nobody is going to respond anyways...

so I am trying to figure out my body fat %.

I never recorded the website that i originally checked myself on but these are my stats...

chest: 38"
l bicep: 12"
r bicep: 11.5"
waist: 32"
hips: 43"
l thigh: 24"
r thigh: 24.5"
l calf: 15"
r calf: 15"
weight: 161 lbs
bf%: 38.5%

now, like i said i didn't remember which website that i looked this up on but now today i am on day 36 of insanity so i was trying to update my info and see if anything changed... well putting in my new measurements [listed below] it now says that i am down to 27% bf. I just find this almost impossible because that's only 36 days and i didn't have much of a change inches wise or weight wise since the time before... i checked on almost every site on google when i searched body fat percentage, etc... and some said 30%, 29%,40%,26%. it was all over the map!

chest: 38.5"
l bicep: 12.5"
r bicep: 12"
waist: 33.5"
hips: 43"
l thigh: 25.75"
r thigh: 26"
l calf: 15"
r calf: 15"
weight: 160lbs
bf%: 27%

[also my new stats seem to be a bit bigger than the first ones, but TOM is here so i kinda think that is to blame]
so is there a legit bf% website that i can use?
what does anyone think of fat2fitradio.com?

Replies

  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    i_see_what_you_did_there.jpg
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    You can't figure out your body fat percentage from measurements. You need either a caliper test or a full body submersion test.
  • stephanie1133
    stephanie1133 Posts: 211
    You can't figure out your body fat percentage from measurements. You need either a caliper test or a full body submersion test.

    This!
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    You actually can get a good idea from measurement Fat2fitradio.com has stuff to help with that. The full body submersion is the best, then the calipers and electronic pulse.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    You can't figure out your body fat percentage from measurements. You need either a caliper test or a full body submersion test.

    This!

    Agreed x 3

    Why are you so concerned what it is anyway? As long as your measurements are dropping, you can pretty much gauge your success there.
  • deftanker
    deftanker Posts: 105 Member
    I am just going to go out on a limb here and say who cares??

    You probably wont get an accurate BF% very easily.
    That being said I would pick one calculation and use it through out.
    Its like a scale I make sure I use the same one everytime at home. If its wrong it should always be wrong.

    You could use the Military tape measure method but that isnt always accurate either especially if you know how to cheat it.

    in the end how do you feel after 36 days? Thats what should matter right?
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Fat to Fit Military calc is pretty good.
    It had me down to within 2% of my calipers.
  • lemasney
    lemasney Posts: 67 Member
    I just got a fitbit aria scale, and it records body fat percentage and logs it automatically when I weigh myself. If you were 30%+ bfp, I would be surprised. I'm morbidly obese, and I'm 27%. There are lots of ways to discover BFP, and some are more useful than others. Calculation based is just a guess, calipers are better, but not by much. The electrostatic method used by the fitbit aria is pretty useful and fairly accurate compared to other methods. You can go get it done professionally in a pool if you're into that.
  • holleysings
    holleysings Posts: 664 Member
    Fat2fit military is accurate for me. I know that because my dEXA scan and that calculator started me at the same BF%. But I think it's different for everyone which calculator is a good guestimate.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Bumping to see if you get any good answers. I think it's reasonable to want a good BF% estimate because your BMR should really be determined based on lean body mass, and not everyone can afford a submersion, bod pod, or dexa scan regularly to monitor progress. The various calculators give me numbers that vary by about 15% (anywhere from 25% to 40% BF) and it's pretty frustrating.
  • jettyib1
    jettyib1 Posts: 46 Member
    you did get answers....maybe not the ones you wanted, but answers. I find that everyone on here is very helpful. Good luck. I'm not going as fast as I wanted either. I found out today from my urologist....you can drink too much water. It flushes out the salts from your kidneys and causes problems. I was astonished, but it happened to me.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Bumping to see if you get any good answers. I think it's reasonable to want a good BF% estimate because your BMR should really be determined based on lean body mass, and not everyone can afford a submersion, bod pod, or dexa scan regularly to monitor progress. The various calculators give me numbers that vary by about 15% (anywhere from 25% to 40% BF) and it's pretty frustrating.

    No offense, but what you're essentially arguing that you want to be able to do specific calculations with very unspecific means of measurement. Not everyone can afford a submersion test, but it's also not necessary to calculate your exact BMR in order to lose weight.

    BMR isn't calculated using lean body mass. Not sure where you get that.
  • emilynicole02
    emilynicole02 Posts: 355 Member
    Well I understand I won't be able to get the EXACT bf% but I just wanted a rough estimate of where I was at... I haven't really seen much difference in my measurements or in my weight so I was trying to find something else to see if I changed...

    and besides bf% is one of the sections on my insanity graph to track so I wanted to stick with it and keep track of it as close as i could...
  • emilynicole02
    emilynicole02 Posts: 355 Member
    Fat to Fit Military calc is pretty good.
    It had me down to within 2% of my calipers.

    yeah i tried the military one but it was telling me i was 12% more than i originally was so i didn't think i should use it lol
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Ok, but if you are above (let's say) 25% body fat... then you will be dropping pounds and inches on your way to achieving your goal body. Body fat percentage is kind of an unnecessary number at this point. BF% needs to be pretty specific in order to be very helpful, and if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, you should probably focus on pounds and inches.

