The FastDay Forum

I'm really happy that I've lost 3kg in 5 weeks since starting 5:2. My body fat, though, has remained stubbornly at the percentage I started at - it dipped briefly by 3.5 percentage points then climbed back up again to 43.2%, which is where I was at the start of August.

I'm not hugely upset about it - more curious as to why this is. I know I'm shrinking - I measured bits of me a week ago and I've lost a few centimetres off my hips, thighs and waist. My clothes feel a lot looser. All good. Except for the body fat percentage.

Can anyone explain this to me?

(Edited to add: my Aria (FitBit) scale measures body fat as well as weight.)

Not accurate. Mine took months to change.

Vildekhaya I think it's normal. Mine has hardly changed at all. Measurement is definitely the best sign, followed by weight. If you are at healthier end of BMI this does seem to be the case that it just doesn't change very quickly.

[carorees]

it's because it's a percentage. if you weigh 200 lb and have a fat% of 40%, that's 80lb of fat. If you then lose 20lb but your fat% is still 40%, you now have 72lb of fat, so you have lost 8lb of fat. HOWEVER, the fat% on these scales is pretty unreliable. As I pointed out in another thread, according to my scales I've lost 14kg of fat since I bought them but only 12kg in weight, so clearly impossible.

I wouldn't worry, it's just a rough guide.

I still don't think it's that accurate, there's been posts on this before and the general consensus is that it's too variable

Given your BMI, I'm also surprised your % bf is so high. Mine was 44% when my BMI was 37. It's now on my Omron scale, 38% and I'm just over 30 BMI.

Thanks, all. That makes a lot of sense explained like that. I shall fret less! The main thing is that I *can* see my weight and BMI dropping, even after 5 and a half weeks, plus my body measurements dropping.

I think I'd forgotten that back when I was young and slim I used to go by how tight my clothes were and rein back.