Body fat calculators - major difference?

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ladiablo
ladiablo Posts: 42 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello fellow weight loss and fitness fiends :)
I have been using the military body fat calculator from fat2fitradio.com, a site I found through one of the stickies here. Today I tried the original calculator too, purely out of interest. I know it was granted there was going to be some difference ... but ... is this a little excessive?

Per the military BF calculator, I'm 40.8% body fat with 111.8 lb lean mass and 77.2 lb fat.

Per the other BF calculator, I'm 28.1% body fat with 135.9 lb lean mass and 53.1 lb fat. o___O

I guess my base question is, how do I find out if I'm in the upper normal range or the lower obese range?

Replies

  • bowler204
    bowler204 Posts: 2 Member
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    I'd stop by a gym and ask for measurements, they have scales (or you can buy your own) that calculate your body fat using a kind of body fat sonar (that is far from a technical term). It's probably more accurate than what you'll find online.
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
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    to me the scale thing gave 38% at one point, while one hand held device gave me 24%. :/
    guess you could go to gym and get you tested?
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    The funniest result I've ever got from a body fat calculators was -3.7% (yes minus LOL)

    The Navy formula tends to massively overestimate body fat in some people who are overweight or obese, especially women. Its designed to tell military personnel whether someone who is overweight/obese according to BMI is actually carrying too much body fat, or if they are very muscular. It's a pass/fail kind of test.

    Use other measures as well, not just calculators. Use visual methods (look up Leigh Peele's blog and her report on body fat percentages) and also use calipers, or get your fat measured by someone with calipers (make sure it's someone that knows what they're doing, calipers are accurate, however it depends on the person using them knowing what they're doing, because operator error is the usual cause of them giving dodgy readings). The bf% scales can be off by quite a lot as well sometimes.

    So basically, if you're getting consistent readings of around 28% with every other measure and a crazy high one with the navy formula, then that's just the Navy formula being the Navy formula. Unless you're in the military and need to pass this test, I wouldn't worry about it.
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
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    I hear the caliper measurements are the most accurate. Some chemists do it for you for free!! Boom!!
  • blackiris49
    blackiris49 Posts: 128 Member
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    Did my weigh-in today-

    %body fat Military (27.8), Covert Bailey (24.3), Fat2fit Original (26), Scientificpsychic (28.3), bathroom scales (29.9)

    Each use different methods of calculation, and body measurements. Everyone loses fat quicker in different places. I lost quicker on my hips and thighs. Also I lost quicker from my 'natural waist' than my 'navel waist', belly fat slower to go. Some calculators use the natural waist for women others use navel (belly button) waist. Some also take age into account.
    Best to just follow the trend -hopefully down. :happy:
  • Athena98501
    Athena98501 Posts: 716 Member
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    Hello fellow weight loss and fitness fiends :)
    I have been using the military body fat calculator from fat2fitradio.com, a site I found through one of the stickies here. Today I tried the original calculator too, purely out of interest. I know it was granted there was going to be some difference ... but ... is this a little excessive?

    Per the military BF calculator, I'm 40.8% body fat with 111.8 lb lean mass and 77.2 lb fat.

    Per the other BF calculator, I'm 28.1% body fat with 135.9 lb lean mass and 53.1 lb fat. o___O

    I guess my base question is, how do I find out if I'm in the upper normal range or the lower obese range?

    My original thinking was that unless you're really tall, or have been lifting heavy for a long time, 136ish lean mass is a stretch. I decided to go try them both with my numbers, and I can tell you, the military one was closer, but it was low by a decent margin. The other one gave me a lean mass of 145.3, and I'm (large frame) 5' 3.5", and I don't lift weights yet. By that calculation, I'd still be overweight even if I had only that lean mass, and no body fat whatsoever. That one also gave me a 28.4% body fat, which is just absurdly low (I wear a size 18). The military one had the lean mass off (low) by about 10 pounds, but that could be because that one doesn't factor in frame size. My guess is that it would probably be pretty accurate for people who's frame size is proportionate to their height.

    I'm sure this wasn't what you wanted to hear, but my aim was to help. :flowerforyou:
  • Athena98501
    Athena98501 Posts: 716 Member
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    I hear the caliper measurements are the most accurate. Some chemists do it for you for free!! Boom!!

    Lol. Why do I picture these chemists as meth manufacturers? Especially with the "Boom!!" :tongue:
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
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    I don't understand why people get so attached to numbers when it comes to weight loss. Whether it be body fat % or the number on a scale... those numbers mean nothing. Those numbers can really bog you down and make you miserable if you aren't seeing the digits you want.

    Eating right, being active and how you look into the mirror is all you need.

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