    BF% is more helpful to people who don't have weight to lose but who want to change their body composition.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    yeah i tried the military one but it was telling me i was 12% more than i originally was so i didn't think i should use it lol

    Just a note... Any estimate will be a lot more accurate for a man than it will be for a woman
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Bumping to see if you get any good answers. I think it's reasonable to want a good BF% estimate because your BMR should really be determined based on lean body mass, and not everyone can afford a submersion, bod pod, or dexa scan regularly to monitor progress. The various calculators give me numbers that vary by about 15% (anywhere from 25% to 40% BF) and it's pretty frustrating.

    No offense, but what you're essentially arguing that you want to be able to do specific calculations with very unspecific means of measurement. Not everyone can afford a submersion test, but it's also not necessary to calculate your exact BMR in order to lose weight.

    BMR isn't calculated using lean body mass. Not sure where you get that.

    I want the best estimation with the means I have available to me. I don't see how that is something worth arguing about? And maybe the BMR isn't important for you, but it's quite important to me, thanks. And BMR, physiologically, is directly linked to your lean body mass. You don't need much calories to sustain body fat, it's for organ function and muscle - aka lean body mass.
  • jallen1955
    jallen1955 Posts: 121
    so I am trying to figure out my body fat %.

    I never recorded the website that i originally checked myself on but these are my stats...

    chest: 38"
    l bicep: 12"
    r bicep: 11.5"
    waist: 32"
    hips: 43"
    l thigh: 24"
    r thigh: 24.5"
    l calf: 15"
    r calf: 15"
    weight: 161 lbs
    bf%: 38.5%


    chest: 38.5"
    l bicep: 12.5"
    r bicep: 12"
    waist: 33.5"
    hips: 43"
    l thigh: 25.75"
    r thigh: 26"
    l calf: 15"
    r calf: 15"
    weight: 160lbs
    bf%: 27%

    [also my new stats seem to be a bit bigger than the first ones, but TOM is here so i kinda think that is to blame]
    so is there a legit bf% website that i can use?

    this is the best example of magical thinking I have ever seen. You lost no weight, gained inches and expect your percentage of bodyfat to have DECREASED by 11%?

    puh-lease

    I like Covert Bailey's lean mass calculator. If you have no access to calipers or bod pod or submersion, it is the next best thing.
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/cbbf/
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I like Covert Bailey's lean mass calculator. If you have no access to calipers or bod pod or submersion, it is the next best thing.
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/cbbf/
    I like this one too, it gives me the lowest overall percentage :smile:

    No snark- why do you say this one is better than the other calculation methods?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    You actually can get a good idea from measurement Fat2fitradio.com has stuff to help with that. The full body submersion is the best, then the calipers and electronic pulse.

    Actually a DEXA scan is the best - then the others (assuming the calipers are used be someone good at using them)

    Fat2fit is good for comprison week to week.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Edit: double post
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Fat2fit military is accurate for me. I know that because my dEXA scan and that calculator started me at the same BF%. But I think it's different for everyone which calculator is a good guestimate.

    It had me way different (unfortunately the DEXA was higher)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Bumping to see if you get any good answers. I think it's reasonable to want a good BF% estimate because your BMR should really be determined based on lean body mass, and not everyone can afford a submersion, bod pod, or dexa scan regularly to monitor progress. The various calculators give me numbers that vary by about 15% (anywhere from 25% to 40% BF) and it's pretty frustrating.

    No offense, but what you're essentially arguing that you want to be able to do specific calculations with very unspecific means of measurement. Not everyone can afford a submersion test, but it's also not necessary to calculate your exact BMR in order to lose weight.

    BMR isn't calculated using lean body mass. Not sure where you get that.

    The Katch-McArdle Formula uses BF% and it is more accurate than the Harris-Benedict Formula that does not.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Fat2fit military is accurate for me. I know that because my dEXA scan and that calculator started me at the same BF%. But I think it's different for everyone which calculator is a good guestimate.

    It had me way different (unfortunately the DEXA was higher)

    So in your opinion, which calculator is most accurate?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Fat2fit military is accurate for me. I know that because my dEXA scan and that calculator started me at the same BF%. But I think it's different for everyone which calculator is a good guestimate.

    It had me way different (unfortunately the DEXA was higher)

    So in your opinion, which calculator is most accurate?

    A Dexa scan is the 'gold standard' followed by the hydrostatic test (body dunk). I haven't compared to the measurement calculator but it would be an interesting exercise. I think I may have to do some googling now!!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Fat2fit military is accurate for me. I know that because my dEXA scan and that calculator started me at the same BF%. But I think it's different for everyone which calculator is a good guestimate.

    It had me way different (unfortunately the DEXA was higher)

    So in your opinion, which calculator is most accurate?

    A Dexa scan is the 'gold standard' followed by the hydrostatic test (body dunk). I haven't compared to the measurement calculator but it would be an interesting exercise. I think I may have to do some googling now!!
    Yes please. Report back your findings! I know none of the calculators is going to be even close to exact, I just haven't forked over the $$ for the dexa yet, and I'm sick of the huge variation between the calculators- I mean 40% BF and 24% BF is a major difference! I use the military one for progress tracking week-to-week.