Very Strange (body Fat)

[AlexVette505]

Ok so i have been dieting now about 3 months. I started at 177 lbs. and 15% body fat and every two weeks i weigh in and track my progress. So the past few months i lost on average of about 4 lbs. every 2 weeks being fairly strick. Today i weighed in and i was 158.5 lbs. and 8.8% body fat (according to the hand held machine). The weird thing is that my last weigh in two weeks b4 i was 155.5 lbs. and 10.3 % body fat. So how in the world can i GAIN weight but my body fat go down?? i know i didnt gain fat because my body fat went from 10.3% to 8.8%. A lady at my gym told me that i gained muscle but i dont see how that is possible because i had been kind of slacking in my workout routine in those 2 weeks and i eat only 1800-2000 cals a day.. there is simply not enough food and energy to gain muscle that fast. Even IF i did gain muscle i dont see how 3-4 lbs. of muscle can be gained in only 2 weeks while i am CUTTING... and SLACKING in my workouts.. the past two weeks i have been doin my cardio everyday..i skipped my cardio maybe 2-3 days outta the two weeks. My main goal is to have a nice ripped 6-pac but i still dont see it that well and i dont understand y... my abs are not underdeveloped either. Does anybody know wats goin on??

[Ronto]

How much water you have in your body at the time will change handheld bodyfat tests, that's what one of the old trainers at my old gym said. Maybe it was a possibility you cheated a day or two, then went in with not alot of water in your system, or did it after cardio where you woudl be more dehydrated?

[adm793]

according to the hand held machine

There is your problem. Those things are not the most accurate in the world. They can be off by 10% or more depending on just the time of day. Get yourself a set of calipers, the margin of error is a little less, but there is still a margin of error. What do you look like in the mirror? Do you look like you are ripped and gained muscle.

[rower6]

[QUOTE=AlexVette505;47719291]The weird thing is that my last weigh in two weeks b4 i was 155.5 lbs. and 10.3 % body fat. So how in the world can i GAIN weight but my body fat go down??


water weight will fluxate GREATLY from day to day. i know how frustrating this can be too. i am a collegiate rower who has to make certain weights at races, therefore i weight myself often. as far as muscle gain, you never know, it is possible to gain some. but really, it is probably just your body reacted to some food you ate and retained a little more water than usual. sounds like you are on the right track however, good jo and good luck to you in your future training.

[ctjacket]

Those electric ones really suck. They send current through tissue and it can't really tell if its fat or muscle. How much water you have affects it too.

Use calipers if possible.

[AlexVette505]

well when i did the test i had not eaten for about 3 hours and i had only one small glass of water b4. i even used the restroom b4 the test. i had the water with breakfest about 3 hours b4. The hand held body fat thing has always given me good numbers.. it has been steadily goin down in the last few months.. one time i had cheated a bit more and that friday i weighed in and my body fat stayed the same.. i think it is somewat accurate for me aleast. but i am basically 9% body fat with no abs unless i flew hard.

[cawiau]

well when i did the test i had not eaten for about 3 hours and i had only one small glass of water b4. i even used the restroom b4 the test. i had the water with breakfest about 3 hours b4. The hand held body fat thing has always given me good numbers.. it has been steadily goin down in the last few months.. one time i had cheated a bit more and that friday i weighed in and my body fat stayed the same.. i think it is somewat accurate for me aleast. but i am basically 9% body fat with no abs unless i flew hard.

in that pic you look fairly cut.
I would say 9-10% BF no problem

[AlexVette505]

i guess its just with 8.8% body fat i was expecting ripped abs.. when will i get those ripped abs? lol its been like this for a month and nothing has changed

[DJohnson]

People are right, the electrostatic measurement is pretty notoriously inaccurate, but I think it's another thing. If you've been eating the same and slacking on your workouts you probably are holding more muscle glycogen (and the extra water in the muscles that goes with it).

And I'd guess you're around 10-11%, just cut up a bit more and you'll get your abs.