(Warning: people who already hate gyms, do not continue reading).
Rule number one: do not, ever, do a fat-scan test at the gym. Because if you are stupid enough (like me) and want to follow up your ‘improvements’ (yeah right) and do another test one month later, which shows that you have GAINED fat rather than lost it (How, how, how? This is another great mystery that I have to spend the wknd to solve…), despite eating normal and going to the gym 3-5 times/week, you'll be very depressed. (Another funny fact: before, I rarely went to the gym).
Rule number two: Keep a shallow relationship with the Chinese trainers at the gym. Once you get passed the ‘hey how’s it going’ phase they will start coming to talk to you a lot.. and then, without even knowing it, they will start monitoring you. Like the other day when I left the gym, and a trainer came up to me: “Leaving already? Only 1 hour work out today and no cardio? Not so good Jonna!" Aooooch?! Dude, you don’t need to tell me that!
Rule number three: Do not, in any way, let any of this get to you. Like I have done. I am still (more than 24 hours after the fat scan test) trying to figure out how it is possible for me to GAIN fat rather than lose it. (I had also gained 1 kg of muscles –how does that make sense? When you gain muscles, doesn’t that then mean that you lose fat?!)
Rule number four: Do not obsess about this to other people. They will definitely think you are annoying. My bf is a living proof.
Rule number one: do not, ever, do a fat-scan test at the gym. Because if you are stupid enough (like me) and want to follow up your ‘improvements’ (yeah right) and do another test one month later, which shows that you have GAINED fat rather than lost it (How, how, how? This is another great mystery that I have to spend the wknd to solve…), despite eating normal and going to the gym 3-5 times/week, you'll be very depressed. (Another funny fact: before, I rarely went to the gym).
Rule number two: Keep a shallow relationship with the Chinese trainers at the gym. Once you get passed the ‘hey how’s it going’ phase they will start coming to talk to you a lot.. and then, without even knowing it, they will start monitoring you. Like the other day when I left the gym, and a trainer came up to me: “Leaving already? Only 1 hour work out today and no cardio? Not so good Jonna!" Aooooch?! Dude, you don’t need to tell me that!
Rule number three: Do not, in any way, let any of this get to you. Like I have done. I am still (more than 24 hours after the fat scan test) trying to figure out how it is possible for me to GAIN fat rather than lose it. (I had also gained 1 kg of muscles –how does that make sense? When you gain muscles, doesn’t that then mean that you lose fat?!)
Rule number four: Do not obsess about this to other people. They will definitely think you are annoying. My bf is a living proof.
First, I love your blog. :) It's really cute!
ReplyDeleteAs for your fat % dilemma, just remember that if you work out at the gym, you're probably losing weight in the form of both fat and muscle. Depending on your weight loss rate, your body fat % may actually increase relative to your overall weight. Is doesn't mean you're gaining FAT, just that what you have is a larger percentage of your total mass. :) Keep it up, I say!
Thank you kindly you nice, anonymous person who put a smile on my face! :) Fortunately I am that sort of person that I don't give up too easy... If I would have lost fat I probably would have gone home and celebrated with a large chocolate bar, but now, since I didn't lose any fat, I feel like I have to keep it up in order to eventually improve.
ReplyDeleteAnd sure, you are right.. u have to gain to eventually lose. It just felt so... weird when the trainer told me that my fat percentage had increased rather than decreased. I was like: 'how is that possible'.. and he was like: 'well maybe now is the time for you to get yourself a personal trainer, this month we have a special offer…. Yadi yadi'. But no, despite my moment of weakness I didn't fall for that one. If I cannot make myself lose fat successfully, no trainer can. I’ll work it out, somehow!
=)
ReplyDeleteI never do those scans, I check on my scale about once in two weeks.
but good tips!!! I will think of them this time in Shanghai
xx
I know this thread is really old, but I came across this and really felt that I had to set you straight because I have been in the same position before, and it is easy to get confused by these things. Those fat scan things are complete BS. Anything where you stand on it with your socks off, or you put your fingers on something is BS. I'm guessing you input your height and your age into the device as well? What it does is measure the electrical resistance in your body, and it uses a preset formula based on this data + your height, weight and age to "guess" at your body fat. If your BMI (ratio of weight to height) is different it is often very off. Sometimes these are good for tracking relative body fat changes but often not.
ReplyDeleteThe true way to measure body fat is through a water immersion test - but those are relatively expensive, and time consuming. But is very accurate.
The quick and accurate way - and the only REAL quick and accurate way to measure results is through skin fold measurements. Get a trainer (or do it yourself) to take calipers and measure the skin folds on your lower stomach, upper tricep, love handle area, etc...etc... If your skin folds are decreasing, you are losing fat, if they are increasing y ou are gaining fat. The trainer will put these measurements through a formula and tell you "20%" or "15%" or whatever. But the important thing is weather the number is going up or down.
The best judge is how you look in the mirror. But if you really can't tell, then put calipers on your lower abs, buttocks, and love handles, as stated before, the only quantitative way to measure.
(If i misunderstood the thread and you are using a good technique to measure fat, then my apologies if you are actually gaining fat percentage while losing weight. This is because, as someone else said, you are losing muscle faster than you are losing fat. I suggest you eat more protein, lift more weights, and do more intense sprint like cardio and less long distance slow "fat burn" cardio.)
Yeah well I have stopped feeling sad because my result wasn't so good according to the scan. I did another test one month ago and then I was back where I began, meaning: I have worked out for 3 months (about 5 days a week -combination of running long distance and lifting weight) and I have the same amount of fat as I did when I was not training at all... sounds a bit weird, doesn't it? But on the other hand, I am not so picky with my diet, I don't eat sugar and stuff but I let myself eat as much carbs as I want (pasta, bread, potatoe, rice etc...) so I guess that is why results are not showing.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, you are right -it is much better to look yourself in the mirror to see if you have a problem or not. Accoding to BMI I am where I am supposed to be (175 cm -about 63kg) so I don't see any reason to try and change myself anymore. And -I won't be taking another 'fat scan'. Thanks for your comment though, what u wrote made perfect sense. Much more sense than those machines!