i just met with a personal trainer today. she tested my bodyfat out on a scale which to my disgust had me at 27.5 % body fat. I weighed 136.8pds which is waaaay too heavy for someone of only 5' 2 1/4. she could only put in that I was 5' 2 inches. I am fairly muscular in the legs and arms. I cant believe that I have that high of bodyfat. I am so grossed out by this. I teach a bootcamp class 2x week and feel that I have no business up there because I should be in better shape. I wear a size 4/6 mostly 6 since I gained. I felt great around 125lbs and last xmas started gaining, since turning 39yrs old. of course she weighed me at 10oclock in the morning fully dressed beside shoes and socks. I wiegh myself at 7 am naked. so wich weight is accurate? at home I weigh between 131 and 134 naked. I really want to get back in the 120's. she starts training me next tues/thurs focusing on lifting very heavy she said. I currently do enough cardio, which I thought and she doesnt think I need to add anymore of that. I am giving it a month with her to see if I see a difference and she says I should. but really how do you know what is your true wt?
bodyfat
- Thread starter runfree
- Start date
First of all, the percent body fat that you get with a scale, and the percent body fat you get with calipers or hydrostatic weighing are NOT the same! It's like apples and oranges. IMHO, the scales are great for keeping track of shifts and trends, but aren't going to be the same measurement as bodyfat measured with another method. And I'm always at least 5 pounds heavier weighed later in the day with clothes on than my morning naked weight.
Keep up the good work, and don't let this discourage you!
Elsie
Keep up the good work, and don't let this discourage you!
Elsie
aveggiegirl
Cathlete
Hey runfree...I think if you can teach a bootcamp class you are totally awesome!!!! I could never do that.
I have a self-esteem-destroying scale, too
My scale measures weight very accurately, but I think it's off on the bodyfat percentage. I'm 5'8", and I trend between 125-130 pounds. According to my self-esteem-destroying scale, I'm 30% fat.
I know it's probably physically possible for that to be true, but I'm a very regular exerciser (cardio & weights, hour or so almost every day), and I just don't buy it. 30%????? Wouldn't that be like 40 pounds of fat? I just doubt it very much.
The point is, don't believe the self-esteem-destroying scale!
Lisa/Afreet
My scale measures weight very accurately, but I think it's off on the bodyfat percentage. I'm 5'8", and I trend between 125-130 pounds. According to my self-esteem-destroying scale, I'm 30% fat.
I know it's probably physically possible for that to be true, but I'm a very regular exerciser (cardio & weights, hour or so almost every day), and I just don't buy it. 30%????? Wouldn't that be like 40 pounds of fat? I just doubt it very much.
The point is, don't believe the self-esteem-destroying scale!
Lisa/Afreet
CollinsMom
Cathlete
Runfree, my stats are pretty similar to yours. I am (barely) 5'1" and weigh about 133 lbs. and I think I am AWESOME just the way I am, so I'm sure you are too. I am also a size 6, and I am pretty muscular.
I would die taking a bootcamp class, much less teaching one so PROPS TO YOU!
I don't know the answers to your question, but just wanted to post to say that it sounds like you are incredibly fit, go with how you feel!
I would die taking a bootcamp class, much less teaching one so PROPS TO YOU!
I don't know the answers to your question, but just wanted to post to say that it sounds like you are incredibly fit, go with how you feel!
jansherman
Cathlete
Please remember, also, that the body fat percentage you get from a scale is largely dependent on how hydrated you are. If you are the slightest bit dehydrated, it will show a much higher percentage. My bf scale has gone from showing me at 23% at 5:00 a.m. to 9% mid-afternoon. My actual percentage, according to calipers, is around 11%. I don't even bother with the bf function on the scale anymore. In fact, I haven't been bothering with the scale either! A tape measure and my clothes are much more accurate.
morningstar
Cathlete
I have a Tanita Ironman, and my readings fluctuate wildly depending on whether or not I put it on athlete mode. Does anyone know why its readings change so drastically when it's on athlete mode? Shouldn't your body just be whatever it is, regardless of your activity level?
I don't even know if I'd call myself an athlete - I do strength training a few days a week, along with yoga or abs work, and walk about 90-100 minutes a day at a reasonable, but not cardio-level, pace.
morningstar
Cathlete
11%!!!! I really do not want to be judgemental here, so am just asking the question based on the information I have read; is this not considered a very unhealthy body fat level, being much too low?
cendrine
Cathlete
One thing I learned a long time ago is to ignore the scales all together because it would always trip me.
I just recently read a good point concerning body fat measurments. It's supposed to be used as a progress tracker more so than as an absolute accurate number giver. one method might measure me at 24%, another might measure me at 20%. The number itself can mess with me, but once I know how to measure and how to do it the same way every time, then ultimately it doesn't matter if I do the 24% method or the 20% method, as long as I stick with one and see a downward trend (if I want to loose body fat) or a maintenance level.
