Hi All - My scale says I am 40.X% bodyfat. It has not moved; seems pretty consistent. That seems a tad high to me, I am an 8/10 size. I know I am not "slim" and definitely overweight, but 40% is "obese". The one pic understates it, I do have a little belly. My jeans are tight today, so I also have a little side spillover. Despite that, 40% seems ridiculous for my condition. Am I just fooling myself?

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Those scales are notoriously inaccurate.

Yes, they are inaccurate. But, since you seem to carry most of your weight in your lower body, assuming that the weight IS accurate, well, it's possible that you are close to that 40% because the lower body is bigger, regardless. More real estate to hold the fat, as it were.

I can't address the scale question...just wanted to say you look awesome. I can't wait to get to your weight if that's what's in store for me!

This has been my story ever since I got my Tanita scale about 10 years ago. It has me at 38% BF... at 5'7" and 145 lbs. Don't think so, unless I'm a fat ectomorph, someone with so-called normal weight obesity.

Though it's not accurate, I believe it's been fairly precise. Through my weight gains and losses, it was always reflected proportionately in the BF%. So it's not entirely useless. Don't worry about the absolute number, just watch how it changes. It might be useful to check up on your hydration day-to-day, if nothing else.

(ETA) You're definitely not obese. I can see your sternum! You're curvy the way we ladies are supposed to be.

That scale is not accurate.

I agree- those scales are silly. I would do measurements on you- waist, hips, and thighs.
BTW, you have a beautiful body type!- great waist and nice feminine hips/legs.

As a cross-check you could use this army body fat calculator which first requires you to measure your neck and waist circumference. Probably not so accurate but at least will give you a reference point.

I don't know about for women, but for me (a dude) the navy calculator seems accurate and is definitely precise - I used it to see what my waist would be at various weights (assuming no muscle loss) and when I hit those weights, my waist was as predicted.

Which was surprising.

That said, I only care about it as a ballpark and to give me some sense of what I should need to weight to hit my waist size goal (I aim to get it to half my height, so 36) - I've continued to lose weight and get stronger, so I figure I'm doing fine.


http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calcula...c=Body-Fat-Navy

Wow. That Army calculator gives me nearly 4% less than my scale.

I'll take it!

I'll take that Army calculator also!!

Here's my story, notarobot. After years of wondering about body fat (why do we do this to ourselves??) I found a place that would do a Bod Pod measure. It's supposed to be the Gold Standard, next to hydrostatic weighing. I was feeling really good about my size, shape, and progress until that machine spit the printout: 42% body fat. What????

I'm shaped like a pyramid, so I know where the fat IS. But that much? Geez. I was depressed for two days. Not to mention the fact that "ideal" body fat percentage for my age etc. on the accompanying chart is 28%. No way I'll ever get there.

Anyway, I got over it. The Army calculator says I'm "only" 37% body fat, and that's only one per cent away from "acceptable." So, if they'll take a 70 y/o dame, I'm in.

Just blow this off, okay?

LOL, that's the spirit! I got two separate readings with the same data, one SIX percent lower, so I tried my original measurements, pre-LCHF, and got much higher.

Maybe the interwebs are trying to be helpful today?

Thanks. I will blow it off. I mean - I am doing all I can anyway. Changed my diet totally and also exercising. In that regard, the number makes no difference.

I once read a hilarious explanation of how to get your fat-measuring scale to measure it better. If your thighs touch, the water-conducted electric signal doesn't go through your entire body, it goes up one leg, crosses at the thighs and down to the other foot. If you stand like a frog, do a handstand, or contort yourself into a variety of positions, you can get a nicer number. Also, if you are dehydrated, the signal is impeded further, which reads like more fat. People who eat a lot of carbs retain a lot of water, and the scale was designed with them considered the norm.

And you look great!

Also, if you stand with only one foot on the digital scale, you can reset its memory and maybe drop a lb. or two. Actually I've found it's kind of hard to stand balanced with one foot on and one foot off, so maybe this is a form of balance exercise.