Keto Post on Progress

I have now been following a ketogenic diet, with about 95% compliance, for six weeks. The Friday before I began tapering down on my carbohydrates, June 18th, I was 129.5 lbs at the end of the day. This morning, I weight in at (a lower-than-usual) 116.5.

I began to take measurements and calculate and record my body fat percentage three weeks ago. I used what is supposed to be a very accurate online calculator: it combines a few different methods and involves a number of measurements. Each Saturday morning, I measure the following circumferences: waist, navel, hips, thigh, forearm, bicep, wrist, neck, calf, rib, and bust. The first week, I did not measure them all; when I entered everything, I had to guess on some. My calculated body fat percentage was around 21%. The next week was the same. The week after that, my estimated body fat percentage went down to 20.67%. This week, it was apparently 18.94%. I am guessing that part of the fluctuations are due to my lack of experience in taking measurements. It’s really hard to measure forearms and biceps! Still, I see evidence that I am losing body fat in other ways, namely in the fit of my clothes and how much muscle I can see in the mirror.

For one thing, my average weight has been fairly stable, but my strength is improving. The week of July 16th, my average weight was 119.5. The next week, it was 119.4. Last week, it was 117.9. Part of the dramatic fluctuation is that I have not been completely consistent with how often I weigh myself. The scale at the gym is not accurate, so I stopped using it in my at-home calculations. (I do use it to track on MyFitnessPal.)

Link to the calculator: https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator