Military bf calculator wrong?

lilawolf

In 8 weeks, interspersed with vacations and missed workouts, I've lost about half an inch from my waist, hips, and thighs, but GAINED .7lbs. The military body fat calculator said that I went from 27.3%bf to 26.3. If that's true, then I lost 1.3 lbs of fat, and gained 2lbs of muscle. Not bad! Right on track actually. By the way this was after my first month of SL, but I didn't take measurements before I started I thought I had recent ones already, but then realized that they were from when I was 160lbs a couple of months back.

I don't think that the bf calculation is correct though. Do you think my "151" pics (in my profile) look like 27.3%bf? (I don't have current pics at "26.3") Answer honestly please! A number is just a number and your answer won't make me feel bad, it just helps me to set goals. Anybody else have this calculator be way off compared to a better method of measurement? I think that it may be off for me because I am very curvy and have a nice bum and wide hips. Thanks!

jstout365

Remember that all BF% calculators that take into account measurements are just estimates at best. While I do think you are moving in the direction you want, remember that anything that is not fat is considered Lean Body Mass so the 2 lbs LBM gain could include some muscle and other fluids like glycogen and other water weight. You may want to check out a few different calculators and take the average of them. http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ -- that website has a few different ones if you are not using them already.

I think the 27% probably isn't far off for the 151 photo. The Eat, Train, Progress group has a thread for body fat estimations that is based on pictures you post. They are really good and can give you a better estimate than I ever could. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/826435-bodyfat-estimation-thread

amyaroja

Does this help? Pics of different body fats... http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/

bumblebums

You might be gaining or losing inches in places that the military bf calc doesn't take into account.

All body fat measurements are imprecise, short of an autopsy (and even that might not get at your intramuscular fat).

xidia

eh, I lost boobs & thighs recently which military bf doesn't measure and therefore my "tracked bf" didn't change. So I take it as a rough estimate and concentrate in whether it and my measurements are going down.