Disappointment rant!!

littlefriend

Hi, I don't know if this is an appropriate thread or place to put it but here goes:
For the last 2-3 weeks I've been making a really big effort with my food choices. Trying to have 3 meals a day, 2 snacks and around 1.5-2 litres of water. In the last week, I've been on 4 x 45-60 min walks at a good pace - ie sweating and a bit breathless. I went to a personal trainer for the first time who I did a good workout with.
Today a friend of mine called over with some weights [weren't actually pink but they might as well have been]. After we did a few pretty harmless sets she produced a weighing scales which reads body fat also. Jesus, what a bad idea that was. I'm actually nearly crying with frustration and disappointment.
Ok 2 weeks ago I weighed myself in a friends was 10 stone which is normal for me. Last week w/ the trainer I weighed 10 st 4lbs and using a calipers he measured my body fat at 22.7%. Today, I weigh 10 stone 6lbs and am THIRTY SIX % fat. I know that I weighed myself on 3 different machines but I actually feel fatter - particularly around my stomach area. Also, there's no hormonal reason for water retention atm or anything like that.

My trainer is away so I cant contact him to discuss this. I think or rather thought I was doing the right things re food but I dont really get the whole about eating fats [have been having about 1 tablespoon of seeds, a handful of nuts and 2 spoons of fish oil per day]. I have been tracking my calories & have been eating around 1300 per day. [I'm 5ft2 so this is about right I think for weight loss purposes].

I have exams in the next week so I'm a bit stressed about them and this has thrown my concentration out the window. I feel like a whale now, its ridiculous. This morning I was in great form & now I'm totally deflated.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Cant speak to trainer until Friday week - the way things are going I'll be 12 stone by then.

zAbbo

Unless your bodyfat is being measured by calipers, I wouldn't even worry.

I guess it's natural for females weights to fluctuate, especially as it's only a 2-3 week period.

mack1

Don't get so hung up about a reading on a scale! You said yourself "This morning I was in great form" - why should you feel different now because of a scale saying you are at 36% - those scales are never accurate anyway, you cant compare a reading form a scale and a calipers.

celestial

Hey OP,

Ask yourself this: do you think your bodyfat percentage has increased by almost 8% in the space of a week? Do you think that is even physically possible? I think you would have to be inhaling doughnuts to achieve such a thing!

It is PROOF that these bodyfat monitors/scales should probably be only used for scrap iron. They are USELESS! Don't let these random readings get you down - they are totally unreliable.

There are really only two reliable methods - how you look in the mirror/how your clothes fit, and manual calipers. Take photos of yourself every two weeks to gauge your progress.

Also bear in mind that fat loss isn't a linear progression most of the time - it can stop and start. So, you may not lost much fat this week, but you will next week. You just need to be patient as your body will respond when IT wants to! Keep up the exercise and the good diet choices and you will see results soon.

Jimmy Bottlehead

Ignore bodyfat readings for the most part. Take pics and compare, also take note of how your clothes fit. I'll wager that they're looser then they were.

littlefriend

Thanks Celestial. I know you are right about the fat % thing - just gave me a bit of a shock I guess.
I suppose I just wanted to see a little progress or even to have stayed the same weight but to be up 6lbs is dreadful. I'm not sure that it could be just the different scales as my stomach seems to have taken on a life of its own - the sheer girth of it is quite something to behold.

ok ENOUGH, have to switch this around into a motivation rather than to waste my day giving out to myself. I mean the truth will out eventually won't it. Give me patience

littlefriend

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

Ignore bodyfat readings for the most part. Take pics and compare, also take note of how your clothes fit. I'll wager that they're looser then they were.

Ah thanks but unfortunately they aren't. I'm really bloated, my stomach is like a balloon. Think I'll lay off wheat for a few days.

rubadub

Have a read of this thread, same story
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055247944

Those electrical resistance machines are useless, they do not measure fat, they measure electrical resistance of body, an extremely poor gauge of how fat you are- gimmicks.

A better guide is hip to waist ratio. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/

Take measurements and photos to track your progress.

aye

why did your friend bring over the scales?
you cant go from 22 % body fat to 36 % in a week, the scales are crap.
i wouldnt worry about it.
keep up the exercise. it will help with stress relief too for your exams.

justsomebloke

I love weighing scales with BF% as you can only laugh at the way they seem to make up the numbers.

OP what time of the day have you been taking the varies reading and what has your diet and fluid consumption been like during those days, cause unless you measure yourself under the same conditions chances are your weight will vary. Also depending on your menstrual cycle this could also be effecting the reading

Best bet is to measure your weight first thing in the morning after you have been to the toilet to help reduce variation

rubadub

jsb wrote: »

I love weighing scales with BF% as you can only laugh at the way they seem to make up the numbers.

Damn right, step on it 6 times in the space of an hour and you have nicely varied lotto numbers for the week!

Here is a bit on various ways to measure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage

Pherekydes

littlefriend wrote: »

Last week w/ the trainer I weighed 10 st 4lbs and using a calipers he measured my body fat at 22.7%.

This gives 32.7 lbs of body fat.

littlefriend wrote: »

Today, I weigh 10 stone 6lbs and am THIRTY SIX % fat.

This gives 55.5 lbs of body fat, an increase of 22.8 lbs of body fat. This is not physically possible. Those body fat scales may be roundly derided, but I have a cheap one and it gives me a reading which is fairly consistent. The scales have to be calibrated with personal info: Height, age, sex, activity levels. Change any of these and the calculation will be drastically affected.

Rules of engagement:

1. Weigh yourself on the same scales
2. weigh yourself at the same time of day, in the same clothes
3. keep the same settings, if any apply
4. compare like with like
5. the reading on the scales is not the actual BF% -Just use it to compare with previous readings.