Need some help reading the results from Tanita Body Composition machines

[IrishPirate]

I could use a leeeeeetle help here please

I will start by saying that A) I know that Tanita's aren't the best way to get a body comp read out, but currently its the one I have access to.

and this is the bigger one-

the Tanita that I got a read out from in March not only had me stand on the foot pads, but had hand paddles I held as well.

(that was the branch of my gym downtown) the one I had this morning did NOT have the hand paddles for me to hold. I just stood on the foot pads. (Branch of my gym by my house which is where I go to more frequently. I only go to the one downtown for dance class)

So I guess my first question-

is there even any comparison there? Should I bother trying to read the differences from one to the other?

or should I just use the one from this morning as my new baseline, and then just get read outs from this branch from now on?

if you think its worth comparing- I will post my results with full disclosure for your critiques

BC-418 versus TBF300A

[EnygmaEve]

Really, the most accurate ways to measure body comp cost a lot of money, involve highly specialized equipment, and thus aren't feasible for tracking. So that means that all of these do-hickeys you can buy for your home or even the nice ones at the gym won't give you a good idea of your EXACT body comp.

However, the do-hickeys ARE good for tracking, but you have to use the same machine (or at least the same model), with as few variables as possible (only have water each time before you do it, do it as early as possible in the morning, etc).

So if you got a read out of 30% BF your first go, do you actually have 30% BF? Nope. It could be plus that or minus that by a lot. But, if you do it on the same machine, the same way, every time, you can get a pretty decent idea of how much BF/LM/etc you've gained/lost. Just always always always take the readings with a grain of salt. Just go look at the Amazon.com customer reviews for any BF scale and you'll see tons of complaints about how wildly the numbers will fluctuate. Likely some of it is due to customer ignorance and they're not removing as many variables as possible before they get on that scale each time, but some of it is just the inaccuracy of the products in general.

tl;dr: no, you can't compare them.

[IrishPirate]

yes I realize all of this.

I know they aren't the best, and was only wanting to use it as a baseline reference like you said.

Thanks. I'll just hold the one and use it as a tracking point since its the option available to me at the moment

[EnygmaEve]

I'm doing the same too....just using the same body comp machine at my gym.

I'm also keeping track of my body measurements, because it's super cheap and easy. Every once in a while I'll plug them into a formula to get a rough idea of my BF.

[IrishPirate]

yeah I take my measurements as well, and that's what prompted me to get a read out again.

last time i was at these measurements I was about 8-10lbs lighter.

So I was curious to see if it was fat or muscle or what was going on.

LOL

[Horsedog]

Just wanted to chime in with my 2 bits about this topic based on my experience with the Tanita scales - read the instructions Maybe it's just me, but I need to use them at 2 different times during the day, depending on what I'm measuring. For weight, it's first thing in the morning after the obligatory bathroom visit but before eating/drinking anything. For body fat, I have to wait until 9 p.m. - well after I've finished eating/drinking for the day, yet still well-hydrated and have not exercised during the last 3 hours.

I used to take both measurements in the morning, but after reading the instructions I changed my BF measurement routine...so that I was actually following the instructions Made a huge difference - BF readings dropped by 2-3%.

[IrishPirate]

interesting.

Well, I'll have to see if I can find the instructions online. Since the gym doesn't have them posted by the machine. The trainers want to be the ones to take the reading for you.

Plus I'd be getting the reading in the morning regardless since that's when I hit the gym 90% of the time

[Horsedog]

interesting.

Well, I'll have to see if I can find the instructions online. Since the gym doesn't have them posted by the machine. The trainers want to be the ones to take the reading for you.

Plus I'd be getting the reading in the morning regardless since that's when I hit the gym 90% of the time

Not sure about the model at your gym, but for my home-based model (BC-554), taking your BF measurements soon after waking up is counter-indicated I think you're supposed to give it a few hours or something...

At least if you're taking it at the same time for each reading and under the same conditions, you can likely assess your BF changes! Just not sure if the readings will be an accurate representation of you true BF.

[IfItPlugsIn]

If I remember correctly, I think the Tanita gives you a water% or water weight number. I've heard that this can be a large factor in skewing the results (because it changes your body's level of electric conductivity). If the water number is close to the same on both results, then I think it would be safe to compare the other numbers as well.

[IrishPirate]

No, they're not the same- they''re about 7% different (the lower BF% readout was a higher water weight)

there's no way I can compare these.

Im just gonna use the one as my baseline for tracking and leave it at that LOL