Argh - body fat - going up???!!

Lanfear
Lanfear Posts: 524
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
Well I know the home measuring scales aren't the most accurate things in the world, but I am aiming to lose bodyfat now, rather than "weight", as such.

My BF% is quite high and it was 25%. I run 3 or 4 times a week (minimum of 3 miles each time), cycle every day and horseride once a week. I am also doing the ChaLean Extreme workouts with resistance bands at least 3 times a week (can't quite do the 6 times you're supposed to).

Got on the scales this morning to discover that although my weight has stayed the same (YET again) my BF% is now 26.6%!!!!

Aaaaaarrrrrrggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

Replies

  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Have you tried weight training?
  • SpaceMarkus
    SpaceMarkus Posts: 651
    That can be affected by so many things. One of which is your sodium content. It's the way the scale takes your measurements. If you just had a large sodium meal, like pizza, within a few days of measuring it will go up. Also, I've found that if you don't drink enough water it also reads at a higher percentage.
  • MDanielson24
    MDanielson24 Posts: 4 Member
    Body fat scales are very inaccurate. They can change depending on how much you've had to eat or drink. Also differs depending on when you last went to the bathroom.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    Snake! Snake! Shoot it!!!!!!!!!
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    First and foremost, those scales are not accurate at measuring BF% at all. A friend said a couple weeks ago she measured twice in two minutes and it changed by 5%.

    Yes, too much cardio can burn muscle, but if you are just starting out, it should still burn more fat. You should be doing some strength training as well.
  • Lanfear
    Lanfear Posts: 524
    Snake! Snake! Shoot it!!!!!!!!!
    :frown: Why??


    For the others who've mentioned weight training, I don't have free weights however I have been doing ChaLean Extreme and have resistance bands graded from 10lbs up to 50lbs resistance, and they offer a pretty good workout (especially where triceps are concerned - ouch!).

    I take the point that the scales are probably inaccurate but unfortunately other than appearance (bleeugh!) they're the only way I currently have of measuring BF%. Grrrrrrrrr!

    Re cardio, I've been cycling for about 2 years now (no change in shape or size but that might be to do with crisps LOL) and I've gone horseriding for years. The newest addition is the running and I've been doing that since May. I'm about 10lbs away from my "goal" weight, as such, but as I say I'm not really bothered about losing weight, what I want to get shot of now is that unsightly flab!!!!
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
    A lot of people don't believe that body fat scales are accurate. They state that it gives different readings for body fat percentage. For regular scale weight, a scale can give a different reading too, if a person weigh themselves again within seconds from the first weigh in.

    It's going to be 6 years this year that I had my body fat scale and I trust it. Last month, I've stepped on my sister's brand new body fat scale and gotten a + 1% difference reading from my body fat scale. Today, I've received my Omron body fat handheld monitor and it bascially gave me - 1% difference reading from my body fat scale. The machine gave me the same bmi that the bmi formula gave me.
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