There certainly are. The machine measures electrical impedence to calculate fat, so the body's water content really throws it off and must be standardised.Originally Posted by Animeniax
An example of such guidelines (not sure how much it varies between manufacturers, but if they have one specifically, follow that):
no food or drink within 4 hours of test,
no urinating within 30 minutes of test,
no exercise within 12 hours of test
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
So right when you wake up is probably the best time? That's when I've always heard you should weigh yourself (standard method) for the most accurate measurement. Except I usually take a long whizz right after getting up. Otherwise it will be tough to go 4 hours during the day without food or drink.
“For God will not permit that we shall know what is to come... those who by some sorcery or by some dream might come to pierce the veil that lies so darkly over all that is before them may serve by just that vision to cause that God should wrench the world from its heading and set it upon another course altogether and then where stands the sorcerer? Where the dreamer and his dream?”
That's what I plan to do when I get my scale, yes.
Normally I urinate before weight myself as well in the morning, but for this fat% test I'll try without first.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
So to change the topic of conversation somewhat (good to see this thread getting some love):
After a long search, finally picked up a pair of Nike Romaleos 2 - gotta say, worth every penny!
During squats and deadlifts it feels like you're standing in solid concrete. One of my biggest weaknesses in the past has been a shaky instability when I get down low in a heavy squat. Even after a couple of sessions, these shoes have gone a long way towards resolving that problem.
I foresee some nice new PBs in the immediate future.
I think I know precisely what I mean
when I say it's a schpadoinkle day
I used the scale this morning after waking up without peeing first and the results were bizarre. It had me at 166lbs and 24.8% body fat. That's up from 22.5% just two days ago (and I had a good workout yesterday). After taking a whizz, it had me at 165lbs and 24.5% body fat.
Nice shoes Raven. I don't buy Nike anymore since they utilize sweatshop labor, but they offer some functional products. I keep hearing that using weight-lifting gloves will increase how much you can lift, so I might try that.
“For God will not permit that we shall know what is to come... those who by some sorcery or by some dream might come to pierce the veil that lies so darkly over all that is before them may serve by just that vision to cause that God should wrench the world from its heading and set it upon another course altogether and then where stands the sorcerer? Where the dreamer and his dream?”
I think you're just fat Ani, and you're probably overestimating your efforts. Get a personal trainer if you can afford it, he won't put up with your bulshit.
Heh, no idea.
I asked the colleague about where his sources were but he couldn't find them anymore (it's been a good few months).
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
Well this fat middle-aged man kept up with two 20-something kids at the police fitness test just last month. One was athletic and in great shape, the other less so but recently out of the army and in good shape. I surprised myself how well I did, but having the 2 others there to motivate me (competition).
I'm highly self-motivated and don't need a personal trainer to be in good shape, which is all I'm looking for. After leaving the PD, I slacked off a bit, then started lifting again but with no cardio work. I'll start doing cardio again and see what the scale says in a month.
“For God will not permit that we shall know what is to come... those who by some sorcery or by some dream might come to pierce the veil that lies so darkly over all that is before them may serve by just that vision to cause that God should wrench the world from its heading and set it upon another course altogether and then where stands the sorcerer? Where the dreamer and his dream?”
If you're picking up cardio after a period of lifting only, I'm sure I don't need to tell you that HIIT-types of cardio will benefit you a lot more than steady-state.
I think I know precisely what I mean
when I say it's a schpadoinkle day
@Raven: I gather it's good to feel like you're working out on concrete? My feet need protection, so the thought of working out on concrete scares me a little. Something soft with padding that cushions my feet would be nice, but I've never done any serious weight lifting so you can tell me what's a good shoe and what's not.
This morning after I woke up I used a set of normal bathroom scales to weigh myself before and after peeing just to see how much it actually affects it. It went from 65.0kg to 64.4kg. That's a pretty massive drop, haha.
It's in the evening now and I just walked to the post office and back to pick up my bioelectric scale. I programmed and weighed myself anyway even if it wasn't an ideal time just to check it out. It clocks me in at 12.5% body fat. That can't be right, I'm fatter than that.
I'm going to measure it again with/without-urination tomorrow morning.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
It's less about how solid/hard it feels and more about stability. My feet do feel padded/cushioned, yet at the same time stable as hell. Much better than your standard running shoe. It's a bit hard to explain it any more than that.
Also, the thing about scales is that they're never a good indication of anything. I usually recommend people jump on the scales every 6 week or so. The best indication of progress or lack there of is your clothes - how do they feel? Much more accurate.
Normal scales have way too many uncertain factors to be worth worrying about, IMO. But it's fun to discuss how it can fluctuate.
I think I know precisely what I mean
when I say it's a schpadoinkle day
Was it a decently priced/reviewed model of scale? I'm finding the fluctuations on my Tanita scale to make it so I can't trust the readings, but still use them as a broad guideline for my fitness level. And yes, it's ridiculous how much weight you hold from urine and sh*t. I dropped a pound (half a kg) from a short piss.
