Body Fat Percentage??

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Replies

  • CGPrincessWarrior
    CGPrincessWarrior Posts: 76 Member
    I did the Pod Bod a week ago and was SHOCKED at my body fat percentage. I run, I lift weights, I eat healthy and I was at 44% body fat. I thought I was a bit more muscle than it turns out I am. I was very discouraged when I got those results. I've now just started upping my weight lifting to 3x a week to try and get some more muscle mass. I go back in February to get retested to see how I did! When I did my body fat based on height and weight I was at 31% so that was waaaaay off.
  • auzziecawth66
    auzziecawth66 Posts: 476 Member
    @Melo.. curious how yours was measured? I'm 5'0 and at 139 my body fat was 41%. We are using a scale at the gym that calc's it.

    the best way to calcutate it is in the morning after you "purged" and have not yet drank anything, otherwise it will throw your numbers off.

    This and I think using the same scale or what not every time so even if it is a little off you can see the trend of of it going down or not.
  • phildawson75
    phildawson75 Posts: 205 Member
    Here's some photos for visual comparison to give a rough est

    body-fat-percentage-pictures-female.jpg
    womenbodyfat3.jpg

    Bare in mind you can look completely diff depending on muscle.
    15-percent-body-fat-female1.jpg
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    had my body fat checked this morning... had it done in september, and it was 43%... today it was 31%... still have a ways to go, but i was stoked!

    WOW!! CONGRATS! I would love a loss like that! How much weight have you lost in this time frame? Did you eat or drink before you were checked?

    WELL, HERE IS MY PROGRESS PICS OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS...
    dec82012-1.jpg

    i started out in jan at 246, in sept i was 230, then i got serious, and today, im 205... still have more to go...

    im 5'10 1/2 32 years old...

    i had it checked first thing this morning before drinking or eating...
  • christy_frank
    christy_frank Posts: 680 Member
    26% BF and 188 lbs and 5'6..... This doesn't sound correct to me unless you are FULL of muscle. I was 145lbs, 5' 5.5" Tall & 30% BF.
    I have lost some BF and gained some muscle so I am sure that I am between 20-25% but I have a lot of muscle. How much weight lifting do you do? How was it measured?
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    Great chart! At age 34, with 41% body fat.. I'm still "overfat".

    According to your pics, I'm pretty sure that scale was a tad off. You look like I do - and I got mine done and I'm in the 23% range. Go get yours done by calipers, that scale is crap. You are 139 and 5'11, you are NOT FAT...

    No I'm 5 ft even.. but I still think it seems high! I'll keep you posted on what it says next week at my weigh in.

    And I actually have calipers at home, going to see what that says.

    Opps, sorry, I read wrong. But you still don't look much "fatter" than me in your pics...
  • nicolemarie1978
    nicolemarie1978 Posts: 53 Member
    @McGraw... awesome work!!!

    My gym is holding a challenge and it's based on body fat % loss to determine the winner.. so that's why I'm so curious about it. I've only ever checked it on their scale, and will again next week! My weigh in time is 5:30 am so I won't have anything to eat or drink before.. hoping I can "purge" before too bahaha!
  • momofJandA
    momofJandA Posts: 1,035 Member
    Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart1.jpg

    Just to prove I'm not bull****ing you...

    Men and women's are different. Your body fat is healthy. Your weight is high (I'm 5'11 and 148 (23% BF) in comparison), but that could mean you have more muscle.

    I do have a lot of muscle...... yay I'm healthy :D lol

    no offense but "average" doesn't necessarily mean "healthy" . . . . just saying
  • 5'7 121 lbs, 20.2 BF% according to the military method. hoping to get down to 17-18% :)
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    @McGraw... awesome work!!!

    My gym is holding a challenge and it's based on body fat % loss to determine the winner.. so that's why I'm so curious about it. I've only ever checked it on their scale, and will again next week! My weigh in time is 5:30 am so I won't have anything to eat or drink before.. hoping I can "purge" before too bahaha!

    thanks! i know i was actually higher in january, i think over 45%, but i dont remember the exact number, i only remember september because thats when i started back at the gym and got "serious" about losing this weight. i had 5 kids back to back, and put on quite alot of weight... then i quit smoking and really packed it on... its coming off pretty stead right now with my diet and gym routine... glad to have my confidence start to come back, i was getting pretty "yucky" feeling! im going to have it checked again in 1 month, and im hoping its below 30%, idealy, 28%?/?/?/?/ :o
  • ksumme
    ksumme Posts: 283
    Great info here. I have been stating as my goal (at 44 years old) to get down to 22% body fat. I may adjust that to 25% as my primary goal based on this information. (I can always go lower if I think it would be beneficial after I get to that goal.)

