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Unfortunately when it comes to weight, body composition and your health, the scales don't tell you the whole picture. In actual fact your weight is less important than your percentage of body fat when it comes to appearance, fitness, and health. This is where body fat monitors can help. Tracking your percentage of body fat with body fat monitors better shows how you are doing with diet and exercise than measuring weight on its own.

To measure your body fat percentage at home in DIY fashion, you can use one of the bioelectrical impedance devices for a measurement that is about as consistent and accurate as hydrostatic weighing, and as easy to use as your bathroom scale - in fact many models do come integrated in bathroom scales these days. Alternatively you can learn to use body fat calipers, which can be trickier to get a consistent reading but are favored by those who like to see their pound of flesh, so to speak.

Using this method, a device sends a tiny electrical charge through your hands or feet and uses the data to determine how much of you is fat and how much of you is water, with muscles and lean tissues being mostly water. To do the calculation, the unit needs to know your gender, age, and weight. These units should not be used by anybody with a pacemaker, but tend to be safe enough for most others to use.

When buying body fat monitors like this, you should opt for those that have memory features so you don't have to put in your basic data each time. In addition if others or using it too, then a multiple storage facility is ideal. If you are an athlete of low body fat/high muscle mass you should get a unit with an athlete setting to get more accurate measurement. If you have a child to measure, buy a unit with a child setting. A unit that acts as a scale is also convenient as it is something you can do in the bathroom.

To get an accurate reading with these monitors you must not be dehydrated. This means you should not do the test first thing in the morning or immediately after a workout or after consuming alcohol. It is best to use it three hours after a meal and after voiding your bladder. Naturally, it is best to weigh yourself without clothes.