Body fat percentage help

rose313
rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
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.

Replies

  • HMLouise
    HMLouise Posts: 5
    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
    abbylg1983 Posts: 177 Member
    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
    JessyJ03 Posts: 627 Member
    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
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    I work out at the Y but I will ask them tonight.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    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
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    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
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    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.

Categories