Ideal Body Fat?

clairrob
clairrob Posts: 38 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
We’re all here to lose weight, fat mostly!
I’m a 5’7 female and have set a goal weight of 135-140lbs depending on how my body looks closer to my goal. I’m currently 166lbs at 37% body fat, I’m prioritising protein in my diet and I’m weight training 5 times a week to ensure the most of the weight I do lose isn’t muscle mass.

What should be my goal body fat %? Or at least an ideal range. I don’t want abs or anything I would just like to be slim and not skinny-fat. My overall goal weight is the middle of the ideal BMI range.

I use the body fat scales at my doctors office, nothing too fancy or super accurate. Us Brits don’t have DEXA scans unless we have been referred by a doctor for osteo health so it’s unfortunately not an option.

Replies

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,221 Member
    edited February 2023
    BF % in many ways is a useless number because people hold fat differently and also because it’s very hard to pinpoint what your % actually is, as lean mass isn’t just muscle, but bones, water, etc.

    The best gauge of your goal BF% is the mirror and how you feel at a certain weight. Lower isn’t always better and in most cases too low is even dangerous and at best, not maintainable.

    It sounds like you’re doing everything right.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Only you (and perhaps your doctor) can answer that. These may be helpful:

    body-fat-percentage-women.jpg

    Female-Bodyfat-Comparison-WEB-1.jpg
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    I think you'll be happy at 135-140, more so if you continue your weights program. I'm also 5'7" and 140(ish)

    I agree that body fat measurements are pretty meaningless - and there's not really a free and easy way to measure it. If you're using some scale to measure it...it's not going to be accurate and it really isn't necessary to know. You'll know how you feel and look when you get to that body weight.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    edited February 2023
    I'm the same height and my goal weight is about the same. I got down to about 152 before my most recent pregnancy and I was astonished at how, well, hot my figure was at that weight. I still had a little bit of mummy tummy and a bit of loose skin but I was lifting regularly, running a lot, and I looked really good, to be quite honest. And I felt really good! We'll see what happens this time, but just based on my frame and my preferred exercise I might decide to stop around 140. I think I might very well look too thin under that (my lowest adult weight was high 120s and I had people asking me if I was sick. :grimace: Looking back at pictures of myself then I agree I didn't look as well as I did just a little heavier.)

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