Body Fat Measurement

P

petramom

Cathlete
When I started lifting weights as part of my weight loss plan, I got a Tanita scale that measures body fat so that I could make sure I wasn't losing too much lean body mass (and because I hoped I'd be encouraged by seeing some muscle gains). But it's been very disappointing - the scale says that since 5/27 I've lost 15 lbs total (avg of 1.5 lbs/wk) but only 5 lbs of fat. I weigh at the same time (first thing in the morning) and in the same clothes (none) so I'm guessing the measurement is as accurate as it's going to get.

I'm really surprised - I am visibly more muscular and am able to lift a lot more weight than when I started. I keep my diet at around 25-30% protein and 20% fat most days and my calories average about 1500/day. Is it normal to lose this much lean body mass? Am I doing something wrong? I'm really worried about losing muscle when I'm working so hard to build it.

ETA: Since 5/27 I've also lost 1" from my waist, 1 3/4" from my hips and 1 1/8" from my thighs. I don't know if that's consistent with a 15 lb. loss though - anyone else have any experience with this?
 
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I have an IronMan Tanita scale and find the body fat measurement to be a lot higher in the morning.

I like to periodically weigh in the evening (when I get home and change out of work clothing). If it says 23-24% in the morning, it will say 20-21% in the evening. I think it has a lot to do with hydration levels. Give it a shot, weigh in the morning and then in the evening (before your evening meal and at least 2 hours after your last meal.) See what kind of a difference it makes.

The thing I look for is a downward trend. I’m not sure how accurate they are, to tell you the truth.

Kathy
 
Love to Run (aka Kathy G) said:
I have an IronMan Tanita scale and find the body fat measurement to be a lot higher in the morning.

I like to periodically weigh in the evening (when I get home and change out of work clothing). If it says 23-24% in the morning, it will say 20-21% in the evening. I think it has a lot to do with hydration levels. Give it a shot, weigh in the morning and then in the evening (before your evening meal and at least 2 hours after your last meal.) See what kind of a difference it makes.

The thing I look for is a downward trend. I’m not sure how accurate they are, to tell you the truth.

Kathy
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Yes, I agree that the trend is what's important. Unfortunately my trend is that my body fat is staying about the same (between 38.5% and 40.5%) while my weight is dropping (I'm 165 right now). I'm interested to see what my bf is at night. I'd be happy to see a lower number.
 
You know what? I used to use those scales, and now do not. They were always really consistent, but yes, it does depend on your hydration levels.

I highly recommend finding a place that does the Dexa Scan bodyfat testing, its a cat scan like machine that measures everything from bone mass, fat, lean mass and even gives your bodyfat for each part of your body. Its very interesting and informative, and worth the money if you can swing it. It is the most accurate measure of bodyfat out there!

Even with the calipers, its hard to measure because you really need to take measurements from at least 5 different sites and most people do not do it correctly, even trainers do not do it correctly.
The underwater one is tough too, because in order for an accurate reading, you have to exhale all the air out of your lungs, virtually impossible to do, so your reading will come out higher.

A funny little test you can do in a pool though, hold your breath and float, the faster you sink to the bottom of the pool, the lower your bodyfat. I forget who told me about this, but it is fun to try!
 
To help retain your muscle mass while you drop fat, you might also try bumping up your protein intake a bit more. Do you eat some protein with every meal and snack? Do you have a protein shake after lifting weights? That was one of the best things I learned from reading Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, and it really did make a difference for me.

Of course, my own body fat is much higher than I'd like it to be, but it's definitely a slow process! Hang in there! It sounds like you're doing great!!!:)
 
LeanneM said:
To help retain your muscle mass while you drop fat, you might also try bumping up your protein intake a bit more. Do you eat some protein with every meal and snack? Do you have a protein shake after lifting weights? That was one of the best things I learned from reading Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, and it really did make a difference for me.

Of course, my own body fat is much higher than I'd like it to be, but it's definitely a slow process! Hang in there! It sounds like you're doing great!!!:)
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Leanne - what kind of protein shake do you have? I do try to have some protein after a workout - usually a Pure Protein bar (which is 19 grams of protein). I've never understood why it's important to have protein right after a workout though - what's the rationale?
 
The rationale for having protein after weight training is that lifting causes tiny tears in the muscle, the protein is used to repair and build the muscle.

I wouldn't add any more protein, you already have plenty in your diet. The recommended protein intake per kilogram is 0.8 g of protein. Based on your weight of 165 lbs the recommended protein intake is 57 g (165 lbs = 75 kg x 0.8 ).

You indicate that you eat about 1,500 kcal per day 25 to 30 % of which is protein. That means that your protein intake is 93 to 112 g, that is plenty, don't add any more, even taking into consideration that when you are trying to lose weight and/or build muscle to double your protein intake. Some do recommend up to 2 g per kg of bodyweight but that is somewhat controversial.

