I have % issues...PLEASE HELP!

[Kettlebell]

Okay, I am doing very well...it is day 9 and I have lost 8 pounds but I notice on my Tanita scale that the fat % is going up as my pounds go down. Is this because of the water loss? I know these scales are very inaccurate as far as body fat percentage and there's many factors (where you stand, how busty you are, gender, etc.) but I am seeing that the number seems to be higher and I wonder if it is because I may be slightly dehydrated or less "water filled".

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance, Losers...

[liftinguru]

Re: I have % issues...PLEASE HELP!

9 days is not enough time for you to lose significant amounts of fat or muscle to affect the reading, so it is likely water weight. And since the scale measures your bodyfat percentage against the total composition of everything else (ie bone, muscle, water), your bodyfat percentage has increased because there is 8 pounds less of "other material".

For instance, if you started at:
60 pounds bodyfat
150 pounds "lean" weight (water, bone, muscle)
210 total pounds
28% bodyfat

Let's say you lose 7 pounds of water and 1 pound of fat during the induction. Notice you haven't lost any muscle and you haven't gained any fat, but the bodyfat percentage will increase regardless:
59 pounds bodyfat
143 pounds "lean" weight (water, bone muscle)
202 total pounds
29% bodyfat

Now, the good news is that after induction you will stop losing water (there's only so much water one can lose), and your additional losses will be comprised mostly of fat. It's also probable that without exercise you will lose some muscle as well. It's possible that you may even pack on a couple pounds of water once induction is over. But let's say during the month following induction you lose an additional 8 pounds, 6 of which are fat, 2 of which are muscle, and that you gained 2 pounds of water (which will compensate for the 2 pounds of muscle loss in the bodyfat %)

53 pounds bodyfat
143 pounds (lean weight)
196 total pounds
27% bodyfat

It is a slow process, and I do recommend resistance training to preserve your muscle mass. The water losses and gains there isn't much you can do about, but just know that if you truly did lose water, you didn't lose muscle or gain fat, so even if your bodyfat % increases, you haven't gotten "fatter", your body just lost a portion of what the scale uses for its "lean weight" calculation. The following months should see a slow and steady reduction in bodyfat composition. You are also right that the scales are not accurate. The important thing is to find one that is consistant (even if it's not accurate), so you can use it as a basis to compare.

[Kettlebell]

Re: I have % issues...PLEASE HELP!

Thanks for the info, appreciate that!