Want to take off weight fast? I could tell you a dozen or more ways to do that but you wouldn’t be happy with the results! Why? Simply put, the weight you will have lost would be primarily water. On average the body of an adult woman is about 60% water. Body weight shifts from day to day with normal changes in water weight. In addition, there are times when your body may retain excess water or have too little water and be dehydrated. As a result of these shifts in body water the numbers on your bathroom weight scale can be misleading. Ideally what you want to track for healthy weight loss is body fat not total body weight.
The typical bathroom scale was not designed to give you any indication of body fat. However, it is body fat more often than not that tips the scales higher than we would like. It is body fat that gives us the unwanted flab! It is body fat that can accumulate around internal organs and put us at higher risk for disease. Unless your body is retaining water unnecessarily you don’t want to lose water weight and become dehydrated. Nor do you want to lose muscle tissue, important for tone and fitness, or other lean tissue such as bone or vital organs.
Unlike water, fat loss is difficult. How do you track fat loss? You could use a tape measure, photographs over a period of time, or simply assess how your clothes fit from week to week. However, none of these methods are ideal because they are not giving you enough feedback about fat loss. Body fat scales are a possible solution. These scales are designed to give you feedback not only with total weight but also percent body fat.
At one time, the “gold” standard for accurate measurement of body fat was hydrostatic underwater weighing. However, this measure is inconvenient and expensive. It is a valuable research tool but not practical for the average person. There are other high tech methods of measuring body fat but most are complicated, impractical, or expensive also.
Body weight scales look similar to traditional bathroom weight scales. They are user friendly and not too expensive. However, they require a little bit of simple programming before use.
To get a measure of your body fat you step on metal footpads with bare feet. The scale then measures the resistance that a tiny electric current encounters as it travels through one leg, across your pelvis, and then down through the other leg. Don’t worry. The current is so slight you’re not likely to feel it. The measurement taken compares lean mass in your body, such as muscle, to fat and then calculates percent body fat.
How does this work? Electric current will pass easily through water but not other body tissue. Fat tissue has less water than muscle and other body tissues. So body fat has more resistance.
Are the results accurate? In 2003 when Consumer Reports tested the relatively new body fat scales, even the best among them was accurate for only 80 percent of the volunteers being tested. Some of the scales underestimated body fat and others overestimated body fat. (There are no more recent evaluations of body weight scales that I have found.)
Similar body fat scales in research facilities are much more accurate. For one thing, resistance is measured in a way that takes into account the whole body and not just the bottom half. Consideration is also given to the level of body hydration, which can influence body fat measurements.
So how might you put a body weight scale to work for you? Look for a scale that will give you an accurate total body weight. Then choose one that is CONSISTENT with the measurement of body fat. Whether it underestimates or overestimates body fat isn’t terribly important. Why? Any fat loss is good. And given that fat loss is SLOW, if you see a gradual decrease in the percentage of body fat then you are clearly making progress.
Do remember to weigh yourself under the same conditions and at the same time of the day for the best results. But don’t get overly attached to the actual body fat percentage because it is not likely to be accurate.
There are many new features on body weight scales that I have not covered in this article. Because I am in the market to purchase a body fat scale, I will be doing more research and comparing products. I’ll let you know what I learn.
On Tuesday I will be traveling back home from Georgia and my visit with my mother. I’m looking forward to making some big changes on this website. I think you’ll like what I do! Till then, watch those calories and eat healthy food!
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Your articles are very interesting.. Im stuck on a plateau and am hypothyroid. Been treated for many years but still gain inspite of tests and doctor saying I’m supplemented to normal levels. The T-3 and T-4 are in the low levels of normal.
According to your writings, Im covering all the bases. If you find a good Body fat scale let us know. I would really like to see enough tyroid supplementation to move the lab values to a middle range but the doctors have a closed mind. I have no symtoms of being hyper and am tired most of the time, I have trouble falling asleep when I sit, read and watch TV even though I get enough sleep. Im searching for answers. Thanks for listening and helping.
Jan Smith
Hi Jan,
I’m sorry to hear you are struggling with a weight loss plateau and issues related to hypothryroidism. I am not a medical doctor and so I cannot speculate about your medical condition or give you medical advice.
I would, however, encourage you to eat as healthy a diet as possible. A well-balanced and healthy diet will help keep your hormones working properly. An excellent resource book that might give you more insight into the nature of the challenges you face is Hormonal Balance: Understanding Hormones, Weight, and Your Metabolism by Scott Isaacs, M.D. Dr. Isaacs explains very clearly why a nutritious balanced diet is important. He also covers many other reasons why hormones can affect weight management.
As tired as you seem to be, please make sure you are getting enough calories each day. Did you have a chance to read: How Many Calories a Day do I Need? Also, for an example of a healthy balanced diet see 1500 Calorie Diet Plan (this plan may not provide enough calories for you but at least you can get a sense of the overall balance you many need).
When you are confident you are eating a healthy diet and getting enough calories, you might try adding a little exercise of whatever kind you can manage. If you are able to walk some, great. If you can’t walk there are chair exercises that can be helpful and other possibilities.
A final suggestion is to look at your fluid intake to be sure you are getting enough water. Your level of hydration can influence your energy levels. See Water, Weight, and Women for more information.
Wishing you the best,
Lori
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