READ THIS! Am I Fat? Why Body Fat Percentage Is More Impor

Options
24

Replies

  • liveinbliss
    liveinbliss Posts: 108 Member
    Options
    Awesome post! I've been working with a trainer to reduce my bodyfat by 11% and I DON'T have a weight loss goal. It's been hard to adjust my mindset to this approach rather then the overly restrictive, have to see movement on the scale mindset! I've been at this for several weeks now and have been eating better (meaning more) and working out regularly and I have managed to drop .5% body fat. It's slow, slow, slow but I know it will all be worth it in the long run. Thanks for posting...it was encouraging to me that I am doing things the right way (this time) on a day when I was feeling a little discouraged!
  • damcool
    damcool Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    Great post! Thanks for sharing.
  • mapplem2
    mapplem2 Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    Agreed, awesome article! Definitely something to think about... but again how does one go about calculating their body fat?
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Options
    Agreed, awesome article! Definitely something to think about... but again how does one go about calculating their body fat?

    If you belong to a gym they can do it there for you or you can buy fat callipers online (try Amazone) Basically they look like fat pinchers. You pinch the fat on your arms, thighs, belly button area etc....And I believe you can find calculators online to put those numbers into and that will tell you your body fat percentage.
  • elg1982
    elg1982 Posts: 167 Member
    Options
    I'm ordering one of these, because my goal is going to be to get in the healthy Body Fat percentage range, not BMI.

    http://www.omronhealthcare.com/products/line/body-fat-monitors/
  • greeneyed84
    greeneyed84 Posts: 427 Member
    Options
    I'm ordering one of these, because my goal is going to be to get in the healthy Body Fat percentage range, not BMI.

    http://www.omronhealthcare.com/products/line/body-fat-monitors/


    They have that one for 26.99$ on amazon!
  • AussieLaurelle
    AussieLaurelle Posts: 38 Member
    Options
    Great post !

    I wonder if they can have tickers that are "fat % lost" not "total weight lost"
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Options
    How in the world do I acurately figure my body fat percentage?
    1. A body fat analyzer (BIA) that is in a scale or handheld can be found almost anywhere for a pretty reasonable price.
    2. Having a trained person using calipers can be better. They have calipers you can do yourself, but the results are unreliable.
    3. They have ways where you weigh yourself in a tank, but these are typically expensive and unaccessible.
    4. The best way is a DEXA scan, but this is also unattainable.

    If you are a member at a gym, have someone do the calipers on you. If you're not, buy a body fat analyzer (BIA). Just realize that it fluctuates depending on your hydration levels and it is an approximation at best.

    In reality, when you are doing "measurements", you are analyzing your body fat for the most part.

    First let me tell you thank you for posting this great article.

    I was a member of Curves for almost a year and I had my weight, measurements, and body fat analized every 4 to 6 weeks. According with the Body Fat Analizer that they used, my body fat was 33.2% (at 104 lbs!!), but when I entered my measurements on an on-line formula, my body fat was 20%. Who was right?

    What I am saying is that unless you get dipped in a tank and/or your body fat is measured by more reliable methods, is very hard for the average person to know the correct %. Some scales also measure body fat, but that is in relation to the registered weight, so I doubt it that is very accuarate either.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Options
    How in the world do I acurately figure my body fat percentage?
    1. A body fat analyzer (BIA) that is in a scale or handheld can be found almost anywhere for a pretty reasonable price.
    2. Having a trained person using calipers can be better. They have calipers you can do yourself, but the results are unreliable.
    3. They have ways where you weigh yourself in a tank, but these are typically expensive and unaccessible.
    4. The best way is a DEXA scan, but this is also unattainable.

    If you are a member at a gym, have someone do the calipers on you. If you're not, buy a body fat analyzer (BIA). Just realize that it fluctuates depending on your hydration levels and it is an approximation at best.

    In reality, when you are doing "measurements", you are analyzing your body fat for the most part.

    First let me tell you thank you for posting this great article.

    I was a member of Curves for almost a year and I had my weight, measurements, and body fat analized every 4 to 6 weeks. According with the Body Fat Analizer that they used, my body fat was 33.2% (at 104 lbs!!), but when I entered my measurements on an on-line formula, my body fat was 20%. Who was right?

    What I am saying is that unless you get dipped in a tank and/or your body fat is measured by more reliable methods, is very hard for the average person to know the correct %. Some scales also measure body fat, but that is in relation to the registered weight, so I doubt it that is very accuarate either.

    The body fat analyzer is going to be more accurate than a BMI calculator. Its going to give every girl that is 5'2 139lbs the SAME BMI when this has nothing to with their actual body fat percentage, a woman at 139lbs and a body fat percentage of 16 is going to look much different than one with a body fat percentage of 30+
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Options
    How in the world do I acurately figure my body fat percentage?
    1. A body fat analyzer (BIA) that is in a scale or handheld can be found almost anywhere for a pretty reasonable price.
    2. Having a trained person using calipers can be better. They have calipers you can do yourself, but the results are unreliable.
    3. They have ways where you weigh yourself in a tank, but these are typically expensive and unaccessible.
    4. The best way is a DEXA scan, but this is also unattainable.