I also have the Tanita bodyfat scale and while I like it as an overall indicator of how I am doing, it is by no means completely accurate. The BF % it shows depends on a lot of factors, what you ate, how you slept, how much water you drank, where in your cycle you are ...... Just weigh yourself and then jump in the shower, don't dry off your feet, get back on the scale and I bet it will show your bodyfat down 2 to 4 %.

I have been trying to lose fat very unsuccessfully for many years but that is a long and different story. Over the past 4 weeks I have lost a total of 14 lbs, my bodyfat came down by 7 points.

Based on the fact that the scale shows somewhat lower bodyfat percentages when increasing hydration or water retention due to increase in exercise it is entirely possible that some of those 7 points are not actually a decrease in bodyfat but I am sure some of it is, especially since I also came down 2 dress sizes.

My daily calorie intake is higher than yours, I eat between 1,700 and 2,200 kcal per day and in fact I increased my fat intake while adding HIIT cardio instead of steady state cardio. I lift heavy about 2 to 3 times per week.

I don't stick religiously to kcal and carb/protein/fat intake but it is usually somewhere around this 20 to 25 % protein, 25 to 30 % fat, 45 to 55 % carbs.

It seems to work well for me, I noticed that if I go to low in calories and especially in fat intake my body hangs on to the body fat for dear life. I guess it is somewhat like our body retaining more water if we don't drink enough water.

HTH
 
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I have one of these scales too. They aren't very accurate, but they will show you trends. note> these scales are more accruate after you drink a glass of water - since the scale uses your water as a conductor to measure fat.

I think the scale showing that you've lost that much fat is great! You have to remember that when you lose weight, alot of this is water and yes, you will always lose some muscle when you are losing fat. Remember the scale isn't precise, but it is indicating that you've improved your BF% and that's the take away! yeah! :D

Everyone has different needs when it comes to macros. Personally, I'm carb sensitive and don't like to fall below 30% protein. It's easier for me to stay leaner maintaining this level.
 
hiitdogs said:
The rationale for having protein after weight training is that lifting causes tiny tears in the muscle, the protein is used to repair and build the muscle.

I wouldn't add any more protein, you already have plenty in your diet. The recommended protein intake per kilogram is 0.8 g of protein. Based on your weight of 165 lbs the recommended protein intake is 57 g (165 lbs = 75 kg x 0.8 ).

You indicate that you eat about 1,500 kcal per day 25 to 30 % of which is protein. That means that your protein intake is 93 to 112 g, that is plenty, don't add any more, even taking into consideration that when you are trying to lose weight and/or build muscle to double your protein intake. Some do recommend up to 2 g per kg of bodyweight but that is somewhat controversial.

I also have the Tanita bodyfat scale and while I like it as an overall indicator of how I am doing, it is by no means completely accurate. The BF % it shows depends on a lot of factors, what you ate, how you slept, how much water you drank, where in your cycle you are ...... Just weigh yourself and then jump in the shower, don't dry off your feet, get back on the scale and I bet it will show your bodyfat down 2 to 4 %.

I have been trying to lose fat very unsuccessfully for many years but that is a long and different story. Over the past 4 weeks I have lost a total of 14 lbs, my bodyfat came down by 7 points.

Based on the fact that the scale shows somewhat lower bodyfat percentages when increasing hydration or water retention due to increase in exercise it is entirely possible that some of those 7 points are not actually a decrease in bodyfat but I am sure some of it is, especially since I also came down 2 dress sizes.

My daily calorie intake is higher than yours, I eat between 1,700 and 2,200 kcal per day and in fact I increased my fat intake while adding HIIT cardio instead of steady state cardio. I lift heavy about 2 to 3 times per week.

I don't stick religiously to kcal and carb/protein/fat intake but it is usually somewhere around this 20 to 25 % protein, 25 to 30 % fat, 45 to 55 % carbs.

It seems to work well for me, I noticed that if I go to low in calories and especially in fat intake my body hangs on to the body fat for dear life. I guess it is somewhat like our body retaining more water if we don't drink enough water.

HTH
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Carola,

Is there something wrong with me that I just don't get this? I understand calories (what are kcals?) and I understand ounces. I don't know from grams.... All I know is I am 5-5", wear a size 14 jeans, but I'm still registering 184.5 lbs. on my bathroom scale. I want to be much smaller (but solid) and get lots of weight training and cardio and I'm trying to eat as clean as I can most of the time. But I have no idea how many calories I should ingest every day if I want to get down to a size 8 or 10 and no clue how much protein I should take in - in ounces. Or how do I figure grams? I'm asking you Carola, because you seem to know.
 
