BF%

kr3851
kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all you friendly fitness peeps...

I have a quick question regarding body fat % and my current scale. When I first started looking for a scale I wanted one with BF% on it - so I did some research and bought one from a medical company that had pretty good reviews. I pulled it out of the box, weighed myself and was utterly gobsmacked when it came up that I have 50% body fat. I'm a big girl, but that really put my life into perspective.

Fast forward 6 months, and my weight has dropped about 10kgs. My progress is quite slow, I know, but I'm struggling to fight my chocolate demons and am determined not to give up.

Anyway, the scale still says that my BF% is 50%. My exercise consists of cardio 3-4 times a week (bike riding on trails around my suburb, treadmill intervals and a bit of elliptical) and strength training 2 times a week (mostly machines at the gym, and I have been steadily increasing the weight every couple of sessions to keep challenged). I've also recently taken up Bikram Yoga which has replaced 1 or 2 cardio sessions per week depending how often I go.

Am I not doing enough strength training? Am I burning both muscle and fat calories when I'm burning, hence my weight is dropping but my % is staying the same? Or is the scale just a piece of s**t?

I definitely still have a lot more weight to lose, but would like my BF% to be going down as well... I don't want to be a saggy baggy skin sack at the end of all of this - I want to be healthy weight with a healthy amount of muscle, and a healthy amount of fat.
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Replies

  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    I was having the same problem, I posted the same question and got some awesome responses. It all melts down to body fat % cannot be really accurate when comparing your progress (especially with a body fat scale or handheld). They typically use some signal sent through your body which takes the shortest route possible to get back and thats how it measures your body fat. Now Depending upon its route, it only sees part of your body fat. It might not even go all the way into your upper body, measuring the fat in only your lower half.

    Body fat % scales and most other types of measurement can be around 5-8% off when comparing you to what you were for a variety of factors. Hopefully somebody awesome will post one or two of the articles shared with me, or you can search the thread.

    cheer up :) Make sure you are getting your protein to maintain that muscle and you should be fine :D
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Or is the scale just a piece of s**t?

    I would go with that option. I've heard that scales aren't very accurate since it can change a great deal with how hydrated you are.

    Have you been taking measurements? Body fat estimates based on measurements aren't totally accurate either, but a lot of people seem to like this one: http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html Plug in your starting weight and measurements, and your current weight and measurements.
  • melbelle32
    melbelle32 Posts: 69 Member
    bumping for website
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    Thanks for sharing that website :) It seems to give me a much more realistic value and the numbers aren't really different than I would have expected to be. :) Thanks! My scale says I only lost 1% after losing 20lbs, the formula says I've dropped 6% :)
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    When I started MFP, my scale was giving me 30% body fat. One year later it still give me 30% fat but I lost 15 pounds since then. Lately I had a calliper test done and I got 22-23 % Body fat.

    In my opinion, scale are a piece of ****
  • scotrunner
    scotrunner Posts: 87 Member
    I had my body fat % tested at my gym on Monday. I had 2 electrodes attached to my right foot and right hand. It's still not the most accurate method of testing but if I have the same test done in a few months I can use the results to see if my diet and exercise programme are making a difference. By the way the test was free, part of my gym programme. Anyway, I got a sheet with guidelines for testing body fat % :

    Please observe the following guidelines as much as is reasonably possible as this will allow for more accurate results-

    Hydration- do not consume large amounts of water prior to your test.
    Dehydration- testing with low body water levels can affect readings.
    Medication-some medicines, particularly diuretics may affect your test results.
    Exercise- no exercise for at least 12 hours prior to the test. Exercise has a significant effect on body water content.
    Alcohol- no alcohol for at least 12 hours prior to testing. Alcohol is a diuretic.
    Coffee/tea- no coffee, tea, fizzy or energy drinks at least 24 hours prior to testing, most of these drinks are a diuretic.
    Meals- do not eat 2-3 hours before testing.
    Urinate-if possible urinate within 30 minutes prior to testing.
    Women only- testing should ideally be done during the middle of your menstrual cycle when your water retention is at a minimum.

    So there are lots of factors which can make a test inaccurate. If I were you I would try to test a few times keeping some controls constant such as time of day etc and if you lose weight but your body fat doesn't reduce your scales are inaccurate. I would return them.

    Good luck!
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
    Kr3851, I have a body fat scale and handheld monitor that I trust. They both give me the same reading. Someone will probably suggest that you get a Dexa Scan, which cost $100 to get. I don't know how often you want to check your body fat percentage, but I know that I wouldn't pay anyone $100 to get my body fat percentage check. All Dexa Scans aren't created equal. They will give you different readings and plus every Dexa Scan doesn't even read body fat. You've said that your body fat percentage is 50%, well on a Dexa Scan it could be 60% or more. Dexa Scan is based on Ethnicity and it also includes your brain into the body fat percentage.

