Water intake, fat % and Tanita scale

(Michelle) #1

Hi - I’ve been trying to up my water drinking since I find myself thirsty all the time. I’m doing really well, drinking about 100oz of water a day and my thirst is gone and I’m feeling hydrated. Well, my scale has been stuck 2 lbs up for about 8 weeks, but typically my fat % (as seen on my Tanita scale at home which shows all kinds of readouts) shows the same number week after week. Really doesn’t move at all.

BUT, today, I weighed and got my readouts and the fat% went up by 2%. This is the biggest fat percentage movement that I’ve had in years and years. Do you think this is just due to extra water intake? I realize these readouts are not accurate, but I look for trends.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #2

I would actually expect the % to go down with higher hydration, given that the impedance measurement would theoretically result in lower impedance when you’re more hydrated.

But my experience is that these scales aren’t very reliable with respect to body fat %.

(Michelle) #3

yeah, that’s what I would have thought too… oh well, KCKO! I’ll see what that number does over the next month if I keep up the water.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #4

Found this, which suggests that the accuracy is poor:

And this, which suggests your surmise about hydration may have been correct, and mine wrong:

(Michelle) #5

thanks @devhammer!! Yes, I keep it around for consistent inaccuracies! ha ha ha .

But clearly this interpreted my newfound hydration as fat increase. I really don’t care what the scale says anymore. I will not stop Keto and I feel better and look better.

(Cheryl Meyers) #6

I have been tested using the InBody machine in the gym at work – and found the User Manual online. It gives me a lower body fat percentage than my Tanita scale at home. In the user’s guide online (http://www.inbodycanada.ca/downloads/inbody-570/InBody570_User_Manual.pdf), I found these caveats:

• Stand upright for about 5 minutes before testing. Taking the test immediately after lying in bed or sitting for
a long period of time might result in a slight change in the test results. This is because body water tends to
move to the lower body as soon as the person stands or gets up.
• Do not eat before testing. In cases where the examinee has already eaten, the test should be put off for at least two hours after the meal. This is because food mass is included in the examinee’s weight and thus, may result in measurement errors.
• Use the bathroom before testing. Waste is not included in the body’s compositional elements, but the volume of urine and excrement is included in the weight measurement affecting accuracy of the test results.
• Do not exercise before testing. Strenuous exercise or sharp movements can cause temporary changes in body composition. Even light exercise can change your body composition temporarily.
• Take the test in the morning, if possible. Body water tends to gravitate towards the lower body throughout the day, affecting accuracy of the test results.

So it looks like a lot can throw off your measurements! KCKO is the best idea!

(Allie) #7

Tanita scales are not accurate at all. Mine had me at 27% BF - down from 37% when I started so definite downward trend but still… I found my old Omron handheld scanner which put me at 19%

They can’t differentiate between fat and water, nor can they differentiate between muscle mass and fecal matter.