Body fat scales

fit_fairy

Cathlete
Ok so I know they're not perfect and they have some quirks, but I'm thinking of getting one to help me track progress. I know a few of you gals use them and would like to get some suggestions before I purchase.

TIA

Catherine:)
 
Tanita is a pretty good brand. I have one but it does measure you higher than if you were to use calipers.

I've been looking at this one. It measures a lot more than body fat.
It measures bone mass, water mass, muscle mass and a lot more.

I'm really thinking of getting one.

It's called Innerscan and here's the link:
http://tanitascale.com/home_scales/innerscan.html

Body Fat %
WHAT IS BODY FAT PERCENTAGE?
Body fat percentage is the amount of body fat as a proportion of your body weight. Everybody needs body fat to be healthy. Body fat is vital to basic bodily functions such as regulating body temperature, storing vitamins and cushioning joints. Yet, too much fat can damage your health. Reducing excess levels of body fat has shown to reduce the risk of certain conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Body Water %
WHAT IS TOTAL BODY WATER PERCENTAGE?
Total Body Water Percentage (TBW%) is the total amount of fluid in the body expressed as a percentage of total weight.

Water plays a vital role in many of the body’s processes and is found in every cell, tissue and organ. Maintaining a healthy TBW% ensures the body functions efficiently and reduces the risk of developing associated health problems. Being well hydrated will also help concentration levels, sports performance and general well-being.

As a general guideline, the average TBW% ranges for a healthy adult are:
Female 45 to 60%
Male 50 to 65%
For athletes, the figure is approximately 5% above these ranges, as they have greater muscle mass, and skeletal muscle contains more water than fat (adipose) tissue.

Muscle Mass
WHAT IS MUSCLE MASS?
The weight of muscle in your body. Muscles play an important role because they act as the body’s engine in consuming energy (calories). As you exercise more, your muscle mass increases, which in turn accelerates the rate of energy or calories consumed. Increasing your muscle mass will raise your metabolic rate, helping you reduce excess body fat and lose weight the healthy way. Track your progress with Tanita’s Body Composition Monitor as you increase your activity levels.

Physique Rating
WHAT IS PHYSIQUE RATING?
As you become more active and reduce the amount of body fat, your physique rating will also change accordingly. Even though your weight may not change, your muscle mass and body fat levels may be changing making you healthier and at a lower risk of certain diseases.

Each person should set his/her own goal of which physique he/she would like and follow a diet and fitness program in order to achieve the desired rating.

Daily Caloric Intake
WHAT IS DAILY CALORIC INTAKE?
Daily caloric intake is the estimated number of calories that can be consumed within the next 24 hours to maintain current weight based on your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Metabolic Age Rating
WHAT IS BASAL METABOLIC RATE?
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the daily minimum level of energy or calories your body requires when resting (including sleeping) to function effectively.

About 70% of calories consumed every day are used for your basal metabolism. The more vigorous the activity levels, the more calories are burned. Increasing your muscle mass helps raise your BMR, which increases the number of calories burned and helps to decrease body fat levels. You can track your progress on a Tanita Body Composition Monitor.

WHAT IS METABOLIC AGE?
This feature compares your BMR to the average age associated with that level of metabolism.

If your Basal Metabolic Age is higher than your actual age, it is an indication that you need to improve your metabolic rate. Increased exercise will build healthy muscle tissue, which will improve your metabolic age.

You will obtain a reading between 12 and 50. Under 12 will be displayed as “12” and over 50 will be displayed as “50.”

Bone Mass
WHAT IS BONE MASS?
This feature indicates the weight of bone (bone mineral level, including calcium or other minerals) in the body.* Research has demonstrated that exercise and the development of muscle tissue are related to stronger, healthier bones. While bone structure is unlikely to undergo noticeable changes in a short period, it is important that you develop and maintain healthy bones by having a balanced diet and plenty of exercise.

* Tanita’s Innerscan Monitors do not directly measure bone density. Please consult a physician if you are concerned about osteoporosis.

Visceral Fat
WHAT IS VISCERAL FAT?
Visceral fat is the fat in the abdominal cavity (stomach), surrounding the vital organs.

Research has shown that even if your weight and body fat remain constant, as you get older the distribution of fat changes and is more likely to increase in the trunk area. Ensuring you have the right healthy level of visceral fat reduces the risk of certain conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure, and may delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

The Tanita Body Composition Monitor will provide you with a visceral fat rating from 1 to 59.

Rating from 1 to 12: Indicates you have a healthy level of visceral fat. Continue monitoring your rating to ensure that it stays within the healthy range.

Rating from 13 to 59: Indicates you have an excess level of visceral fat. Consider making changes in your lifestyle possibly through diet changes and/or increasing exercise.
 
Hey Dani, did you ever order this? I'm curious if you like it (if you did end up getting it) and how it works for you?
 
I'm not sure what you mean by it being a program. Are you talking about the calipers or the scale? I looked at the calipers and there was a software program that was part of one of those, but I didn't see that with the scale.

Also, bumping for Dani:)
 
Oh, me too! I wonder how to go about having one of those major assessments done. Not that I could afford to do it, or that I really think I need to, but it sure would be fun if it was free somehow.
 
I'll let you know! I took the plunge and ordered it...yikes!

I know the opinions of the accuracy of these things is mixed, but the thing I continually hear is that if you use it as a base line than they can be just fine for helping with goals. I know it will not give me a true body fat percentage, (nothing but the dunk tank can do that) but hopefully it will give an idea of decreasing numbers....emphasis on the DECREASING}(

I plan on following the guideline of the same time each day. First thing in the morning, after the bathroom and before the coffee:)
 
I have a Tanita scale and think it's great for tracking progress. The actual % might not be accurate, but I've been very happy using at for tracking my progress.

Katie
 
I just bought the Inner Scan from Tanita - I love it, it's great fun, the muscle mass feature is the best and how many calories you should eat to maintain your weight is fantastic.
Anyway - had to mention that your body fat % is at the highest in the morning - that's the time they suggest you do not take a %. Before dinner (as long as it's at least 3 hours since you've exercised and since you've eaten). I will get 17% - 18% readings consistantly at that time - in the morning it's going to be 20% or higher - has to do with dehydration, less water you have, higher your body fat reading.
Have fun with it.
 
>The scale. You have to program in your height and weight and
>active or not. I think it calculates from a program in the
>scale . I really don't think it is totally accurate.
>I would love to have an actual analysis to see where i stand.
>Anne
>http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=8227804&uid=3969941

I just bought one at Target, and in a way you are right, and in a way you are wrong. It has some calculations based on your height and weight, but it also uses the time it takes for the electrical current to go through your body. Apparently the denser your body is, the faster the current goes. Then that time is also plugged into the formula.
 
I did not know that your bodyfat is going to be higher in the morning, that's the time I always take it because I have less clothing on first thing in the morning and just easier that way. I'll have to remember that, good to know.
 

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