Body Fat Percentage

Amber012014

I calculated my body fat, based on a website that asked for about 7 different measurements, plus weight, height, etc. Not sure how accurate they are, but I would think it's close, but it was depressing. I am only 122 pounds. I lost about 35 pounds on here, went off and put a few back on, then came back and have mostly lost it all again. (about 2 pounds left) Female, 31, 5 foot 4. My body fat percentage, according to a website was 28.31%. Does this seem accurate?

gothchiq

At 5 4 and 122 lb? hell no, that's way off. I would say 25% at the outside most.

gothchiq

assuming you get any kind of regular exercise at all, that is

DeguelloTex

Why is 28.31% depressing? That's not an unreasonable range for a woman.

Sarasmaintaining

Your bf% is in the 'acceptable' range for woman
http://www.webmd.com/diet/body-fat-measurement?page=2

DeguelloTex

GetThatRunnersHigh

25-32% is perfect acceptable for the average woman. Web calculators are far from accurate, I'd recommend a DEXA scan if you have the funds and are really itching to know.

jim180155

I tried monitoring my body fat using several different methods. I started with a bioimpedance scale that seemed pretty consistent up until the last few months. I added tape measurements, then finally body fat calipers. Of the three methods, the bioimpedance scale gives me the leanest results at around 6% to 8%. Tape measurements were in the middle at 10% to 12% as of a couple months ago. The body fat calipers gave the highest results at around 12% to 14%, depending on whether I used a 3-point measurement (12%) or 1-point measurement (14%). I finally settled on the last method, since 14% was the most believable.

You can buy a set of fat calipers on Amazon for $6 or $7. They come with a chart matrix that accounts for age brackets and 2 mm measurement increments, but you can fine tune the results using an online calculator that uses your exact age and actual readings within a tenth of a mm. The single point method is a suprailiac measurement:
timinvermont.com/fitness/bodyfat.htm

Amber012014

Thank you. That helps. Yes, I do work out, usually 2 or 3 times a week. I am trying to pull some more off, but mostly trying to tone up. Not as concerned about weight so much at this point. Thank you for the input, everyone.

sixxpoint

A water displacement test is pretty darn accurate. Calipers, websites, and scales however are wildly inaccurate for body fat measurement.

If you post a picture of your body, you will get better estimations just by knowledgable people telling you your range.