    You've said that you have lost 10kg, but have you lost inches? It takes time to lose pounds of fat and it takes time to lose body fat percentage.
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 778 Member
    See if there's somewhere near you that does Bod Pod testing...I had it done at the University's Kineseology Dept for $50. The results are very accurate & interesting.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    BIA devices are the worst at determining bodyfat. i'd look at any of the other methods that are out there

    Changes in body composition during weight loss in obese subjects in the NUGENOB study: comparison of bioelectrical impedance vs. dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

    Verdich C et al. Diabetes Metab. 2011 Jun;37(3):222-9.

    "RESULTS:

    At baseline, BIA significantly overestimated FFM and underestimated FM (by 1-3 kg on average) compared with DXA, and the limits of agreement were wide (mean ± 7-8.5 kg). "


    A comparison of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure total and segmental body composition in healthy young adults.

    Lehy S et al. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011 May 26

    "BIA was found to underestimate the percentage total body fat in men and women (p < 0.001). This underestimate increased in men with >24.6% body fat and women with >32% body fat (p < 0.001). Fat tissue mass in the trunk segment was overestimated by 2.1 kg (p < 0.001) in men and underestimated by 0.4 kg (p < 0.001) in women. BIA was also found to underestimate the fat free mass in the appendages by 1.0 kg (p < 0.001) in men and 0.9 kg (p < 0.001) in women. Compared to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, bioelectrical impedance analysis underestimates the total body fat mass and overestimates fat free mass in healthy young adults."

    and James Kreiger's excellent write up on bodyfat testing methods
    I’ve heard people make the argument that, while BIA may not be that accurate, it should work fine when tracking change over time. The theory, they say, is that the error should be the same each time you use it.

    The problem is that this isn’t true. As I mentioned in the article on hydrostatic weighing, the density and hydration of fat-free mass can change with weight loss. If this can affect the accuracy of hydrostatic weighing for measuring change over time, then you can be sure that the effect on BIA outcomes is going to be significantly larger.

    Researchers have looked at the accuracy of BIA for tracking body fat change over time. In one study, the disagreement between BIA and the 4-compartment model ranged from -3.6% to 4.8% for measuring change. This means you could lose 3.6% body fat, but BIA would show no change. Or, BIA could tell you that you lost 8.8% body fat when you really only lost 4%. In fact, in this study, plain ol’ bod mass index (BMI) did just as well as BIA for predicting change in body fat, except for in one person.
    BIA can be problematic because it’s a prediction based off of a prediction, so the error gets compounded. When you look at group averages for BIA measurements, there tends to be bias, with BIA often underpredicting how much fat you have. As with other techniques, the individual error rates can get high, with some research showing error rates of around 8-9%. In fact, BIA doesn’t do much better than BMI at predicting body fat in some cases. When it comes to measuring change over time, BIA can often underpredict the amount of fat loss, and the estimated change can be off by up to 8%.

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=146

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=162

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=175

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=218

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=283
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    Kr3851, I have a body fat scale and handheld monitor that I trust. They both give me the same reading. Someone will probably suggest that you get a Dexa Scan, which cost $100 to get. I don't know how often you want to check your body fat percentage, but I know that I wouldn't pay anyone $100 to get my body fat percentage check. All Dexa Scans aren't created equal. They will give you different readings and plus every Dexa Scan doesn't even read body fat. You've said that your body fat percentage is 50%, well on a Dexa Scan it could be 60% or more. Dexa Scan is based on Ethnicity and it also includes your brain into the body fat percentage.

    Please stop talking about things you don't understand.

    DEXA takes ethinicity into account when calculating bone density because this factor varies among different ethnic populations. Furthermore your brain is made up of over 50% fat, so why wouldn't you include it?

    BIA is the worst possible method for calculating bodyfat percentage, even worse than BMI.

    OP: Don't worry about measuring a specific bodyfat percentage. A scale and tape-measure are all you need. If you're losing weight and your measurments are going down, then you're losing fat.
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
    I have just started a 12 week program that focuses less on weight loss and more on maintaining muscle and losing body fat.

    I want to go from a size 36 down to 32 pants.
    And I am looking to achieve a bodyfat reduction from 20% to 14%.
    And yes, my weight will drop 12 lbs to 190

    This is not unreasonable, considering the journey I just completed. I was in an accident a few years back and have fought back from hell - see my fat picture in photos...

