Body fat % confusion!!

trueblu3
trueblu3 Posts: 62 Member
edited November 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys I'm posting for the first time and I need some help.. I'm 39 years old 5ft 8.5 and 167lbs. I'm very fit with a resting heart rate of 48 bpm but I am slightly over a healthy bmi (24.9).. My confusion is that when I weigh on my bathroom scales my body fat percentage is 17.5 but when I used the boots pharmacy scale it said my body fat was 39.9% which seems wrong to me. Can someone tell me if this sounds right because it has really disheartened me. I eat clean everyday and do intense circuit 6 days a week so how can I possibly have such a high body fat percentage?

Replies

  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    edited February 2016
    Don't trust any scales that measure body fat percentage, they're very inaccurate. In order of most accurate to least, the only methods you should trust are DEXA scan, hydrostatic weighing, Bod Pod, and caliper testing
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I'm guessing both are bioelectrical impedance, meaning the type of scale that you stand on and it says body fat. Those are highly inaccurate. If you eat or drink before using one it's going to measure different than if you do it when you first wake up. Ignore the reading. If you like what you see in the mirror then body fat percentage is irrelevant.
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  • louiandaisy
    louiandaisy Posts: 9 Member
    My husband just bough one of these it seems pretty good http://www.skulpt.me/index-2.shtml
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,310 Member
    google body fat % chart / pictures. Compare a picture of yourself that you take with these pictures charts. You will arrive at a much more accurate figure than any scale will provide you with.
  • codsterlaing95
    codsterlaing95 Posts: 221 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    google body fat % chart / pictures. Compare a picture of yourself that you take with these pictures charts. You will arrive at a much more accurate figure than any scale will provide you with.

    This.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I've used some BIA scales that gave a reasonable trend over a period of time but also used ones that are comical (33 %).

    I also tried BodPod but got some contradictory readings from that as well - smaller waist, bigger quads & biceps, better muscle definition but got a higher BF% reading.

    In the end I gave up trying to measure something that's actually difficult to verify and for me fairly pointless.
    Tape measure and mirror works fine.
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  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    edited February 2016
    Below are the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION %BF recommendation.

    17.5% sounds perfect for you

    calculate-my-body-fat-percentage.gif
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    auntiebabs wrote: »
    Below are the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION %BF recommendation.

    17.5% sounds perfect for you

    calculate-my-body-fat-percentage.gif

    "Underfat" is often what athletes carry and it's not a health risk. I think they are doing a bit of disservice in making it seem like "Underfat" is the same thing as essential body fat. Also, 21% for a woman is more like 12% for a man, so their scales are skewed.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    trueblu3 wrote: »
    Cheers guys.. I'm inclined to believe I'm probably about 17-18% because 39.9% would make me morbidly obese and I'm obviously not. Thanks for your replies.

    They are both wrong

    http://www.builtlean.com/2010/08/03/ideal-body-fat-percentage-chart/
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