Re: Fat Percentage Question

[Guest guest]

No clue if this is your situation, but I had a body fat percentage GAIN last

month and they told me at Curves it was due to the fact that my heartrate wasn't

high enough and thought I was losing muscle weight instead of fat. I'm not sure

what to believe anymore, but I'm just keeping doin' what I'm doin' and I'll see

what my end of March results are. Maybe they'll surprise everyone.. who knows..

~ O~

272/231.4/172

On WW since 01/08/02

Fat Percentage Question

I'm hoping someone here can answer this for me!

I am steadily losing a bit of weight every week. I stay on program

and I have cut out all heavy fats and oils. I use cooking spray

almost exclusively, eat very little in the way of high fat sweets,

and when I do have a fat, it is a bit of olive oil or a spoon of

peanut butter.

I also exercise at least 3-4 times a week doing cardio and weight

training, plus every morning I do 15-30 minutes of yoga and stretches.

Now, why is my weight going down but my fat percentage isn't?? So

far, it SEEMS like I'm doing all the right things, but that number

isn't budging (except for budging in the wrong direction!).

Any ideas anyone?

Beth

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/19/2003 10:28:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,

dloupe@... writes:

> No clue if this is your situation, but I had a body fat percentage GAIN

> last month and they told me at Curves it was due to the fact that my

> heartrate

> wasn't high enough and thought I was losing muscle weight instead of fat.

> I'm not sure what to believe anymore, but I'm just keeping doin' what I'm

> doin' and I'll see what my end of March results are. Maybe they'll

> surprise everyone.. who knows..

>

It sounds like they are making this more complicated than it needs to be.

You eat right you exercise. That's the end of the story.

Kaity <----- a little too skeptical sometimes

[Guest guest]

This doesn't sound right to me. Of course, you ought to be doing exercise that

elevates your heart rate, but I don't really see how you could be EXERCISING and

LOSING lean muscle. You lose muscle by dieting and NOT exercising. Perhaps the

measurement was wrong, or the fat shifted around, or something.

> No clue if this is your situation, but I had a body fat percentage GAIN

last month and they told me at Curves it was due to the fact that my heartrate

wasn't high enough and thought I was losing muscle weight instead of fat.

I'm not sure what to believe anymore, but I'm just keeping doin' what I'm

doin' and I'll see what my end of March results are. Maybe they'll

surprise everyone.. who knows..

[Guest guest]

So.. Maybe it was explained wrong at Curves. Instead of working hard enough

to gain muscle by exercising, you lost muscle by dieting.

If anyone watched the Body Challenge II on the Discovery (Health?) Channel,

this happened a couple of times to some of the participants who WERE

exercising and watching what they were eating.

How do they take your body fat measurement at Curves? Is it with the

calipers or something electronic? The use of calipers must be precise in

order for the fat measurement to be accurate. Even the use of the

electronic measurement can be skewed if the person has had a lot of water to

drink. I believe that I¹ve read the most accurate body fat measurements are

taken in some sort of water tank.

My advice is to not rely 100% on this measurement. While it is good to know

the percentage, it isn¹t the end all to the world ­ just like the scale.

Keep doing what you are doing and you will succeed. (As long as you aren't

stuffing yourself with Oreos.)

on 3/19/03 9:27 AM, dloupe@... at dloupe@... wrote:

> This doesn't sound right to me. Of course, you ought to be doing exercise that

> elevates your heart rate, but I don't really see how you could be EXERCISING

> and LOSING lean muscle. You lose muscle by dieting and NOT exercising.

> Perhaps the measurement was wrong, or the fat shifted around, or something.

>> No clue if this is your situation, but I had a body fat percentage GAIN

> last month and they told me at Curves it was due to the fact that my heartrate

> wasn't high enough and thought I was losing muscle weight instead of fat.

> I'm not sure what to believe anymore, but I'm just keeping doin' what I'm

> doin' and I'll see what my end of March results are. Maybe they'll

> surprise everyone.. who knows..

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Diane.. I was really skeptical about that response. I think it just has

to do with the fact that those electronic hand thingies aren't very accurate.

Thanks for your response!

~ O~

272/230.2/172

On WW since 01/08/02

Re: Re: Fat Percentage Question

This doesn't sound right to me. Of course, you ought to be doing exercise that

elevates your heart rate, but I don't really see how you could be EXERCISING and

LOSING lean muscle. You lose muscle by dieting and NOT exercising. Perhaps the

measurement was wrong, or the fat shifted around, or something.

> No clue if this is your situation, but I had a body fat percentage GAIN

last month and they told me at Curves it was due to the fact that my heartrate

wasn't high enough and thought I was losing muscle weight instead of fat.

