Can anyone explain the mystery of the missing 12lb?

[Scruffmonster]

I pretty much do yes. As I have repeated enough times, BMI and BF% taken off scales are no more than numbers. These numbers can rise or fall. But they cannot be assumed to be accurate in any way, they can be assumed to be consistent. As I have also posted, BMI is taken and based off populations of people to compare other populations or groups of people to. Do you compare your scale results to the population of France or to that of a local village? Don't think so!

The OP is looking for a rogue 12lb after his bathroom scales suggested it might have flown off in the middle of the night. Ultimately that 12lb is a loss somewhere as part of an overall loss of 31lbs, but neither BMI or BF% scales can tell you what it was made of.

Nobody knows what it is made of, bathroom scales certainly do not know what it was made of.

I'm not debating the stupidity of BMI.

Body fat scales are a perfectly valid method of determining how you're losing the weight that you're losing, if you use them correctly.

 

[snorri]

Imperial measurements.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I'm not debating the stupidity of BMI.

Body fat scales are a perfectly valid method of determining how you're losing the weight that you're losing, if you use them correctly.

No they are not.

 

[Scruffmonster]

No they are not.

Cool. If you believe that, simply choose not to use them.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Cool. If you believe that, simply choose not to use them.

Ok I'll try again because as much as it pains me, you aren't getting this but are worth at least another chance.

Step onto BF% calculating scales weighing 14stone ( you know you weigh 14stone from standing on the scales)

Scales tell you that you are 20%BF

How does it determine this when the only thing connected to the scaleset, is your feet? (or foot?)

Step back onto the same scale a month later and it now says 18%.

How does this scale know that the 2% difference is made up of body fat?

It could be made up of water, it could be made up of lunch, it could be made up of muscle - maybe you were wearing really thick socks the last time.


Once again, even in this example. You have a number that changed, and nothing evidential to suggest that the change in bodyfat was 2%. All you know is, change happened somewhere. Nothing but a calculation as to where it was. 2% change could easily be dehydration too.

Explain.

Step onto a standard bathroom scale and you weigh 14stone.

Step onto the same scale 1 month later and you weigh 13stone.

You lost 14lbs but what was it you lost? water? fat? muscle? socks took off?

What was it you lost most of? ????

What ratio did you lost it in? ????

 

[Scruffmonster]

Ok I'll try again because as much as it pains me, you aren't getting this but are worth at least another chance.

Step onto BF% calculating scales weighing 14stone ( you know you weigh 14stone from standing on the scales)

Scales tell you that you are 20%BF

How does it determine this when the only thing connected to the scaleset, is your feet? (or foot?)

Step back onto the same scale a month later and it now says 18%.

How does this scale know that the 2% difference is made up of body fat?

It could be made up of water, it could be made up of lunch, it could be made up of muscle - maybe you were wearing really thick socks the last time.


Once again, even in this example. You have a number that changed, and nothing evidential to suggest that the change in bodyfat was 2%. All you know is, change happened somewhere. Nothing but a calculation as to where it was. 2% change could easily be dehydration too.

Explain.

It's not going to be socks. You need to do it barefoot, preferably with wet feet, after your morning pee.

It sends an electrical charge through your body, estimating your body fat values.

Do you know how they work?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

It's not going to be socks. You need to do it barefoot, preferably with wet feet, after your morning pee.

It sends an electrical charge through your body, estimating your body fat values.

Do you know how they work?

es·ti·mate/ˈestəˌmāt/Verb: Roughly calculate or judge the value, number, quantity, or extent of.

Yes I do and take every opportunity to mock just how ridiculous they are.

I didn't say the socks were on your feet though.

ps: did you pee on your feet?

 

[Scruffmonster]

So in your opinion, they can never attain a level of precision to be worthwhile. That's ok. Each to their own.

The simple fact remains that a decent set of body fat scales, used sensibly, can be a useful piece of kit for most.

Let's leave it at that. I'll let you get back to finding alternative ways to wear socks, I'll get back to practicing hitting the toilet bowl.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

So in your opinion, they can never attain a level of precision to be worthwhile. That's ok. Each to their own.

The simple fact remains that a decent set of body fat scales, used sensibly, can be a useful piece of kit for most.

Let's leave it at that. I'll let you get back to finding alternative ways to wear socks, I'll get back to practicing hitting the toilet bowl.

You are slowly proving that you just don't read things.

 

[MrJamie]

The electrical pulses are nonsense IMHO, it guesses your % from the weight you tell it and any other stats it asks for like age/height/sex, but it'll usually be roughly in the ballpark unless you have a really extreme body composition so will seem right. Surely if its measuring the resistance (as they claim) between one foot and the other, then touching calves would reduce the path and hence the resistance giving a wildly different reading. From messing round with a couple of these devices, if you vary the resistance you do vary the number it gives you but only within a very tiny range of say 1-2% because it doesnt trust the sensor so just weights an algorithym slightly, its even clearer if you try the handheld ones and get other people or a chain of people to hold them and they still base the results mostly on your weight.

Theres some guides online where you can measure your body with a tape measure and get a bodyfat estimate thats meant to be relatively accurate.

 

[Scruffmonster]

No. I realised that debating on the Internet with someone that talks about peeing on feet and disputing that socks are worn on feet isn't really the kind of person that can add anything to what I know.

There was a message, some intelligent discussion... Then it meandered.

You are slowly proving that you just don't read things.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

No. I realised that debating on the Internet with someone that talks about peeing on feet and disputing that socks are worn on feet isn't really the kind of person that can add anything to what I know.

There was a message, some intelligent discussion... Then it meandered.

In reality you've ran out of stuff to spew about BF% calculating bathroom scales and chose to bow out of a discussion by using a little post addition I put there to show that you read nor understood anything in the thread.

Good day to you.

 

[Scruffmonster]

In reality you've ran out of stuff to spew about BF% calculating bathroom scales and chose to bow out of a discussion by using a little post addition I put there to show that you read nor understood anything in the thread.

Good day to you.

Oh good lord

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Oh good lord

Does the good lord know about BF% scales?

 

[screenman]

If BF scales as the above poster stated do not work, how do they get past trading standards? Just like to know the answer so that I can apply it to some of the thing I sell which TS keeps a sharp eye on.