In order to convert the body fat percent you get from your Omron handheld body fat monitor into actual pounds of fat, you just use this simple equation. Your current weight x bf% = pounds of fat. Here’s an example of what this looks like: you are 170 pounds and your monitor says you are 32% bodyfat. You would multiply 170 x .32 = 54.4 pounds of fat. See how easy that was? So if you just always put a decimal at the beginning of the bf% number, you can’t fail. ;0

Now let’s talk about the conditions under which you use the body fat monitor. It’s a good idea to keep things as much the same as possible when you use it. Time of day, type of floor you’re standing on, having used the restroom or not, not after a shower, clothes or no clothes, etc.

For me I do my immediately upon waking after peeing and standing on the scale. If I walk around for 10 minutes and then come back and use the monitor, the number I get will be different and the consistency won’t be there as much. So to get the most consistent reliable results, keep things as much the same as possible. You don’t have to be a slave to that of course- for instance, the one variable for me that I’m not really willing to forego is that I get up at different times every day, especially on weekends. I don’t sweat it.

When you use it, you will hold your arms out perfectly straight, not bent, at a 90 degree angle to your body. Hold it as still as you can until the monitor has come up with a number. I find that my pressing my shoulders down it’s easier to keep your arms straight out in front of you.

And just do it once. I’ve been guilty of trying it over a few times in a row, and yes I do get different numbers. I almost think the places you hold it with your hands causes a different result because it’s possibly warmer from your hands or conducting differently after being held for a minute. I know this sounds bad and unreliable, but I’m telling you guys, I’ve been using the Omron on a daily basis for like a year and it has been very consistent when I use it the way I described. Overall I find it to be a very useful tool so I don’t panic when I see my weight go up from say, water retention after attending crossfit or what not.

Don’t be concerned about small variances. What you want to use it for is long term percentage changes- on Human Chorionic Gonadotropin you want to see the percentage going down overall. Don’t worry about some days it “increasing” a little or what not. Just look at it over a period of a week and then two weeks etc.

I hope this helps. I have found this to be the most useful tool honestly since my second round of HCG Injections. I have been able to tell about how of my weight loss was fat and it has matched up pretty closely with my hydrostatic body fat tests.

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