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Body fat %

ILoveFroggies
ILoveFroggies Posts: 120 Member
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Hey my fellow skinny fat girls and guys,

What are your thoughts on an ideal body fat %?

I'm in pretty classic "skinny fat" shape at the moment, in that my BMI is on the low end of normal (19), but my body fat % is "considered obese" (26)... FML.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/534464-how-much-is-normal-body-fat-percent-for-a-girl/

Anyway, according to this article, the fit/healthy range I should be aiming for is 14-21. Does that sound good? What should I be doing to get into that range?

Thanks!

Replies

  • jpiane
    jpiane Posts: 13
    What are you using to measure your Body fat %?
  • ILoveFroggies
    ILoveFroggies Posts: 120 Member
    A scale - one of those ones where you hop on it, type in your age, gender, height, it sends an electric current or whatever through you, then it pops out your weight and body fat %, haha!
  • ennovi_r
    ennovi_r Posts: 10 Member
    A great way to lose body fat is to do cardio. I have been doing that and it working so far.
  • manenina
    manenina Posts: 71
    Hey my fellow skinny fat girls and guys,

    What are your thoughts on an ideal body fat %?

    I'm in pretty classic "skinny fat" shape at the moment, in that my BMI is on the low end of normal (19), but my body fat % is "considered obese" (26)... FML.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/534464-how-much-is-normal-body-fat-percent-for-a-girl/

    Anyway, according to this article, the fit/healthy range I should be aiming for is 14-21. Does that sound good? What should I be doing to get into that range?

    Thanks!

    Hi!

    I don't know you, but I'm at 21.4% and my scale obviously puts me outside the "good" range but I think you have to be far from 21% to actually look fit... When I first bought this scale I was at 21% and did not look fit (didn't I? Some times I think I have always considered myself fat somehow...) Let's get those percentage DOWN!
  • ILoveFroggies
    ILoveFroggies Posts: 120 Member
    Hey hey! Many thanks, you two, for the replies! :D

    ennovi_r: Do I need to combine cardio with weights training as well though? Because otherwise won't I just be losing fat (and potentially some muscle with it) and not gaining any muscle? As opposed to if I did cardio + strength and lost fat + gained muscle! :D

    manenina, I'm totally with you on this!!!!! :):):)
  • ennovi_r
    ennovi_r Posts: 10 Member
    I just mentioned cardio because it is the fastest/easiest way to lose fat all over.
    But strength training is great for shaping muscles/your body and also burns calories- so do it if you can! : )
  • ILoveFroggies
    ILoveFroggies Posts: 120 Member
    Perfect, thanks heaps! :D

    You see, last time I tried losing weight, I just did cardio and dieting and ended up losing lean muscle mass I think... which means when I gained weight again (i.e. gained fat), even though I got back to my original BMI, my body fat % was even higher than previously... LAME.

    Keen this time to do strength training to preserve and even build muscle. :D
  • Camilletherealdeal
    Camilletherealdeal Posts: 26 Member
    Lifting weights has not affected my body fat % dramatically (my diet has also sucked since the semester started), but there is a big difference in the way I look and I personally think that is more important. I would recomment light weight training with high reps to anyone, it won't bulk you up. I started doing a class called cardio chisel, which is similar to body pump but with intense cardio intervals - it is awesome, I am getting toned - so my bf % is probably going down a little bit - and feel way stronger. Running is so much easier with my legs and core being stronger. Plus higher muscle mass is supposed to increase metabolism.
  • deadliftfan
    deadliftfan Posts: 66
    168lb, 6', 14% body fat.

    Managed to put on about 10lb while keeping the body fat percentage stable. Still have some fat in abdomen and chest.

    I've just started cutting. Even if I can lose a few pounds that'll be a big difference bf percentage wise.
  • Noflexing
    Noflexing Posts: 60 Member
    6' 2.5' 15.5% body fat currently at a 900-1000 caloric deficit and doing hypertrophy training. Working :)
    haven't had a cheat meal in 5 months. 4 meals a day (150daysx4=600 clean meals) tomorrow on thanksgiving i'm going ape**** lol not going to count a single calorie and just eat from the minute i wake up til the minute i go to bed. I deserve it :D
  • Jozie_
    Jozie_ Posts: 61 Member
    That article you quoted is for a girl, as in a child not a woman. According to the link below you're actually in the acceptable range, and at the lower end of it too.

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/02/body-fat-percentage/

    My body fat percentage is 24% at the moment, I'm fit but you can't see much obvious muscle definition if you know what I mean. At around 21% I start noticing a big difference!
  • Jozie_
    Jozie_ Posts: 61 Member
    And really important to remember not to compare you're % to that of a man! A 'fitness' body fat percentage for a male is 14-17% for a woman its 21-24%

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