body fat % increase, body weight down

[jamar]

HEY GUYS, the weirdest thing happened...

When i last checked my body fat exactly 1 month ago it said 4.8% (which is really low i know) and my weight was 127.2 lbs..

When i checked it again today it said 9.2% body fat and 126.6 lbs...How is this possible????

Even weirder, ppl have been saying that they have seen gains in terms of my size (biceps) and even a lil chest so how did i lose weight??

[jww13]

One possibility (although very unlikely) is that your muscle mass decreased as your body fat increased. I say unlikely because if you're training, your muscle mass shouldn't decrease. Also that would be a LOT of fat gain.

I bet it's the way you're measuring your bodyfat. Are you using one of those electronic body fat scales? If so, those are VERY inaccurate and VERY inconsistent.

[fen2zla]

I bet it's the way you're measuring your bodyfat.

:withstupi

[Energizer]

Yeah could be the way your measuring your body fat. Are you using calipers or body fat scales? Body fat readings can be affected on scales due to your hydration status. Also, you should also try and do it at the same time of the day each time, after having gone to the toilet and having not eaten for the last 3 hours. Late afternoon is probably the best time to do it. The morning is not such a good time as we can quite often wake up dehydrated.

[jamar]

Well yeah actually I was measuring it using the body fat scales they had at the gym at around 6:30 am once a month....guess thats out. How else can i measure the body fat %?

Also what about the reduction in weight? If i look bigger how can that be?

Another thing i dont understand is that last year i weighed 130, yet somehow this yr i cant even seem to get to 130....

[jww13]

The best way to measure body fat is the water submersion method. I'm not even sure where you go to do this though.

The 2nd best method is using calipers. You measure skinfolds on several places of your body (stomach, chest, arm, etc) and then plug those numbers into a formula (which includes your weight), which then spits out your estimated body fat percentage.

If you look bigger, it is possible that you lost some fat and gained a little muscle. However, it's more likely that you look bigger because when you work out on a regular basis, your muscles tend to keep more blood and other fluids in them, which results in a more muscular look.

The best way to track progress is to keep a record of your weight, body fat, and perhaps some muscle measurements (arm, chest, or all of them if you want). Record your weight each week, and record the others about once a month. If you haven't gained any weight in a week, increase your daily caloric intake.

Try not to rely on yourself and others to judge your progress by just looking at you. Many times it's highly inaccurate!

[jamar]

Aight. Thanks guys. Any help on the formula?