Unfortunately the clothes test doesn't work for me. I wear size 32 (US) pants and they fit fine whether I'm feeling chunky or toned. The fat settles in parts of my body that don't affect how my clothes fit, ie my gut.Also, the thing about scales is that they're never a good indication of anything. I usually recommend people jump on the scales every 6 week or so. The best indication of progress or lack there of is your clothes - how do they feel? Much more accurate.
“For God will not permit that we shall know what is to come... those who by some sorcery or by some dream might come to pierce the veil that lies so darkly over all that is before them may serve by just that vision to cause that God should wrench the world from its heading and set it upon another course altogether and then where stands the sorcerer? Where the dreamer and his dream?”
Soehnle Body Balance Shape F4 63161 is the model I bought. I saw it for $100 while I was searching, so did a little lookup on the model to see what reviews it got. Choice magazine in 2009 seemed to like it as one of their top three, so that works for me.
I did the pee/not-pee test this morning when I woke. It might have changed my weight, but it didn't do terribly much to my fat% reading actually. Before-peeing was at 13.6%, and after peeing was at 13.1%.
The scale also has a "recommended action" rating after you finish weighing. Last evening it said I was good to go, while this morning it thinks I need to drink more water. I'm not going to pay too much attention to that, but it does support my idea that after you wake you're possibly a little dehydrated. (symptoms include thirst, dry mouth/lips, concentrated urine).
I also cross-weighed myself against my regular bathroom scales, and they're within 200g of each other, so that's good to know.
I also seem to gain the most fat in my gut. Well... gut, thighs and ass. It's annoying because some people who know me are telling me how thin I am already and worry that I'll develop anorexia noversa. I don't really feel like showing them my tummy, so it's a bit hard to convince them otherwise since I'm not flabby anywhere else.
I agree with Raven about scale reliability. Scales have a lot of intrapersonal variability (water levels being the biggest one), while calipers have a more interpersonal variability (fat distribution is different for different people, so the measurements don't necessarily translate to % all that accurately), but they're stable for just tracking whether you're losing fat or not.
I know a radiographer. Maybe I should get him to give me a free DEXA scan.
Last edited by Buffalobiian; Fri, 07-27-2012 at 08:27 PM. Reason: added link
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
It's the easiest way to be consistent since you have been asleep (considered fasting) for a set number of hours. Also, when you wake up is best time to do your cardio, since it helps your metabolism get started.
Speaking of fitness, the Olympics are on. The US and China are neck-and-neck in the medals race. But track and field events just started. Better luck in 150 years or so, China.
“For God will not permit that we shall know what is to come... those who by some sorcery or by some dream might come to pierce the veil that lies so darkly over all that is before them may serve by just that vision to cause that God should wrench the world from its heading and set it upon another course altogether and then where stands the sorcerer? Where the dreamer and his dream?”
So i have a problem, i went to the gym once for like 2-3 months and got 0 result, did not even got a pound.
Lately i started doing some abs and pushout excercised from some app and i realized about a pattern problem. I can do a certain amount of excercises just fine the first day, but by my next attempt i do LESS than what i did the first time, i noticed that i can`t actually do as good as my first day and i never really improve, anyone has a clue on what`s going on?
You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful. -Marie Curie
I think adrenaline/excitement/motivation is the reason you can do so much the first time (which also leads to DOMS), then not so much subsequently because you're expecting too much too fast. If you stick with it, you will see gains, but slowly.
You also have to eat right and do the right kinds of exercises. Diet is the most important thing for gaining/losing weight. You should find out your BMR which will tell you how many calories you need to take in on a daily basis in order to gain/lose a lb/kg of weight.
“For God will not permit that we shall know what is to come... those who by some sorcery or by some dream might come to pierce the veil that lies so darkly over all that is before them may serve by just that vision to cause that God should wrench the world from its heading and set it upon another course altogether and then where stands the sorcerer? Where the dreamer and his dream?”
90% kitchen, 10% gym, IMO.
I think I know precisely what I mean
when I say it's a schpadoinkle day
If self motivation isn't something you can muster up, you're going to want to start looking into a program with a trainer, possibly a personal trainer if you can afford it. You have to learn to push yourself, but it's easier to do (for most people) when there's someone there to motivate you. But before that, get checked by a doctor to make sure that your condition is all mental and not a medical or nutritional.
"You are not free whose liberty is won by the rigour of other, more righteous souls. Your are merely protected. Your freedom is parasitic, you suck the honourable man dry and offer nothing in return. You who have enjoyed freedom, who have done nothing to earn it, your time has come. This time you will stand alone and fight for yourselves. Now you will pay for your freedom in the currency of honest toil and human blood."
- Inquisitor Czevak
You talking about Uchess's performance?
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
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