body comp results

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margannmks
margannmks Posts: 424 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I had the tanita body comp analyzer done at the ymca 5/21 and again today. I know the reliability isnt perfect but im wondering if the difference between the two readings would be correct. I eat apparently at maintenance because i dont lose lbs and im not gonna eat less so im happy with that . I have changed my workouts to more heavier lifting and less cardio, i currently do lower body mon,wed,fri and upper body tues thurs and sat is high reps lower weight total body. I was lifting before just not as heavy as now, i wasnt just doing cardio. So the change was as follows weight + 2.2 lbs fat % -2.5 % fat mass -2.6lbs ffm + 4.8lbs tbw+ 3.6 lbs. Fom everything ive read on here a woman wont gain much muscle. My upper body dosent seem much different, i was already pretty defined, maybe my back cause im doing more lat work but my thighs have really developed nicely. How much stock can i put in these results. Thanks
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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    gained 4.8 lbs of Fat-Free Mass. Otherwise called Lean Body Mass.

    It is everything that is NOT fat, as the name implies.

    It is NOT just muscle mass. It of course includes muscle mass, and bone, and water, and bigger lungs, ect.

    You can gain LBM (FFM) and not one bit of muscle mass. Drink a big glass of water prior to the test - just gained LBM. No muscle mass.

    You can increase carb stores for your workouts, which store with attached water - for sure did that.
    It's summer and for heat reasons your blood volume increases - likely did that.

    Oh, Likely not eating at maintenance, if valid weigh-in today and so was last one.
    Was this morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout - to minimize expected known water fluctuations?
    If both days are valid, then the gain of 3.6 lbs implies over maintenance by a bit.

    3.6 x 3500 / 42 days between weigh-ins = 300 amount eaten over maintenance on average daily. And no it wasn't fat gained since lifting - so great job.

    Find out how much you ate on average daily for that same period of time, subtract that figure above, and you got your true maintenance, or TDEE, for whatever the average workout was during that time.
  • margannmks
    margannmks Posts: 424 Member
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    Im quite aware of the fact that i did not gain 4.8 lbs of muscle in 6 weeks but i wasnt clear as i could have been with numbers. I did not gain 3.6 lbs, tbw is total body water. I gained 2.2 lbs which is a normal flucuation for most people. The number that i was hoping is accurate is that while ive not lost lbs per say my body fat has reduced by 2.6 lbs or 2.5% and my ffm has increased by 4.8 lbs some of which has to be muscle because i obviously didnt grow more bones or lungs. I also took my measurements today and my chest has increased by 1.5 in. my waist lost 1in and my thighs gained 3/4 of an inch. My upper arm stayed the same as did my hips. I was measured both times in the evening first one was before workout this one was after and i did mention how much water i had drank but he said the machine differentiated that . Im not a sodium eater but its also my tom so that could increase lbs too thats why i dont pay attention to scale weight. Im 5'2" 124-126 lbs and almost 54 years old . This has my body fat percentage at 20.3% from 22.8% i think thats fairly accurate when i look at pics for that range. I eat between 1400-1500. That is with my exercise added in.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Sorry, since you didn't point out what in all those stats what you actually had a question on, but only asked about muscle mass increase, I assumed you were like so many others that think FFM or LBM is muscle mass only.

    All that is entirely possible in 6 weeks.

    Perhaps 1 lb of muscle if prior muscle was tapped out with lifting you were doing, and the change of program demanded more and body needed to make more to handle the load.

    But you can also increase water weight a lot, obviously not bones (lungs yes actually get bigger, hold moisture) and the increase blood volume and more stored carbs in new muscle is with water.
    Plus the fact of normal fluctuations as you mentioned.

    All possible.
  • margannmks
    margannmks Posts: 424 Member
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    Thanks i can completely understand that. My original concern was while i doubt the exactness of these type tests can i expect the results differences to be true reflection between values whether they are water fat or muscle.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    bump
  • TrailNurse
    TrailNurse Posts: 359 Member
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    The only reliable body fat/muscle analysis is a DEXA scan....I wouldn't put much trust in anything else. Female body only gains approx 1/2 lb of muscle a month and that's with HEAVY lifting.
  • margannmks
    margannmks Posts: 424 Member
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    I am lifting heavy for me 3 days upper body and 3 days lower a week and doing exercises i previously wasnt such as leg press 200 lbs 4×8, seated leg curl 80 lbs 4× 8 and leg lifts 75 lbs 4×8 in addition to my dumbell lunges romanian deadlifts and barbell squats ,so my thighs are bigger and the muscle was not like that pronounced 6 weeks ago , but im happy if its just fat loss cause ive still got a little to lose. I really judge it by my mirror anyway i was just curious
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
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    The only reliable body fat/muscle analysis is a DEXA scan....I wouldn't put much trust in anything else. Female body only gains approx 1/2 lb of muscle a month and that's with HEAVY lifting.

    Exactly this. I had a DEXA in February and have another scheduled for August, with lifting in the meantime. I can't wait to see the results. (I use a BIA scale about weekly at my gym just for an idea of my trend. In February, I did both on the same day, and the DEXA put me about 4-5% higher for BF, so it will be interesting to see if that holds true for the recheck.)
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    I've been using calipers to measure my body fat and I get about 24%. I just noticed that MFP tracks your BF from your measurements and they have 13% listed for me. Given that I probably won't get an expensive test done, which of these would be closer to the truth?
  • Leonidas_meets_Spartacus
    Leonidas_meets_Spartacus Posts: 6,198 Member
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    Bod pod is the gold standard for pros in NFL and pretty much all pro sports. Dexa is decent but has its problems. I usually do a bod pod every 2 weeks with an occasional Dexa or Ultra sound. These scales are very unreliable to make any decisions or worry about.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I've been using calipers to measure my body fat and I get about 24%. I just noticed that MFP tracks your BF from your measurements and they have 13% listed for me. Given that I probably won't get an expensive test done, which of these would be closer to the truth?

