Losing pounds and inches, increasing fat %

[dollydoo]

I need help figuring out why my body fat percentage is slowly increasing as I am losing inches and pounds. I don't know  if I am doing something wrong(too much sodium and not enough water)? I recently restarted going to the gym and while being a full time student am making it approximately 2-3(closer to 2 times a week) for an hour each time. I do a full body workout which my trainer has set up for me, then if I have time after I will do 20-30 min of cardio on either elliptical or treadmill. 

I welcome any suggestions, but please don't bash on me or put me down. It is hard enough for me to admit that I am in the obese range openly and to the public.

[Odyssey13]

@dollydoo  How long you been concentrating on losing weight and working out? Give it some time and be patient with yourself. Have you asked your trainer about this?

People here are very supportive. You're not the only one who wants to take care of themselves by losing weight.  The first step in making any changes is admitting there is a need to change and you've done that. Be proud of the positive decisions you're making. It's not easy being a full time student and finding time to work out!

[carl669]

how are you measuring body fat percentage?  if you're using a scale, i've heard it can be vastly affected by hydration level.

[dollydoo]

I use the fitbit Aria for my fat percentage.

[dollydoo]

I have only been focusing about a month, and I am graduating in less than a month. My trainer sessions are over, but I didn't think to ask her. Thank you for the support.

[Thenry]

I would guess it's a water retention thing. I've noticed my Aria spikes my body fat % the day after I overdo the sodium. corelation is not causation, but that's my theory so far. However, if it's a more steady gain over a longer period of time then I dunno, might be something else.

[Heybales]

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@dollydoo wrote:

I use the fitbit Aria for my fat percentage.

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So figure at best, with constantly hydrated exactly the same, you'll get accuracy up to 5%.

Are the readings within 5%?

Then you are still in the range of inaccuracy. So you basically can't tell anything yet.

You would need to have the results be 10% away from each other to matter, and then you have to have same hydration level - and muscle retaining water for repair is not.

You really need at least valid weigh-in days.

Morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.

That should minimize known reasons for water weight changes.

BF scales and the BIA method are fine for indicating directions with many valid data points over a long time.

Sadly it's easy to get invalid data points as everyone brings up.

https://help.fitbit.com/customer/portal/articles/1232324-how-accurate-is-my-aria-

I'd love to see the study that says they can get as accurate as 2 lbs on BF, since actually the BIA method is measuring LBM and getting BF from that.

And then it's only the lower half of the body, foot to foot.

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/fatbia.htm

[srs_81]

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@Heybales wrote:

I'd love to see the study that says they can get as accurate as 2 lbs on BF, since actually the BIA method is measuring LBM and getting BF from that

And then it's only the lower half of the body, foot to foot.

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/fatbia.htm

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whoa whoa whoa.  I are you saying that it's only reading the lower half of me?  So if I don't carry most of my weight in my lower body, but in my abdomen, it is likely lower than it should be readings?  ugh!!!

[Heybales]

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@srs_81 wrote:

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@Heybales wrote:

I'd love to see the study that says they can get as accurate as 2 lbs on BF, since actually the BIA method is measuring LBM and getting BF from that

And then it's only the lower half of the body, foot to foot.

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/fatbia.htm

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whoa whoa whoa.  I are you saying that it's only reading the lower half of me?  So if I don't carry most of my weight in my lower body, but in my abdomen, it is likely lower than it should be readings?  ugh!!!

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Sure - electrical current, shortest path and path of least resistance and all that.

Hey, at least it's not as bad as the handheld units.