Lost 12 lbs - wouldn't body fat drop?

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  • c613477
    c613477 Posts: 296 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    c613477 wrote: »
    My body fat varies 5% daily!! Highest when I weight when I wake up. I always use that value. It only dropped 1% at most since February. If I lost about 7% of total body weight slowly and doing progressive weight training, I should have lost at least half of those 7% in fat, no?

    Your bf % isn't changing daily...you're just measuring it with an inappropriate tool

    I understood that. I just thought that I could see that range drop several percentage points as I lost fat. I will ignore the body fat reading from the scale from now on. It is only making me frustrated.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    Those inches calculators for bodyfat are for the average population, remember. Says the girl with the weirdly small neck and extremities compared to her torso frame, lol! I really don't think I'm 40% bodyfat with my ribs and hip bones showing :grin:
  • c613477
    c613477 Posts: 296 Member
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    cafeaulait7 wrote: »
    Those inches calculators for bodyfat are for the average population, remember. Says the girl with the weirdly small neck and extremities compared to her torso frame, lol! I really don't think I'm 40% bodyfat with my ribs and hip bones showing :grin:

    Yikes! I am pear shaped so I wonder if the bio impedance scales assume my fat is every distributed. I swear 10% of my fat sits in just my thighs! I guess having a flat stomach must mean I pay the price somewhere else.
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    edited October 2015
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    catscats222 wrote: »
    have you ever tried measuring your body to figure out our body fat?
    probably more accurate than a scale
    - just for fun try?
    http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bodyfat
    you measure your waist, hip, forearm,
    write your numbers on paper and try another calculator online
    http://www.calculator.net/body-fat-calculator.html
    answer below if the numbers are different - curious

    I got 27% and 59% respectively with these. I know the first one is incorrect and I hope the second one is. My guess the average of 43% is probably close.
  • threadmad
    threadmad Posts: 190 Member
    edited November 2015
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    This site offers five different formulae for calculating body fat %
    https://www.healthstatus.com/calculators/
    You can use them separately, or use the first one in the list, which seems to be an average of the other 4. Some of them require a lot of measurements, so get your measuring tape ready!
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    I have a HealthOMeter scale that measures weight, BF%, BMI, and water %.

    I've been saving my weigh in results to memory over the period of the year, but more often (almost daily) for the last couple of months. I recently charted all the results in memory to add to a spreadsheet just for the sake of data.

    My determination is that anything other than the weight and maybe the hydration level, are nothing but trash and aren't even close to accurate. Sure, the overall trend for BMI and body fat have gone down, but they vary so much that I can't take them seriously at all.

    Overall, I think other than DEXA scans, hydrostatic, and air displacement testing, that pretty much every method is less than reliable. They might show trends, but there are just too many factors that affect the results.

    And I guess at the end of the day, I don't care what the percentage is. I know how I feel, and how I look.
  • collosus_ken
    collosus_ken Posts: 2 Member
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    First of all congrats on your progress! do not be discouraged, another thing to note is that body recomposition and fat loss vary a bit. Depending on what your eating, the macronutrient ratios etc. Reducing calories is the first step, gauging your macronutrient intake is the second.
    For eg, someone who is on a 2000 calorie diet and is on an extremely low protein, moderate fat, high carb diet will lose fat as well as lean mass. Compared to a moderate take on everything. A point of reference is 1g/lb of bodyweight for protein and your fats should never be below 25-30% of your calories. Keep up the awesome work
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    a scale cannot measure body fat...it's just a marketing gimmick. you're better off taking measurements and/or using calipers..even then, getting an accurate BF% is difficult. I always let my coach take my measurements.
  • tracoleman99
    tracoleman99 Posts: 51 Member
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    If you've gone down two sizes, your body fat has decreased. If you're stuck, try switching things up a little. You can adjust your goals to increase or decrease your calories and macros. Try a little more protein and a little less carbs. The default settings with MFP can be adjusted under goals. You may need more protein to lose more body fat. I find that my body responds well to changes in my nutrition when I hit a plateau.
  • c613477
    c613477 Posts: 296 Member
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    Super helpful. I did start with the default macros but have switched to 40% carbs and 30% for protein and fat. I am not always there with the protein but average about 26 or 27%. I think I really should add maybe more cardio besides walking, and elliptical or Stationary bike. I used to run and do a couple hour long dance classes but got injured and stopped it. Then started focusing on weights. Hard to have time for everything.

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