grrlAthlete

I'd like to get everyones opinion on the way they meaure fat loss.

Is it with the scale (overall weight loss)

The way you look

How your clothes fit

Body fat percentage (does anyone know their percentage or bother with this)

Interested to hear what you all have to say about this.

John

I really don't know, but I can say that for myself, I consider it fat loss when my clothes start fitting different from eating healthy and exercising. If I'm doing a fast, I know it's more water weight than fat.

I don't have a scale (never have), but do weigh myself occasionally at the gym. I find the scale to be more an enemy than a friend. For me, the true test is when my clothes start fitting me differently and I feel healthy.

I'm one of the lucky few who have access to an exercise lab, so I depend heavily on my hydrostatic weighing results to monitor my body fat during my competitve season as well as off-season. I tend to gain weight during the summer so body composition is a good way for me to make sure that while I'm gaining weight, I'm not gaining excess body fat.

mainly how clothes are fitting and how I feel.

There's a bf scale thing at my gym which I get a measurement from every so often. I know those things aren't too accurate so I'm interested more in the trend measure to measure than the actual number it throws up. Do try to get the measurement same time of day to minimise other variables hydration level etc.

Donna,

That is a great point. I don't think too many people realize they should be measuring at the same time of the day, and should be more or less in the same fed/not fed state, and with a similar number of hours past their last meal, and with the same hydration level.

Unless you have access like to a lab like Steffy its always going to be a best guess using commercial equipment at gyms and at home.

I still think they way you look and the way your clothes fit is the best indicator.

John

Hi John,
I have just started to record my body fat percentage by using the accumeasure calipers. I have John Berardi's guide to assist me in the calculations. I find that the way clothes fit is not always a good indicator for me unless the weight loss/gain is more than a little. There are times when fluid retention and bloating make me feel like I've put on a few kilos when I put on my favourite jeans. I have basically been same weight for many years, pre pregnancy, post pregnancy and nine years later so I never rely on my scales.