Help!! BMI and body fat

april849
april849 Posts: 3
in Motivation and Support
Hi, I'm new to this but have lost 21 lbs since last October - which should be good and at one level it is because I'm now a size smaller - but despite as much exercise as my body will allow my scales still show me as over 50% body fat. The callipers would show it too! According to BMI I am now in the healthy range (22.5). I am 64 with two new hips and degenerative disc problems. I swim most days and do as much in the gym as my back will allow under physio supervision. I love walking and being active but ... how do I get the flabby bits to shift?
Any ideas please?

Replies

  • oX_Vanessa_Xo
    oX_Vanessa_Xo Posts: 478
    Wish I could help. The thingy for me is showing a healthy weight for my height...5"8 is120....which would make me look anorexic
  • supermodelchic
    supermodelchic Posts: 550 Member
    I never go by BMI , only bodyfat levels, I have alot of muscle which weighs more that fat, so that said try to be as active as you can , eat a very clean diet, and hang in there..
  • oX_Vanessa_Xo
    oX_Vanessa_Xo Posts: 478
    I never go by BMI , only bodyfat levels, I have alot of muscle which weighs more that fat, so that said try to be as active as you can , eat a very clean diet, and hang in there..

    Hey, my scale says BF -73 lbs.... does that mean I need to lose 73 lbs?
  • april849
    april849 Posts: 3
    Thx but I'm still confused!
  • amiaow
    amiaow Posts: 35 Member
    I suspect your new hips are screwing with your scale, which uses an electric current to test your resistance and then converts that to a body fat % based on whatever algorithm it is programmed with (ie they are dodgy). Ignore the scale, go by the mirror!

    Shifting flabby bits is a matter of losing body fat, so that's your usual calorie deficit. However, replacing those flabby bits with firm bits comes down to building muscle, and exercise can help here. Swimming is great for overall tone, and perhaps with the help of your physio you could also take up some weight training- I've found that to be the biggest body-changer for me. Good luck!
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    Electronic resistance body fat measuring is very inaccurate. Calipers are the cheapest and easiest way, and a lot more accurate.

    Also... BMI is ridiculous. You can have visible abs and lift hundreds of pounds, but BMI says you're obese? yeah, no.
  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
    Don't let gadgets get ya down! Those scales tell me I'm obese and I can assure you I am not! So take heart!

    Keep doing what you are doing to be healthy and you will feel the benefits!
  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
    I never go by BMI , only bodyfat levels, I have alot of muscle which weighs more that fat, so that said try to be as active as you can , eat a very clean diet, and hang in there..

    Hey, my scale says BF -73 lbs.... does that mean I need to lose 73 lbs?

    I assume you are using a digital scale that also gives out BF%, water, bone, etc readings? The 73 means that you have 73 pounds of fat on your body, not that you need to lose 73. It should also give a BF%. Make your fat loss goal based on your current BF%. Also, realize that the scales are not very accurate. If you have access to calipers, check your BF% that way.

    ETA: I have some of those scales and they tell me I'm 28% body fat and I definitely am not. These are the least accurate way to calculate BF. If you must only use the scale, only watch for consistent decreases and not so much the % it gives you. Oh, and be sure to weigh under the same circumstances each time (especially your hydration)
  • april849
    april849 Posts: 3
    Thank you for suggesting that my hips are messing with the body fat reading. I'd never thought of that possibility. Calipers it will be from now on. Thx all!

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