i know my body fat percentage, now what??

mrsmojo82

I got one of those hand held body fat things. It said my body fat% is 30.5 (ughh). I am 5'5 and 1/2 and weigh 172.6 im 28 y/o

So, how much fat do I have on me? How much do I need to lose? Can someone please help??

smae1980

Ideal body fat percentages for women are between the high teens and low 20's. I have a scale that sends a low current when you step on it barefoot and tell you what your percentage of body fat and percentage for body water are. The body fat goes down as I lose weight, the water stays pretty consistant. I'd say to get to around 20 percent you'd need to get down to about 130 lbs or so, this is based on estimation only. I am 5' 4" and currently weigh 124 and am at 20 percent body fat.

reneelee

Isn't your body fat 30.5% ? Your bmi is probably around 27.

jheller

there are a lot of websites that will give you that info but for women a healthy body fat % is 25-30%. If you are 172 and only have a 30% body fat you aren't doing that badly (http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm) but you may wish to have a second opinion and stop in a local gym for a body analysis. They can also give you some professional advice on how to reduce it.

bjberry

According to the BMI tool on this site, you are at 27.9. Healthy for a person your height is 18.5 - 25.
Therefore, you might want to lose down to at least the 25 BMI, which is about 154 lbs.

Here is a web site that explains what people measure for weight assessment:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/heart/articles/2009/02/02/bmi-calculator.html#bmi.

Maybe that will help. Have fun. :drinker:

aippolito1

30% is NOT healthy. I'd like to get down to about 17%. Right now I'm at 29.3%, am 5'4" and 162 lbs.

smae1980

I agree with Arielle here and she and I are the same height and seem to have the same goal for body fat percentages. That said, I did a little research online and found that for women, 20-24 percent is considered fit while the high teens are considered atheletic, which is where I want to be when I'm finished losing weight. It depends a bit on your personal goals and where you want to be when you are done. I still say somewhere between 130 and 140 lbs is probably a practical and healthy weight for you try for.