Is body fat different for everyone?

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Replies

  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Ok, what size was your waist at that %?

    31'' around my abdomen and 30'' around my waist at the narrowest point (I think, I don't have my log in front of me so that is from memory). I am 6' tall though which makes a difference.
  • david2133
    david2133 Posts: 58
    Ok, what size was your waist at that %?

    31'' around my abdomen and 30'' around my waist at the narrowest point (I think, I don't have my log in front of me so that is from memory). I am 6' tall though which makes a difference.

    I see, I'm currently 31-32" at my belly button. My height's 5ft 8.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    I think what SezyStef said about eating calories at maintenance and attempting to put on some muscle to alter your body composition (adding muscle while slowly losing fat) might be what it takes to get you the look you want.

    To me, no offense, you look like you might have a pretty low lean mass without much muscle and more and more weight loss might just have you looking scrawny with a paunch belly in the end.

    Might be time to stop the calorie deficit and focus on strength training with heavy weight.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    I mean let me put it another way. If from your pictures your bodyfat is closer to 22% then at 152 pounds your lean mass would only be 119 pounds. That would mean that to get to 10% bodyfat you would have to get down to 132 pounds which seems pretty light for a 5'8 man. My 5'8 girlfriend who has something like 19% bodyfat weighs 135 pounds. Could be that you need to switch focus from weight loss to weight gain in the form of muscle.
  • david2133
    david2133 Posts: 58
    I mean let me put it another way. If from your pictures your bodyfat is closer to 22% then at 152 pounds your lean mass would only be 119 pounds. That would mean that to get to 10% bodyfat you would have to get down to 132 pounds which seems pretty light for a 5'8 man. My 5'8 girlfriend who has something like 19% bodyfat weighs 135 pounds. Could be that you need to switch focus from weight loss to weight gain in the form of muscle.

    What would be the most accurate way to measure my BF% at home? Also, I'm only 18 if that makes a difference for my target weight.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    If you are 18 and not very overweight now is the time to be trying to add some muscle because now is the time in your life where it will be easiest. I'd highly suggest focusing on strength and muscle building with eating at slight surplus over dieting. At 18 your body is still developing a bit and now is not the time to be doing any aggressive dieting, you can focus on cutting down on the fat later as it really isn't high enough on you to be posing any sort of health risk.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If you are 18 and not very overweight now is the time to be trying to add some muscle because now is the time in your life where it will be easiest. I'd highly suggest focusing on strength and muscle building with eating at slight surplus over dieting. At 18 your body is still developing a bit and now is not the time to be doing any aggressive dieting, you can focus on cutting down on the fat later as it really isn't high enough on you to be posing any sort of health risk.

    ^ I agree with this, much easier to put muscle on now, then cut fat while maintaining muscle once you build your LBM up a fair bit
  • david2133
    david2133 Posts: 58
    If you are 18 and not very overweight now is the time to be trying to add some muscle because now is the time in your life where it will be easiest. I'd highly suggest focusing on strength and muscle building with eating at slight surplus over dieting. At 18 your body is still developing a bit and now is not the time to be doing any aggressive dieting, you can focus on cutting down on the fat later as it really isn't high enough on you to be posing any sort of health risk.

    Until I can find the time to join a gym, will weighted press ups suffice. If so, how can I perform these? How many reps etc. Another reason why I'm a little reluctant to weight lift is that I heard weight lifting stunts growth and apparently I should hold off until I'm 23. That's the not the main reason though, it's just that I don't currently have the time.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    If you are 18 and not very overweight now is the time to be trying to add some muscle because now is the time in your life where it will be easiest. I'd highly suggest focusing on strength and muscle building with eating at slight surplus over dieting. At 18 your body is still developing a bit and now is not the time to be doing any aggressive dieting, you can focus on cutting down on the fat later as it really isn't high enough on you to be posing any sort of health risk.

    Until I can find the time to join a gym, will weighted press ups suffice. If so, how can I perform these? How many reps etc. Another reason why I'm a little reluctant to weight lift is that I heard weight lifting stunts growth and apparently I should hold off until I'm 23. That's the not the main reason though, it's just that I don't currently have the time.

    Not sure who told you that weight training stunts growth but no. If you don't have access to a gym you can do a variety of bodyweight exercises or buy yourself a cheap set of resistance bands. It won't be as effective at building muscle compared to heavy lifting (barbell deadlifts, squats etc) but it will be something. I think 18 y/o is prime-time for weight lifting not sure why it would stunt your growth to be honest.

    The thing that would stunt growth would be eating at a caloric deficit if anything.
  • david2133
    david2133 Posts: 58
    If you are 18 and not very overweight now is the time to be trying to add some muscle because now is the time in your life where it will be easiest. I'd highly suggest focusing on strength and muscle building with eating at slight surplus over dieting. At 18 your body is still developing a bit and now is not the time to be doing any aggressive dieting, you can focus on cutting down on the fat later as it really isn't high enough on you to be posing any sort of health risk.

