Working out body fat percentage
missyme10
Posts: 38 Member
Please could someone tell me how you determine your body fat percentage.
Also, how do you then monitor it and know it's going down?
I have seen scales that claim if you hold onto metal handles the machine measures your body fat - I am struggling to see how this could work? Does it?
Thank you
Also, how do you then monitor it and know it's going down?
I have seen scales that claim if you hold onto metal handles the machine measures your body fat - I am struggling to see how this could work? Does it?
Thank you
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Replies
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The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.0 -
Calipers.0
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There are several online calculators which will give you a good idea, it takes a lot of different measurements to calculate but I feel they're not that far off.0
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Please could someone tell me how you determine your body fat percentage.
Also, how do you then monitor it and know it's going down?
I have seen scales that claim if you hold onto metal handles the machine measures your body fat - I am struggling to see how this could work? Does it?
Thank you
You call a lab that does DEXA scanning, and get an appointment. They're cheap, worth doing.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?0 -
If you want to have an accurate idea, you have to have the test done...go get dunked.0
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.
No... it is one of few that are both precise enough and accurate enough to be of value though.0 -
The weight loss graph I use says my bmi is 21, but it says my body fat, in big fat red letters is 31%. I have no clue how it estimates this??0
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There's a lot of tools in the web that can help you determine your Body Fat Percentage. Some tools include a Body Fat Calculator, in which you can calculate the body fat percentage for women or the body fat percentage for men.0
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.
No... it is one of few that are both precise enough and accurate enough to be of value though.
All the cool kids are getting them!
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0
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.
No... it is one of few that are both precise enough and accurate enough to be of value though.
All the cool kids are getting them!
Enough is enough. Quit the childish acts.
Oh bodpods have an acceptable error band and level of precision as well. In fact, EWU and WSU both use them in their sports medicine departments for studies. They chose those for the best product they could get outside of a hydro or dexa.
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Scalpel is the most accurate way to measure visceral fat, but then one would have to be dead.0
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Tim_Simons wrote: »There's a lot of tools in the web that can help you determine your Body Fat Percentage. Some tools include a Body Fat Calculator, in which you can calculate the body fat percentage for women or the body fat percentage for men.
I really dislike those sites because the numbers end up being so far off.0 -
civilizedworm wrote: »Scalpel is the most accurate way to measure visceral fat, but then one would have to be dead.
Well, I didn't want to suggest my pound of flesh opinion on it. lol.
I have a feeling a human is as easy to process as a pig carcass.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.
No... it is one of few that are both precise enough and accurate enough to be of value though.
All the cool kids are getting them!
Enough is enough. Quit the childish acts.
Oh bodpods have an acceptable error band and level of precision as well. In fact, EWU and WSU both use them in their sports medicine departments for studies. They chose those for the best product they could get outside of a hydro or dexa.
That's great. I know its margin of error is low. However, each doctor I've talked to have all said hydrostatic testing is the most accurate and that's what I'm going off of.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.
No... it is one of few that are both precise enough and accurate enough to be of value though.
All the cool kids are getting them!
That will be your Christmas gift (sorry, the ****ed up specialty peanut butter store was sold out.)
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.
No... it is one of few that are both precise enough and accurate enough to be of value though.
All the cool kids are getting them!
That will be your Christmas gift (sorry, the ****ed up specialty peanut butter store was sold out.)
Naw, I couldn't be mean to you. some people earn it though.
Then I have fun.
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.
No... it is one of few that are both precise enough and accurate enough to be of value though.
All the cool kids are getting them!
Enough is enough. Quit the childish acts.
Oh bodpods have an acceptable error band and level of precision as well. In fact, EWU and WSU both use them in their sports medicine departments for studies. They chose those for the best product they could get outside of a hydro or dexa.
That's great. I know its margin of error is low. However, each doctor I've talked to have all said hydrostatic testing is the most accurate and that's what I'm going off of.
Like I said, hydrostatic is good, but DEXA is more precise and more accurate. It's also easier to access, and provides bone density data paired with actual fat distribution. Hydrostatic is a cute toy, but if you want accurate, precise, and actionable data. DEXA is the way to go.
Hydrostatic is old tech. DEXA is "new" tech.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.
No... it is one of few that are both precise enough and accurate enough to be of value though.
All the cool kids are getting them!
Enough is enough. Quit the childish acts.
Oh bodpods have an acceptable error band and level of precision as well. In fact, EWU and WSU both use them in their sports medicine departments for studies. They chose those for the best product they could get outside of a hydro or dexa.
That's great. I know its margin of error is low. However, each doctor I've talked to have all said hydrostatic testing is the most accurate and that's what I'm going off of.
Like I said, hydrostatic is good, but DEXA is more precise and more accurate. It's also easier to access, and provides bone density data paired with actual fat distribution. Hydrostatic is a cute toy, but if you want accurate, precise, and actionable data. DEXA is the way to go.
Hydrostatic is old tech. DEXA is "new" tech.
I'll have to go get a DEXA scan and compare the results to my hydro results!0 -
They're eye opening. The level of precision is really refreshing.0
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »The only way to accurately determine body fat percentage is through hydrostatic testing.
Handheld BIA devices are not accurate.
Only way?
It's the only test that's remotely close to being accurate.
No it's not. You can get a Bod Pod or Dexa Scan done. The Bod Pod will let you know how much of your body weight is fat versus lean tissue.0 -
Thats what a hydro test does too.0
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DEXA is what all the cool kids are doing nowadays. IMO, if you like what you are seeing in the mirror at whatever bf % who cares what tool you use, as long as you employ it consistently.0
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https://www.icts.uiowa.edu/content/bod-pod good comparison between the three. No one is wrong, just 3 diffrent tests doing pretty much same thing.0
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civilizedworm wrote: »DEXA is what all the cool kids are doing nowadays. IMO, if you like what you are seeing in the mirror at whatever bf % who cares what tool you use, as long as you employ it consistently.
Would it be wrong to hire you to stand in my mirror?0 -
Iv'e had both DEXA and hydrostatic testing done. I felt that based on visible definition, the hydrostatic underestimated by at least 3 points. It could have just been technician error though (or the fact that I freaked out every time I was underwater more than 5 or 10 seconds)0
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