Setting your baseline for Body Fat Percentage

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Setting your baseline for Body Fat Percentage

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How to start monitoring your body composition

There are four simple stages to remember when you start to use your Tanita Monitor:

Stage 2 - Setting your baseline for Body Fat Percentage
In order to make sense of your readings, you need to establish a baseline or reference point before you set your goals. It will help you measure your progress realistically over time.

Record your weight and body fat readings every day for a week (a month for women), taking the readings at the same time each day. Use the calculation below to determine your baseline average:

Add up your total weight and body fat readings, then divide by the total number of days you've measured.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Total
Time 1900H 1930H 2000H 1945H 2010H 2020H 1940H N/A
Weight(lb) 125 126 128 123 124 124 124 875
Body Fat % 26 27 27 26 25 25 26 182

(this baseline calculation applies to Body Fat % only)


(Total Weight)875 / 7 = 125lbs(Baseline Average Weight)

(Total Body Fat)182 / 7 = 26%(Baseline Average Body Fat)

You should also make a note of any information that is relevant to your personal lifestyle such as exercise programs, stress, alcohol consumption, menstruation, etc. These will also help you to understand the changes occurring to your body.

Back: Stage 1 - When to take a reading Next: Stage 3 - Checking your results