I weigh 112 pounds but have body fat 35% - Help! page

[Claire C]

Hi, I've just recently gone primal. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the food and find it easy and tasty. I stick to it about 90%. When I do veer off it and eat bread or potatoes, usually when I'm eating out, I bloat up like a balloon and get stomach aches.

Overall though I thought I was doing pretty well. I don't really need to lose weight (I'm 5' 1" and weigh 112 pounds) but definitely need to tone up. I know I could do with building more muscle and losing some body fat.

Yesterday I went on one of those scales at the gym which measures your body fat and I was shocked to see 35%! Can that be right?? I wanted to punch the machine!

I'm struggling to fit in enough exercise, (I have 2 jobs and 2 kids) though I do lift weights about twice a week. I also struggle with my drinks - I'll admit I'm probably more addicted to dry white wine than I should be, I drink several gasses a day.

Just thought I'd post up here as I'm new to primal and could do with some feedback on that 35%.

Thanks,
Claire x

[polos26]

I wouldn't go to crazy based on that scale...I have one at home and I mostly use it for reference (wether it goes up or down etc), I do think its somewhat in the ball park, but you used something at the gym. At home, my scale has the ability to save settings for each person that uses the scale, it takes into consideration your activity level, sex, and age, did you have to do that prior to stepping on the scale or is it a general setting for everyone? That could be the reason why the number seems so high.

[seashells]

Maybe it's calibrated to sell personal trainer services. Stupid scales!

[Clymb]

How accurate are those body fat thingies that you enter your height/age/gender/weight into and hold onto? The ones that I think send electric currents in your body? Just curious

[Claire C]

Ha ha! Yes, fixed really high to make me buy personal trainer Seashells! That's soothes my bruised ego Yes, I had to enter my age and sex but not activity level. Even if it's not completely accurate I have to admit that you're right polos26, it probably is in the "ball park". I have to cut back on the wine and up the exercise if I want to get that body fat down.

[Croak]

They can put you in the ballpark at best. Use one, then drink a glass of water and see what happens. Get sweaty and see what happens, etc. It's all based on electrical resistance and a pretty sloppy algorithm to factor in height/gender/age.

[Clymb]

They can put you in the ballpark at best. Use one, then drink a glass of water and see what happens. Get sweaty and see what happens, etc. It's all based on electrical resistance and a pretty sloppy algorithm to factor in height/gender/age.

Ah ok. Mine said I was 17% body fat but my bf says I'm probably more and it's inaccurate lol

[polos26]

Yes, it shoots tiny currents through your body and then measures how long they take to come back (you don't feel anything) I have a Tanita one, which is suppossedly the leader in its field.

This is the one I own:
BC-533 InnerScan Body Composition Monitor

[Kakes]

My dad's electronic body fat scale reads about 10% higher than my actual bf %. Even online ones with measurements, age and weight included vary up to 15%! Don't let it freak you out. 10-15% is a lot to be off by!!

[Analog6]

Clare, do you feel like you have a lot of body fat? How are you on the 'pinch test'?

There is quite a good calculator here - use the second one.