body fat percentage for women -- your thoughts?

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Replies

  • carriempls
    carriempls Posts: 326 Member
    From what I can gather, anything over 32% for women under 50 is obese. If you're under that, you're not going to see any health risks from it. At that point it becomes a matter of personal preference for how you want your body to look.

    I don't mind being soft. I've never had muscles and it's simply not a priority of mine.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    It is unhealthy for women to get much below 18%. I am at about 20% and although I don't like the look of my surface fat, I know it isn't really healthy for me to cut it much more. I stop getting periods at about 18%.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Essential body fat for women is variously listed as 10-12% (while men's is much lower at around 3%). This minimal level of fat is necessary to maintain reproductive function. From there, it really varies according to age and what is "ideal" from your personal aesthetic. As you get older the range for lean, healthy, overweight and obese increases slightly. For me, I am 41 and around 19-20% when last measured. My goal is 18% because this is generally the range at which I have really good muscle definition. For some people, this would be too low and some women as they age find out low body fat for muscle definition comes at the cost of having their faces look gaunt - so really it is about what is healthy and maintainable, what your priorities are and if you must choose between your face and fanny.

    It is not a great site, but this will show you a sample chart that seems pretty consistent with other sources on ideal body fat ranges for women. http://www.askthetrainer.com/body-fat-percentage-in-women/

    If you like visuals you can see images of women at various BF% here:
    http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages

    10-12% for women is essential to live. For reproductive function it's 14-18% min.
  • LizJ08
    LizJ08 Posts: 127
    Bump for later! Trying to determine this myself!
  • Susan_Rae_1
    Susan_Rae_1 Posts: 154 Member
    What does "eat clean" mean?
  • doneatfour
    doneatfour Posts: 120 Member
    Essential body fat for women is variously listed as 10-12% (while men's is much lower at around 3%). This minimal level of fat is necessary to maintain reproductive function. From there, it really varies according to age and what is "ideal" from your personal aesthetic. As you get older the range for lean, healthy, overweight and obese increases slightly. For me, I am 41 and around 19-20% when last measured. My goal is 18% because this is generally the range at which I have really good muscle definition. For some people, this would be too low and some women as they age find out low body fat for muscle definition comes at the cost of having their faces look gaunt - so really it is about what is healthy and maintainable, what your priorities are and if you must choose between your face and fanny.

    It is not a great site, but this will show you a sample chart that seems pretty consistent with other sources on ideal body fat ranges for women. http://www.askthetrainer.com/body-fat-percentage-in-women/

    If you like visuals you can see images of women at various BF% here:
    http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages

    10-12% for women is essential to live. For reproductive function it's 14-18% min.

    That's what I thought with regards to reproductive function, you need higher than essential body fat. Otherwise, you can stop menstruating/ovulating. Even lower than 18% can lead to hormonal imbalances that cause irregular periods.
  • kaydensmom12
    kaydensmom12 Posts: 338
    this is all great information. Thank you very much. Confirmed -- I definitely have too much body fat in spite of my "healthy" BMI. So at age 48, I'm guessing getting to get my body fat to around 20% would do the trick. Time to hit the gym for real.

    You are 48?!?!?! You look WAY younger than that...I would have guessed 35 :smile:

    LOL, that's what I thought! Seriously. :smile:

    I would never of believed you are 48, more like 30 or 35.
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
    Don't forget you can be thin and still have a high bodyfat%.

    I think the high teens, lower 20's is good for an average woman.
  • jshort152
    jshort152 Posts: 80
    BMI means nothing, I'm 5'6" and weigh 175lbs and I'm considered obese yet I am at 14%bf. Go by bodyfat percentage, and for women, anywhere from 20-25% is considered healthy. To get abs and definition going a little lower would be your best bet, hope this helps!

    Jesse Short
    ISSA Certified Personal Trainer
  • i_miss_donuts
    i_miss_donuts Posts: 180 Member
    Essential body fat for women is variously listed as 10-12% (while men's is much lower at around 3%). This minimal level of fat is necessary to maintain reproductive function. From there, it really varies according to age and what is "ideal" from your personal aesthetic. As you get older the range for lean, healthy, overweight and obese increases slightly. For me, I am 41 and around 19-20% when last measured. My goal is 18% because this is generally the range at which I have really good muscle definition. For some people, this would be too low and some women as they age find out low body fat for muscle definition comes at the cost of having their faces look gaunt - so really it is about what is healthy and maintainable, what your priorities are and if you must choose between your face and fanny.

    It is not a great site, but this will show you a sample chart that seems pretty consistent with other sources on ideal body fat ranges for women. http://www.askthetrainer.com/body-fat-percentage-in-women/

    If you like visuals you can see images of women at various BF% here:
    http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages

    10-12% for women is essential to live. For reproductive function it's 14-18% min.

    That's what I thought with regards to reproductive function, you need higher than essential body fat. Otherwise, you can stop menstruating/ovulating. Even lower than 18% can lead to hormonal imbalances that cause irregular periods.

    My bad - you are both right! BF needs to be higher than the essential fat level to avoid amenorrhea and all the associated negative health impacts.
  • britneyy32
    britneyy32 Posts: 97 Member
    My body fat percentage is 20% according to online calculators so my actual body fat percentage may be lower or higher but I'd like to get down to 15% at least so I can have some muscle definition cause I am pretty sure I need to get my body fat percentage that low to start showing muslce definition.. but it's just sooo hard for me to lose weight my body doesn't like to get lower than weighing 125 lbs really. It prefers to be at 135 lbs or so. I'm 5'8".
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
    Don't get hung up on the numbers. It really depends on your current body composition and your 15% might show muscle definition and it might not. Maybe it'll show before than. I'm shorter than you, weigh about 138 lbs and and show muscle definition and my BF is around low 20's high teens. At 15% I start looking pretty ripped. And unless you can compare your online measurement to getting a 7-9 point caliper test or get dunked or bodpoded that 20% is probably inaccurate. 15% is pretty low for an average woman to be hanging around at for no reason anyhoo. Things can start going haywire in your body. Just go by how you look in the mirror.
  • nicehormones
    nicehormones Posts: 503 Member
    I am shooting for 25%. I have no idea what this will look like on me until I get there, so it may change as I get closer. I know it's at least in the healthy range, and that's what I want.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Thanks. There is nothing in the book about age being a factor but my guess would be the older you are the closer to the 12% you could be.

    I would think it would be the opposite. I'm 40 and when my BF gets too low, I look older. I need a little extra to plump up my face a bit.

    Around 20% is good for me. I think I'm about 22-ish now, but I don't know and don't really care.
  • lauren3382
    lauren3382 Posts: 372 Member
    What does "eat clean" mean?

    Eating clean means different things to different people and it has been quite the debate on the forums. I'll give you my definition of clean :) To me, eating clean means eating foods that are as minimally processed as possible, pre-packaged foods with 5 of fewer ingredients (no artificial ingredients), and lots of veggies, fruit, and lean meats. With the exception of protein and casein powders, I eat a pretty clean diet for MY definition...others might not agree. Feel free to take a look at my diary, too :)
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    My body fat percentage is 20% according to online calculators so my actual body fat percentage may be lower or higher but I'd like to get down to 15% at least so I can have some muscle definition cause I am pretty sure I need to get my body fat percentage that low to start showing muslce definition.. but it's just sooo hard for me to lose weight my body doesn't like to get lower than weighing 125 lbs really. It prefers to be at 135 lbs or so. I'm 5'8".

    Because 135 lbs is a healthy weight for your height, whereas 125 lbs is on the underweight side. Your body will not thank you for starving it.

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