I'm not sure what to believe anymore, but I'm just keeping doin' what I'm

doin' and I'll see what my end of March results are. Maybe they'll

surprise everyone.. who knows..

[Guest guest]

Hi , thanks for your response. They use a hand-held electronic

device which measures your body fat percentage. It's not very accurate if you

ask me. Even my Tanita scale at home varies within 6% from morning 'til night.

Weird stuff. I'm just going to look at the long-term results more than the

month to month ones.

~ O~

272/230.2/172

On WW since 01/08/02

Re: Fat Percentage Question

So.. Maybe it was explained wrong at Curves. Instead of working hard enough

to gain muscle by exercising, you lost muscle by dieting.

If anyone watched the Body Challenge II on the Discovery (Health?) Channel,

this happened a couple of times to some of the participants who WERE

exercising and watching what they were eating.

How do they take your body fat measurement at Curves? Is it with the

calipers or something electronic? The use of calipers must be precise in

order for the fat measurement to be accurate. Even the use of the

electronic measurement can be skewed if the person has had a lot of water to

drink. I believe that I¹ve read the most accurate body fat measurements are

taken in some sort of water tank.

My advice is to not rely 100% on this measurement. While it is good to know

the percentage, it isn¹t the end all to the world ­ just like the scale.

Keep doing what you are doing and you will succeed. (As long as you aren't

stuffing yourself with Oreos.)

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kaity, and Marissa. I completely agree!

~ O~

272/230.2/172

On WW since 01/08/02

Re: Fat Percentage Question

FlyKaity@... wrote:

In a message dated 3/19/2003 10:28:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,

dloupe@... writes:

> No clue if this is your situation, but I had a body fat percentage GAIN

> last month and they told me at Curves it was due to the fact that my

> heartrate

> wasn't high enough and thought I was losing muscle weight instead of fat.

> I'm not sure what to believe anymore, but I'm just keeping doin' what I'm

> doin' and I'll see what my end of March results are. Maybe they'll

> surprise everyone.. who knows..

>

It sounds like they are making this more complicated than it needs to be.

You eat right you exercise. That's the end of the story.

Kaity <----- a little too skeptical sometimes

Ditto!

Marissa, a cynic

[Guest guest]

I agree with the folks who said that you shouldn't trust the measurement too

much.

These electronic body fat detectors work on a principle called bioelectrical

impedance analysis (BIA). BIA is calculated on your height, weight and the

measured strength and speed at which a safe, low-level electrical signal passes

through the muscle and fat in your body. The thing is is that the strength and

speed of that signal is highly dependent on how *hydrated* you are. The less

hydrated, the higher the body fat percentage (BFP); more hydrated, lower BFP.

The reading is most accurate when you are properly (normally) hydrated -- that

is, the reading from BIA will be closest to what your true BFP is [1].

So, in the morning, before you drink anything, you are probably most dehydrated

from breathing out water vapor all night; that BFP reading will be high. By the

end of the day, you've rehydrated and that BFP will be closest to correct.

On the other hand, most people weigh least in the morning (after using the

toilet) -- so, you could weigh your body in the morning and measure your BFP in

the evening, for the happiest readings. Personally, I also think that's " fair " ,

but if you don't, you should decide what will help you the most. Really, your

BFP is unlikely to change very fast -- so, what you could do is weigh yourself

in the mornings at your weekly weigh-ins, and measure your BFP once a month in

the evenings.

-:|:-

----- Original Message -----

From: " "

They use a hand-held electronic device which measures your body fat percentage.

It's not very accurate if you ask me. Even my Tanita scale at home varies

within 6% from morning 'til night. Weird stuff. I'm just going to look at the

long-term results more than the month to month ones.

~ O~

----- Original Message -----

From: Sandberg

So.. Maybe it was explained wrong at Curves. Instead of working hard enough

to gain muscle by exercising, you lost muscle by dieting.

If anyone watched the Body Challenge II on the Discovery (Health?) Channel,

this happened a couple of times to some of the participants who WERE

exercising and watching what they were eating.

How do they take your body fat measurement at Curves? Is it with the

calipers or something electronic? The use of calipers must be precise in

order for the fat measurement to be accurate. Even the use of the

electronic measurement can be skewed if the person has had a lot of water to

drink. I believe that I¹ve read the most accurate body fat measurements are

taken in some sort of water tank.

My advice is to not rely 100% on this measurement. While it is good to know

the percentage, it isn¹t the end all to the world ­ just like the scale.

Keep doing what you are doing and you will succeed. (As long as you aren't

stuffing yourself with Oreos.)

-----