    Until I can find the time to join a gym, will weighted press ups suffice. If so, how can I perform these? How many reps etc. Another reason why I'm a little reluctant to weight lift is that I heard weight lifting stunts growth and apparently I should hold off until I'm 23. That's the not the main reason though, it's just that I don't currently have the time.

    Not sure who told you that weight training stunts growth but no. If you don't have access to a gym you can do a variety of bodyweight exercises or buy yourself a cheap set of resistance bands. It won't be as effective at building muscle compared to heavy lifting (barbell deadlifts, squats etc) but it will be something. I think 18 y/o is prime-time for weight lifting not sure why it would stunt your growth to be honest.

    The thing that would stunt growth would be eating at a caloric deficit if anything.

    Apparently, it compresses your spine?
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    My waist size is 31.5inches at the belly button. I measured my BF % on different websites and it's generally 15-16%. However, I've looked at pictures of 15-16% bf but I look a bit different. My belly is a little bit more out and hangs a bit more but it only forms almost a roll when I sit down if you know what I mean. However, my top two ab packs are a bit more prominent than in the pictures I've seen. I've heard that abdominal muscles push fat out. Could this be why?

    The real waist is above your belly bottom and below your rib cage. I never understood why people measure waist at the belly bottom, that area is part of the belly.

    Remember that the low cut pants, seat BELOW the waist,
  • Ilikelamps
    Ilikelamps Posts: 482 Member
    Could I expect the rest of my abs to show?

    I have no idea. That completely depends on your body. Why do you want your abs to show?


    Lol dude c'mon....you're the doctor that would ask the patient why they are sick.
  • david2133
    david2133 Posts: 58
    Oh, really? So when online BF calculators ask for waist size,that's what they mean?
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Could I expect the rest of my abs to show?

    I have no idea. That completely depends on your body. Why do you want your abs to show?


    Lol dude c'mon....you're the doctor that would ask the patient why they are sick.

    Not sure what you mean really. I'm the doctor who wonders why everyone is obsessed with having their abs show. Its not actually improving your health or your fitness and its not a look that everyone drools over really (despite what the magazines may tell you). I don't consider having your abs showing to be "healthy". I don't think it means you are sick either but I think it means you are pushing your body harder than you need to in a direction that does you no good and does not actually improving your fitness. It is pure vanity for a magazine-inspired bodyimage that really doesn't improve you. I mean if that is your thing then fine but I have yet to hear a good answer as to why someone wants their abs to show that is remotely practical.

    Personally I have zero interest in "having my abs show" so I think its a legitimate question.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Oh, really? So when online BF calculators ask for waist size,that's what they mean?

    For men online bodyfat calculators have you measure around your abdomen at your belly button. Most have instructions some where and will tell you where to measure. So my true waist is 34 inches but my abdomen is 37 inches so I have a bodyfat of about 23% according to calculators which I think is relatively accurate.

    This could very well explain why you thought you were at 15% when in pictures you look more like 22%.
  • david2133
    david2133 Posts: 58
    Oh, really? So when online BF calculators ask for waist size,that's what they mean?

    For men online bodyfat calculators have you measure around your abdomen at your belly button. Most have instructions some where and will tell you where to measure. So my true waist is 34 inches but my abdomen is 37 inches so I have a bodyfat of about 23% according to calculators which I think is relatively accurate.

    This could very well explain why you thought you were at 15% when in pictures you look more like 22%.

    I just measured the place under my ribcage and above my navel and it was 30inches, which is less. I remeasured my BF percentage. It came out with three calculations. Which ones here's the most accurate? I'm thinking the first one?

    Your body fat estimates are 20.19 % using the U.S. Army body fat algorithm, or
    16.26 % using the U.S. Marine body fat algorithm, or
    16.32 % using the U.S. Navy body fat algorithm, or
    14.42 % using the formula developed by the YMCA.

    Here's the website if you want to test for yourself for accuracy
    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator
  • david2133
    david2133 Posts: 58
    Oh, really? So when online BF calculators ask for waist size,that's what they mean?

    For men online bodyfat calculators have you measure around your abdomen at your belly button. Most have instructions some where and will tell you where to measure. So my true waist is 34 inches but my abdomen is 37 inches so I have a bodyfat of about 23% according to calculators which I think is relatively accurate.

    This could very well explain why you thought you were at 15% when in pictures you look more like 22%.

    I just measured the place under my ribcage and above my navel and it was 30inches, which is less. I remeasured my BF percentage. It came out with three calculations. Which ones here's the most accurate? I'm thinking the first one?

    Your body fat estimates are 20.19 % using the U.S. Army body fat algorithm, or
    16.26 % using the U.S. Marine body fat algorithm, or
    16.32 % using the U.S. Navy body fat algorithm, or
    14.42 % using the formula developed by the YMCA.

    Here's the website if you want to test for yourself for accuracy
    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator

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