    MFP doesn't track BF from measurements, it's input from you or a synced app.
    13% isn't from an MFP calculator.

    Calipers in experienced hands for 5-site method are upwards of 12% accurate.

    Inexperienced hands, or less sites - perhaps 20% accurate, higher or lower.
  • TrailNurse
    TrailNurse Posts: 359 Member
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    Bod pod is the gold standard for pros in NFL and pretty much all pro sports. Dexa is decent but has its problems. I usually do a bod pod every 2 weeks with an occasional Dexa or Ultra sound. These scales are very unreliable to make any decisions or worry about.

    The only problem with Bod Pod is that they are not available throughtout the US like a DEXA Scan is. Any hospital can do a DEXA Scan. The closest Bod Pod from me is 50 minutes away. I can walk across the street and get a DEXA Scan.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    Bod pod is the gold standard for pros in NFL and pretty much all pro sports. Dexa is decent but has its problems. I usually do a bod pod every 2 weeks with an occasional Dexa or Ultra sound. These scales are very unreliable to make any decisions or worry about.

    Me too man UMCP has open bod pod appointments to the public. That I will use at my weight goal. I did find another person with a bod pod. Bod pod is where results can be taken seriously.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    I get a bone density test every other year at the same time as my mammogram. I didn't realize that was a DEXA test and have never asked for the results because I was taking it to check if I was developing osteoporosis. I'm having one done in August, so I think I'll ask to have them send me the results in addition to my gyno.

    I haven't found any hydrostatic testing places in NYC, which seems unusual.
  • margannmks
    margannmks Posts: 424 Member
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    Lost the 2.5 lbs already,no worries itll be back next month.lol. And a bathing suit try on in horrible lighting comfirmed that i still have fat to lose.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I get a bone density test every other year at the same time as my mammogram. I didn't realize that was a DEXA test and have never asked for the results because I was taking it to check if I was developing osteoporosis. I'm having one done in August, so I think I'll ask to have them send me the results in addition to my gyno.

    I haven't found any hydrostatic testing places in NYC, which seems unusual.

    You'll likely have to ask them to make it a body comp analysis - because the computer program can be told just to focus on bones during analysis - and you won't get anything useful out of rest of the data for BF%.

    Just call ahead of time. Why am I betting they'll charge more too, for extra code to run probably 15 min?
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    I get a bone density test every other year at the same time as my mammogram. I didn't realize that was a DEXA test and have never asked for the results because I was taking it to check if I was developing osteoporosis. I'm having one done in August, so I think I'll ask to have them send me the results in addition to my gyno.

    I haven't found any hydrostatic testing places in NYC, which seems unusual.

    You'll likely have to ask them to make it a body comp analysis - because the computer program can be told just to focus on bones during analysis - and you won't get anything useful out of rest of the data for BF%.

    Just call ahead of time. Why am I betting they'll charge more too, for extra code to run probably 15 min?

    I may do that. It may not be covered by Medicare, but that's ok
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
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    Bod pod is the gold standard for pros in NFL and pretty much all pro sports. Dexa is decent but has its problems. I usually do a bod pod every 2 weeks with an occasional Dexa or Ultra sound. These scales are very unreliable to make any decisions or worry about.

    Me too man UMCP has open bod pod appointments to the public. That I will use at my weight goal. I did find another person with a bod pod. Bod pod is where results can be taken seriously.

    From what I've heard, the DEXA is actually more accurate than the Bod Pod. I almost got a Bod Pod since it was more readily available and cheaper, but then I found a doctor that includes a DEXA in a standard physical. (I also just read that a BIA scale like the InBody 520 can be really accurate. I'm actually hoping that it's less accurate than the DEXA because the InBody put me at just 7% BF, while the DEXA is at least in double digits. I check the InBody weekly, and will do a six-month DEXA recheck next month. My trainer and doctor aren't too concerned about the low BF% because I continue to build muscle, meaning my hormones are still working--plus, I've had blood tested thoroughly. But I still don't actually want to be at 7% BF!)
  • Chelsarrr
    Chelsarrr Posts: 65 Member
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    I also learned that the DEXA was more accurate. This was at the Human Performance Lab at college last year, when we had students do both tests and compared the results. They presented DEXA as the more accurate test.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Exactly, DEXA is more accurate.

    Bodpods are NOT the gold standard for the NFL - its quick and cheap.
    Just because it's used the most doesn't mean it's the best.

    Any other method with decent accuracy like calipers or DEXA or hydrostatic all take too long and too expensive for them to be doing it frequently - which they do.
    Enter the Bodpod for their use.

    The just want to confirm the guys that are gaining - aren't just gaining fat.
    And if losing - not losing too much LBM that has been worked so hard for.

    And to 7% BF for a woman - you'd have all kinds of negative side effects if really down at that level - BIA scales can be throw off so many ways, besides not being accurate.
    The can be consistent though, and so can indicate a direction of gain or loss of BF%.

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