Which online body fat calculator do you trust?

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lelee32287
lelee32287 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've tried using the ones on Fat 2 Fit Radio (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/) and taking the average of the three, and I've tried the one on gymgoal (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/), but the results are different by almost 3 percentage points.

Also, where do you measure your waist? One of them says to use the minimum width, and the other says to use the maximum width over the naval.

Similarly, where do you measure your hips? At the top of the hip (pelvic) bones? At the widest part (which for me at least includes my rear end)? At the point of the hip sockets?

Thanks in advance for your help....

Replies

  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
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    none. they are all terrible.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    The one with the mirror attached. :smile:
  • livetodance2013
    livetodance2013 Posts: 5
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    I use http://www.healthstatus.com/calculators.html

    they have three different calculators:
    -US Marines
    -US Navy
    -YMCA

    I use the YMCA.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    none. they are all terrible.

    This.

    I look in the mirror and guesstimate. That's precise enough for me.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
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    none of them. they are as useful as a poke in the eye with a stick.

    however, if you must use them, use the ones you can find with as many data points as possible, including whereever is the last place you lose fat, depending on your body type this will vary, so different strokes for different folks.

    avoid the military calculator, it doesn't have enough data pts to measure to be accurrate.

    if the last place you lose bf is your thighs, then use covert bailey on fat to fit tools, or something similar.
    also, make sure you're measuring correctly and measure both sides. For instance, one of my wrists is 1 inch bigger the other,
    which causes a 5lb differene in my lbm calculation and a completely different bf% too.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
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    the waist measurement will vary with the calculator, use the place they ask for.
    if they are asking for your 'natural' waist, this is just below the rib cage.

    in every instance i can remember, they always want to know the widest hip measurement.
    this will vary, for your own records it's a good idea to measure in places that are near bones,
    to make sure you're measuring in the same place each time.

    I also second everything they are saying regarding the mirror. and how you feel.
    you have to really take an honest look at yourself.
    the calculator can say you're 24%bf, but they are often off by 5%,
    and infamous for overestimating if you're obese.
  • kae_blah
    kae_blah Posts: 180 Member
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    *cries*

    The calculators on one of those links was mean to me!

    Apparently my hips are too big to be used in the calculations. Kinda depressing since I am pretty much at my goal weight.
  • MJ_Watson
    MJ_Watson Posts: 180 Member
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    Plugging my numbers into the fat2fit calculators gave me 27%, 29%, and 49% respectively. The first two are WAY too low and I had my bodyfat tested at 47% at my highest weight (which was about 40 lbs and many, many inches ago), so I'd frankly say none of them. But then again, all three had my BFF at ~26% which is accurate, so who knows.

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