Weight going down, but fat percentage going up ???

Txman70
Txman70 Posts: 15
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been counting calories and using MFP for about three weeks. I have been losing weight, but my fat percentage has gone up. I am using a Tanita scale for weight and fat %. My starting weight was 253 and 41% fat. Since then I have weighed 246.4 39% fat, 243.6 39% fat, 241.6 41% fat, 239 42% fat. I am eating less than my calculated calories and most days less than my protein & fat allocation. I am recovering from a leg injury, so my activity level is not real high and I am limited as to what I can do to burn calories. Any ideas as to why the fat% would climb while the weight goes down? Is it because I am not getting enough protein? is it the inherent inaccuracy in a scale fat measurement? Is it because I am just starting to loose weight? What do you think?

Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Body fat scales are notorious. Are you assessing at the same time, same situation every day at least? Hydration levels can throw everything off.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    I am eating less than my calculated calories and most days less than my protein & fat allocation. I am recovering from a leg injury, so my activity level is not real high and I am limited as to what I can do to burn calories. Any ideas as to why the fat% would climb while the weight goes down? Is it because I am not getting enough protein? is it the inherent inaccuracy in a scale fat measurement? Is it because I am just starting to loose weight? What do you think?



    Yep - probably pretty much everything you put forth. You want to treat protein and fat as a minimum - especially protein if you're going with MFP's recommendation. And, has been mentioned, the fat calculating scales are typically off. Mine says that I'm something like 25% BF. No, not even close.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Bioimpedance fat monitors are notoriously susceptible to error from water retention.

    Also, you are probably losing some muscle mass. You are losing at a rapid rate, not getting your protein, and not (presumably) doing resistance training. That's a recipe for muscle loss.

    My prescription to you would be to get more protein, and do some form of resistance training.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    Eat more, lift more. Sounds like you are losing muscle mass.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    Those things are horribly inaccurate. According to my scale, my BF can range +/- 5% in a day. Ignore it.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    Yes, you are probably losing muscle mass, since you're unable to exercise. The muscle can turn into fat when it isn't being used, which is probably why the fat percentage went up. As for the weight loss, it could unfortunately be due to water weight loss, and/or the muscle loss. :( Increase protein intake, and do what you can for strength training with your injury.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Yes, you are probably losing muscle mass, since you're unable to exercise. The muscle can turn into fat when it isn't being used, which is probably why the fat percentage went up. As for the weight loss, it could unfortunately be due to water weight loss, and/or the muscle loss. :( Increase protein intake, and do what you can for strength training with your injury.

    Not to be critical, but that's not quite right. Muscle doesn't turn into fat - it's broken down by the body for energy. Likewise fat doesn't turn to muscle. You are constantly in a state of losing/gaining both to some degree or other.

    Since body fat percentage is relative to total body mass, both a loss of muscle and a gain of fat can cause an increase.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    My starting weight was 253 and 41% fat. Since then I have weighed 246.4 39% fat, 243.6 39% fat, 241.6 41% fat, 239 42% fat.

    Starting LBM is 253 * 0.59 -> 149 lbs
    Current LBM is 239 * 0.58 -> 138 lbs

    It sounds like you've only recently started dieting, which means most of this could very well be water weight. But it is definitely something to monitor going forward - you're outside the initial phase, if LBM keeps dropping it very well could be muscle.

    As a comparison, I'm dropping ~2 lbs/week and my LBM is not dropping at all.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    If you don't do resistance training and eat plenty of protein, you will lose muscle (lean body mass) along with the fat.. I realize you have an injury so don't worry about it now. And those body fat scales are a waste of money. Water weight is included in the weight of lean body mass and so are bones.
  • Txman70
    Txman70 Posts: 15
    Thanks for all the good advice. I will eat more protein and get to resistance training as soon as I am able. In the meantime I will just continue to log my intake and see where this goes.
  • sottilea
    sottilea Posts: 1 Member
    :happy: Thanks ... your responses helped me too!! :happy:
  • xbeccilouisex
    xbeccilouisex Posts: 1 Member
    muscle cannot turn into fat, they are made up of completely different cells. Its the horrible phrase i hear when people are getting ready to build muscle. 'oh iv gotta make more fat so i can turn it into muscle' NO thats not how it works. You should be sticking to a protein number determined by your weight and height you STICK TO THAT NUMBER any less you will lose muscle any more and youl put on weight. its as simple as that. eat around 500 calories less than your resting metabolic rate, stay away from white foods like potatoes, pasta and rice and anything thats a refined carbs. and eat a high protein meal that has no more than 30g of protein on it with a colourful combination of complex carbs (fruits and vegies). Its not rocket science and people make it seem so hard.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    It could happen when you can't exercise. You lose muscle along with fat when you don't. A high protein, low carb diet can help preserve the muscle until you can get back to resistance training again.
  • myria_zavrou
    myria_zavrou Posts: 1
    Minimize the Cabs and maximize the protein and maintain that lifestyle. On first stage you can eat green veggies it works fine with me :) also My body fat decreases too. When you dont feed yourself with Carbs the body fat is the next energy source. Trust me it works just fine! But you have to get supplements suger free vitamins etc.

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