Body Fat %

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purplepony33
purplepony33 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I have read that body fat % is a good indication (better than the scale) of progress. I work out w/ a trainer regularly, so I get "pinched". I've had this discussion w/ the trainer, but you know... it's a trainer. For an average female who isn't trying to enter competitions, run maranthons, etc..., what range is the "right range" for body fat %? I know it depends on a number of factors. Just looking for general feedback. Thanks!

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  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    Athlete - 14-20%
    Fitness - 21-24%
    Acceptable - 25-31%
    Obese - 31%+


    I'm aiming for 20%. I'm 28.7% right now.
  • skatjon
    skatjon Posts: 29
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    Anywhere from 18-22% is a normal healthy range. When you get below 12% you could see some health issues. Some people are just naturally lower in body fat but if you are around 18% that is a lean body in my opinion.
  • purplepony33
    purplepony33 Posts: 4
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    Good for you, Arielle. What kind of timeline are you aiming for? What % did you start at? What the heck does "acceptable" mean?!:wink:
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I think acceptable means you're not as at risk for diseases and it's "okay" but it's obviously not that healthy. I found a better description somewhere else but am too lazy to look. :wink:

    I don't know where I actually started but when I was first measured, 2 months into my journey, I was at 32.3%. I haven't lost much body fat but I'm working on it! I'd like to be 20% at least by the end of the year but we'll see how it goes... I'm still waiting for the actual weight loss to pick up. I'm losing inches & lost 0.6% this past month so I know I'm still dropping SOMETHING!
  • lilmissy2
    lilmissy2 Posts: 595 Member
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    Last I checked (which admittedly was when I learnt it at uni in 2005 :tongue: ) the healthy ranges were:

    Women: 15-25%
    Men: 10-15%

    It's different because women naturally have a higher proportion of fat and lower proportion of muscle than men.
  • lobster888
    lobster888 Posts: 861 Member
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    Do those ranges take age into account?
  • lilmissy2
    lilmissy2 Posts: 595 Member
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    I don't think so, struggling to remember now if there were different ranges for different ages. That might have been the 18-30years range (or I might be now confusing it with some other type of range!). Or if not, it may have been standard 'adult' which is usually 18-60. I'm sure kids would have had separate ranges and I'm not sure anyone would recommend body fat monitoring for an elderly person.
  • lilmissy2
    lilmissy2 Posts: 595 Member
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    Oops, forgot as usual to mention that I trained in Australia so might have slightly different recommendations since they are often somewhat based on the averages of the population as well as evidence for health.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Arielle is pretty close to right on for women.

    men are different.

    men need a minimum of about 5 to 6% to stay healthy, most consider 7 to 8% to be the ultimate in fitness. 9 to 12% is considered exceptional and 12 to 18 is good to acceptable (respectively); above 18% and you start to see risk factors for obesity related issues rise.
  • lobster888
    lobster888 Posts: 861 Member
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    I searched healthy body fat for women over 40 and found this... for this purpose "acceptable" seems to be in the healthy range - go figure ! I just always assumed that a little higher body fat came with age because your lean mass goes down - even if you are fit. Maybe just wishfull thinking...lol I am acceptable so maybe I should be happy with that LOL


    What is a Healthy Body Fat Percentage?

    Age-Adjusted Body Fat Charts for Men and Women If you look around the Internet, you will see a lot of different recommendations for body fat percentages. As far as I can tell, this is the most authoritative, as it is based on World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health recommendations, and takes age into account. Please do not confuse these numbers with the BMI (Body Mass Index) scores, which are not the same thing.

    Age-Adusted Body Fat Percentage Recommendations

    Women

    Age Underfat Healthy Range Overweight Obese
    20-40 yrs Under 21% 21-33% 33-39% Over 39%
    41-60 yrs Under 23% 23-35% 35-40% Over 40%
    61-79 yrs Under 24% 24-36% 36-42% Over 42%

    Men

    Age Underfat Healthy Range Overweight Obese
    20-40 yrs Under 8% 8-19% 19-25% Over 25%
    41-60 yrs Under 11% 11-22% 22-27% Over 27%
    61-79 yrs Under 13% 13-25% 25-30% Over 30%
  • purplepony33
    purplepony33 Posts: 4
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    Wow! You guys have been super helpful. Let me ask you this: For those of you who get pinched, how much difference difference the person doing the pinch make? I'm asking because I'm frustrated. I started getting pinched by one person, then another, and in total have been pinched by 3-4 people. Depending on whose measurements I use, I'm either plateaued (hey, it happens) or backsliding (which is really frustrating). So, I'm wondering if I need to go back to that very first person, who did the first time, and see what he comes up with? AARGH!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Wow! You guys have been super helpful. Let me ask you this: For those of you who get pinched, how much difference difference the person doing the pinch make? I'm asking because I'm frustrated. I started getting pinched by one person, then another, and in total have been pinched by 3-4 people. Depending on whose measurements I use, I'm either plateaued (hey, it happens) or backsliding (which is really frustrating). So, I'm wondering if I need to go back to that very first person, who did the first time, and see what he comes up with? AARGH!

    everyone is different. Even the most experienced Caliper test will have fluctuation.

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