Low BMI - High BF %?

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kitkatninaa1
kitkatninaa1 Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone, this is actually my first time posting on the forums. I'm somewhat at a standstill right now as I just did a weigh-in with my co-workers this morning, and all looked good till I looked at my Body Fat %.

I lost about 3.2 lbs since our last weigh-in (February 10th, 2014). I am now 147.8 lbs. compared to 152.8 (153 rounded up let's say). The scale that we have measures body fat, BMI, V-Fat, and muscle. My BMI is 26.2% and my Body Fat is 42.5% which is really high for my age. And I don't even look as big as other pictures say. Technically, I'm considered "obese" and that's making me self-conscious because I don't even look obese.

I strength train, do 15 minutes of brisk walking/cardio on the treadmill at a 2.5 incline & 3.2-3.5 walking speed, and today I think I'm going to start doing the Focus T25 workout routine. I also drink green smoothies on the daily, as well as eat a well-balanced meal. Any tips on how to reduce my body fat %? Because it just doesn't sound right. Unless I'm reading it wrong. Anyone's help is appreciated, thanks!

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  • Samby_v1
    Samby_v1 Posts: 202 Member
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    How tall are you? With a BMI of 26.2 that just tips you into the 'overweight' category. The 'normal' category is 18.5-25. What was your body fat % last time you weighed in?
  • loubidy
    loubidy Posts: 440 Member
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    Reduce BFP by weight training to build muscle. You must be eating enough though.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    The scale that we have measures body fat, BMI, V-Fat, and muscle. My BMI is 26.2% and my Body Fat is 42.5% which is really high for my age.


    Scales that "measure" the above are, typically, horrendously inaccurate. My scale at home supposedly measures bodyfat and hydration, but I'll guarantee that the BF% reading is about 30% too high. The BMI is accurate, provided you entered your height correctly. But the rest? I wouldn't trust those numbers at all. You'd be better off (although not necessarily accurate, either) by taking measurements and inputting those numbers into a variety of calculators. Get rid of any extreme outliers and average the results.


    eta: By 30% too high, I mean in relation to what my BF% actually is. My scale tells me about 29%, but I'm most likely right around 20% currently.
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
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    Those types of scale are not very accurate, so take that reading with a pinch of salt.

    147 lbs with 42% body fat would mean you have 62 lb of fat, and a lean body mass of about 86 lb. Unless you are very short, that doesn't sound quite right. (Mean LBM for a 5'6" woman is about 104 lb).

    Regardless, to lose weight, you need to eat at a deficit. Without strength training, some of that weight will be fat, and some LBM (muscle). To minimize the amount of muscle lost, keep up the strength training and make sure you are eating enough protein (~0.8 g/lb body weight).
  • kitkatninaa1
    kitkatninaa1 Posts: 5
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    Thanks for your replies, everyone! I understand that my BMI puts me in the "overweight" category. My co-worker is the same way, so of course we're working on lowering our BMI. And I'm not too sure on how much my BF% was the last time I weighed-in. I unfortunately forgot to jot down those numbers.

    I do strength train on a regular basis, about 4-5 times a week. In fact, I'm heading to the gym again today to strength train my Chest, Shoulder, and Abdominal muscles. I typically eat enough as well, for example, this morning I had a green smoothie (1 leaf of kale, handful of spinach, 10 grapes, 4 strawberries, and 1 whole banana) with a little granola bar on the side. For lunch we're all having Chipotle here and I ordered a burrito bowl (chicken, black beans, brown rice, medium salsa, cheese, and lettuce). Since I'm eating so heavily for lunch, I'll be eating a little lighter for dinner before my workout in the evening. Typically I go around 7pm.

    I also had another question. I used to be feeling really sore after my strength-training days. That's diminished to only feeling slightly sore but not to the point of it hurting. I did my lats, arms, and cardio yesterday but today I am only feeling mildly sore. Does this mean I should be fluctuating and rotating my workout routines in order for my body to not get used to the same typical movement everytime I'm at the gym? I hate to be at a plateau with how much progress I've made since last year.
  • bluetuesday5
    bluetuesday5 Posts: 99 Member
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    No, it just means you are used to working out and don't get sore so easily. Don't change your program, except by adding more reps or weight if you can with good form.
  • loubidy
    loubidy Posts: 440 Member
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    I actually had this discussion today with my trainer. He told me people misinterpret no pain as needing to go heavier and not to judge by that as if you get too sore you won't be able to work out as well for days after therefore working at a lower level and getting used to the movements and being capable of working out at a high level again the next day will be more effective.
  • kitkatninaa1
    kitkatninaa1 Posts: 5
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    Alright. Great replies! Thanks! I'll make note of that when I go to the gym this evening. I guess I just need to add weight to my sets now.

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