    I do agree that all the various methods aren't incredibly accurate. I have a scale that does full body measurements (bone, water, body fat, etc), but I use it just as a guide - same as the total body weight.

    As I get close to my goals, I will go in and get the 'dunk' testing done.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    Here's some photos for visual comparison to give a rough est

    body-fat-percentage-pictures-female.jpg
    womenbodyfat3.jpg

    Bare in mind you can look completely diff depending on muscle.
    15-percent-body-fat-female1.jpg

    I am bigger in the middle than the 34-35, you do not want to see me pictured that way, trust me.
    But I am not as big as I was, that must have been over 50%
  • Tigermad
    Tigermad Posts: 305 Member
    I am really confused about my fat percentage. I used to weigh 231 pounds and nearly 50% fat. I now weigh 120lbs and 18% fat. The problem is I have a fair bit of loose skin with thin later of fat underneath. Obviously if this was removed would I then be very underweight?
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Whilst 24%-30 is average for women, age is an important factor too.

    Here's a more detailed version.

    bodyfat.jpg

    Chart makes me laugh. I'm 46 with a 18-19% bf. I am not lean lower than average. Not lean (low)? Nope.
    Nice, feel good chart.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart1.jpg

    Just to prove I'm not bull****ing you...

    Men and women's are different. Your body fat is healthy. Your weight is high (I'm 5'11 and 148 (23% BF) in comparison), but that could mean you have more muscle.

    Just because it is average doesn't mean it is healthy. I would aim for the "fitness" numbers.
  • sarahz5
    sarahz5 Posts: 1,363 Member
    It's actually not average though. I'm not advocating 30% body fat, but I think the average American woman is higher than that. I very quickly JFGIed and I found this summary of a study where the average body fat percentage of American women with BMI *UNDER 25* was 34%. So clearly the whole population would be much higher.

    ----
    Are Normal-Weight Americans "Over-Fat?"
    November 22, 2010


    Recent data from a nation-wide survey of 13,000 American adults shows that Americans with normal BMIs may be “over-fat” compared to other populations and earlier generations, says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the Institute of Human Nutrition, in a commentary published in the Nov. issue of the journal Obesity.

    The data, originally published last year by researchers at the CDC, show that among Americans with BMIs below 25, women have an average body fat percentage of 34 percent and men have an average body fat percentage of 23 percent. In contrast, Europeans at a normal BMI have much lower body fat percentages – 25 percent for women and 18 percent for men – according to a small study of Swiss adults. (A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal).

    “These are surprisingly high percentages, especially for people with normal BMIs,” Dr. St-Onge says. “It’s disconcerting that even the leanest Americans, those in the 5th percentile for percent body fat, have body fat percentages close to 30 percent for women and 20 percent for men.”

    http://ps.columbia.edu/news/are-normal-weight-americans-over-fat
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    so if you buy calipers and do it yourself will it be just as accurate as say someone at a gym doing it? or is there a special method or place, etc that needs to be done perfectly do get the correct reading?
  • Which method do most people use to calculate? One site told me 17.8 (I *know* that is not true) and another told me 65% (.....wishfully thinking that isn't the case.) I know calipers are most accurate, but I only have a tape measure currently.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Using calipers takes skill and experience, you should be taking measurements in places you cannot reach or with your arms in positions you would not be able to use calipers. Cheapo handheld or stand on bioelectrical impedance machines will only give you a ballpark for a female - you can gain or lose several percent in one day by being more or less hydrated. If you want an accurate reading you need a proper medical machine where you lay on the floor and have pads attached to your wrist and ankle.
  • P05T5CRIPT
    P05T5CRIPT Posts: 285 Member
    Apparently my body fat percentage is 26.52..... is that good or bad? lol I'm 5'6" and weigh (currently) 188.8...

    Wish mine was that! I'm the same height and weight as you and mine is 37% :noway: Although when I started it was over 53%, so coming down thankfully!