Visual Guide to Women's Body Fat %

jenilla1

Was told the same day I took this pic that I'm between 26 and 27%

I'm 5'8 and weigh 150.

My camera is broken so I don't have any pics right now, but I look like somewhere between her ^^^ and the belly dancer photo- I was just tested @ 26%, and I'm 5'7" and 135 pounds. I think I would personally look bad with body fat in the teens...Everybody wears it differently though, I guess...:flowerforyou:

theblackbirdtree

I'm an example of skinny-fat.
23% body fat (via DEXA scan), 5'7" and 121 pounds. Eek, muscle, anyone?! :embarassed:

Goal_Driven

Im about 22%.. 5'9", 146 lbs

GypsySoul_74

Yay! Now I don't feel like some sort of exhibitionist freakazoid. Open a free photobucket account if you don't already have one, upload your pic, then copy the IMG code from the list of 4 options to share the pic. Paste it to your post, BUT change the opening and closing capital "IMG" in the brackets to a lowercase "img". That should do it!

thank you SOO much for this info! i had no idea how to post a pic until now!
sorry the quality isn't great in this photo... but i wanted to contribute anyway. i think this thread is a great idea!

this was taken about a month ago. i am 5'4", was 129 pounds when the photo was taken, and at about 23% body fat. you can see that my abs were starting to come out a little. i also had definition in the backs of my legs/calves. at that point my arms hadn't started to look cut at all yet, but i'm starting to see some definition there now (at 126/22%BF). my collarbone and shoulder blades have become a lot more visible over the past month too.

metalvegan

5'8, 124 lbs, 19.17% bodyfat based on measurements

I carry all my weight in my hips and butt.

GypsySoul_74

5'5.5" 122 pounds and measuring in at 21% bodyfat but my scale says anywhere between 24-26% bodyfat....who knows?

my scale always reads about 5% higher than a caliper average. i bet at that height and weight, if you work out regularly at all, you're closer to 21%

the handheld BF device at my gym has been tested against calipers and a few people's DEXA scans, and is almost always +/-2% or less, so that's what i go by.

Csitri

bump

Scotland_forever

bump

GypsySoul_74

The day I got CALIPERED at 19.8% my Tanita digital scale (foot pads only) read 34%. Those things are a joke in my case.

one of the big problems with most BF scales for women is that they only measure the BF in the LOWER half of the body, which is obviously where most women carry weight... i think that's why so many of us get high readings with scales.

marynificent

great post. here i measured on the handheld scale, in athletic mode, at around 25% and 153 lbs. i am 5'5. i want to be at 18-19% but my body would rather spontaneously combust. i run, lift heavy weights, do spin, etc etc edited to add: i am 31 years old

kaotik26

Was told the same day I took this pic that I'm between 26 and 27%

I'm 5'8 and weigh 150.

I dont' know how to post pics, but last I checked I am 27% but I don't look this good, (wish I did!) maybe it was the calculator I used.

invisibubble

bump for reading

camrunner

I suspected that my body fat scale was a complete waste of money. Nice to have that confirmed, I guess. I've had it for almost a year and, no matter what I do, it always says my fat% is about the same as my BMI. I don't have an accurate BF% and I'm not a woman so... no need for me to post pics, right? cool.

DinahKyle

I'm somewhere between 20 and 25 percent. (military method) I'm 5'5 and around 155 lbs.

It really doesn't matter to me what it is honestly... just another pointless number to chase in my opinion.

I completely agree with you! I'm 5'8 150lbs and according to my dietitian I am around 22% - but I don't look nearly as good as some of these pictures! lol It's another number for people to be unhappy with.

invisibubble

Great pics everyone so far! Keep 'em coming! For those doubting their electronic scales; the measuring tape test can be a bit more accurate. I think I got 22% with it which is a heck of a lot closer to 19.8% than Tanita's 34%! It does only take whole inch measurements though.

http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/home-body-fat-test-2774-143.html#accurate

Just used that link and it gave me 21.8% - nooooo. I would imagine I'm at least 28%.

marynificent

i measure slightly lower in the caliper method but i don't believe either are entirely accurate. i've got huge t-rex legs and giant muscles, which makes me weigh more, which makes my body fat percentage less, though my actual total number of pounds of body fat is more than most people who measure in my range. i will cough up the money for a dexa scan or bod pod reading when my little handheld device reads me at 23% or lower.

oh and the scale with the foot pads always reads me 1% higher than the handheld model.

SassyCalyGirl

last time I had my BF done (about a month ago-I was at 14% (down from 22) I am 5'5 and weigh 112 lbs.
I have a tiny frame and do NOT have an eating disorder :bigsmile:

I am a runner-training for my next half marathon and do circuit training with weights 5 days a week.

kaotik26

Aha! Here I am couple weeks ago, like I said, about 27% per an online measurment calculator.

iron_jj

I dont have a better pic atm, my BF is ~22/23%

GypsySoul_74

here's another one--this was in 2007. 5'4", 107 pounds, 16% body fat, triple-checked by a fitness team using calipers. i never had the definition i wanted at that BF%, so i did eventually cut to 11% BF and just under 100 pounds, but i don't have any pics of what i looked like then. really just slightly smaller, less curvy and more defined. not "ripped" though--i never lifted enough or got enough water depletion to look super-buff :-P

delaney056

According to the link you posted, I'm about 19.6% body fat.

n_unocero

I am 5'4" 141lbs. I figured out my BF using my scale and about 4 other calculators online and i think i'm around 29%.

DJJW

Here is another good link http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/ I'm 26% alot better than what I used to be but respectable I guess.

DJJW

I am 5'4" 141lbs. I figured out my BF using my scale and about 4 other calculators online and i think i'm around 29%.

no way your 29%! You look awesome and fit!

n_unocero

I am 5'4" 141lbs. I figured out my BF using my scale and about 4 other calculators online and i think i'm around 29%.

no way your 29%! You look awesome and fit!

well thank you! i haven't had my body fat tested since college basketball (about 4 years). like i said i just used my scale (who knows how accurate it is) and 3 or 4 other online calculators and just took the average of them all. they weren't too far off from each other tho...all right around 29. most of my fat is on the back of my hips and my thighs...

jesusHchris

Looking good, ladies. I just came here for the pics.

Careful with the online calculators. The military one says I am 16% body fat. I was recently tested with the ultrasound method and was 8%. I have been cutting since and believe I am closer to 7% now.

Demmuscles

I worked it out to be 13.6% with the military bf calc, and it must be so wrong cos that seems incredibly low and I know I have more fat than that lol. One day I will get it done properly because I would love to know.

rusialeelee

bump-will read later!

mamasmaltz3

Bump

kajpen

I'm somewhere between 20 and 25 percent. (military method) I'm 5'5 and around 155 lbs.

It really doesn't matter to me what it is honestly... just another pointless number to chase in my opinion.

I completely agree with you! I'm 5'8 150lbs and according to my dietitian I am around 22% - but I don't look nearly as good as some of these pictures! lol It's another number for people to be unhappy with.

I actually think that people should go by body fat percentages and not scale weight. You can have a low scale weight and be at a high body fat percentage. The higher the body fat the more chances for health issues.