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Body Fat %..Is the Scale Lying??

CristalBelle Posts: 1,389 Joined: 2003/06/27	2004/09/17, 12:14 PM Ok...This is another question I am asking for my mom. About 6 months ago she went to the gym and got her body fat tested at the beggining of her program. It was @ 47% She stopped going to the gym about 3 months ago, but before she left she got tested again and it was @ 46%. Well 2 days ago she bought a new scale that calculates body fat % and it says that she is now down to 35% body fat. I don't think that is accurate, but I may be wrong, and just wanted to see what others thought.
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2004/09/17, 12:22 PM practically none of the methods are accurate! What you can find out is the basic trend, but only if you stick to using the same method. You cannot compare the results of one method with the other. So if her body fat goes down using her scale then that's likely to be correct, but the actual figures on there own are fairly meaningless. It's also important that she uses the scales the same time in the day and at the same stage in her cycle if she's premenopausal as body water fluctuations affect the result too.
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2004/09/17, 12:29 PM Its a electrial indepandance scale. I have one, they can be up to 5 % unaccurate, although I have never seen one be that off. The thing works by using a small electrail impulse threw your body. Now muscle holds more water than fat. Water conducts electrity, thi sis how it comes up with your body fat %. I know this so I tested it , in the morning I weighed myself, however i'm also dehydrated and nothing in my stomach, so it sai dmy body fat was 25% fairly high concidering I did a 6 point caliper test that had me at 19 few years ago. I did it mid day, and it said 20%. Thin is more water you have in your body, where it be stomach or a full bladder, it will conduct electrity, and even though its not muscle,,2,1C2,1=15
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2004/09/17, 12:29 PM Its a electrial indepandance scale. I have one, they can be up to 5 % unaccurate, although I have never seen one be that off. The thing works by using a small electrail impulse threw your body. Now muscle holds more water than fat. Water conducts electrity, thi sis how it comes up with your body fat %. I know this so I tested it , in the morning I weighed myself, however i'm also dehydrated and nothing in my stomach, so it sai dmy body fat was 25% fairly high concidering I did a 6 point caliper test that had me at 19 few years ago. I did it mid day, and it said 20%. Thin is more water you have in your body, where it be stomach or a full bladder, it will conduct electrity, and even though its not muscle, it will show up as lean tissue. -------------- if you want sympathy......from me...in a dictionary look between symphony and syphillis.......there you\'ll find it!
bigandrew Posts: 5,146 Joined: 2002/10/21	2004/09/17, 12:29 PM opps sorry -------------- if you want sympathy......from me...in a dictionary look between symphony and syphillis.......there you\'ll find it!
CristalBelle Posts: 1,389 Joined: 2003/06/27	2004/09/20, 12:15 PM Well, my mom told me on Saturday that she read the scale wrong!! According to the scale, her body fat went from 46% to 41%, which sounds quite a bit more reasonable (and plausable) to me. Helps if you read the instructions eh??!