    I was 262lbs - 33% Body Fat -- size 44 Pants
    I was FAT

    F---Fatal
    A---Awful
    T---Terrible

    And like you I had similar issues with stalled fat loss. But 2 weeks ago something kicked into gear with this new program, and the fat is melting off. My measurements are shrinking, and that scale says I went from 24% down to 20% - LOVE IT!

    For now, just focus on weight loss - no more than a few lbs a week. I lost 62lbs and my body fat dropped from 33% down to 26% in 2 months, then stalled all the way down to 200 lbs.

    And again, now, fat loss is my new reality. My program is simple, but I had to lose the weight first, then get into the other things like high protein, heavy resistance ect...

    You are here, doing fine and I wish you all the best!
  • Hyperspace
    Hyperspace Posts: 78
    The scales aren't really reliable, the body-pod measurement costs.

    A pair of handheld calipers is cheap and better than the scales (not as good as the body pod, but it will show your gains and losses clearly).

    Google "slim guide calipers" to find some.
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
    Or is the scale just a piece of s**t?

    I would go with that option. I've heard that scales aren't very accurate since it can change a great deal with how hydrated you are.

    Have you been taking measurements? Body fat estimates based on measurements aren't totally accurate either, but a lot of people seem to like this one: http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html Plug in your starting weight and measurements, and your current weight and measurements.

    I've had a lot of issues with the various online calculators. Perhaps I am just completely unable to figure them out. I've tried numerous online calculators, measured my waist at the narrowest and at my navel, measured my neck, hips, wrist, and forearm and have had outputs all over the board: 13%, 17%, 19%, 24%, 26% ?!? Seriously, that's quite a spread. Anyhow, I'm pretty sure mine's low. See, now I'm "eyeballing" it because that's accurate right?
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I've tried numerous online calculators, measured my waist at the narrowest and at my navel, measured my neck, hips, wrist, and forearm and have had outputs all over the board: 13%, 17%, 19%, 24%, 26% ?!?

    From what I've heard, most bodybuilders go by the mirror more than any other form of calculations.

    I've had the same issue with online calculators. The ones that more people agree are fairly accurate have me around 19-20%, but some say I'm 25-30%, even if I plug in my old measurements and weight from high school when I was pretty much skeletal.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    i would not rely on a scale. that is why i am going to get it tested for real with this thing called the bod pod. it is pretty close to the accuracy of the dexa scan and cheaper. if you have a sports medicine or sports training department in a local college, try to ask them. that is what i am doing. hoping to go friday. those scales are way off. i want to know for real.
  • Marig0ld
    Marig0ld Posts: 671 Member
    Kr3851, I have a body fat scale and handheld monitor that I trust. They both give me the same reading. Someone will probably suggest that you get a Dexa Scan, which cost $100 to get. I don't know how often you want to check your body fat percentage, but I know that I wouldn't pay anyone $100 to get my body fat percentage check. All Dexa Scans aren't created equal. They will give you different readings and plus every Dexa Scan doesn't even read body fat. You've said that your body fat percentage is 50%, well on a Dexa Scan it could be 60% or more. Dexa Scan is based on Ethnicity and it also includes your brain into the body fat percentage.

    Please stop talking about things you don't understand.

    DEXA takes ethinicity into account when calculating bone density because this factor varies among different ethnic populations. Furthermore your brain is made up of over 50% fat, so why wouldn't you include it?

    BIA is the worst possible method for calculating bodyfat percentage, even worse than BMI.

    OP: Don't worry about measuring a specific bodyfat percentage. A scale and tape-measure are all you need. If you're losing weight and your measurments are going down, then you're losing fat.
    Ahaha! Another total FAIL by AZachery! She puts her foot in her mouth so often that pretty soon people are just going to ignore everything she states.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I already do...
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
    I honestly wonder if everyone that claims that I'm so wrong, actually have gotten a dexa scan or bodpod done or are they just surfing the internet to find out what is said to be more accurate when it comes down to body fat percentage. I think that's what they are doing, because a lot of links to websites are being posted. Why aren't the claimers posting pictures of their results on here, so we can all see the accuracy they claim to be so true? It's not hard to take pictures of all your dexa scan, bodpod, etc. results and upload them and share them openly on the threads. You can even hide your real name and just show your results. I have a feeling that no one will do that. No one is going to prove me right. When you hate someone, it's easy to try to make people believe they aren't telling the truth.
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    Why aren't the claimers posting pictures of their results on here, so we can all see the accuracy they claim to be so true?

    Why aren't you?
    No one is going to prove me right

    You finally said something I agree with.
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,380 Member
    Or is the scale just a piece of s**t?

    I would go with that option. I've heard that scales aren't very accurate since it can change a great deal with how hydrated you are.

