March/April Weight Management Challenge

[Susan Otcenas]

139. Phooey.

[azfiddle]

I just didn't want to post last week because the scale was up in the 117's again after getting lower for a while. And I rode a lot last week. But today I was 115.4, so maybe things are really finally going back down again.

[klesko]

I was 142.

[Catrin]

135 this morning, so I should have waited until today to weigh. Let's go with this weight as my "official" weigh in.

So how does water retention show on those bod pod machines?? The muscle decrease is still a matter for concern - which more calories should address, but perhaps the extra pounds of body fat was actually water???? time for research.

[GLC1968]

Caitrin - I believe that the bod pod can tell the difference between fat and water. Water counts as lean mass, so keep that in mind!

[Catrin]

Caitrin - I believe that the bod pod can tell the difference between fat and water. Water counts as lean mass, so keep that in mind!

Noted, and I am unsure if I REALLY lost a full 3 pounds of muscle mass - I would think that I would notice that in my activities? I don't know, my trainer's advice seems good - he just advised me to wait a few months and then get another one to compare the results and to stick with the course - & to succeed this time at meeting those calorie goals. If water really does count as lean mass, then it is possible that I was retaining more for the first one than yesterday.

They also told me that they saw a lot of this same thing during the same body-fat loss challenge/metabolic training last year and think it is due to restricted calories. This was a very different kind of workout than I've ever seen and certainly forced my body to do things in quite different ways. It does seem feasible that if I wasn't eating at the right times and the fuel wasn't readily available to my body then it probably did turn to muscle for fuel - but 3 pounds in 10 weeks does seem a bit high - but what do I know?

[goldfinch]

I think hydration may effect bodpod results. Body fat is partly water. Muscle is partly water. Bones are partly water. Water is in everything. That said, there is more water in muscle than in fat. For example, a person who has a fat percentage of 40% will have less water weight than a person who has a fat percentage of 20% but who is the same weight.



Factors that may affect accuracy of the Bod Pod

Hydration status and increases in muscle temperature can adversely affect calculation results
Also, it is imperative to breath normal, remain still, and keep hands in lap while being assessed by the Bod Pod (any slight movement or change in breathing pattern may affect results) http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/bodycomp.html