14.8% bf - how unhealthy?

Rosie4732
Rosie4732 Posts: 42 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How unhealthy is that level of bf for a woman?

Specifically a woman who is maintaining a consistent healthy weight for age/height, feels fit, has good muscle definition and has plenty of energy to do all exersise etc and eats healthily?

Thanks :)
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Replies

  • Rosie4732
    Rosie4732 Posts: 42 Member
    no one with any opinions?
    thats unusual...!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    How unhealthy is that level of bf for a woman?

    Specifically a woman who is maintaining a consistent healthy weight for age/height, feels fit, has good muscle definition and has plenty of energy to do all exersise etc and eats healthily?

    Thanks :)

    Why would you think it would be unhealthy?
  • Csuvetmed
    Csuvetmed Posts: 36 Member
    If a woman is healthy at that BF, that's great! I stopped menstruating at 13% BF (I was unhealthy, it was a long time ago, don't judge!), but I know some women can lose it at slightly higher BF. I'd say if the woman is healthy as you described, I see no issue with it!
  • Rosie4732
    Rosie4732 Posts: 42 Member
    Why would you think it would be unhealthy?

    it was a PT who tested me and basically had a right old rant at me stating that it was very unhealthy and I should be at least 18%...

    So I was wondering other peoples opinions... and tbh after being over weight for so long - and now maintaining a good weight for 2 months - I was not liking the idea of having to put some back on!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    At that percentage, you're within the female "athlete" range for body fat. The only negatives I've heard about a woman having that low of a BF% is that there can be menstruation/fertility issues. I'd think as long as you're not experiencing any healthy problems and you've got plenty of energy, etc there's no problem. If all else fails, check with your primary doctor for more information.
  • Rosie4732
    Rosie4732 Posts: 42 Member
    If a woman is healthy at that BF, that's great! I stopped menstruating at 13% BF (I was unhealthy, it was a long time ago, don't judge!), but I know some women can lose it at slightly higher BF. I'd say if the woman is healthy as you described, I see no issue with it!

    thank you - i dont know about periods as on depo (didnt make me weight gain ;)) and have not had one since starting it (9 months ago before my weight loss)
  • Rosie4732
    Rosie4732 Posts: 42 Member
    At that percentage, you're within the female "athlete" range for body fat. The only negatives I've heard about a woman having that low of a BF% is that there can be menstruation/fertility issues. I'd think as long as you're not experiencing any healthy problems and you've got plenty of energy, etc there's no problem. If all else fails, check with your primary doctor for more information.

    thank you

    these are the opinions i was hoping for ;)

    I felt awful when I was basically slated by the PT :(
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    How did the PT test your body fat %? Most testing methods have a margin of error and also the need for certain circumstances (fasting for instance). if not done right, it could be off by up to 4%.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I have 18% body fat. When measured with calipers it's between 9 and 11% depending on the number of sites and the calculator used. The methods for measuring body fat vary widely.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    The mindset is a lot more important than the body fat percentage.
  • Rosie4732
    Rosie4732 Posts: 42 Member
    How did the PT test your body fat %? Most testing methods have a margin of error and also the need for certain circumstances (fasting for instance). if not done right, it could be off by up to 4%.

    an electrical pulse machine that you hold.... she also had me input age, height and current weight
    when I use this one - http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/ I come out at 18.9%
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    That PT is so full of BS.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I would think that is perfectly fine if you are comfortable with it. I'm not entirely sure, but I think the health concern arises for women at 13% bf or less.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    How did the PT test your body fat %? Most testing methods have a margin of error and also the need for certain circumstances (fasting for instance). if not done right, it could be off by up to 4%.

    an electrical pulse machine that you hold.... she also had me input age, height and current weight
    when I use this one - http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/ I come out at 18.9%

    Those are highly inaccurate. If you use it then drink 32 ounces of water your body fat reading will change by up to 5% (depending on how hydrated/dehydrated you were the first time).
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    I wouldn't worry too much as long as you are healthy and feel good. There are only a couple of "accurate" methods for measuring bf%, a water dispersion test and a bod pod test.

    I think you're fine as long as you're not seeing any negative female issues from it but like you said you're on Depo.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    As others have said, it can be tricky for women to maintain a low body fat %. It can vary what the optimal level is per person. There are a lot of factors that go into it (such as how much lbm you have, etc). Also, as others said, any method that is used in a gym setting to measure your body fat is not something to be trusted. You can use it as a guide to watch for trends, but it's not accurate, and most are a complete sham that have no scientific basis behind them to be capable of measuring body fat. You could talk to your doctor. For some women a low body fat can cause hormonal issues and lead to bone loss (osteoporosis). I don't think it's something to be afraid of. I do think it's something to be informed about and to talk to your own doctor about (since your doctor knows you and your body personally, knows your medical history, your family medical history, and can run some minor tests). But, even a doctor will not be able to properly measure your bf%. So, having a clean bill of health from your doctor, and having all the experiential "evidence" of your own personal health are all factors to take into consideration (and to see if there are any possible red flags). A lot of women have that low body fat percent and seem to be fine. Younger women need more body fat. Older women do not need as much.
  • Csuvetmed
    Csuvetmed Posts: 36 Member
    If a woman is healthy at that BF, that's great! I stopped menstruating at 13% BF (I was unhealthy, it was a long time ago, don't judge!), but I know some women can lose it at slightly higher BF. I'd say if the woman is healthy as you described, I see no issue with it!

