.
    I guess it's hard to believe that someone can be my height and weight and have that bf%. Psshh~
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/830595-body-fat-estimation-methods
  • rms922
    rms922 Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks for the advice guys. Would I be able to get these Calipers at a store like Walmart or Target? I have never even hear of them, but I will look them up. The scale I use used to say I was 30% BF (which is obese), and I wasn't even that heavy. A little out of shape ya, but not overweight. So I already knew it had a tendency to be inaccurate. But thanks again for the info. I'll look those up right now just to get an idea of what it is.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    I measure lots of different ways and plot the data to monitor trends. When it's all rolled up, I can get a pretty good idea of where I am. The best tool I have found is the mirror. If you are honest, you can get a good idea of your BF% by comparing to pictures.

    As for BIA measurements, just take them the same time every day. They won't be accurate, but they will be more precise.

    Tom

    This is my data for the past year or so. You can see some pretty significant variations from the different methods of measuring. And even the BodPod data (big red dots) can be whacky. But the trend is clear.

    BF20130818.png

    This is more data that I track daily:

    AllData20130818.png
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You're not going to get anything exact from one of those scales. You will be able to see a general trend, but you're not going to get anything exact. Those scales can't tell the difference between fat and water. Your true BF% doesn't fluctuate throughout the day...your weight does due to water retention/release, food in/out, etc...but your BF% doesn't really fluctuate throughout the day.

    I'd personally suggest a set of calipers...short of getting it professionally tested under water, that's going to be your best bet.

Categories