Focusing on Body Fat %

aetzkorn14
aetzkorn14 Posts: 169 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
I see weight loss to be the number one priority on here and I was just wondering are there people on here who focus a lot on their bf%. I have a general weight goal but I really want that lovely bf% of 15-18. I have lost 7% in 12 weeks but my scale has barely changed so I try to not think about it.

Replies

  • TheRealOrson
    TheRealOrson Posts: 1,415 Member
    Heya!

    yeah, BF% is ALL I'm worried about. Mine was very high but since I am so concerned with maintaining muscle mass while cutting, my weight on the scales means nothing. My goal is not based around a certain weight, it's based around a certain look with a BF% of sub 10%

    Long-term I think 12% is more realistic but I want to get to sub 10 just to see myself really shredded.
  • ShortInSeattle
    ShortInSeattle Posts: 44
    I'm focused more on BF% than weight. I have a general idea of what my goal weight will be, but my goal is to get down to 20% BF. i actually think a goal BF% makes more sense anyway, as setting your goal weight too low may be unrealistic if you have good muscle mass.

    SIS
  • stefjc
    stefjc Posts: 484 Member
    Before you start.... that low a bodyfat% in a woman can lead to amenorrhoea - a loss of menstrual cycle. Unless you are an elite athlete and being supported by a doctor, it shouldn't really be a goal. Especially as it is now associated with lack of energy rather than the low bf% itself as has concommitant problems such as loss of bone density, osteopenia or osteoporosis.

    It really isn't healthy!
  • Boxykins
    Boxykins Posts: 7 Member
    My bodyfat is at 29% and am looking to get it down to the low 20's relatively soon- but my main goal is sustainability, so keeping it down. I don't mind if it takes long, as long as it stays long :P
  • MsTeaka
    MsTeaka Posts: 6
    Yes---My goal is to focus on % of Body Fat lost as well....I want to be at 18% BF.....I don't have a weight attached to my % of BF....as I am wanting to gain lean muscle......I have not weighed myself, and am going to go by the BF on my scale at home (for my own indicator on a weekly basis) as well as I have a personnel trainer at the gym, who will be doing monthly stats for me....

    Do you know what the ratio is (if there is one) as to a "lb" = 0.2% BF ---I am trying to do a graph up for a visual of % of BF lost, but not sure what kind of increments to put it at....(I did one for "lbs" and did in increments of 2lbs---but have no idea how to do a BF graph??) wondering if you could help me out on that one
  • gracielynn1011
    gracielynn1011 Posts: 726 Member
    Yes. I have a weight goal set, but it's not my primary target. I have estimated my body fat using fat2fit online calculators. It averages out right now at around 25%, when I started it was 32%. My goal is 20%. This is becoming a slow process for me as I get closer, but I'll stick it out as long as I have to. I want to get there and stay there!
  • VeeSis
    VeeSis Posts: 23
    Although I have a weight goal in mind, I too am much more interested in my BMI. I've been hunting a good online chart. I'll try that fat2fit one.
  • aetzkorn14
    aetzkorn14 Posts: 169 Member
    I ve talk to two different trainers already about whether it is a realistic goal or not and they both agreed it is ok. I doubt I will every get to 15 but 18 I think I can make. From what I have read anything below 15 is dangerous. I have a way to go so I will play it as I go but if I ever decide to do comps low numbers are what I will have to have.
  • stefjc
    stefjc Posts: 484 Member
    Have a quick read round for yourself though, please!

    General guidance is a BF% of 17 or less can be too low for some.

    And if you do decide to do comps have a chat with a doctor about contraception - it can help re-balance some of the hormonal changes. Some of the female athletes I work with have been given that advice as part of their AAASE/Start training support (they are in training for very elite sport, world championships/Olympics etc) as they too are aiming for very low bf%.

    Good luck.
  • Traveezy
    Traveezy Posts: 57 Member
    bf% is my main goal.. I could care less what I weigh but I don't have the calipers and all that crap so I know for about 10% bf my bf and lean body mass should equal about 155lbs. so that's my goal.. weight train and lose weight simultaneously with the goal of maintaining muscle so my end goal of 155lbs will mainly be my lean body mass. now if I had the calipers and knew how to use them I would just go that route.
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
    lowering my bodyfat is one of my goals now :)
  • lua_
    lua_ Posts: 258 Member
    Aiming for 15-20% BF :smile:
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    If I see a change in one or the other, I'm a happy camper!
  • fat2strongbeth
    fat2strongbeth Posts: 735 Member
    I'm aiming for <20% body fat. Once I hit this goal, I don't really care what the scale says.
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    Before you start.... that low a bodyfat% in a woman can lead to amenorrhoea - a loss of menstrual cycle. Unless you are an elite athlete and being supported by a doctor, it shouldn't really be a goal. Especially as it is now associated with lack of energy rather than the low bf% itself as has concommitant problems such as loss of bone density, osteopenia or osteoporosis.

    It really isn't healthy!

