Body Fat % Goal vs. Scale Goal

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Replies

  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    I am currently 165 / 22.3% bf with a BMI of 23.7 (with 24.9 being overweight - so Im about 1.2 BMI points short of being fat)

    My goal is 18-20% bf ultimately and right now my short term goal is 21% bf. I am thinking this will probably put me at about 160 pounds, give or take a couple. My shoulderblades, spine, hipbones and ribs are all visible, my hamstrings, quads and calves are starting to show their lines, as are my obliques and a blossoming girl V. My shoulders are starting to show off nicely as well.

    Im happier with my body fat goal - it takes longer to change a 2 digit statistic than a 3 digit statistic, but it is so much more easier to see and feel the changes - and ogle the hell out of them!
  • rebeccap13
    rebeccap13 Posts: 754 Member
    I'd love to eventually be 18-20% body fat... that's the end goal here.

    Working on 25% right now. The scale is kind of pointless to me now. I try to weigh less than once a month. My body composition and how I look in the mirror are meaning more and more everyday.
  • sandrahermione
    sandrahermione Posts: 87
    Not really, I know about body fat but what percentage of muscle does your scale show? Mine says 38 per cent. What could I be aiming for?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Not really, I know about body fat but what percentage of muscle does your scale show? Mine says 38 per cent. What could I be aiming for?

    it shows muscle? Not body fat?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Could anyone tell me what muscle percentage people are going for. I never hear anyone talk about it. My scale says 38 per cent at the moment but it does not add up at 53 per cent water, 26 per cent fat.

    The scales are highly inaccurate, but there is also bones and organs and other 'stuff' that should make up the difference.
  • Marc713
    Marc713 Posts: 328 Member
    Not sure if you can see my bio, but I would hate to be the weight my BMI says I should be. I'd actually like go GAIN weight, and lower my body fat percentage. Today I was 217 and when i checked my BF a couple days ago it was around 20.5-21% if I recall.....I'd love to be about 225 and about 10-12%. I have work to do! Luckily I'm starting to like cooking more and have learned to make some really good fish dishes and am exploring making my own healthy meals. Diet has always been my bane because I love working out.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I am aiming for a body fat % goal but as I am in the healthy/athletic range I really am going with the mirror.
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    Haven't been able to find a satisfactory method of measuring small differences in body fat at home, so I find it hard to go by.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    My ticker shows a goal weight, but ultimately my goal is to get and stay in the 18-20% range. I'm 20.7% now.
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    I use body fat as well.

    I'm at 21.2% as of last week and I'm aiming for 17-18%... if I get really motivated, 14% is the lowest I would go.
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
    I'm more interested in BF% than weight, but it's impossible to get an accurate reading at home. I get results anywhere from 13% to 18%... usually around 16%. I don't even know where to set my BF% goal (I just know I want it lower), let alone how to know when I've gotten there. It's a bit easier and more reliable to track weight.

    I have several alternate tests. The most reliable for me is the "take your shirt off and jump rope in front of the mirror at the gym test". When my belly doesn't bounce... I'm at my target BF%. When it's bouncing... I know I should cut back a little. Seriously... even the results of this test can change week to week.
  • fitQueenbeast
    fitQueenbeast Posts: 298
    Although I have a weight loss goal, my ultimate goal is to decrease my body fat % to 21. Once I hit that, I'll make another goal of hitting 17%. I'm an endurance athlete and am now running and training so it's very important to get the body fat % down. Plus, low body fat% will help in building lean muscle....
  • bgelliott
    bgelliott Posts: 610 Member
    My goal body fat is 15-16% by mid March. My weight should be around 118 at that point.
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
    My goal body fat is 15-16% by mid March. My weight should be around 118 at that point.

    You look super lean. What's the BF% in your profile pic? I would guess that's 15-16%.
  • skinnyitaliannn
    skinnyitaliannn Posts: 187
    I'd like to focus on bodyfat instead, but just not sure how to measure it? I've only had my bf% measured once at the gym by a trainer, it was 22% .. not sure how to do it on my own! Is there some sort of scale to buy or something? I hate the scale and only want to focus on bf & muscle.
  • Rum_Runner
    Rum_Runner Posts: 617 Member
    I used to be very concerned with the number on the scale.......shoot who am I kidding I am still obsessed - but now I look at it more as a guideline than me doing everything in my power to get to a certain weight.