I just ordered the calipers and plan on tracking my body fat loss that way. I'm not going to bother with the scales at all since I know what it does to my mind....
I just recently read a good point concerning body fat measurments. It's supposed to be used as a progress tracker more so than as an absolute accurate number giver. one method might measure me at 24%, another might measure me at 20%. The number itself can mess with me, but once I know how to measure and how to do it the same way every time, then ultimately it doesn't matter if I do the 24% method or the 20% method, as long as I stick with one and see a downward trend (if I want to loose body fat) or a maintenance level.
I just ordered the calipers and plan on tracking my body fat loss that way. I'm not going to bother with the scales at all since I know what it does to my mind....
morningstar
Cathlete
Wow, I guess if you saw me on the street, you'd throw up at my disgusting appearance, right? I weigh about 50lbs more than you at the same height, and am also very muscular. Yet people seem to be able to stand the sight of me, nonetheless.
If you answer that you don't mind other people looking that way, just yourself, well, why are you so much harder on yourself than other people? Aren't you just as deserving of compassion as strangers on the street? Why treat yourself so harshly?
ldy_solana
Cathlete
i am 5' even. i gained a few pounds over the past few months i range from 136-138 right now. i could use some work but my normal weight is 130 which many "charts" still say is overweight for my height and age. but screw that! at 130 i am perfectly FINE as in F I N E get the whistles fine LOL. i just don't carry these extra few pounds well but on the other spectrum i have been at "ideal" weight and i didn't like that either. no muscle tone, constantly hungry and tired. it took way to much to be "ideal" weight and i am happy at the 130 range. as long as i can zip up my jeans without the muffin top i know i am in good shape. and so are you b/c you can not only DO but LEAD BOOT CAMP. that is not easy and shows your fit level. your body fat % is considered normal for the most part so don't beat yourself up. don't fall into the trap so many of us women do fall into about body fat and looks. lets just all be healthy in mind body and spirit!
kassia
kassia
krassymira
Cathlete
I just bought a Homedics scale and it said that an athlete mode should be chosen if the person does at least 12 hours of cardio per week.
I am very frustrated by that scale because my old one (Tanita) was showing me at 36% body fat, and this one measures 41%. I want to kill myself!!! I know that I am overweight (175 lbs at 5'4") but thinking of almost half my weight as fat makes me wanna die.
I dont know what to do..... I usually exercise regularly with Cathe's DVDs but recently I havent been doing anything becasue I just moved into a new home and my new GYM (!!! tee hee) hasnt been set up yet.. so I'm just... being lazy, and it shows.
I am very frustrated by that scale because my old one (Tanita) was showing me at 36% body fat, and this one measures 41%. I want to kill myself!!! I know that I am overweight (175 lbs at 5'4") but thinking of almost half my weight as fat makes me wanna die.
I dont know what to do..... I usually exercise regularly with Cathe's DVDs but recently I havent been doing anything becasue I just moved into a new home and my new GYM (!!! tee hee) hasnt been set up yet.. so I'm just... being lazy, and it shows.
orphylea
Cathlete
I have resisted buying a BF% scale because I have read of the inaccuracies. I just know I would fall victim to believing the # and it would make me depressed. I've had my BF % done by a sports medicine facility using calipers and I am a very healthy 12%-15% BF (depending on a 3 or 4 site method). I am also trying to ignore the scale altogether. I have an Accu-Measure and have decided to keep track of things that way. It probably isn't incredibly accurate, but as someone mentioned, it is more the trend (which I think for me is keeping it about the same) that I'm interested in knowing.
IGNORE that reading! You teach boot camp! You are very fit. Ignore that nasty voice in your head. I keep trying to squash mine too.
IGNORE that reading! You teach boot camp! You are very fit. Ignore that nasty voice in your head. I keep trying to squash mine too.
dorothyrd
Cathlete
We were having this discussion in exercise physiology class about electrical impedance scales. Some things to think about. The scale you stand on is a leg to leg measurement. This means the current only goes as high as your hips for a measure, so with women, we tend to have a little more weight in the tush and thighs, we will measure higher.
No matter what way you measure(athletic mode or regular), the current is the same going through you and measuring, however, the algorythm the scale uses is different, hence the different percentages. It also uses age, so just going up in age, makes the BF measure higher.
Since I was having this discussion with a young woman who was saying it did not matter your age, and such, that it was accurate, I got on the internet and researched. Tanita's site says the athletic mode is for people who work out greater than 10 hours a week. People who work out more have a higher muscle mess, less hydration, so need this different calculation. University of Alberta and another study, I cannot remember where it was did a study and found that these scales can be off as much as 10%. That the extremes on both ends, never measure correctly, the lean measuring high, the obese measuring low. The althetic mode measures 7-10% less than the regular mode, and they found anyone working out > 5 hours a week should use the athletic mode. They also noted life long trainers tended to measure too high on these scales.
