We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Body fat percentage

mommamandyloo
mommamandyloo Posts: 19 Member
edited November 2024 in Motivation and Support
I've been working so hard and doing it all right. Calorie deficit, hitting macros, super low carbs, gallon of water a day. 10 hours a week in the gym...

But, getting no results. Of course everyone kept saying the old, "you're making muscle! That's why you're not losing weight!" I knew this was horse manure, but I allowed myself to believe it. I went to have a bod pod body fat composition done to try and give myself some positive reinforcement.

It came back 50% body fat.

Only, when I look in the mirror, and I compare it to those photos, I look nothing like those women. So now I am completely devastated, scared for my health and longevity, and feeling also like a failure and someone with a messed up self reflection. I feel like I've been handed a death sentence.

Has anyone ever had a totally inaccurate scan done? I mean, just looking at my profile pic should be enough to show that any level of muscle definition is enough to say, "no.way." right?

Replies

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    It's the first data sample you got. Don't panic. For how long have you been working hard and doing it all right?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I had a series of 6 monthly BodPod scans and wasn't that impressed.
    It was no better than a 4 point BIA scale (if you ignored the wild fluctuations and followed the trend).

    Had one that was obviously erroneous when compared to weight/appearance/tape measurements.

    50% compared to profile pic......
    All together now "NO WAY!"
  • mommamandyloo
    mommamandyloo Posts: 19 Member
    If anyone here happens to KNOW their body fat percentage, could you check it against this calculator and let me know if it's accurate? Based on measurements alone, this calculator puts me at 30%, which is what I was expecting based on eyeballing it. I had twins at the end of January, and I'm ok with 30% right now.

    I'm starting to suspect that I may have had a scam run on me. I've emailed the bod-pod operators - who also operate a fat loss and coaching business- to ask when they last had their machine calibrated, and I've now been invited back for a free rescan for the "very low" chance that something went wrong on their scan.

    http://www.nowloss.com/online-body-fat-percentage-calculator.htm
  • mommamandyloo
    mommamandyloo Posts: 19 Member
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    It's the first data sample you got. Don't panic. For how long have you been working hard and doing it all right?

    I've been at this with modest dedication since mid February. I've been at this hard-core with superhuman dedication since May 1st.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    mommamandyloo wrote: »
    If anyone here happens to KNOW their body fat percentage, could you check it against this calculator and let me know if it's accurate? Based on measurements alone, this calculator puts me at 30%, which is what I was expecting based on eyeballing it. I had twins at the end of January, and I'm ok with 30% right now.

    I'm starting to suspect that I may have had a scam run on me. I've emailed the bod-pod operators - who also operate a fat loss and coaching business- to ask when they last had their machine calibrated, and I've now been invited back for a free rescan for the "very low" chance that something went wrong on their scan.

    http://www.nowloss.com/online-body-fat-percentage-calculator.htm

    Hmmm - I had mine done in a sports science lab and they calibrated it before each scan with a known volume container.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,488 Member
    I tried the test you posted and it came back at 20.89. My scale says 19.8.
    I personally think both are out and would put my body fat at 22-24.

    Don't worry too much about it being accurate, just use it as a benchmark to work your way down from.

    I knew my scale was inaccurate, but watched my bf go from 31 to 19.8. Neither number was correct, but it was a constant indicator that things were moving in the right direction.

    If you need, or want, to track your body fat pick one method and stick with that.

    Cheers, h.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I just tried your link using my measurements from when I had a bod pod and dexa done. It was about 3-4% higher than actual.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories