Wed, Mar-26-03, 09:21
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Registered Member
Posts: 98
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Plan: modified CDK
Stats: 182/174/168
BF:19%/17%/15%
Progress: 57%
Location: Northern Colorado
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Body fat scales
Quote:
My understanding was that the only truly accurate way is the submersion/displacement method, and that the electrical conductivity method was completely unreliable.
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That is not necessarily true. Even the underwater weight method is not completely reliable. They just guess at how much air is left in your lungs while you are under water.
Just like your weight, your body fat reading on a scale will change through the day because of your hydration level. The higher your hydration level, the better your body conducts electricity. So, the more hydrated you are, the lower the reading. If you are into the numbers, this is the good/bad part. First thing in the morning, you are usually dehydrated. Your weight is the lowest it will be all day (the good), but your body fat percentage checks the higest (the bad). Pick a time to check you body fat, and stick to it. (I check first thing in the morning) If you are what Tanita considers "an athlete" (You exercize more than 10 hours a week, and have been doing this for quite a while AND your resting heart rate is 60 bpm or less), you should consider getting a scale with an athlete setting. If you share the scale with another person, look for a scale that allows multiple configurations.
In the long run, what you are really looking for, is a reference to let you know if you are gaining or losing body fat. The body fat scales do this better and far easier than any other method.
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