How do you know the lbs you lose is fat?

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Out of the poundage that is lost, how can you tell how much of that is fat, how much is water weight, how much is muscle, etc?

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  • xcrystalx
    xcrystalx Posts: 19
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    if you lose say 2-3lbs in one day then its going to be water weight, but if you lost 2-3lbs in a week then its definatley going to be fat and maybe some muscle. if your losing weight but not losing inches then it could be muscle loss, its best to get a body analyser scale that tells you how much fat, muscle and water you have then you can see exactly what your losing.
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    You would have to get your body fat tested. Some options for that are the Bod Pod, hydrostatic water test, or calipers. You could also use a body fat scale or handheld, to get a rough idea, but there are mixed reviews as to their accuracy.
  • Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet
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    I find that my body fat scale is consistent, albeit maybe not accurate. (Not sure Im at 28% BF and Im not sure Im qualified to be on the athlete mode). Anyways, itll tell you a % BF

    WeightBefore * BF = Pounds of fat (i.e. 165 * 30% = 49.5)
    WeightAfter * BF = Pounds Fat after (i.e 160 * 28% = 44.8)

    You can do the same for your water percent before/after

    Before - After for Fat = 4.7# of fat lost, 0# water loss--> I must have lost 0.3# of muscle...which makes sense.