Tracking Body Fat & Lean Tissue

Update on the new scale - Although I'm still waiting for my weight on the new scale to be the same as it was on the old scale, I am tracking the items that I couldn't before.

Being the worrier that I am, I was afraid that even though my body fat % went down, the weight loss (1.8 lb) was the reason. Less body = less fat, right? But since it is a percentage, it really does work out. I know that 2 days is hardly conclusive, but the numbers are encouraging. And that is what we all need. So, according to the numbers, I lost a little fat and gained a little lean. My hydration was steady at 40.2%. Low but I'm working on it. I already make too many trips to the bathroom.

8/6 body fat 45.2% (100.71 lb)- bone 6.2 lb - lean mass 54.8% (122.09 lb)

8/8 body fat 44.4% (98.12 lb) - bone 6.2 lb - lean mass 55.6% (122.88 lb)

This helps me to visualize, and accept why the scale doesn't always say what we want it to, and why they say to go by how your clothes fit rather than your weight.

Now if somone would just hide my scale and let me weigh once a week instead of daily, life would be easier. I've never had any self-control or discipline which is pretty much how I ended up like I am.

I love my Bio-impedance scale. Seeing the relation to muscle and body fat change is very motivating. One thought on your numbers, though - if your scale is like mine, the number indicated for bone weight is an actual reading, not a percentage of total body weight. So you would be at 6.2 lbs of bone, not 6.2%.

You're right--I was thinking 6 pounds of bone was pretty light though. Maybe not after all.

Just thought I would chime in here. Be cautious with what you use the BF% information for. I had my BF analyzed using bodpod at a university and it was twice what my scale said. My scale said 16% and bodpod said 32%. I only use the BF% to make sure I am going in the right direction, but really haven't looked at it recently since I found out how skewed the results were.

Thanks for the warning. I feel pretty good about the accuracy, I was checked at the gym when I started there 6 weeks ago and was about 49% on the hand-held model. Then a week ago I had them do it again and it was 46%. Like you said, use it for direction. If the scale starts giving me weird numbers, I'll know. I can see where my body is half fat!

Bioelectric Impedance is only remotely accurate in test subjects with a "normal" body fat percentage, and normal amounts of water retention.

I really wouldnt even go by it at all. I'm 10-11% (healthy for an active male) and my scale will throw me anywhere from 4% (which would mean I'm dead) all the way up to 14 or 15%.

By the way, LBM includes water/muscle tissue/bones/organs, basically anything that isn't fat, so I hope you could see how it can be thrown off by eating a larger than normal meal the day before or drinking extra water.

calipers all the way... they are way more accurate than scales, and only cost about five dollars when you order them on line.

I agree with the bioimpedance scales being more of a trend watching tool than an accurate measure. I had been registering about 24% bf on my Tanita scale and feeling awfully good about myself, then I got a Dexa scan and found out it was actually almost 33%. Now I just go by whether my % is going up or down over multiple measurements, and usually ignore the outliers, figuring it's hydration differences.

I don't really like the calipers because the formulas differ so much from expert to expert, and the measurements are fairly subjective. I have had testing done with calipers by a few different trainers and the measurements varied from 18% to 30% in the span of a few months. I imagine you get more accurate with practice, but I would rather use something a bit more idiot-proof

Very true CorsetLady...If I go from say 44.8% to 33.5% in a year, I'd say I made great strides whether it was off by a couple of percentage points or not. It is indeed for the trend rather than accuracy. I just hate bothering the guys at the gym to do a reading.

I have a device I occasionally use. I wouldn't trust it to be accurate, but I think the change in readings as I lose weight is a good indicator that I am going in the right direction (losing mostly fat) rather than losing muscle, which has happened.