The scale can lie, especially in the beginning, especially if you're doing a "drastic" diet. I don't think it lies in the way the poster says it does, though.
During my first week - back when I was following "strict Atkins" - I lost almost 12 pounds. TWELVE POUNDS. That's Biggest Loser epic right there. It was all retained water. My belly was flatter, but not because I lost fat. I no longer had the "gluten/sugar" bloat I'd been building up post-gallbladderectomy. I lost inches, too (about 5 of them, mostly around the middle regions) and, had someone not skilled with calipers done my test, I'm sure my BF% would have gone down, too.
I agree with JayEll. Something was probably jinky with one of the BF tests. Of course, the writer's mileage may vary. She could have been a prime candidate for a body overhaul. Whatever she was eating might have been inducing her body to hold on to fat like gangbusters and removing that food just let the fat flow (out) freely.
Still, I'm not sure this is the best motivation for new dieters who don't see a reflection of change on the scale. The scale keeps us accountable and gives us really good clues as to what works and what doesn't. Along with mild food journaling, I've identified foods that cause water retention and/or slow weight loss, and which ones don't. I know I can safely have a piece of ludicrously dark chocolate (99% - that's bitter!) and a 2 ounce glass of dark red wine nightly without interrupting the fat loss. I also know I can't eat potatoes without the scale stubbornly sitting still.
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