anyone good at telling BF% by pictures?

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calisunrise
calisunrise Posts: 307
in Health and Weight Loss
So I don't have any access to calipers and most body fat calculators give me around 25-27% which I clearly don't have after googling "25% body fat". If anyone is good at telling the body fat percentage, let me know and I'll send you a recent photo of me. Thank you

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Can I ask why you 'clearly' don't have 25% bodyfat? What do you think it is?
  • elisha8685
    elisha8685 Posts: 20
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    You can use the Army's algorithm, it's not the most accurate thing in the world but it should give you a ballpark:

    http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/physical_training/apft-calculator-online.shtml

    Under Army Fitness Calculator, click the category "Body Fat" and enter your information. Let me know if it works!
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    You can check out these articles with visual images of persons with different body fat percentages. However that is only a guide & it doesn't guarantee that is their actual percentage.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
    http://www.healthfitnessfanatics.com/why-you-should-pay-attention-to-your-body-fat-percentage-and-not-just-your-body-weight/
  • calisunrise
    calisunrise Posts: 307
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    http://www.leighpeele.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/body-fat-percentage-pictures-female.jpg
    My body currently doesn't look like the middle one. I have a small waist, smaller belly and slim arms. Well, I might as well post it on here, then delete it after.
    http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdmz1eof4O1r4swbio1_500.jpg
  • mdh185
    mdh185 Posts: 49 Member
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    I can't imagine anyone is good by pictures. But the algorithm is a pretty good guesstimate.
  • mdh185
    mdh185 Posts: 49 Member
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    20-25 is very healthy for a woman and you look like you are pretty healthy. Once you get into the teens women start to get ripped. And finally woman generally store body fat below their waist so being thinner above the waist is not telling. Men carry it on their belly.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    20-25 is very healthy for a woman and you look like you are pretty healthy. Once you get into the teens women start to get ripped.
    Women start to get ripped when their body fat percentage goes to about 15% or less.
  • emily_bird
    emily_bird Posts: 236
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    Nope. Not good at all. However, you look stunning !
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Yeah, OP, that link you sent... the 25% body fat looks much different than other "images" of body fat %. I'm currently hovering around 26% and I'm much trimmer than that image.

    That being said, you look very thin to me... don't fret about "having to delete" the link! You look great. I think it's kind of a fool's errand to "estimate" body fat %, when height and inches and muscle vs. no muscle all play a big role.

    I can say that even with my caveat, you look lower than 25%. Definitely a health body fat % no matter what the number is for you!
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
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    Seems about right to me. Calipers aren't that accurate though if you don't know how to use them. I have calipers but I sort of average using calipers, a body fat scale, and pictures. Again, you will see a lot of pictures of what different body fat percentages are supposed to look like, and they will look quite different depending on how accurate THEIR measurement was and how much muscle they have.
  • elisha8685
    elisha8685 Posts: 20
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    25% by the way for a woman is not unhealthy. You look under 25% by at least a couple percent. I think you look great and could even gain a couple pounds of healthy weight! :)
  • AMYJK7110
    AMYJK7110 Posts: 126 Member
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    You can use the Army's algorithm, it's not the most accurate thing in the world but it should give you a ballpark:

    http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/physical_training/apft-calculator-online.shtml

    Under Army Fitness Calculator, click the category "Body Fat" and enter your information. Let me know if it works!

    Thanks for this! I used it, hoping my home scale was wrong, but nope, a 1% difference from my scale, so I'd say it's about as accurate as I'm going to get without getting a scan or displacement test.
  • calisunrise
    calisunrise Posts: 307
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    Thank you everyone! That military one seems pretty good as according to in i'm 22%. Also, I started focusing on muscle recently which might gain me some good lean mass :) I've lost a little of muscle mass with a high deficit and only doing cardio for over a month which was a HUGE mistake. Doing lots of weights and pilates and a little cardio seems to make me lose more inches than the other way around :)
  • gingerveg
    gingerveg Posts: 748 Member
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    You look great! I don't know if one can really tell from pictures, but if I were to guess I'd say you are about 24-25% because you appear thin but not very muscular.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    I was going to guess low 20s.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I would guess low to mid 20's, depending on your LBM. If you want to track progress, just pick one and use that going forward. No method is totally accurate in any event and a spot BF% is not that meaningful once you are in the healthy range which you obviously are.

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