    Hardly anybody ever actually permanently maintains at that low of a percentage and from my readings thats not super low. Thats definitely low enough, but not low enough to cause problems unless she maintained it or pushed it even farther lower! 15-20% Sounds fine to me BUT you need to do it the smart way. If you are seriously underfeeding yourself and your caloric intake is drastic than reaching that point is unhealthy. Thats the only reason to worry, if at a 10-20% calorie deficit you reached that percentage than great job and no worries!! :D
  • tequila09
    tequila09 Posts: 764 Member
    I'm focused on dropping about 8% for now which would put me at 20% BF. My ticker just reflects where I think I will be which is around 140 since im 5'8 and I still log my losses but im not trying to get to some magical number. Whatever weight I am when I reach my BF goal ill be happy with that!!
  • Red_Sparrow
    Red_Sparrow Posts: 56
    I definitely do - I try really hard not to lose muscle when I'm trying to cut fat, and it's a lot easier to keep track of what exactly I'm losing when my weight on the scale drops.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I tried using the fat2fit calculator, as well as the one on active.com, and I got somewhere between 24 and 31%. Yet, when looking at pictures to estimate body fat % online, and comparing them to mine, I estimate around 17%. Why are the calculators so high? Even on a scale that measured bf%, it said somewhere around 30% and the nurse just looked me up and down and said "No, just no. It may need to be re-calibrated." I really don't think my bf is as high as 24%.
  • letmebangbro
    letmebangbro Posts: 213 Member
    trying to gain 15-20 more lbs then cut all excess fat to hit under 10%
    dem feeeelsss

    have a caliper that i just add 1-2% on for any calculation errors.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    Yeah, the scale goes up and down, right alongside my emotions lol! BF% is so much better, as well as the mirror, the way clothing fits, measurements.
  • crandos
    crandos Posts: 377 Member
    Heya!

    yeah, BF% is ALL I'm worried about. Mine was very high but since I am so concerned with maintaining muscle mass while cutting, my weight on the scales means nothing. My goal is not based around a certain weight, it's based around a certain look with a BF% of sub 10%

    Long-term I think 12% is more realistic but I want to get to sub 10 just to see myself really shredded.

    pretty much this not focused on the scale, altho i sorta know roughly what weight i need to be.
  • charleyreedto175
    charleyreedto175 Posts: 60 Member
    I look at both. My first goal is to remove the fat from my body. To burn what I have and to drop the pounds and the body fat %. I think at the start both go together. Then as the BMI drops to a low level the problems start. I will never be 12 Body fat again. I just hope to get back down to 20 at this point. AT my age that is a solid goal.
  • megsi474
    megsi474 Posts: 370 Member
    Since I started lifting, I haven't focused so much on my actual weight. I've seen plenty of ladies post progress pics within a few pounds of each other with a completely different body shape. I've only lost a handful of pounds but look very different.
  • NoxDineen
    NoxDineen Posts: 497 Member
    I don't even own a scale. I own callipers and a couple pairs of jeans that are pretty unforgiving in how they fit.

    Oh and I sometimes challenge guys at work to push-up contests. (They usually win, but they're always grumpy at how difficult it is to beat me.)

    I used to have an eating disorder, so I know first hand that a low number on the scale doesn't necessarily mean you're health (or look good, I looked like I was about to die).
  • aetzkorn14
    aetzkorn14 Posts: 169 Member
    Before you start.... that low a bodyfat% in a woman can lead to amenorrhoea - a loss of menstrual cycle. Unless you are an elite athlete and being supported by a doctor, it shouldn't really be a goal. Especially as it is now associated with lack of energy rather than the low bf% itself as has concommitant problems such as loss of bone density, osteopenia or osteoporosis.

    It really isn't healthy!

    Hardly anybody ever actually permanently maintains at that low of a percentage and from my readings thats not super low. Thats definitely low enough, but not low enough to cause problems unless she maintained it or pushed it even farther lower! 15-20% Sounds fine to me BUT you need to do it the smart way. If you are seriously underfeeding yourself and your caloric intake is drastic than reaching that point is unhealthy. Thats the only reason to worry, if at a 10-20% calorie deficit you reached that percentage than great job and no worries!! :D

    Exactly...I definitely don't under feed and I absolutely refuse to do so. I am a yoyoer and I know I will binge out. I eat for my workouts and I am not afraid of carbs, calories, or weights. I don't think being on birth control is something I will ever do and I don't see how that s a healthy reaction if my body ever does go out of wack. I will simply gain the fat I need back to prevent that. thank you for the input!
  • gracielynn1011
    gracielynn1011 Posts: 726 Member
    I tried using the fat2fit calculator, as well as the one on active.com, and I got somewhere between 24 and 31%. Yet, when looking at pictures to estimate body fat % online, and comparing them to mine, I estimate around 17%. Why are the calculators so high? Even on a scale that measured bf%, it said somewhere around 30% and the nurse just looked me up and down and said "No, just no. It may need to be re-calibrated." I really don't think my bf is as high as 24%.

    It varies because people carry their weight differently. If you measure your wrist and you have thin wrists, it skews the results to show lower. Same with hips, if you carry your weight in your lower half, it reads higher. I use all three calculators on fat2fit, then average those together. I do this once a month. You can see a downward trend that way. One thing is for sure, my scale has never given me an accurate reading.

    I hope this makes sense, I am typing one handed while wrestling a sleepy toddler!
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