Body fat percentage help

rose313

I have used all the calculators out there. The ones that are military or navy calculators that ask your neck size (13) say I'm 34% body fat. The ones that ask my wrist and forearm size (6 and 9 inches) say I'm 27% body fat.

I'm going to get a set of calipers eventually, but for now which one should I believe? And why such a big difference? One is high average and one is obese.

I'm 5'2, 155 pounds, measurements 37/30.5/41.

HMLouise

None of those are accurate. I've noticed they are way off. Go to a health club and ask a trainer to do it for you. If you belong to one, they will usually do it for free. It could be anywhere from 25% to 35%. It really does depends on what amount of your weight is muscle. When I last got my body fat done by a trainer, i am 5'3'' 140 lbs and really muscular.. i was at 17%. When i enter it into an online calculator it says 28%-30%.. so big difference there. I hope that helps!

abbylg1983

Yeah, I don't think they are accurate either. I entered my measurements and got a 17%. I am nowhere near 17%. I ordered a $5 caliper off amazon and googled how to measure and came up with around 22%. That might be a tad high (I was measuring pretty conservatively) but way more accurate than the tape measure. You can have a professional measure you, or you might just try googling different images for body fat percentages and see if there is one you match up with.

JessyJ03

My gym lets us use theirs for free. You just have to ask. If you belong to a gym they probably have one too.

rose313

I work out at the Y but I will ask them tonight.

DanaDark

If you are just looking for a ONE TIME thing, then the difference counts. But, if you are going to use it as a measurement for progress, all that matters is that the reading is consistent.

If one says 34% and eventually shows you down to 30% and the other says 27% and eventually shows you down to 23%, they BOTH recorded a 4% loss. That loss number is what you really care about.

rose313

I have lost 1.5 inches off my waist, 1 inch off my hips, 2 inches off my bust, and 0.5 off my thighs.

If I put my old stats into the Navy calculator it says I lost 4% body fat.

If I put my old stats into the ones that ask for wrist size and forearm size it says I barely lost 1%.

So which do I use to compare? What do you think I lost? I lost a good amount of inches for a short time so I would hope I lost more than half a percent. I definitely see a difference.

DanaDark

I have lost 1.5 inches off my waist, 1 inch off my hips, 2 inches off my bust, and 0.5 off my thighs.

If I put my old stats into the Navy calculator it says I lost 4% body fat.

If I put my old stats into the ones that ask for wrist size and forearm size it says I barely lost 1%.

So which do I use to compare? What do you think I lost? I lost a good amount of inches for a short time so I would hope I lost more than half a percent. I definitely see a difference.

The 4% Navy one sounds a bit more accurate. Bodies have MUCH more fat around the torso area. So seeing the losses you do there indicates much more than 1% loss.