frustrated! body fat percentage scale

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2005
frustrated! body fat percentage scale
4
Mon, 07-25-2005 - 8:16pm

I have to say, Im a little frustrated right now. Im 20, work out every day, and follow this diet to a T. Everyone says that they see my results, and my mom even said that she thinks that its time that I go on maintenance. I recently got one of those Tanita body fat percentage scales. I thought that it would be helpful, becasue I wasnt seeing that much difference on the scale (I don't have that much to loose, I just want to tone up). I got on, and it registered 22.3 percent body fat, which is on the low side of healthy. So Im feeling great. Then, tonight, my mom gets on. She has always been thin, and she runs around a lot, but doesnt do any organized exercise. (I get my figure from my fathers side) In any case, she is thin, but not nearly as toned as I am. She gets on the scale, and it registers 18.8 percent, under-fat! I just dont understand how this is possible. Does anyone know anything about these scales and how this could be accurate?

Sorry to vent, but its just so hard to work so hard and then have something like this happen.

Sorry, its just disheartening.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-06-2005
Mon, 07-25-2005 - 9:34pm

Oh, I understand how you feel. I think the most accurate way to check body fat percentage is to have it checked with the pinchers -- where someone would pinch your arm, stomach, leg, chest, etc. and measure the 'thickness' of the fat layer. I've never used a scale that does body fat %, but I have used the thing that puts a sensor on your arm to check it, as well as the pinchers. I would imagine that the body fat scale is less accurate than the pinchers as well. It's probably difficult to accurately measure body fat without actually 'measuring' it at all the different points of the body.

Try not to get too worked up about it. Just be glad you are in a healthy range, and keep up the good work on SBD and exercise!

Stephanie
125/115/110

Stephanie - 154/152.5/130

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2003
Tue, 07-26-2005 - 7:10am

I was going to get one of those scales awhile ago until I did some research on the internet - they're not very accurate - depending on how hydrated you are will effect the fat percentage.

Stephanie is right - the best way to measure body fat is with those pinchers - and also done in water. My gym uses the pinchers, but has no pool so it's not as accurate. My gym also has an age chart - I'm 54 - when they measured me I was good, but if I were 20, it would have been poor.

Don't take the scale to much to heart.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-20-2005
Tue, 07-26-2005 - 9:19am

thanks guys...you know, its so hard cause my rational brain tells me that i shouldnt care, that its probably innacurate, and that I look good and Im making progress. But emotions tell you a different thing, you know?

But I think your all right. Thanks again for the support!

Sophie

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-26-2005
Tue, 07-26-2005 - 10:02am
I did some research on these recently too. From the info I found they are not very accurate at all. And there are MANY factors that affect their results. Things like how much water you have drunk, what temperature the room is, how often the foot pad area is cleaned, etc. Even on some of the manufacturers web sites there were comments saying that their best use is to track *changes* in your own body fat and not to compare yourself with others (probably because this would show the consumer how inaccurate they really are!) So I wouldn't really worry about it too much.






















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