Purchased a Scale with Body Fat - maybe not a good idea - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Sue0609 · 09-13-2008, 10:50 PM

I was at WalMart tonight doing what I always do at WalMart (going in for one thing, like lightbulbs, and leaving with a cartful) and I purchased a scale that does weight, % bodyfat, % water, % bonemass. My current scale works fine, but I was curious about the body fat thing. I get the thing set up and step on it. I was so shocked by the number I didn't take note of the exact percentage, but it was over 50%. Whhaaattt? I couldn't find anything online about average bodyfat percentage based on weight, so I have no idea if this is normal or not. Well, I know 50% isn't "normal", I'm wondering if it is typical for my weight and height. I guess I was mistaken in thinking it wouldn't be that high since I am very muscular. Oh well.

Thoughts?

kit60 · 09-14-2008, 03:10 AM

I really have a hard time believing those things are accurate. Maybe thats just me though.

JanieGirl · 09-14-2008, 08:44 AM

I was looking at those scales too. I am curious about the body fat. I know I have to be about 50 percent or so. I can't remember exactly what ideal body fat is but I want to say maybe 20% or maybe a little lower. I doubt that those scales are completely accurate but they are approximate. Now that you have one it will be fun to watch your body fat decrease as your weight does!!

Godsblessedme · 09-14-2008, 09:40 AM

i thought to get an accurate body fat % you had to do that water dunk test thing. my surgeon office does something like that and you have to breath into a machine for 15minutes and it gives a break down of metabolism and body fat % presurgery i was like 117 pounds of body fat! i dont know what i am now but that told me enough right there it was sad. I wouldnt pay too much attention to that part

kit60 · 09-14-2008, 10:01 AM

I found this on-line. My scale says my body fat percent is 36%.

Body fat measurements and the measuring tape are recognized as superior methods for measuring "weight loss". When one declares that they want to "lose weight", what they often mean is that they want to lose fat. So, now that you've had your body fat percentage measured, what does the number really mean?

First, your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains. If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood and everything else).

A certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions. Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body's energy storage. The following table describes body fat ranges and their associated categories:

*General Body Fat Percentage Categories
Classification Women (% fat) Men (% fat)
Essential Fat 10-12% 2-4%
Athletes 14-20% 6-13%
Fitness 21-24% 14-17%
Acceptable 25-31% 18-25%
Obese 32% plus 25% plus
*American Council on Exercise
Knowing your body fat percentage can also help you determine if your weight loss goals are realistic. Remember, weight loss doesn't always mean fat loss. For example:

Let's say you're a 130# woman with 23% body fat, and you goal is to "lose 20 pounds":

Initial body fat: 130# x 0.23 fat = 30 # body fat

Lean body mass: 130# total - 30# fat = 100# lean body mass (bones, organs and all else)

Goal: 130# - 20# = 110 pounds

As you can see, the goal of losing 20 pounds is not realistic or healthy. At 110 pounds, this woman still requires 100# of lean body mass (bones, organs, etc.), but would only be carrying 10#, or only 9% body fat. From the chart above, you can see that this is a dangerously low percentage.

A better goal might be for the woman to reduce her body fat from 23% to 18%. In this case:

130# x 0.18 = 23 # body fat

100# lean body mass + 23 # = 123# goal weight

So, for this individual to achieve a lean, but healthy 18% fat, she would need to lose only 7 pounds of fat, reducing her weight from her current 130 pounds to 123 pounds. Losing more than 7 pounds means losing lean body mass (usually metabolically-active muscle tissue), which is clearly not desirable.

So before you decide that you need to "lose weight", remember to consider that "weight" consists of both lean body mass and body fat. Try to keep your weight loss goals realistic, and remember, keep the calorie-burning muscle, and lose only the fat.
Sorry, I can't seem to make it work right.