HELP..............Gaining body fat but losing weight

[Tracey ( eyore)]

Hi Guys
I have read so many of your posts and found this site really helpful over last few weeks, now its my turn to ask for help!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok i am on my pre-op diet already, although op not till 20th july, my surgeon Torstens Olbers at Charring cross has advised it would be best to start now the low carb, low fat and high in protein diet, to reduce the glycogen stores in my liver.
and so far i am doing great losing 18lbs in 3 weeks ..........yes i am chuffed but i go to boots to weight every friday morning, and i do the whole hog , weight, height, bmi and body fat.

I am getting worried as the body fat reading is going up even though the weight is dropping off ......................Anyone one any clues as to why ??????????:
This is worrying me ???
Would appreciate any fed back xxxx

 

[galm37]

I have some WW scales that measure body fat/water/BMI etc and here's part of the instructions that help explain that whilst we loose weight the % of body fat remaining may not change etc. Hope it helps x

Weight And Body Fat​

How does it work?
While body fat can be measured in many ways, the method used in your scale is
bioelectrical impedance. This indirect method of determining body fat starts when a
safe and very low electrical current is sent through the lower half of the body. The
electrical current flows more quickly through water and muscle than it will through
bone and fat. The scale measures the speed of the current. Based on this number,
the scale estimates body fat using a multi-step, mathematical formula.
Is it accurate?
Measurements of body fat tend to fluctuate a lot more than simple weighing, and
different methods of estimating body fat yield very different results. Just as different
scales give different results, different body fat analyzers can provide very different
body fat estimates. Even with the same scale the numbers will vary because:
• Weight loss tends to produce substantial, continuous, and unpredictable changes
in body water content. Because body fat analysis is determined by water content
in the body, results can vary considerably from day to day.
• Hydration status affects body fat results. If you’ve just worked out, there is less
water for the electrical current to flow through. This may result in a higher body
fat result. In the same way, if you measure your body fat after drinking a lot of
fluid, it may appear that body fat is lower than it really is.
• Skin temperature can have an influence also. Measuring body fat in warm humid
weather when skin is moist will yield a different result than if skin is cold and dry.
• As with weight, it is better to track trends over time than to use individual daily
results, when your goal is to change body composition.
• Results may not be accurate for persons under the age of 16, or persons with an​

elevated body temperature, diabetes or other health conditions.

What you need to know!​

• Percent body fat refers to the number of pounds of fat divided by your total body
weight and multiplied by 100.
• During weight loss, percent body fat doesn’t appear to be reduced as quickly as
expected because total weight loss and total body fat are decreasing at the same
time (for a more detailed explanation, see next section).
• Weight loss in the form of body fat and lean tissue (muscle) is common, and is normal.
• To minimize the loss of lean tissue, include regular physical activity, especially
strength training, in your weight loss plan.
Why do I lose weight but my body fat doesn’t change much?​

• Remember that your Weight Watchers body fat monitor is showing your body fat

Why do I lose weight but my body fat doesn’t change much?​

• Remember that your Weight Watchers body fat monitor is showing your body fat
as a percentage, not as an absolute number of pounds. At the beginning of
a weight loss program, a person may weigh 200 lbs and show 30% body fat,
equaling 60 lbs of fat (30% of 200 lbs = 60 lbs). A few weeks later, the same
person may have lost a substantial amount of weight. Weight is now at 180 lbs,
yet body fat is still at 30%. Why? Did that person not lose any fat? Yes, they did.
At 180 lbs with 30% body fat, the person now has 54 lbs of body fat (30% of
180 lbs = 54 lbs), meaning that 6 lbs of the total 20 lbs lost were fat. So, do not
be overly concerned if your body fat % does not change despite the fact that you
are losing weight. Remember, to minimize the loss of lean tissue include regular​

physical activity, especially strength training, in your weight loss plan.

 

[Tracey ( eyore)]

awwwwwww thank you hun thats very good of you to copy that out for me ..................i feel alot better now xxx

 

[galm37]

Glad to help, I lost the paper inst that came with my scales so I had to download a version, so it was no trouble at all.

 

[Twiggie]

It sounds as though you're losing muscle mass which would explain why your body fat % is rising. One of the reasons this will occur is if you're not eating sufficient protein, so you need to increase your protein intake.

 

[Tracey ( eyore)]

i am eating all the protein they are allowing me ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i will speak to the hospital thank you twiggie ................

 

[Twiggie]

i am eating all the protein they are allowing me ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i will speak to the hospital thank you twiggie ................

Ooops sorry, hadn't spotted that you're on the pre-op diet already. Good idea about talking to your team, especially as you're going to be on it for some time yet.

 

[Tracey ( eyore)]

well just spoke to hossy she said shes more worried about the scales going down so thats all good then thanks anyway guys .................i am still a little worried but if they say its ok then who am i to argue lol
Only another 5 -6 weeks on this .................then it will be op and liquids i am sure i will be asking asking many more questions along the way x

 

[Twiggie]

I've just been chatting with a friend of mine who's a GP and his opinion is those biometric scales are not very reliable. He said he only way to accurately measure body fat is by using calipers.

 

[angie790]

Hi Tracey,

Not that I'm an expert, but I agree with Twiggie in that those scales aren't actually very accurate (in the % body fat sense).

The whole point of the pre-op is of course, to lose some weight, but just as importantly, is to shrink your liver to make the op easier. As you quite rightly say, this is achieved by reducing the glycogen stores in your liver: every one molecule of glycogen is actually stored with FOUR molecules of water, so in the early days of any diet, as we all know, a vast majority of the 'weight' that comes off is actually water.

However, you have been following a low fat/low carb diet, so essentially sending your body into ketosis. For the body to maintain a steady blood glucose level, the body instead uses fat stores as energy because on your low carb diet, you have depleted your glycogen stores in your liver (which would normally be used to maintain blood glucose levels)....so I don't care what those scales say...at this stage, I promise you have definitely lost fat too!!!!

Try not to worry, they are obviously happy with your progress at the hospital, you have done brilliantly so far, so try not to obssess at this early stage, well done & keep up the great work!

You may be interested to know I came across a 2009 study the other day that looked at the benefits of a 5 - 10% (or more) weight loss prior to gastric bypass surgery, compared to a control group that didn't undergo any type of pre-op diet. The group that lost pre-op weight at 1 year had a lower weight, had lost more excess weight and thus had a lower BMI compared to those that didn't lose weight pre-op...so you are doing yourself great favours for being such a good girl! xxx

 

[Tracey ( eyore)]

thanks girls xx