PetraMom,

I have a Tanita scale too.

a. Tanita says that the only accurate way to measure body fat is by doing an autopsy. They make no claims of accuracy. They say their body fat analysis is +/- 5 % off from a DEXA (which is the most reliable system after an autopsy!):
http://www.tanita.com/FAQ.shtml#9

b. Tanita asks you not to measure body fat % in the morning. The best time is supposed to be before your evening meal at around the same time everyday, preferably three hours or more after a previous meal. (Phew, a lot of planning just to weigh!) In the morning your weight is likely to be less than at other times of the day (because your stomach does not have food in it), but your hydration levels are low (because you did not drink water all night). Bodies with higher muscle % usually have higher % of water. Tanita assess body fat through a technique called bio-impedence (a tiny electric current is sent through your body and the impedence encountered is recorded. Based on the hydration level of your body the impedence readings vary). When you weigh in the morning, your scale will most likely report a higher body fat % than in the evening because the lower hydration levels mislead the tanita into interpreting that as lower muscle mass.

c. If you meet Tanita's definition of athlete, you must use a scale that has an athlete mode option. Body fat is a whopping 5% or more higher between the atlete mode and normal mode. I have tried both on myself and other people who meet Tanita's athlete definition. From the Tanita website: (http://www.tanita.com/Troubleshooting.shtml)

"The Athlete mode was developed to provide a more accurate reading for athletic body types. Athletic body types are physiologically different than standard adult body types, due to muscle mass and hydration level differences. Athletes tend to have greater muscle mass and tend to be more dehydrated. These differences would skew the body fat reading high, when taken with the standard Adult mode.

Tanita defines "athlete" as a person involved in intense physical activity of approximately 10 hours per week and who has a resting heart rate of approximately 60 beats per minute or less.

Tanita's athlete definition includes "lifetime of fitness" individuals who have been fit for years but currently exercise less than 10 hours per week. Tanita's athlete definition does not include "enthusiastic beginners" who are making a real commitment to exercising at least 10 hours per week but whose bodies have not yet changed to require the Athlete mode. "
 
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SirenSongWoman said:
Carola,

Is there something wrong with me that I just don't get this? I understand calories (what are kcals?) and I understand ounces. I don't know from grams.... All I know is I am 5-5", wear a size 14 jeans, but I'm still registering 184.5 lbs. on my bathroom scale. I want to be much smaller (but solid) and get lots of weight training and cardio and I'm trying to eat as clean as I can most of the time. But I have no idea how many calories I should ingest every day if I want to get down to a size 8 or 10 and no clue how much protein I should take in - in ounces. Or how do I figure grams? I'm asking you Carola, because you seem to know.
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I know what you are saying, I think it is kind of confusing in the beginning.

Kcal is the abbrevation for calories. Given your height and size, assuming you are exercising regularly :p, for weightloss your calorie intake should be around 1700 calories per day. If you zigzag your calories over 7 days you might look at a range of 1500 to 2000 calories per day. It might look something like this
Day 1 1700 kcal
Day 2 1500 kcal
Day 3 2000 kcal
Day 4 1700 kcal
Day 5 1500 kcal
Day 6 1800 kcal
Day 7 1700 kcal

The idea behind the zigzaging is that you keep your body guessing. Since my workouts are fairly intense, I try to never eat less than what my BMR is(BMR = basal metabolic rate - which is the number of calories that you would burn if you stayed in bed all day).

Carbs, fat and protein are measured in grams which is a metric, more accurate means of measuring. If you look at the nutrition labels of any food, carbs, protein and fat are shown in grams.

Any nutritional program like fitday.com, sparkpeople, or Cathe's nutrition program will calculate it for you. I.e, let's say you put in that you ate a cup of oatmeal plus yogurt plus some fruit, it will calculate how many calories, how many grams of fat, carbs and protein.

There are many recommendations for what percentage of carbs/protein/fat is the right one. I don't think there really is one size fits it all recommendation, every person is different and it may take some adjusting. 40/30/30 is a common recommendation (it's 40 % carbs, 30 % protein and 30 % fat). Some people recommend extremely low fat intake like 10 to 20g, that is waaaaaay too low for me and it is what started my yo-yo dieting career. Even the American Heart Association recommendation states that you can have up to 30 % in fat (based on a calorie intake of 1700 that is 72 g of fat).

What seems to work for me personally is to stay around
45 to 55 % carbs
20 to 25 % protein
25 to 30 % fat

Whereas I am normally not a binge eater, if I go lower in fat than this, I will shuff everything in my mouth that is not locked :eek:;). Aside, some vitamins like A, D, E and K are fat soluble and cannot be absorbed by the body without fat.

I try to eat as healthy and clean as possible but I don't obsess about it anymore. If everyone has pizza, I will have a slice of pizza and I feel pretty good about. The idea is NOT to be on a "diet" but to eat how I know I can eat the rest of my life and the idea is also to be able to eat like a normal, social human being and not a hermit, eating saw dust every day to fit in a size 0.

Here are the links to some calculators that you can play around with.

http://www.dietitian.com/calcbody.php
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

HTH.
 
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