What is A Body Fat Monitor?
Body Fat Monitors work by using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis to help compute results. They send a safe, low electrical signal through your body. This signal passes easily through the fluids in the lean tissue in your body, like blood and muscle, but has to fight its way through fat tissue. Body Fat Monitors measure this resistance and use it, together with you height, weight, gender and body type, to work out the an accurate ratio.
There are numerous types of body fat monitor on the market, but one I would like to recommend Innerscan, which is available worldwide. It is an exclusive by Tanita, which uses a technology called, “Advanced Dual Frequency” Backed by research, these monitors use two differing types of electrical frequencies, so give a more in-depth reading, regarding physique, metabolic rate, muscle mass and the level of abdominal fat.
When using any body fat monitor, it is important to keep to the same time each day. This is because your body’s hydration affects the reading, and this fluctuates throughout the day. The best time to measure body fat is just before your evening meal, as hydration levels are reasonably stable at this time of day.
Never use your body fat monitor first thing the morning, because you are likely to be dehydrated at this time. Additionally you start the day with most of your fluid stored around your stomach, but as the day progresses, it distributes around your limbs, giving a more precise reading.
There are other body dynamics that you will have to consider, when using a body fat monitor, including menstruation, medications and medical conditions, caffeine, alcohol, temperature, bathing patterns and the amount of exercise you may have taken. These all can affect how accurate your reading is, because they affect your body’s hydration level. This is why it is imperative for you to take you readings under the same conditions and at the same time each day.
Before you start you need to set a baseline, a reference point, to realistically measure your progress. To do this, record your body fat readings daily for a month, and calculate your baseline average. You should also note any information particularly relevant to your personal lifestyle, such as alcohol consumption, exercise programs and stress, so that you comprehend the changes in your body.
