Body Fat Scales: The New Way to Measure Weight Loss Success
When it comes to getting in shape, the bathroom scale is not telling the whole story. Simply measuring changes in your weight will tell you little about your level of overall fitness. After all, muscle tissue weighs more than fat, so it is possible that you are gaining muscle and losing weight. All your scale will tell you, however, is that you’ve gained weight.
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Unlike a normal scale, which measures only body weight, a body fat scale measures your body fat percentage – the true measure of overall fitness. Body fat scales are incredibly accurate and inexpensive compared to traditional methods of measuring body fat percentage. Underwater weighing and Dual-Energy X-ray Absorption (DEXA) technology are considered to be the two most accurate methods for measuring body fat.
The problem is finding a facility nearby that has the equipment and trained personnel to conduct these more traditional methods of measuring body fat. If you do, you’ll probably find the cost prohibitive. Besides, who wants a stranger in a lab coat telling you how much body fat you have!
Body fat scales are as convenient as a bathroom scale and nobody needs to know what your results are but you! And you can find them for as little as $60. That may sound expensive compared to a bathroom scale, but they’re worth the extra investment as they provide a highly accurate measure of your fitness progress. Body fat scales use a technique known as bioelectrical impedance analysis, also known as BIA. A small and totally harmless current of electricity is passed through the body. Because electrical current passes more easily through muscle than through fat, the body fat scales are able to estimate your body fat percentage based on the speed of the current through the body. Body fat scales do not actually measure body fat percentage. Rather, they determine the density of the body. They use a formula which calculates the percentage of body fat based on the density of the body. There is, unfortunately, no single formula which can accurately predict body fat for the entire population, since differences in gender, age, race, fitness level, and body size can all have an impact on the results of the test. While most body fat scales will automatically adjust for differences like age and gender, it is important to understand that the body fat percentage they provide is an estimate. However, you do not need 100% accuracy to measure your fitness progress. What’s important is to compare your results from one testing period to another. If your body fat percentage goes up from one testing period to another, then you’re not doing so well. If it goes down, however, then you’re making progress! When using body fat scales to measure your fitness progress, it is important to remember that things like the position of your body on the scale, the amount of water in the body at the time of the test, food you have eaten, temperature and physical exertion can all affect the accuracy of the results. Therefore, the most effective way to use body fat scales to gauge your fitness progress is to standardize the way the tests are performed. For instance, you may want to take your body fat measurement at the same time every day and avoid stepping on the scale immediately after a meal or after working out as these will skew results. Obtaining standardized measurements using body fat scales is easy to do. Here are some tips:
- It is important to properly clean the foot pads prior to each use. The best way to clean the foot pads is to rub them down with alcohol and thoroughly dry them after each use.
- Make sure you always drink the same amount of water prior to each test. Water consumption can cause inaccurate readings for body fat scales.
- Take your body fat measurements at the same time every day. The best times are first thing in the morning or right before you go to bed.
- Try not to use your body fat scale right after exercising. Sweating during exercise will cause water loss, and that water loss could affect the accuracy of the test.
- The temperature of the skin can have an effect on the electrical current used by body fat scales. For this reason it is important to measure at a similar room temperature each time.
- Choose body fat scales that can be properly calibrated for your needs. It is important that the scale can be adjusted to meet the needs of children, adults, athletes and all others who will be using it.
- Use body fat scales to measure the progress of your fitness program. Comparing your body fat scores with others, or with fitness tables, is worthless. The important thing is to measure your progress over time.
- If you have a lab in your area, try to get your body composition measured by a professional with skin fold calipers. This professional body fat test will help to give you a frame of reference regarding the accuracy of your scale.
- In general, the most expensive models are also the most accurate. Buy the best body fat scales you can afford.
TanitaA newcomer to the market in 2010, Hammacher Schlemmer has for sale a new scale called, ironically enough: The Best Body Composition Measuring Scale. It has gotten great reviews and is offered at $119.95. That’s certainly not “cheap”, but you are also getting a body composition scale that is not made “cheap”, either. For things like this, the “you get what you pay for” saying holds pretty true. I’ve tried some cheaper alternatives and I have not been happy with their results at all. They seem to work OK, but when you check their accuracy against real BMI, fat percentage, etc. measuring methods – you’ll find that the cheap alternatives are also not very accurate. If you are serious about tracking everything that this scale offers, I recommend saving up and just buying this scale. In the end, even though it’s expensive, it’s well worth the money. This is the scale I use. I just ordered it and started using it (Editor’s Note: This is being written in January) and I absolutely love it. I don’t see myself needing another scale for a long time. Read my full review of the Hammacher Schlemmer scale here: The Best Body Composition Measuring Scale Review.
Tanita is also considered one of the best brands for body fat scales. They have a few VERY high end scales that there is a very good chance that none of you will ever need (read: they cost $500 or more! Seriously??!!) but they also offer a very good entry level Tanita Body Fat & Water Scale. It is your basic body fat & body water monitor scale. It has a four person memory and a 330 lbs capacity. There is a convenient recall feature for weight & body water percentages. It sells for around $60 and should do the trick for most of you if you’re just looking for body fat and water percentages without all of the other bells and whistles. I definitely recommend having one of these over your traditional bathroom scale because if you’re serious about getting and staying fit, you are going to want to monitor and track at LEAST your body fat percentage and weight.
Related Pages
Body Composition – Are you made of more fat or more muscle? Find out what body composition is all about.Body Fat Percentage – What is your body fat percentage? Knowing this is more important than stepping on the bathroom scale.Body Mass Index (BMI) – What’s your BMI score? Get your score and find out if you are underweight, normal, or overweight.Body Fat Calipers – Helpful tips on how to use them to get the most accurate measurements of your body fat percentage.How to Lose 20 Pounds Really Really Fast! – Tom Venuto discusses the importance of losing fat vs. losing weight.
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