Women: Something to Consider Regarding BF%

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  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
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    I make calcium a priority. I eat calcium rich foods and take vitamins. All women that workout hard or breastfeed or just in general should make sure their nurients are there. I got pregnant at 17%bf. All women are different. But def make sure you're consuming all your nutrients!
  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    I have heard multiple times about 155 beeing the borderline, below you might stop being fertil and lose your period.
    22% seems a bit high, as 20-25 is considered the healthy range...
  • Jonesie1984
    Jonesie1984 Posts: 612 Member
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    This sounds incredibly interesting. Are you telling me that a bf % of less than 22 can result in abnormal menstruation? I had no idea ?????

    The article actually says somewhere between.. every woman is different. I had a bf of 20.3% and menses came like clockwork never affected me one bit. Hell, I got an IUD and menses came like clockwork and it's supposed to stop :laugh:
  • meanjeann
    meanjeann Posts: 40
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    Bump - thanks for the info!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    This sounds incredibly interesting. Are you telling me that a bf % of less than 22 can result in abnormal menstruation? I had no idea ?????

    It can for some women..usually sub 17% is when menstruation might cease. Also too great of calorie deficits/rapid weight loss can result in menstrual abnormalities even if you have higher bf%.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    20% - 25% (age adjusted) has been considered healthy for quite some time if IIRC.

    Good post.

    This is the "fitness" range on most charts I've seen. That's always been my goal. I just reached it. After a little more than 2 years of working on getting "fit" I am now 24% BF.

    I weigh 15 lbs more than I did the last time I wore the same clothes (about 7 yrs ago). That took a little getting used to, but if my fancy dancy new scale is even close, my body muscle is in the high range. Not bad for a peri-menopausal grandma with a desk job (if I do say so myself).
  • 8goodgirl0
    8goodgirl0 Posts: 127 Member
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    I don't think I can change my body fat percentage. It's not too high but I would love to go down a bit, I just don't feel I know what to do to affect it
  • lumstead0317
    lumstead0317 Posts: 85 Member
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    Great post!
  • allie_girl
    allie_girl Posts: 66
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    It's actually an interesting read. I've been seeing a nutritionist who has worked in the business for 30 years. His wife is 9% body fat and still regularly menstruates and has had no other health issues. I am working on lowering my body fat now - currently he's measuring me at 16.5%, and I am on a regular 45 day cycle. It's funny, when I was at 22% during the start, I did not get regular menstrual cycles. Once I dropped down to 18% body fat, BAM, regular cycles of 45 days. Maybe it's different for everyone?
  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
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    my goal is to see my abs, which I think is about 16% bf.

    Lucky for me, I'm done having kids and i hardly menstruate anyways!

    ETA: I been tested at 19.2%....actually at the time I was "regular" but I was on the pill to make it regular.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    Thank you for posting this! :flowerforyou:
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,375 Member
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    Bump so my FL will see it
  • kristinhardesty
    kristinhardesty Posts: 17
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    This is great information! I the body fat/ amenhorrea problem when I was a teenager. Who even knows all the damage it did!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    I'm not really concerned about my BF% (it's 50% or so-ish and getting down to a dangerous % will take more weight loss than I want), though this is something women need to think about.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    Another study shows that those menstruating had an average BF% of ~18% compared to 16% in those with amenorrhea (lack of menstruation).

    So, it definitely varies but in general...it seems that lower than 17% might pose some risks.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9433044
  • SarahBeth0625
    SarahBeth0625 Posts: 685 Member
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    Bumping because I think this great and important info.

    As for myself? Besides breast feeding my daughter for over 2 years, I'm safe, lol ;)

    I'm at 3 years with my 2nd (my daughter) and am tandem nursing her little brother (18 months). Nursed my first for 25 months.

    As it is, my cycle came back at 6 months, 5 months, and 4 months postpartum (even while exclusively breastfeeding and tandem nursing).

    Regular cycle now but I would definitely be concerned if she disappeared!

    Good post, OP. Thanks for sharing.
  • CountingCaloriesSuxass
    CountingCaloriesSuxass Posts: 387 Member
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    True Story: my coworker used to be a dancer, she is a health nut, salad dressing is a cheat meal for her..She was trying to get pregnant and couldnt..for years..until she decided to follow the doctors advice and gain some weight/fat....She is due next month!!

    YAY! Congrats to her. I am struggling with gaining ENOUGH weight to be fertile again. It's such an emotional roller coaster to feel like a foreigner in your own body...to undo really hard work BUT I have to remember that my body was never meant to fit the mold I forced it into--no one's is. ((Sigh)) You live and learn.

    I am so sorry you are having a hard time with this girl...
    But...take it one step at a time, dont push it, it will happen when you are ready. I know it took Jen ( my co-worker) a few years to get there. She was making small changes, like add a piece a bread to her lunch etc....

    I wish you all the best.
    Hugs
  • sammielealea
    sammielealea Posts: 245 Member
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    Totally agree. I spent years chasing various "numbers" - BF%, BFI, weight, waist size...all magic numbers that I would never ever tell anyone out side of MFP anyway!!!! It's a miserable journey chasing unattainable (at least healthily) and unsustainable goals.

    1. Be HAPPY
    2. LOVE yourself
    3. LOVE others
    4. MOVE
    5. REST
    6. EAT (right)
    7. LIFE comes first.
    ALWAYS

    xxx

    This is wonderful! Thank-you, and thank-you OP for the great info :flowerforyou:
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    I'd read that extended breast feeding could help prevent osteoporosis because, as with a broken bone, your body over compensates when replacing the lost calcium. I don't know if that's up-to-date information or not, but it certainly won't prevent me from breastfeeding as long as I feel appropriate.

    I've also read one source that suggested that some of the effects of a low body fat percentage were actually effects of eating too little, but that was livestrong.com or something similar, so not necessarily reliable.

    I do worry that the chart publicised by ACE is partly to blame, as women aim for 'essential' or 'athlete', rather than 'fitness', as they are all presented as positives.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2010/08/03/ideal-body-fat-percentage-chart/
  • Fr3shStrt
    Fr3shStrt Posts: 349 Member
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    Thanks for sharing. Good luck to you!

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