To make sure you are on the right weight-loss path, you should measure body fat percentage periodically. This will help you determine if your weight loss routine is working. In most cases, a weight loss routine will cause you to lose weight, which does not necessarily mean fat loss.

Starvation-based weight loss routines result in muscle loss as well. To make sure you are not losing muscle, you need to monitor your fat percentage. If your fat percentage is constant but you are losing weight, it means your weight loss routine needs an overhaul. Let’s look at the most effective ways to measure body fat percentage:

Measure Body Fat Percentage with Calipers

If you want to keep track of your body fat percentage, get a skinfold caliper. These calipers are one of the most convenient methods of measuring your body fat. With the help of these calipers, you can measure your body fat easily and at any time. The best part is that these calipers are not expensive. They are rather easy to acquire as they are available at almost any online or physical fitness store. Most gyms have this type of caliper, too, which members can use to calculate their fat percentage.

The calipers do not display the fat percentage directly. The fat measurements are displayed in millimeters. These measurements need to be tallied against a body-fat percentage chart. Then, once you get the hang of using skinfold calipers, they provide a rather accurate percentage of your body fat. Of course, you have to make sure you measure your fat at the exact same location each time. If not, you could experience a slight fluctuation in the reading. Moreover, people who are well over their recommended weight may find it difficult to calculate their fat. This is because the calipers do not extend wide enough to accommodate the fat of such individuals.

Measure Body Fat Percentage with Anthropometric Calculations

Another reliable method you can use to measure body fat percentage is using anthropometric calculations. This method is rather complicated. You will need to measure various areas of your body and then input the measurements into an online calculator. If you do not want to use an online calculator, use a formula that tells you the estimated body-fat percentage. This method is cheap and easy once you learn how to do it. However, the body fat percentage readings are not especially accurate. The readings are estimated, but it is a great way to keep track of your progress. Of course, if you want accurate readings, calipers are your best bet.

There are other methods of measuring body fat, but they are either expensive or next to impossible for everyone to use. If you want to measure body fat percentage, the caliper and the anthropometric method are the most convenient and easy ways.

What About Scales with Added Features?

While a bathroom scale can be fantastic for measuring overall body weight, when all is said and done, your total weight is essentially its most usable feature, even if others are offered.  There are a lot of body fat scales out there.  It’s tempting to buy these upgraded devices so that we can learn more about how we’re doing with our dieting efforts.

After all, we’re always being told to be careful with a bathroom scale because it can’t tell the difference between fat loss and water weight, right? That’s absolutely true.  However, the scales that are meant to measure our body fat percentages aren’t necessarily going to help with that.  They are based on calculations based on average body types and are not specific to your unique body or its composition.

Indeed, there are some versions of body fat measuring scales at gyms and at doctors’ offices that can use bioelectrical impedance analysis to determine your body fat level within a certain margin of error.  That said, the margin typically grows quite substantially when it comes to using these tools in home scales.  Consumer products don’t seem to measure nearly as accurately as those sold for commercial use.

Does this mean that you shouldn’t use body fat scales at all? Not necessarily.  If you’re using them as an overall guidance in combination with a number of other measures that you’re taking to gauge your progress, then it likely won’t hurt. It may even provide you with a bit of additional insight into how well you’re doing.  The key is not to take the measure too seriously. Don’t let the slightest movements in the measurement define your victories or failures.  Instead, consider it a ballpark estimate instead of an extremely precise way to measure your body fat percentage.