That said, I use it for trends. I measure first thing in the morning, I am 5-4 and wear a size 6, very muscular, work-out 10-12 hours a week have weight lifted since my early 20's(now 47) and it measures me at 34%. We used calipers in class and they measure me at 24%. I think the calipers were too low, the scale too high. I need to lose about 10 pounds, not the 20-30 that the scales say.
No matter what way you measure(athletic mode or regular), the current is the same going through you and measuring, however, the algorythm the scale uses is different, hence the different percentages. It also uses age, so just going up in age, makes the BF measure higher.
Since I was having this discussion with a young woman who was saying it did not matter your age, and such, that it was accurate, I got on the internet and researched. Tanita's site says the athletic mode is for people who work out greater than 10 hours a week. People who work out more have a higher muscle mess, less hydration, so need this different calculation. University of Alberta and another study, I cannot remember where it was did a study and found that these scales can be off as much as 10%. That the extremes on both ends, never measure correctly, the lean measuring high, the obese measuring low. The althetic mode measures 7-10% less than the regular mode, and they found anyone working out > 5 hours a week should use the athletic mode. They also noted life long trainers tended to measure too high on these scales.
That said, I use it for trends. I measure first thing in the morning, I am 5-4 and wear a size 6, very muscular, work-out 10-12 hours a week have weight lifted since my early 20's(now 47) and it measures me at 34%. We used calipers in class and they measure me at 24%. I think the calipers were too low, the scale too high. I need to lose about 10 pounds, not the 20-30 that the scales say.
thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. I came to tears reading your posts. You all made me feel that I am being too hard on myself and that I am not fat. I do lead a bootcamp class and darn good at it. I had a guy last week just tell me that I am a machine and just like the nike shirt I just bought last week that says strong is the new beautiful, I am strong and thanks again to you all. you are all good friends and great support. I cant say enough about you all for making me see that I am being too hard onmyself. I do need to drop the few pds but I can do it with support from friends like you.
Pearlstrand
Cathlete
Good point!
Morningstar, guilty, guilty, guilty! I never look at my friends and think, "gosh, she could stand to lose weight, tone up, whatever." I just accept them as they are. But for myself ... well, let's just say that my standards are probably unreasonably high. Thanks for reminding us to lighten up on ourselves. I feel better already!
And I'm sure I wouldn't throw up if I saw you on the street!
Morningstar, guilty, guilty, guilty! I never look at my friends and think, "gosh, she could stand to lose weight, tone up, whatever." I just accept them as they are. But for myself ... well, let's just say that my standards are probably unreasonably high. Thanks for reminding us to lighten up on ourselves. I feel better already!
And I'm sure I wouldn't throw up if I saw you on the street!
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fitover40
Cathlete
I had the bio impedence analysis done at a physician office 3 mths ago (it runs the current from your foot to your hand while you are laying flat) and measured 23% BF, just recently I got the tanita scale (knowing they weren't all that accurate because of measuring from foot to foot), and it is reading 28% BF, so I figure I'm easily still the same BF (maybe a bit lower) so I just subtract 5% to get a number. But really I'm using the tanita more for a trend.
LeanneM
Cathlete
I had a similar experience last year. I had a DEXA scan done just to see where I was at -- and ended up devastated at how high it turned out! My Tanita scale had been telling me that I was about 20% BF, but the DEXA scan (which, along with hydrostatic testing, is considered to be the gold standard of BF testing) told me that I was 25%. (The DEXA technician told me that the home scales always run low.) At that point in time, I was 36, weighed about 116 pounds (at just under 5'4"), and was wearing a size 2.
Like I said, I was just devastated since that seemed so high to me! Allison (CrazyStepper) gave me great advice: we are more than just a number, and I've really tried to take that to heart. Although my body fat is still higher than I'd like it to be, I'm trying to ignore the numbers on the scale (both weight and body fat), and just concentrate on how healthy I feel and how much I like my new muscles.
Runfree, the very fact that you can teach a bootcamp class shows that you're healthy and fit -- and strong!
It's a struggle for so many of us, but, like everyone has said, we would never be that hard on our friends, so we need to go easier on ourselves, too!
Like I said, I was just devastated since that seemed so high to me! Allison (CrazyStepper) gave me great advice: we are more than just a number, and I've really tried to take that to heart. Although my body fat is still higher than I'd like it to be, I'm trying to ignore the numbers on the scale (both weight and body fat), and just concentrate on how healthy I feel and how much I like my new muscles.
Runfree, the very fact that you can teach a bootcamp class shows that you're healthy and fit -- and strong!
It's a struggle for so many of us, but, like everyone has said, we would never be that hard on our friends, so we need to go easier on ourselves, too!
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