    If you are a member at a gym, have someone do the calipers on you. If you're not, buy a body fat analyzer (BIA). Just realize that it fluctuates depending on your hydration levels and it is an approximation at best.

    In reality, when you are doing "measurements", you are analyzing your body fat for the most part.

    First let me tell you thank you for posting this great article.

    I was a member of Curves for almost a year and I had my weight, measurements, and body fat analized every 4 to 6 weeks. According with the Body Fat Analizer that they used, my body fat was 33.2% (at 104 lbs!!), but when I entered my measurements on an on-line formula, my body fat was 20%. Who was right?

    What I am saying is that unless you get dipped in a tank and/or your body fat is measured by more reliable methods, is very hard for the average person to know the correct %. Some scales also measure body fat, but that is in relation to the registered weight, so I doubt it that is very accuarate either.

    The body fat analyzer is going to be more accurate than a BMI calculator. Its going to give every girl that is 5'2 139lbs the SAME BMI when this has nothing to with their actual body fat percentage, a woman at 139lbs and a body fat percentage of 16 is going to look much different than one with a body fat percentage of 30+

    Yes, I know and I understand your point, but I was not talking about the BMI (Body Mass Index), I was actually referring to body fat%, which you can also get on on-line formulas. Again, I don't know how reliable these formulas are. They ask for weights, age, and different body measurements (neck, wrist, waist, hips, etc..).

    The body fat analizer used at Curves is also hand held and the coach enters measurements, weight, height and age. I think that if your measurements are not taken correctly, then the final body fat % is really going to be off.
  • yummy♥
    yummy♥ Posts: 612 Member
    Options
    thank you for this post!!!

    over the last 2 weeks i have been reassessing my "weight" goal. the crystal clear visuals you posted (of the lovely fitness ladies, not poor nicole) really clicked for me. i realize that my goal weight will not support the "shape" i would like to have. i will be adding pounds back to my target weight and also adjusting my macro nutrients so that i can get closer to the physique i want, not just a number.
  • Coyla
    Coyla Posts: 444 Member
    Options
    I bought a Curves scale that was supposed to analyze body fat. It originally analyzed my body fat at 40%. This was depressing for me, because I had been exercising a lot up to that point.

    Still, it got me focusing on strength-training, so I added 3 days of intense strength-training to my exercise regime. After months of working my butt off, plus a calorie-restricted diet high in protein and low in carbs, my body fat on the Curves scale jumped up to 41%.

    Eventually, I stopped using it, because it seemed to calculate body fat according to my height and weight (it listed this in the fine print). Now it errors out almost 60% of the time, and gives me the same reading I got from 2 years ago, before I started my weekly exercise rotation of 3 days cardio, 3 days strength.

    As a result, I'm skeptical of affordable body fat calculators.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Options
    I agree with you, and I wish we all had a better, accurate, and more accesible way to measure our body fat without enrolling in a gym.
  • mericksmom
    mericksmom Posts: 222 Member
    Options
    great post. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS
  • jmathews
    jmathews Posts: 196
    Options
    Great post! I could have been you poster child for it...I'm 5'4" weigh 130# but my body fat % is 18 and I wear a size 2/4.
    MFP friends, look out for free health screenings in your area...that's where I got my body fat % checked among other wonderful things.
  • dmisom79
    dmisom79 Posts: 112
    Options
    Love the article! It took me a good while to change my thinking to what you described! Here's my question, though. How in the world do I acurately figure my body fat percentage?

    http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/body-fat-percentage-calculator.php
    try the above link
  • queen3510
    queen3510 Posts: 180
    Options
    Thanks for the article. Good stuff
  • mcrow
    mcrow Posts: 2
    Options
    Yup, weight isn't always the best measurement of fitness. However, if you are obese and not losing weight chances are something is wrong. The simple fact is that it take quite a bit of time to build muscle, so you are not likely gaining enough muscle weight to offset a good nutritional plan. However, water weight can be an issue, particularly when you first start lift weights. When you start lifting for the first time the muscle soaks up water to repair the initial damage done. The more sore you are, the more water you'll be holding. After a few weeks, this water weight should subside. However, increased intake of salt and carbs can also increase water weight.

    The bottom line is for the obese, weight loss IS important. If you are 5'5' and weigh 250 and you don't lose weight for a month and are not lifting weights or have been lifting for a while then you probably need to reconsider your diet.

    Back in the day when I was an elite wrestler I was 185 pounds at 5'5" and was at about 10-12% BF and had abs. By pretty much every weight range I was nearly obese. So, I would say for lean people (less than 22% for females, less than 15% for males) that this is more of an issue.
  • brewingaz
    brewingaz Posts: 1,136 Member
    Options
    e8dcaec9.jpg

    This pic says it all! Who do you think weighs more? Who do you think is healthier and has a lower percent body fat! It's pretty clear!
  • getupandgetgoing
    getupandgetgoing Posts: 3
    Options
    I couldn't agree more with trying to get this message out. In college, I weighed around 250 lbs with about 7% body fat due to my weight lifting and workout regime. I was classified as "clinically obese".

Categories