Post: #1

Are there any body fat scales worth owning?

I know that hydrostatic weighing is most accurate, followed by calipers (in practiced hands), but I'm not particularly concerned with accuracy. I'm more interested in consistency - i.e., if I measure every morning just after waking and taking a piss, I'd like the measurements to not fluctuate wildly - so that I can track the change over time.

Post: #2

Not the hand held ones, they measure hydroelectrically or some other nonsense and can vary 10-15 points in minutes.

Post: #3

As Skye said, my scale said I was 17% BF one day and 10% a week later. Yeah right....

Post: #4

a tape measure is probably your best bet at home

Post: #5

No, there aren't any worth owning.

Post: #6

They aren't good for precision, but they're good for long-term trends.

e.g. week one your reading b/w 17-20% on any given day, 4 weeks later you're reading between 15-18% on any given day, 4 weeks later you're 14-17% any given day, etc.

Post: #7

Can't beat calipers for accuracy and consistency at home, IMHO.

Post: #8

i would say, search for online reviews of the device you want to buy. Also look at the instructions to see what's the most accurate time to take the measurement.
If you're too lazy to do that, measure it 3 times a day and do the average.

Post: #9

I've got the Health-o-Meter from Walmart (http://www.walmart.com/ip/14706448). Can't say that it is accurate, but it is consistent. I used to weigh myself every morning and the variation drove me crazy. Now I do it every Monday and if I notice a considerable change over 2+ weeks I know I should change my diet.

Post: #10

I own a Eatsmart Digital Scale and weigh myself once in the morning. It has big numbers and is easy to read. I also weigh myself every week on my gym's balance scale and the weight agrees with the digital scale.

http://www.amazon.com/Eatsmart-Precision...=eat+smart

Post: #11

(06-15-2014 10:07 AM)monster Wrote:  They aren't good for precision, but they're good for long-term trends.

e.g. week one your reading b/w 17-20% on any given day, 4 weeks later you're reading between 15-18% on any given day, 4 weeks later you're 14-17% any given day, etc.

This was my view as well. Reasonably good enough for figuring out "North" or "South". If you are hardcore and need something more precise, you likely need a different avenue.

Post: #12

Use a mirror.

Post: #13

I used one at a fitness expo. It's a very expensive machine that they are trying to sell to gyms, probably at least $5K for the small version. Gives you very detailed reports etc.

Over the 2-day weekend, I used it a few times and it gave me wildly varied numbers. One day it's 12% BF, the next it's 20% (measured at the same time each day) among with equally stupid differences in other measurements. The sales people were left red-faced giving me all kinds of BS explanations.

With the caliper, unless it's someone else (who knows what they're doing) measuring BF% for you, I wouldn't bother either. If you want to track progress, use a combination of mirror, scale and tape measure. If you want accurate reports, get a DEXA scan once in a while.

Post: #14

Yep, mirror and weight scale. I'm gonna check my body fat % when I go home for lunch using this.

I'm not one to set mid- to long-term goals. This is a great example. I didn't set a goal, it was simply weighing myself at the gym on my walk to the shower that caused me to eat less...and dropped around 10 lbs in a couple months. I simply don't eat more than I need anymore. Someone offers me leftover pizza, I say no because I'm not hungry even though it sounds good. If I eat out I usually take half home. It was the simple observing of my weight that caused the change.

I doubt observing my body fat % (combined with mirror) will motivate me to slow my drinking to lower it (sans booze and I'd be way more cut), but maybe it'll make me decline that initial drink or two.

Post: #15

Second the long-term trend discussion on scale usefulness in this regard. My calipers say I'm sub 10% for my age group - as of this morning the scale says 15.1% bf. I use a Fitbit Aria its a wifi scale and logs to a site for me, that alone makes it useful, I have two years worth of measurements.

Post: #16

How accurate are these types of body fat scales? The type that you find in some pharmacies and fitness assessment rooms at the gym.


I tried one last week at a pharmacy and once again at my gym which both gave readings of 19% - a little higher than I thought but I still wasn't surprised. Obviously it wouldn't be as accurate as calipers, but are they a relatively good indicator of body fat, even if I used it to measure relative progress over time?