help with lowering bodyfat

B

benvonwojo

Cathlete
Hello ladies:

Well I just went to the nutritionist and she told me my bodyfat was 27%. UGH!! She put me on a 1500 calorie diet and told me it would be a slow process to lose that 8% I want to lose. I was kind of disappointed that it was so high, but I have come a long way since I had back surgery 3 years ago. I have dropped 2 pant sizes (size 10 pant to a Victoria Secret size 6 jean since 2001) but I would really like to lose more of the bodyfat. Obviously I need to be more disciplined in my eating. No giving into that PMS monster. She made me realize that when I am in Chicago I dont have any friends to socialize with, and I told her that I visit these forums to commiserate with some very nice, supportive people on these boards. If anyone has any thoughts, comments, critisisms, suggestions, or daily menu examples they would be willing to share with me, I would really appreciate all the help I could get.
Thank you for listening to me whine too!
 
Atkins did it for me. I lost about 30 lbs in 8 weeks. PM me if you want details, I'm always happy to share. :)
 
I highly recommend Tom Venutos' e-book "Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle". It is a very easy read. I think that it has awesome eating tips and the motivation is excellent! My body fat has dropped 3% in the past 5 or 6 weeks and my lean body mass is up a few pounds!

His program is not a "cookie cutter" program. He shows you where to start and after tracking your progress he advises you on which direction you should go...eat more, eat less, workout more, it all depends on your weekly results.

Something very similar but more personal...Snazzy has an online consult that is getting her INCREDIBLE results. She interacts with a real person on a regular basis and her consult (Ms. Fit) advises her on what to do and eat based on her results.

The reason I recommend these is because they are catered to you and your body...what your body needs and it is different for everyone.
 
You should get the Omron Body Fat Analyzer and check your own every morning when you wake up. I bet your body fat is not that high. It is usually higher later on in the day as compared to first waking up. What method was used in taking it? Plus when it gets close to your time of the month the calculations...well at least on the Omron that I use, is way off. It tells me body fat is 18% when I get out of bed and it is a wonder I haven't broke it yet as I threw it up against the wall a few times!LOL The rest of the time it is always accurate as I think it just picks up all that water weight, etc. before TTOM.

The rest of the time it is always accurate. Just at TTOM it picks up water weight.

Charlotte~~
 
Remember, if you use a bioelectrical impedance body fat analyzer, you MUST be well-hydrated, or you will get a false high result. So it's usually not a good idea to do it first thing in the morning, because you have not had anything to drink for 8 hours or so. These body fat analyzers work by meausring the amount of water stored in your body (the electrical current travels faster through a well-hydrated body than a dehydrated one) - if you have more muscle, you are able to hold onto more water (muscle can store more water than fat can), so the current travels faster through muscular people - but only if they are well-hydrated! So have a big drink and let it settle in for a while, and THEN use the body fat analyzer. :D

Also, bioelectrical impedance is really not all that accurate anyway. There is quite a bit of variation due to hydration level, and body temperature. You must use these analyzers under very controlled conditions (same time of day, with same amount of hydration, and same body temperature) to get consistent results.
 
I have to disagree. My bf% has been quite consistent for a long time now and only has changed as it got close to TTOM. My Omron booklet also states that you should not have a large amount of water or eat a meal and then use the analyzer as it will give false results.

Charlotte~~
 
I have a scale that does my body fat and I have the Omron too. I used them both this morning when I got out of bed and there was a 9% difference between the two. Now tell me how is that possible? The scale was higher. I have been thinking about having mine checked somewhere if I can find a place to go. I wonder what they will tell me.
 
That's why I don't use those things. I rely on the scale, how my clothes fit, & how I feel to know whether I've reached or maintained my goals. Seems like all thos BF counters are inaccurate one way or another.
 
No, I agree with you - you don't want to eat or drink right before doing the measurement (which is why I said have some water and then let it settle a while). But you DO need to be hydrated, rather than dehydrated, due to the scientific principles behind how these analyzers work. If you have just eaten or had a huge drink, or if you are dehydrated you will have false results (in opposite directions). The booklet that came with mine said you should be hydrated, but like yours says, to not have a bunch of food or drink just before taking the measurement. Consistency is the key when using bioelectric impedance. It sounds like you use yours consistently at the same time of day, which generally translates to same hydration levels, same amount of time since last eating, etc - so I would expect you to be getting consistent results. I was never doubting your body fat measurements - I apologize if I came across that way. I wasn't even really responding to you in particular because you sounded like you had good thing going with your Omron, but just giving some general information about bioelectrical impedance. A lot of people who do not understand how these devices operate, will buy one thinking it's really accurate and then are disappointed when they see so much variation, or ridiculously high numbers. They don't realize how much hydration and body temperature and other factors can throw off the measurement. Anyone considering purchasing one of these should be aware of these issues so they can get the best results.
 
