What are the benefits of a fat measuring scalings?

[pastort]

Never tried one before

just wondered if someone had one and how they found it?

[andystev]

I think tracking fat loss is a much better way of seeing progress than tracking weight. Especially if you're exercising too. As you lose fat, you gain muscle, sometimes more than making up for the fat loss, so you appear to be gaining weight!

Fat measuring scales might not be terribly accurate, but they don't need to be. As long as they're consistent, and you take regular measurements you'll get a really good indicator of progress, I find.

[Hidden]

Hi pastort,

As you lose weight, you generally lose fat. It you increase your exercise you'll generally tone up your muscles somewhat but not gain that much muscle. If you very significantly train in particular ways, then you will build up your muscle mass.

Now muscle is actually heavier than fat, so it is possible to have people with very low amounts of fat, high levels of muscle, who are "overweight" insofar as they have a BMI of say 26 or 27 or thereabouts.

But - be careful here and don't fool yourself - even world champion body builders are unlikely to come in with a BMI of any thing more than that.

And, in the final analysis, stand in front of the mirror and take a long slow look. What do you see? Is it shaped like a world class body-builder, or like a Telly-Tubbie? C'mon now, be honest!

Despite how often people say that they're not losing weight because they're 'gaining muscle', it's not actually very often the case at all.

[Scot34 in reply to Hidden]

Ronnie coleman is 5 11" and weighs upwards of 375lbs which is a bmi of 52 which is morbidly obese. Bodybuilders have bmi of 30+.