Obligatory introduction post! Losing body fat

Rowanana

Hey! I'm Rowan, 22, and I'm kind of new to the whole diet-thing. I'm actually not looking to lose weight so much as I'm looking to get a better muscle/fat ratio. I mean, I'd love to drop about 10 pounds but that's it, and if I gain them back in muscle then I'm ok with that too. Also I just want to try eating healthier, and as a college student I'm not going to get a whole lot of support from my pizza-and-fast-food-guzzling fellow students. Doesn't help that I have a rep as being a baker so everyone always wants to get together and make all sorts of delicious sugary junk foods with me. I basically have a huge anti-support network rather than a support network. So yes, hi, nice to meet you all!

ANYWAY I was also wondering, right now all I have is a scale of questionable accuracy. A good body fat scale would be nice, but on a college budget I can't really afford one. So since I'm focusing more on losing body fat than just losing weight, can anyone recommend a cheaper way to get a decent idea of your body fat %?

keta6atl

hi!....great question... unfortunately the scales are overpriced and truly aren't accurate at measuring bodyfat...you can buy some inexpensive skinfold calipers....learn how to use them correctly..and only be out 10-20 dollars...
Rob

RPerry44

Hi,
I think you should be able to purchase some skin fold fat calibers like at GNC or maybe online. They should be pretty cheap. I am not sure how accurate they are, but they should give you some info and at least an idea of how you are doing. Eat low glycometric index carbs and a lot of lean protein. Remeber to not reduce your calories too much. I try to think of it as a camp fire and you have to keep that fire burning by putting fuel on it. Keep your calories up, but change to lean protein sources and low glycometric carbs and keep your bad fats as low as possible. Remember that you do need some fat, but make sure it is good fat.

littlemamajamie

Amazon.com has really cheap body fat % tools like less than $10

BrianBier

Hi Rowan -- sounds like you have the best "mental" challenge in front of you! If you can survive your college days in a healthy state while developing good habits, then you are well on your way to a life of success!

As far as body fat%...even the various scales differ in their readings! My wife found a Taylor "Biggest Loser" scale for about $50 that measures body fat, muscle, water and bmi and what I do is track my progress on a weekly basis. I'm more concerned about the progress each week rather than the actual number.

If you are looking for a cheaper way...see if your college has something you could use on a weekly basis.

Good luck!

MeliciousMelis

As a student, you ought to check with your health dept. on campus, or campus clinic. Many universities have launched healthy weight campaigns and you might be able to get a body assessment for free. If not there, check your local YMCA, or wellness center.

amandabrady

If you're a college student, I would head over to the gym all the school's athletes use. There are the regular trainers as well as students in the process of becoming athletic trainers who can assess your body fat either the old fashioned way with calipers, or they may have a body fat analyzer to use on you. Personally I think either of those options are going to get you more accurate readings than those scales. So, try to head down to the gym at a slow part of the day, put on your friendly face, and see if somebody would be willing to help you out. You could check in once or twice a month, and it would be free!

Lilrunner

What about the hand held ones at gym?