Understanding Body Fat

[pandafitness]

Four years ago I measured my body fat using hydrodensitrometry (under water weighing), Bod Pod,and skin fold measurements. These measurements were taken in a lab by college students. 

Ht:63 in,weight 155lb

hydrodensitrometry = 30.4%

Bod pod 36.4%

using the skin fold measurements i calcuated based on two equations the brozek and siri.

brozek 53.35%

siri = 56.21%

Between 2012-2015 I was moderately active, half way through 2015 I became very active with my fitness level. My personal trainer measured my BF% on tanita scale and I am 41.8% BF. 

I think that the BOD POD is more accurate then all of them. But four years ago I felt more heavy then today.

Has any had an experience where exercising caused body fat% increase on a tanita scale?

[Lilymook]

I think that the water displacement and bod pod are far more accurate than any skin fold method or fancy scales out there.  For example, I did mine via bod pod about 6 months ago and was like at about 22.8%.  My scale at home has me way higher (female but muscular).  Because of that, I think those scales say they are doing body fat but really they are doing a simple algorithm based on height, weight and sex. 

[pandafitness]

I agree that skin fold are less accurate and it does depend on the technician measuring body fat. 

I looked at my body fat % on my fitbit app and it is way off. There's no way I can be 25% body fat. 

[Lilymook]

see interesting article on these scales here - http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/diet-weight-loss/article/body-fat-scales-step-right

If consumer reports no longer will even review them because they are so unrealiable, why on earth base any of your day to day activity or fitness goals on bad data?

[Corney]

I was the exercise consultant for a surgical bariatric clinic.  If you are losing weight but you body fat is increasing you are metabolizing protein for energy rather than fat.  We used a body analyser on all our clients at all their visits.  This analyser measures you body's resistance to an electrical current.  Everything in you body contains water except fat.  The analyser measures the bodies total resistance compared to weight.  If you body contains less water the total resistance increases compared to your weight.  Clients that did not follow our exercise regimen, lost weight but their % body fat increased.  The only other cause of an increase in % body fat could mean you are becoming dehydrated.

[Corney]

My scale/body analyser not only measures my weight, it measures % body fat, BMI, and % hydration.  The % hydration is the key element in determining % body fat, since everything in the body contains water except fat.  Does your scale measure % hydration?

[Lilymook]

Body fat contains water, just not as much as muscle.  Muscle conducts the electricity more effectively than fat and that is what those scales and tools are measuring...how fast the current is getting from point a to b.  But since there are a number of factors that can impact resistance in your body (not just fat vs. muscle) such as hydration level, how recently you had a pedicure, why even base anything off of it?