Body Fat % Question

[JC86]

I started on a weight loss program after Christmas, at the time, I was 278 lb and 39% body fat. After three weeks of daily cardio and lifting with a trainer, I was down to 269 and 34% body fat. I felt like I was on a good pace in terms of weight loss and body fat loss.

Then three days ago, I came down with the flu, I had a fever, sore throat, diarrea, headaches, the whole nine yards. I didn't have an appetite at all for the past two days, I was bed ridden and only drank water and didn't eat. I jump on the scale this morning and I dropped down to 264 lb, a good five lb in two days but the funny thing is, my body fat % jumped back up by 2% to 36%.

I wasn't exercising the past two days and was basically in bed the whole time but a 2% increase for two days of inactivity? Is this normal?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Most body fat readers can change on a ton of variables. With getting sick and not eating, you change the physics of the reading. Just be patient, get back into your routine, and check again in a couple of weeks.

 

[crt1530]

BIA fat measurement scales are entirely dependent on your hydration level.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: crt1530
BIA fat measurement scales are entirely dependent on your hydration level.

So, hydrated = higher reading? I drink a lot at the gym and whenever I've checked my bf% it was at the end of a workout and seemed high.

 

[JC86]

I guess that explains it since I was drinking a ton of fluids because I couldn't eat. Thanks for the responses!

 

[crt1530]

No. Dehydrated = greater impedance = higher bodyfat reading. Thus fever + diarrhea => dehydration => higher bodyfat reading.

Tallbill: You might not be drinking enough water to replace everything you've lost through sweat and respiration. I wouldn't worry too much about the BIA scales. They're precise, but almost never accurate. At best, you could use one as an indicator of which way your bodyfat is heading, but you would have to make sure that you are measuring at the same time of day with similar conditions. Exercise, salt intake, water intake, food, how recently you've gone to the bathroom and if your feet are still wet from taking a bath/shower all make a difference.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: crt1530
No. Dehydrated = greater impedance = higher bodyfat reading. Thus fever + diarrhea => dehydration => higher bodyfat reading.

Tallbill: You might not be drinking enough water to replace everything you've lost through sweat and respiration. I wouldn't worry too much about the BIA scales. They're precise, but almost never accurate. At best, you could use one as an indicator of which way your bodyfat is heading, but you would have to make sure that you are measuring at the same time of day with similar conditions. Exercise, salt intake, water intake, food, how recently you've gone to the bathroom and if your feet are still wet from taking a bath/shower all make a difference.

Yeah, I'm not panicking either way about my readouts.