    I had a goal weight of 135lbs, but as I started to lose the weight and get more definition I started to drop in BF. I started around 25% (gve or take) I'm not sitting aroudn 19.6% with a goal of 18%.

    I think in order to get to 18% I may actually ahve to lose the next 3-6lbs - but I can say that I'm smaller than I've ever been, but not the lightest I've ever been.

    I think BF is a good goal to have vs. the actual scale numbers!
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
    I'd like to focus on bodyfat instead, but just not sure how to measure it? I've only had my bf% measured once at the gym by a trainer, it was 22% .. not sure how to do it on my own! Is there some sort of scale to buy or something? I hate the scale and only want to focus on bf & muscle.

    There are scales. I have one and it's worthless. The little things they have at the gym aren't any better.
  • skinnyitaliannn
    skinnyitaliannn Posts: 187
    I'd like to focus on bodyfat instead, but just not sure how to measure it? I've only had my bf% measured once at the gym by a trainer, it was 22% .. not sure how to do it on my own! Is there some sort of scale to buy or something? I hate the scale and only want to focus on bf & muscle.

    There are scales. I have one and it's worthless. The little things they have at the gym aren't any better.

    So how is everyone figuring it out? :p
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
    I'd like to focus on bodyfat instead, but just not sure how to measure it? I've only had my bf% measured once at the gym by a trainer, it was 22% .. not sure how to do it on my own! Is there some sort of scale to buy or something? I hate the scale and only want to focus on bf & muscle.

    There are scales. I have one and it's worthless. The little things they have at the gym aren't any better.

    So how is everyone figuring it out? :p

    People get medical body analysis tests done for reliable results. They are pricey. I have a BF scale and calipers, and neither of those methods works to get a true measurement, but they are "good enough" to show a downward trend I guess.
  • skinnyitaliannn
    skinnyitaliannn Posts: 187
    I'd like to focus on bodyfat instead, but just not sure how to measure it? I've only had my bf% measured once at the gym by a trainer, it was 22% .. not sure how to do it on my own! Is there some sort of scale to buy or something? I hate the scale and only want to focus on bf & muscle.

    There are scales. I have one and it's worthless. The little things they have at the gym aren't any better.

    So how is everyone figuring it out? :p

    People get medical body analysis tests done for reliable results. They are pricey. I have a BF scale and calipers, and neither of those methods works to get a true measurement, but they are "good enough" to show a downward trend I guess.

    I suppose good enough really is, good enough though, right? :laugh: Maybe in a few months I'll try a medical body analysis, but unfortunately, with the holiday season & presents to buy, I can't afford something too pricey.
  • bgelliott
    bgelliott Posts: 610 Member
    My goal body fat is 15-16% by mid March. My weight should be around 118 at that point.

    You look super lean. What's the BF% in your profile pic? I would guess that's 15-16%.

    Thank you!
    Profile pic between 17-18%...currently I'm about 19%
    My abs still show if I flex but I have a little winter fluff...lol
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
    I'd like to focus on bodyfat instead, but just not sure how to measure it? I've only had my bf% measured once at the gym by a trainer, it was 22% .. not sure how to do it on my own! Is there some sort of scale to buy or something? I hate the scale and only want to focus on bf & muscle.

    There are scales. I have one and it's worthless. The little things they have at the gym aren't any better.

    So how is everyone figuring it out? :p

    People get medical body analysis tests done for reliable results. They are pricey. I have a BF scale and calipers, and neither of those methods works to get a true measurement, but they are "good enough" to show a downward trend I guess.

    I suppose good enough really is, good enough though, right? :laugh: Maybe in a few months I'll try a medical body analysis, but unfortunately, with the holiday season & presents to buy, I can't afford something too pricey.

    I'd recommend calipers over a scale. I think the measurement fluctuates less and is probably more correlated to BF.

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