My body fat is going up is that normal?

[farva]

I have started induction and am 4 days in. I weighed myself today with one of those scales that count body fat %. Although I lost 6 pounds I gained 3% body fat. Is that normal. Also is it three cups of salad per day or meal?

[SugarFreeSheila]

You gained 3% body fat according to the estimation of a body fat scale, which measures via electric impedance. To put your mind at ease, I would get your true body fat measurement via a hydrostatic (underwater) weighing, where the only inaccuracy occurs if the subject does not expend all of his or her oxygen once submerged. In this case, the body fat reading can only be erroneously a little bit higher - never lower.

For me, calipers are usually a whopping 5% off above or below my true body fat because they, too, are essentially based on estimations.

Here is more information:
http://www.annecollins.com/body-fat-calculators.htm
http://www.getdunked.com/home/default.asp
http://strengthtraining.asimba.com/h...p_topic13.html

I had my body fat taken via hydrostatic weighing at the Dallas Cooper Clinic. Here is a link to view my reading.

[burtonator]

Seriously.. throw that scale out the window. The electrical impedience crap doesn't work. All it does is measure impedience NOT your actual body fat. % of water and sodium will yield different results.

Read 'weight loss is not linear' and only focus on your measurements. Weigh yourself only once a week or every other week.

The only thing you should really focus on is your measurements...

The guys on this list have told me it 10 times now and I'm starting to finally totally agree

[Sallyb]

I agree, scales cannot take an accurate measurement of body fat, just take the
weight readings! Well done on the 6lb loss

Sally

[Peytonn]

WELCOME!!! my advice... don't worry about it... read the book, go by it... and all the good things will happen...

I am one of the people here who isn't an 'expert'.. but it's certainly working for me.. WITHOUT controlling me all the time.. I don't have TIME to weigh and measure every ounce of food I eat.. nor do I have time to enter every morsel in fitday or any other computer program (and I'm a little afraid if I did I'd be chastised serverely)...

anyway.... this is my 15th week on Atkins.. and I'm pleased with MY results.. although I know if I'd been more careful, I'd be more successful, I GUESS what I'm saying is this..... don't worry about things so much you get discouraged and decide this life isn't right for you.....

do the right thing and don't sweat the details

[FightingTheFight]

Everyone has gave you the correct answer, and I would also like to add, if anyone uses mybodycomp.com....I wouldn't trust it either.

[farva]

Thanks for the advise..

[Brook]

While the scales deliver an estimation, it can be a good guide. The trick, however, is to be consistant about when you do the reading.

Tanita, for example, tells you to be sure you get your BF reading in the evening when you're well hydrated. If you take the reading at about the same time - a couple of hours after dinner, you'll find that it can be an excellent gauge for monitering progress. It's not going to be dead on by any stretch, but it will help you determine if you're going the right direction and give you some sort of measure.

Under consistant conditions my scale has never been more than 4% off when compared to the readings my trainer does for me. That's good enough for me

~Brook

[SugarFreeSheila]

Goodness, for me, calipers - which I never trust - were a full 5-6% off from my true body fat (hydrostatic) reading. It was astounding! But unfortunately, the Cooper Clinic insists upon doing them as part of the whole elaborate "body fat" package, so I had to go along with it!

[Brook]

I'd love to do something like that!

Yep -calipers are what my trainer uses, and yep, I know they're inaccurate too. LOL Truthfully though when doing this whole shebang, I'm not looking so much for a specific percentage as I am a guide to measure progress and it's worked for me.

Someday I'll get rich and famous and be able to afford getting a *real* reading. Until then, I'll keep using my scale and my trainer and enjoy the numbers getting smaller - regardless of how accurate they are