How do you figure

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Msaip
Msaip Posts: 482 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How if body fat percentage figured? I am thinking im gonna go with that rather than what my scale says! I feel like im getting thinner but that darn scale won't show it

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  • AngelicaDulas
    AngelicaDulas Posts: 196
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    Get acloth measuring tape and have someone measure you. There are any number of good sites that have free calculators for fat %, and MFP has a section to track your inches. This will show a truer accounting of whats going on. That fickle beast that sleeps on the bathroom floor has no regard for your emotions! ;)
  • Diem30
    Diem30 Posts: 92
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    Bump! I want to figure this out too, I saw BF% figured out once that involved getting into a large barrel of water with a scale in it orsome thing else really odd and complicated so I'd like to know if there is an easier way.
  • angel_eyes17
    angel_eyes17 Posts: 103 Member
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    This is a simple bmi calculator. The other day I found a site that required measuring different parts of your body. I would think that one would be more reliable. But here's this one for now.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bmi-calculator/NU00597
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
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    I wish I could find out my BF% too. The calculators online all show my body fat in the obese range. I am 135lbs so I am getting chubby but not obese.
  • angel_eyes17
    angel_eyes17 Posts: 103 Member
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    This one requires measurements:

    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator
  • meandpooh95
    meandpooh95 Posts: 14 Member
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    I total get that i look alot better i can see it in my hips and butt and belly but the scale says i have lost 3 pounds but just this morning i put another pair of pants in the don't fit any more pile. Whats up with that? They say the scale dosn't lie. Thats a load of bull hockey! It's great that i look better and feel better but i don't want to look or feel better at this weight! Frustrating!!!!

    Thanks for reading.
    Margo
  • jessicaj_824
    jessicaj_824 Posts: 114 Member
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    There are special scales that will calculate your body fat. I have the Biggest Loser scale that calcualtes body fat, water, lean mass along with some other things that I am not sure waht they mean.
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
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    Body fat % and BMI are not the same thing by any means.

    There are several ways to measure Body fat, however the most common is Sum of 5 Skinfolds and Bio-Electrical Impedance.

    Skinfold measurements leave for a rather large margin of error depending on the experieince of the person doing them so most people tend to go with the Bio-Electrical Impedence measurement.

    There are several bathroom scales on the markets for around $40.00 which will measure this.

    Basically, you stand on the scale barefoot...and it measures how long it takes for a miniscule current to travel through your body (From one foot to another). As fat is not conductive at all, your body fat %age can then be estimated based on the measurements of the scale.

    these genreall have a 3% + or - range of error but are fairly good for everyday use.

    BMI on the other hand, is just an equation which doesn't account any kind of body composition into it and is not a reliable scale to go on for your long term fitness goals.
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    it's hard to get a reliable bodyfat estimate, unless you're willing to pay money.


    bmi isn't the same thing. BMI is highly innaccurate.
  • angel_eyes17
    angel_eyes17 Posts: 103 Member
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    it's hard to get a reliable bodyfat estimate, unless you're willing to pay money.


    bmi isn't the same thing. BMI is highly innaccurate.

    It seems as if body fat % website would be more accurate (even if not perfectly accurate) than the BMI website. Nevertheless, I offered both just in case.
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
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    I use an omron handheld device. It's not perfectly accurate but I figure it's probably pretty close :) I got mine for $35 or so online.

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