The difference here can be attributed to where the measurement is taken. When you use the scale, most of that current passes through your lower body, which for most women has a higher fat content than upper body. Using the handheld Omron, the current mostly stays in your upper body. So yes, you will see variation between the two types of devices. Also, I'm willing to bet the Omron is just a more accurate device than the scale-type. As evidenced by the consistency of Charlotte's measurements with her Omron.
 
OK, so I feel a little better now. Thank you. It is near TTOM AND she brought a scale for child/adult that is for the inactive or slightly active, which is definitely NOT me. I should be using the athlete one she realizes now because my heartrate is under 60, so my bodyfat% is going to read higher than it really is. PLus I ate before I got there and drank a huge glass of water. DUH!, but I didnt know. I am thinking of getting the Tanita Body Water Scale UM 026. WHat do you think? Good choice. It sounds like measurement consistency (time of day, water intake, food intake etc) is the key here to accurate measurements.
 
Oh, and by the way, I look a lot like Brenda. I am short, pale, blond, and have a similar shape to her body. I got to get pics up one of these days.
 
>It sounds like measurement consistency
>(time of day, water intake, food intake etc) is the key here
>to accurate measurements.

Exactly! :) Be consistent and you will get consistent results.

If you are concerned about the accuracy of your results (it is possible to get consistent results that are not accurate), you could have your body fat measured in the Bod Pod, or using calipers, to establish a baseline number and at the same time, measure it with your scale - then you can see what kind of margin of error you're working with. I'm not sure if the error would be linear (I *think* it would be since V=IR, Ohm's Law, is linear), but it should be pretty close. :D
 
I have a Tanita Body Fat scale and I have a digital caliper that requires a 3 point pinch. There is a very slight variation between the 2 measurements. I am consistant with my readings, weekly, after consuming no more than a glass of water.

When I take a reading the second I get up in the a.m., the Tanita reading is higher so I avoid that at all costs!;-) I do cardio 1st thing in the a.m., so I test after my run but I don't chug the water until after I measure, I only sip.

Interesting tid bit: Today I did the math to see what the % difference was between the Tanita and the caliper and it was the exact amount of the weight of my "artificial parts":p How funky is that! Makes me think my Tanita is more accurate after all! Tanita does measure the speed of which fluids move through your body and water cannot move through those!

My only thing is, I too was under the impression that scales measure lower body and hand held measure upper body! A seed Tom Venuto planted!

Regardless of your method, it does give an excellent idea of where you are at and how you are progressing!
 
>I have a scale that does my body fat and I have the Omron
>too. I used them both this morning when I got out of bed and
>there was a 9% difference between the two. Now tell me how is
>that possible? The scale was higher. I have been thinking
>about having mine checked somewhere if I can find a place to
>go. I wonder what they will tell me.

Yes, my Tanita scale/BF reader reads about 10% higher than my calipers! I have calipers and use them as directed and my percentage is 10% less that way. I'll just keep using my trusty calipers. :p
 
I had heard the same thing about the measuring devices. I think the most important thing seems to be consistency. If you don't physically look the way you would like to then you know you have to readjust things accordingly. You could use the scale or the hand-held device just as a meter, so to speak. One of these days though it would be nice if someone could develop something really accurate and still at a reasonably cheap price.
 
>Tanita does measure the speed of which fluids move
>through your body and water cannot move through those!

Huh? I don't get what you mean. Maybe I'm still groggy from my nap. Please clarify.

Marla:)
 
Here are some links about tanita. I've been debating with myself about buying one but here's what I've found:
http://suewidemark.com/tanika.htm
http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/archive/index.php/t-4146.html
http://weigh.org/tanita/bodyfat/faq.html

The last link says the Tanita is accurate within +/-5 percentage points of the institutional standards. I think that's still a great discrepancy.

I use both a caliper and a tape measure, and I go back and forth between the two. The difference is small. I know I'll never get an accurate reading unless I get dunked in water, so I don't really believe in the numbers. Whatever numbers I get I only use to compare with where I was the last time.

Pinky
 
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