    Have you been taking measurements? Body fat estimates based on measurements aren't totally accurate either, but a lot of people seem to like this one: http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html Plug in your starting weight and measurements, and your current weight and measurements.

    Bumping so I can try this calculator out later. Thanks for posting. I used the one on the fat2fitradio site last night to estimate my progress so far in the 30 day shred (on the scale I have lost just under 2 lbs in 3 weeks, which is reasonable b/c I'm only trying for around 1/2 pound loss per week, but the f2f calculator it says I have lost about 3 lbs of fat and gained about 1 lb of muscle), I'd love to try out this different formula to see how it compares.

    Either way, I'm pretty sure my scale is on crack. LOL
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I honestly wonder if everyone that claims that I'm so wrong, actually have gotten a dexa scan or bodpod done or are they just surfing the internet to find out what is said to be more accurate when it comes down to body fat percentage. I think that's what they are doing, because a lot of links to websites are being posted. Why aren't the claimers posting pictures of their results on here, so we can all see the accuracy they claim to be so true? It's not hard to take pictures of all your dexa scan, bodpod, etc. results and upload them and share them openly on the threads. You can even hide your real name and just show your results. I have a feeling that no one will do that. No one is going to prove me right. When you hate someone, it's easy to try to make people believe they aren't telling the truth.

    Yet if someone asked the same of you, you'd say you don't have to prove yourself to anyone and you know your body. You share your opinions as if they are fact, and refuse to post any evidence. Please stop derailing threads with your combativeness. No one hates you. Know one knows you well enough to hate you.

    I have not had my bf% tested in any formal way, but the evidence that my body has considerably less fat than it used to is right there in my photo.
  • soccerella
    soccerella Posts: 619 Member
    thanks for that website! gonna check it out when i get home where my measuremetns are kept
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
    Yet if someone asked the same of you, you'd say you don't have to prove yourself to anyone and you know your body. You share your opinions as if they are fact, and refuse to post any evidence. Please stop derailing threads with your combativeness. No one hates you. Know one knows you well enough to hate you.

    I have not had my bf% tested in any formal way, but the evidence that my body has considerably less fat than it used to is right there in my photo.

    LorinaLynn, I don't have to prove myself to anyone and yes, I know my body. I'm not the one that goes around saying "so and so" doesn't know what they are talking about. My haters are always doing that to me. They are getting information from the internet and running with it. It's easy to post what the internet says about dexa scan and bodpod. But, what about a person posting their real life dexa scan or bodpod results. If a person can't do that, then they need to be quiet.

    I trust my scale and handheld monitor. A person doesn't have to like that fact, but they need to respect that fact. A person can always put me on ignore, I'm not afraid to use the ignore button.
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    They are getting information from the internet and running with it. It's easy to post what the internet says about dexa scan and bodpod. But, what about a person posting their real life dexa scan or bodpod results. If a person can't do that, then they need to be quiet.

    Why do you believe that anecdotal evidence is superior to peer-reviewed science?

    If a person can't back their claims, they're the ones that need to be quiet.
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    Side note: Now that our friend is here, I'm taking bets on the number of posts before thread lock.

    The over/under is 124.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    hey you all, i will definitely let you know how the online calculators compare with the bod pod if i can get in on friday and get it tested! i am very curious myself how accurate it is and it's only $25 where i am going to i am giving it a shot. i didn't opt for the dexa scan because it was $50 and i am at the point right now where i just want a basic starting point to know how to change my diet and exercise. i was thinking of getting a dexa scan when i am feeling like i am closer to where i want to be.
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
    thanks for the website link!
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    Using the same measurement device is probably going to net you the most consistent RELATIVE change in BF%. Regardless of how accurate/inaccurate the device might be about measure the gross BF%.

    Using one method before and another after would probably net the worst comparable numbers
  • shanolap
    shanolap Posts: 1,204 Member
    Using the same measurement device is probably going to net you the most consistent RELATIVE change in BF%. Regardless of how accurate/inaccurate the device might be about measure the gross BF%.

    Using one method before and another after would probably net the worst comparable numbers

    Agree.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Using the same measurement device is probably going to net you the most consistent RELATIVE change in BF%. Regardless of how accurate/inaccurate the device might be about measure the gross BF%.

    Using one method before and another after would probably net the worst comparable numbers

    will just stick with one then. but i'll still let you know how it compares with the measurement calculators
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Or you can go to a fitness store and pick up body fat calipers for $10 and learn how to use them. I have my wife help me all the time. I measure a spot until I can get 3 consistant ratings back to back. I know it can lead to some inaccuracy, but has also proven very important in calculating my calories.
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