Help with Body Fat Measuring with Calipers

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PinkPixiexox
PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello lovelies :]

I've recently started tracking my progress through body fat percentage as opposed to the scale. I'm at a point where I am focusing on recomping and very slowly transitioning to maintenance but I still want to be able to 'track' my achievements. I've been measuring myself monthly and I am really pleased with my results there - although that has slowed significantly too. I am a UK Size 8 which at one point was merely a dream! Of course, I still 'keep an eye' on the scale but upon the recommendation from my trainer, I purchased some calipers.

There are so many conflicting 'methods' to measuring and there are so many 'calculators' to input the measurements. I've read many guides advising me how to take my measurements and work out my percentage - yet I absolutely fail to believe the result I got last night.

According to many of the calculators that I input my caliper measurements into, my body fat percentage is around 15.5% now. I did an entirely different method a month ago and the result was 21% body fat. Now, I understand that this is NOT going to be accurate anyway - a rough idea is all I'm looking for. I know for a fact that 15% is totally not my number - the mirror does not lie in that sense!

But I was wondering if anyone could lay out in layman terms exactly how I calculate my BF percentage with the calipers? There is quite a difference between 15% BF and 21% - so would quite like to roughly find out.

Thanks guys :)
Sorry if this doesn't belong under this category.


Replies

  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
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    The calipers are very hit and miss.
    Firstly are you doing the measurements yourself or is someone helping with that?
    Have you been standing or sitting in different positions, because that will totally change what you get. Also grabbing too much skin or not enough skin will change your results.
    I'd recommend that you ask a trainer at your gym if they can do the callipers for you and stick with the same person each time.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    It's pretty inaccurate to do them on yourself. The caliper measurements tend to put women on the men's scale, so the number isn't accurate either. Use the readings as a measure of body fat. If you lose a millimeter at the tricep or subscapular or midaxilary you know you're losing fat. Don't worry about calculating a percentage, you just want to see the readings go down.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Doing them on yourself would be pointless in my opinion. It's just a number so don't worry about it.

    It's honestly just as accurate to just look at pictures and compare yourself. That only takes 5 seconds and will be just as accurate as calipers on yourself in my opinion.

    Here is a chart for women. Based on your profile pic (can't see much though so it's a wag) I would put you in the 22-25% range based on the photo of you at 124lbs I think it was.

    body-fat-percentage-women.jpg
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    Thanks for your input every one :]

    My boyfriend helped me with the measurements - but not sure he knows what he's doing with the calipers even, despite having an EXTREMELY low BF% himself. He looks incredible! He also said to 'just use a mirror!', so will definitely take that advice.

    Since that last progress photo I've posted, I've lost a few pounds and look slightly different. Slightly. I'd completely agree with me being around 22-25 based on the images above ^^

    Probably putting too much emphasis on a measurement that isn't going to be particular accurate!
    I'll stick to what I see in future. Thanks guys :)

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