Keeping track of your body weight is an essential part of any serious weight loss program. With regular bathroom scales, however, you can never know whether you’re actually losing weight as a result of fat loss. To remain certain that your weight loss program is working as intended, you need to monitor your body fat percentage.
The Easiest Way to Measure Your Body Fat Percentage
When most people refer to body fat percentage, they have the stored body fat in mind. And there are many potent ways to estimate this part of your body weight. One of the most conventional ways to do this, for instance, is with the help of body fat calipers. And when more precision is necessary, there are more complex procedures such as underwater weighing or dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
Such methods of measuring body fat percentage, however, require an assistance from qualified professionals. And some of them may also cost you a fortune over time. Few people have the time or the means for that. Most people want to enjoy a simple and reliable way to check body fat percentage as often as they want.
And with the help of body fat scales, doing so has become more feasible than ever.
How Body Fat Scales Work
Body fat scales can estimate your body fat percentage by using the technique of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). First, they send a set of minor electrical currents through your body. Since your muscle tissue retains more water than the fat tissue, these currents travel through the stored body fat slower. Afterwards, the special equations programmed into the body fat scales interpret this output information and estimate your body composition. Since the BIA technique employs precise methods, the body fat scales readings are usually quite accurate. As such, they allow for no more than 5% error.
How to Use Body Fat Scales Correctly
Body fat scales allow you to measure your body fat percentage quickly and consistently. Most people, however, tend to abuse the convenience body fat scales offer. This often affects the readings that you get. The tips below can help you to enjoy accurate measurements every time you use your body fat scales:
- Use only high-quality body fat scales Cheap body fat scales can often be a major disappointment. Go for the highest quality body fat scales that you can afford.
- Keep your foot pads clean and dry This ensures that the electrical currents pass through your foot pads without any impediments.
- Avoid measurements when dehydrated Dehydration distorts the normal ratio between water count in your muscle and body fat making the readings inaccurate.
- Perform measurements at the same time of every day This prevents the daily fluctuations in water count of your muscle and body fat from distorting the measurements.
Sticking with this simple advice, you can make the most of your body fat scales. And make them a valuable part of your fat loss toolkit.
Source:
http://bodyfatanalyzer.org
