Right, after my own scales, which can actually measure body fat, or so it says on the box, decided to show me a big error message, I went out and had my body fat measured on a scale in the pharmacy. The result was 49.5 %. OUCH!

Then, a week later, I weighed myself on some different scales that measure body fat, so I thought 'What the heck', and measured again. 65.9 %.

Two days ago, my scales finally decided to show me a body fat percentage, after I managed to get under the seemingly magical weight of 330 lbs (150 kg). now my scales at home say 79.5 % !!!

I am pretty tall, with broad shoulders and a heavy bone structure (according to my doctor), so I am pretty sure that the 79.5 % are nonsense. According to that, I'd consist of fat and water, nothing else. I admit there's piles of fat on me, but that's pushing it!

Now I wonder though, how can I get a half way precise measurement, and more importantly, how can I be sure that what the scales or whatever tell me is actually accurate? Is there any way at all, or am I doomed to guess or believe whatever comes up on the display??

this is the third time today I've said this

I have a scale that measures body fat/muscle/etc -and the instructions state that the measurement is not going to be accurate but it's the trend over time that you want to note...

Pick one scale and use that
get a tape measure and record those measurements.

I know, I know.... And I realise that those scales aren't always accurate, I was just confused because the differences were so big! So I guess I'll just take the 79.5 % and just watch it going down...well, hopefully going down anyway.

And I do measure. Because I am so big, I can't really see the difference in pictures or anything, that's why I started measuring...and I lost a few inches from various places. So...things are happening. Slowly, but they are happening.

Thanks for being so patient with me...

I use Home Body Fat Test as a reference to find out my body fat %, it wont be all that dead on pinpoint but it gives me a consistant number as I go along. But I agree with Male, you can go by your scale and watch the % number change. Either or. There is also the option of going to your doctor or a local gym and asking them to measure your body fat % for you and checking in once every 2 to 4 weeks. =)

I understand the slowness... but you will see results...

For the first 90 or so pounds for me - I saw no difference in what I was seeing - and i felt so flabby I saw little difference in measurements - What was more "motivating" for m e -was buying an article of clothing a size smaller than I was currently wearing and trying it on once a week -and eventually it would fit.. that seemed more real than anything else

Mal is bang on,for me it was 70lbs,before I could see minor changes but I am now wearing XXL t shirts where as when I started I was 5XL,and XXL would not even go near me,to me I cant see the loss but my clothes are now really showing it.When I look in the mirror I see pretty much the same body as before,but clothes and a tape measure dont lie.

I also pick up T shirts a size too small that I like and try them on once a fortnight,its surprising after the initial major loss where you have no visible progress in looks or sizes, how quickly things start to fit.The T-shirt I am wearing now 4 weeks ago was skin tight, now its a roomy fit,yet like I say To me I cant see a difference over those 4 weeks.Its like an illusion.

If you are measuring your success by what you see in the mirror you will be disappointed for a few more pounds yet.

Okay, I did that body fat test and here are the results ( I did it twice, checking on everything I put in to make sure it was correct):

Your Results

You have 114% body fat.

You have 373.9 Pounds of fat and -45.9 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water).

WTF?

So I have 373.9 lbs of body fat, while weighing only 328 lbs? How does that work? And I have a minus figure in muscle mass? So I have no muscles at all? I must be a medical miracle....*lol*

I think I'll give up on the body fat since it seems impossible to get a result that at least makes sense from anywhere. I'll just stick with my scales, the tape measure, and clothes for the time being.

did you do your measurements in lbs or kg? sounds like something is amiss...

this one is pretty low level - but you will see results over time
Body Fat (US Navy) Calculator - Fitness.BizCalcs.com

I know I'm losing weight, don't get me wrong, and I do notice differences in my clothes. It's just weird that I don't seem to actually see a difference when I look into the mirror. Maybe I am so used to what I see in there that the picture in my head is different from reality?

Anyway, I will stick with the tape measure, and I actually have found some clothes that I haven't been able to wear for a while and that I can get into now. I try things every 2 weeks to see if anything fits better, and low and behold, it does!

Another way of measuring, and this might sound weird, but it's actually my husband's arms....he was never able to actually put them 'around' me because I was so big...now his hands actually touch in my back. So, something must have changed. And I am nearly at 40 lbs loss...if I look at that in packets of butter, that's a hell of an amount.

lbs and inches....oooh....uh-oh....I might have used cm instead of inches....back to try again....

When I use the above calculator -it lists my body fat at 30 percent - my scale at home lists it at 39 percent -

based on comments from people - some say that the above test is fairly accurate -if a person has an out of proportion behind -then the results may vary...

Part of it is perception... and that should change over time...

Okay, I'm an idiot, but we already know that. Of course it was me who screwed up, not the test. I put lbs in, but my measurements in cms instead of inches.

So, this is what came out of that one:

You have 40% body fat.

You have 131.2 Pounds of fat and 196.8 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water).

And the other one gave me these results:

Body Fat 64 %
Fat Mass 210 lbs
Lean Mass 118 lbs
Body Fat Category Obese

So, still two pretty different results. But something that I can have an eye on and hopefully see them going down, slowly but surely.

Thanks for the links!

I hope it will, and I know it will eventually. Patience is the key, I keep telling myself that...but sometimes it's just soooo difficult....*sigh*

doesnt matter how much I've lost I stilllook in the mirror and see old, fat and ugly...

but one thing that does help when i'm away from the mirror - is making sure that my clothes fit -I feel better about myself when I'm not wearing frumpy ill fitting clothes... Find a tailor and make sure you're clothes are fitting the body you currently have -don't wait til you get to your goal weight before getting a new wardrobe.. get pieces that make you feel good about what you're wearing now..