Best body fat scale out there & thoughts on losing BF

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pjoh127
pjoh127 Posts: 25 Member
edited June 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi folks,
I am working to reduce my body fat % but it has been slow!! I am 38, 5.4" and currently weigh 130lbs. I have a Weight Gurus scale at home that shows my current BF % at 24.1. However every two weeks I work out with a trainer and his body fat scale (one of those handheld ones- I think the brand is Tanita) shows it at 30%. Which one do you think is correct? Is there one out there that is accurate?
Also, insight into the science of losing BF would be great. I have been counting my macros for the past six months, my trainer had me adjust them to 50% protein, 30% fat and 20% carbs of total daily calorie intake goal which is currently at 1290 calories a day. I have never exceeded the protein goals (always at around 75% of my daily goal) but occasionally will exceed the fat or carbs. Never the total calorie intake though.
Thanks.

Replies

  • pjoh127
    pjoh127 Posts: 25 Member
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    maxit wrote: »
    These body fat scales - hand held or step scale type - are notoriously inaccurate, being greatly influenced by amount of hydration. In one test I read, the level of so-called fat rose 10% after the person drank a large glass of water.

    Wow and LOL! Is there anything accurate out there to measure body fat? When people post their BF% on the forum, how are they measuring it?
  • VisofSer
    VisofSer Posts: 130 Member
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    Regarding BF scales and measuring/estimating BF, the only perfectly accurate method is to die and be autopsied. In decreasing order of accuracy you also have DEXA scans, underwater weighing, calipers, and machines like the Tanita ones you used which are bioelectrical impedance analysis devices. I would very strongly advise against buying a scale that uses BIA as I do not think the added cost is worth it. They are usually inaccurate and unreliable. Get a good analogue or digital scale with good reviews that is reliable. Take measurements using a tape measure, regular pictures in the same lighting, time of day, and as similar clothing as possible. If you want to have more accuracy regarding BF, learn to use calipers which will be more and more accurate as the BF goes down and as you use them more often. There are self-use ones now such as the Accu-Measure brand.

    The simple basis of all body composition changes, is the energy balance. Regardless of all other factors, if your calories in > calories out, you add weight. Paying attention to macros can help keep the balance in a calorie deficit, and I find it certainly helps with feeling full and sticking to eating well. As for going above/below goals, remember the 80/20 rule and don't hate yourself over this sort of thing.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    The best and most accurate measurement of BF without spending money for a medical measurement is the mirror.
  • djspacecaptain
    djspacecaptain Posts: 366 Member
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    I went from 36%bf down to 13%bf on my first round of weight loss. I went from 300lbs down to 185 then gained 20 in muscle. Losing the weight only dropped my % down to like 20%bf the rest took like 6 months of being consistent of working out and lifting weights as well as maintaining my weight with a healthy diet. My tip is that losing body fat percentage takes time and you need to stay persistent and committed. As soon as you fall off the wagon the bf% starts to go up faster than it took to lower it.

    This second round on losing weight for me (i gained it all back after my first round) i started at 295 and 35% bf. I am now at 220 and 23% bf. My abs are already coming back and are noticeable even at being 23%. Im at around 7-8 months so far in the second journey so dropping 12% bf took me that long, so i am looking at around another 6 or so months to drop another 10%, even though it will only take me about 2 months to get to my goal weight.
  • pjoh127
    pjoh127 Posts: 25 Member
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    djspacecaptain wrote: »
    I went from 36%bf down to 13%bf on my first round of weight loss. I went from 300lbs down to 185 then gained 20 in muscle. Losing the weight only dropped my % down to like 20%bf the rest took like 6 months of being consistent of working out and lifting weights as well as maintaining my weight with a healthy diet. My tip is that losing body fat percentage takes time and you need to stay persistent and committed. As soon as you fall off the wagon the bf% starts to go up faster than it took to lower it.

    This second round on losing weight for me (i gained it all back after my first round) i started at 295 and 35% bf. I am now at 220 and 23% bf. My abs are already coming back and are noticeable even at being 23%. Im at around 7-8 months so far in the second journey so dropping 12% bf took me that long, so i am looking at around another 6 or so months to drop another 10%, even though it will only take me about 2 months to get to my goal weight.

    Thanks for this perspective. Helpful to know.
  • pjoh127
    pjoh127 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    VisofSer wrote: »
    Regarding BF scales and measuring/estimating BF, the only perfectly accurate method is to die and be autopsied. In decreasing order of accuracy you also have DEXA scans, underwater weighing, calipers, and machines like the Tanita ones you used which are bioelectrical impedance analysis devices. I would very strongly advise against buying a scale that uses BIA as I do not think the added cost is worth it. They are usually inaccurate and unreliable. Get a good analogue or digital scale with good reviews that is reliable. Take measurements using a tape measure, regular pictures in the same lighting, time of day, and as similar clothing as possible. If you want to have more accuracy regarding BF, learn to use calipers which will be more and more accurate as the BF goes down and as you use them more often. There are self-use ones now such as the Accu-Measure brand.

    The simple basis of all body composition changes, is the energy balance. Regardless of all other factors, if your calories in > calories out, you add weight. Paying attention to macros can help keep the balance in a calorie deficit, and I find it certainly helps with feeling full and sticking to eating well. As for going above/below goals, remember the 80/20 rule and don't hate yourself over this sort of thing.

    What is the 80/20 rule? I would like to know more.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    I use the Aria FitBit scale. It has WiFi that syncs with FitBit and MFP. It measures body fat % too. I can't say how accurate it is but as I lost the % kept going down and as my abs appeared I was at 15%. Of course as I put some weight back on it now reads 20%. What I like is the logging, I can go back two years and tell you the weight and body fat% on any day. It graphs the week, month, three months and year to show trends too.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    Accurate bodyfat measurements are extremely hard to do.The most consistent way is to get the same trained person, using the same calipers to take a 7 point skin fold measurement. This will provide consistency and isn't too badly affected by water fluctuations.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    Scales don't show BF accurately, we can see ourselves in the mirror what fat we have spare....
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    trigden1991 wrote: »
    Accurate bodyfat measurements are extremely hard to do.The most consistent way is to get the same trained person, using the same calipers to take a 7 point skin fold measurement. This will provide consistency and isn't too badly affected by water fluctuations.

    But loose skin can mess that up too.
    pjoh127 wrote: »
    maxit wrote: »
    These body fat scales - hand held or step scale type - are notoriously inaccurate, being greatly influenced by amount of hydration. In one test I read, the level of so-called fat rose 10% after the person drank a large glass of water.

    Wow and LOL! Is there anything accurate out there to measure body fat? When people post their BF% on the forum, how are they measuring it?

    They're usually guessing, or got their number from a random test and are trusting that. I know that my gym does body fat tests and I trusted it for a while but then the numbers started making no sense whatsoever, so I stopped bothering... also let's be honest, I have never looked 22% body fat, as it claimed. More like 25.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Any body fat scale will be good enough for general monitoring. I feel about them the same I feel about activity trackers; if they are consistently inaccurate by the same margin of error they can successfully reveal a certain trend. Even if your body fat is off by 10%, if the scale shows an average of 30% one month and an average of 25% after a few months you're likely doing fine, but if they are consistently showing an average of 28%-29% after a few months you likely need to reexamine your calories, protein and exercise. Exact numbers are not important unless you are interested in maximizing your results for a competition or a certain sport.

    To me it's nothing more and nothing less than interesting data points if you are a fan of playing with data.

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