body fat %

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  • Gigilly
    Gigilly Posts: 37 Member
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    Go with a bodpod if you can and stay away from hand held devices and scales. Another option is finding a good fitness consultant who uses Harpenden skinfold calipers. Other calipers do not give an adequate reading.
  • Temple_Fit
    Temple_Fit Posts: 299 Member
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  • debbgame
    debbgame Posts: 3 Member
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    Omron Body Fat devices are pretty accurate and my gym (LA fitness) uses them. Also most Curves facilities have one as well. They will do a body fat analysis for you for free. Costco also sells the Omron if not in the store online
  • reneegee23
    reneegee23 Posts: 233 Member
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    Most personal trainers will start initial training by taking caliper measurements, which I think would be a decent starting place for BF %. In terms of price, you're probably paying around the same as if you went to a bodpod.

    I had a BIA scale and the only thing consistent about it was how erratic the readings were. As for BMI, I don't place much stock in it since its only determinants are height and weight.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    Omron Body Fat devices are pretty accurate and my gym (LA fitness) uses them. Also most Curves facilities have one as well. They will do a body fat analysis for you for free. Costco also sells the Omron if not in the store online

    I bought a scale that gives BF% because a dietician told me they're pretty accurate. Then I went on a tour at LA Fitness, and the trainer used the Omron on me, and that one read 6% lower than my scale. So, nice to know I spent all that money on a scale that's basically just that...a scale.
  • allisonrozsa
    allisonrozsa Posts: 178 Member
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    My scale does it automatically. I put in my weight and age, and it has sensors that measure my body fat %, water %, and one other thing (I forget right now). Spent about $30 at bed bath and beyond (less with the 20% off coupons I get in the mail).
  • MomOfJoey
    MomOfJoey Posts: 58
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    I used three different body fat % calculators (the military one, some other one, and Fit2Fat radio) and all three were different, with a spread of 10% points and one in the middle. Those apparently are not very reliable methods of determining your BF%.`
  • mtnbiker1
    mtnbiker1 Posts: 15
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    Here is what I use. The brand is Omron:

    http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&redir_esc=&client=ms-android-sprint-us&q=omron+body+fat+analyzer&v=133247963&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=3436787771338165419&sa=X&ei=soeET4agGojgtgeNyciDCA&ved=0CKUBEPMCMAI#ps-sellers

    You can see that it gets consistently high ratings/reviews. I think I paid about $30 for mine at GNC but it can be found for a little less. I've been using this kind for several years and its always been consistent.

    That's a BIA device and consistent doesn't mean accurate
    I'm not denying that it is a "BIA device" but "Fat loss monitor" or "body fat analyzer" is what it is called by Omron and/or the companies that sell it. And I never said consistent is the same as accurate because we all know it isn't. But it's probably pretty safe to say that outside of simple calipers, most people can't afford the more expensive "accurate" ways to measure it. Omron's is an affordable and CONSISTENT way to track your body fat. As long as it is measured regularly and isn't TOO far off, that's what matters.
  • FitterBody
    FitterBody Posts: 367 Member
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  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    If you're going to use any method, stick with one and get evaluated every three months. Many methods boast a deviation range that is significantly greater than the actual rate of fat loss; thus you do not want evaluations done too soon. When the dates are spread out far enough, then any method can be fairly accurate - granted human error is avoided as much as possible (eg; using calipers in different spots or exercising prior to handheld BIA tests).
  • gsgitu
    gsgitu Posts: 118 Member
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