    I should also add that I think the method of reducing BF has a lot to do with it. I know a lot of female athletes with 10-15% who are healthy and fertile, and I assume it's because they did it the "right" way vs. the teenage angst way. Individual variation is a huge factor, too. Also, I agree with the posts pointing out the variation in BF measurement techniques!
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    I was at my doctors last month and I was not getting my period for months at a time, we figured out due to my low body fat, she said 18% should be minimum, last ichecked I was 17%...not sure why it unhealthy though, can't remember what she said lol
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    If a woman is healthy at that BF, that's great! I stopped menstruating at 13% BF (I was unhealthy, it was a long time ago, don't judge!), but I know some women can lose it at slightly higher BF. I'd say if the woman is healthy as you described, I see no issue with it!

    thank you - i dont know about periods as on depo (didnt make me weight gain ;)) and have not had one since starting it (9 months ago before my weight loss)

    Being on BC can mask hormonal issues.
  • Rosie4732
    Rosie4732 Posts: 42 Member
    thanks guys

    I felt awful when she had a go at me - I'm in training for a 6m assault course at the end of oct and she basically said that I was too skinny to get fitter and was talking about needing to put weight on - this is me 3 weeks ago today at a photo shoot and at the same weight I am now - I'm hardly an anorexic case!! (fwiw I'm 32, 5'5 and hover between 115 and 119lbs - run 3x 4m a week plus do 2 x metafit, 1 x rebound and ride my horse 6 days a week plus do all stable chores twice a day - I feel great and full of energy!)

    Rosie-28small.jpg

    darn it didnt work - sorry - how do i make it work?!
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
    I have 18% body fat. When measured with calipers it's between 9 and 11% depending on the number of sites and the calculator used. The methods for measuring body fat vary widely.

    ^^^This. I measured at 12.8% on the handheld thing, 13% on the military tape, 13% with a 7 pt caliper test.... Some of the other tape measure methods put me as high as 26%. I think I look like maybe 15-18% When I started to get multiple methods putting me so low, I looked into the health risks associated with low body fat for women. Besides the hormone issue (mine are fine, as I managed to conceive this summer and am now in my second trimester), malnutrition didn't concern me at all because I eat plenty and well. The only other big risk is mostly bone density related. If you do high impact activities (I like lifting and mosh pits; horseback riding would certainly count though), you're probably fine. If you are still worried about it, you can get a DEXA scan and get real numbers on your bone density. The fact that you are maintaining easily would indicate to me that you are not at an inappropriate body fat level.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    Rosie-28small.jpg

    ETA: fixed it for you. You have to change the IMG to lowercase img.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member


    Rosie-28small.jpg

    darn it didnt work - sorry - how do i make it work?!


    Change the IMG codes to img (lowercase).
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    You definitely don't look underweight or unhealthy. That PT way over reacted in general as well about the issue. Lots of women are healthy at that bf%. You look fantastic and healthy. I doubt a doctor would advise you to purposefully gain weight (unless you chose to go on a bulk/cut).
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    You certainly don't look unhealthy to me. If you are able to get your work done, look after yourself and family then I don't think it's much of an issue. I think I remember Eric Helms saying for a woman 20% bodyfat is what he would consider to be 'low' but I'm not sure if that's accurate.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Yeah, I am 14% on that handheld thing too, but in reality I know by measurements/weight that I am closer to 18-19%. Those are highly inaccurate.

    Also, the body fat % number doesn't really matter all that much unless you need it to matter.
  • Unknown
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  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    How unhealthy is that level of bf for a woman?

    Specifically a woman who is maintaining a consistent healthy weight for age/height, feels fit, has good muscle definition and has plenty of energy to do all exersise etc and eats healthily?

    Thanks :)

    from what I've read about this in the past (i.e. at uni), if she's still menstruating regularly, then she's probably fine. If she's lost her period or it's become irregular, that's a sign that her hormone levels have fallen, and she's at risk of losing bone density as a result (exercise has a protective effect but insufficient levels of some hormones have a very detrimental effect on this, and on other things).

    Also bear in mind that due to inaccuracy in testing body fat percentage, her body fat percentage may really be around 17-18 percent, which is the low end of the healthy range.

    IMO it's important to be aware of the signs from your body that you are carrying too little fat, rather than going by a calliper and a table. There are individual differences in terms of what body fat percentages people can sustain healthily, and also there's a margin of error by a few percent either way when measuring body fat percentage. Depending on the method used, there could be quite a big margin of error.

    So if she's happily maintaining this body fat percentage and she's still menstruating regularly and doesn't have hormonal issues, energy level issues or other symptoms............ then either she's genetically predisposed to be able to maintain a lower body fat percentage than average.... or her body fat percentage is a bit higher than she thinks (but bear in mind that 17-18% is still very low and some people will have muscle definition at this level).
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
    If you're actually concerned, talk to a doctor. PTs often as not are just some bro at the gym who went for a few classes (which is not to say there are no highly educated, very good PTs. Just that a lot of them aren't.)
  • Rosie4732
    Rosie4732 Posts: 42 Member
    thanks guys - I'm going to go with you (and what was my gut instinct) and just carry on as I am

    I feel better than I have for years - with more energy than I have for years - so I can't see that I am unhealthy :)

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