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Body Fat

sherbear702
sherbear702 Posts: 650 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I've seen many people say it's better to measure your body fat instead of going off of your BMI. How do you measure your body fat percentage?

Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    https://www.google.com/search?q=measure+your+body+fat+percentage

    Personally i use and like Omron's handheld unit.
  • Chrisparadise579
    Chrisparadise579 Posts: 411 Member
    absolutely! BMI doesnt help at all. just order a cheap pair of body fat calipers on amazon then google a jackson polluck calculator and your good to go
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Chrisparadise579 wrote: »
    absolutely! BMI doesnt help at all. just order a cheap pair of body fat calipers on amazon then google a jackson polluck calculator and your good to go

    Calipers are highly inaccurate in the hands of someone with little experience using them.

    The Omron handheld body fat analyzer is not very accurate. You can influence the reading by 7% by drinking water or being dehydrated.

    The most accurate would be to get a Dexa scan. It's fairly unreasonable for most people to find one or pay for one. There are a few tape measure methods that aren't very accurate, but at least taking measurements will let you know if you are losing and where from. I prefer visual for a rough estimate of body fat.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    Will the Dexa scan measure internal fat around one's organs?

    That is the fat that concerns me. I am OK with the fat that I can feel just under the skin since it per most is not a health risk issue.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    Will the Dexa scan measure internal fat around one's organs?

    That is the fat that concerns me. I am OK with the fat that I can feel just under the skin since it per most is not a health risk issue.

    Yes.

    They're cheap too. I think mine was $95.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited December 2014
    I'd honestly say just go with an estimate based on comparing pictures of yourself to images online, see which range your body most resembles, and use that to help you guesstimate intake needs such as protein and fat (if you use LBM for fat intake). It doesn't really matter if you estimate yourself to be 20% BF when really you are 23%, because it's all about just getting your body fat down to a look you like. My goal is to get down to how the 16-18% range looks, and I estimate that I'm around 26% BF right now. Whether that's true or not though isn't super important, but it has helped me choose a tentative final goal weight (basing the goal weight on maintaining as much LBM as I can). For all I know though, maybe I'll only need to get down to 150. Or maybe I'll need to get down to 140, or 135.... I have no idea yet, but that doesn't really change the process. I'll diet down until I like how I look.

    I have thought of getting calipers in the past but now I don't really care too much about knowing my actual BF%.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Bod Pod is also an option, not as accurate as a DEXA scan, but it's still very good, and usually around $50
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
    Go to a personal trainer who has calipers and get your body fat measured, cheaper than a dexa scan and they know what they are doing. I go every 8 weeks.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    HealthyVitamins wrote: »
    Go to a personal trainer who has calipers and get your body fat measured, cheaper than a dexa scan and they know what they are doing. I go every 8 weeks.

    Varies greatly from trainer to trainer.
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
    AJ_G wrote: »
    HealthyVitamins wrote: »
    Go to a personal trainer who has calipers and get your body fat measured, cheaper than a dexa scan and they know what they are doing. I go every 8 weeks.

    Varies greatly from trainer to trainer.

    Yes, of course, apologies for not mentioning that.

  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    Will the Dexa scan measure internal fat around one's organs?

    That is the fat that concerns me. I am OK with the fat that I can feel just under the skin since it per most is not a health risk issue.

    Yes.

    They're cheap too. I think mine was $95.

    Thanks. I found this that talked about all methods that was interesting to me. Dexa Scan seems to be the gold standard. While they are used to check bone density it said it is best to find one set up geared to show body mass.

    breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/the-scale-lies-why-the-dexa-scan-is-best
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Using calipers isn't rocket science. Practice a little and a person can be relatively consistent. Use the measurements as a trend, don't worry as much about the absolute number.
This discussion has been closed.

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