Ladies: Were you shocked by your body fat %?

When I had my body fat checked at the dr, it was 50%, DOWN from 55% last year. And my bmi is in the overweight range. I'm overweight so it's not a shock. I work out every day as it is, but now I'm incorporating weights so I can lower it.

Before I started training I had a BMI of about 23 and looked like the average, slim person. Got a DEXA scan, and was at 32% bf.

The average body fat % of normal weight (18.5-25 BMI) American females is apparently 34%.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/436693-the-most-accurate-measurement-of-body-fat/

arditarose wrote: »

Oh man. I don't think I ever want to know my real BF% now.

Right? I've always been curious of DEXA scans. But I can bet I'd be sorely disappointed at my results!

When I read the title, before I even opened the thread, my thought was ... I assume my BF% is probably about 30%. And after reading a few posts here, that's probably right.

(My BMI is about 20.5, I think)

arditarose wrote: »

Oh man. I don't think I ever want to know my real BF% now.

You know it! I've been saying I was going to get a dexascan or Bodpod done, just so I have a better measurement for improvement than the scale, but now maybe not.

queenliz99 wrote: »

Cheer up, there is a silver lining!!

http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-3-the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-parts-1-and-2/the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-part-1/

Lol! I don't know why but the way the author wrote that was pretty funny to me!

"We predict what your body fat would be if we were to kill you, slice off all your body fat and weigh it." Quite morbid, but humorous to me!

tanyaltrl wrote: »

I did a hydrostatic body fat test over the weekend and I was shocked by the results. Okay so my BMI is like 25.3 but I'm very active and figured I probably have more muscle boosting me up to "overweight" category. My body fat test did show I have 8lbs more lean body mass than the average, however I am 31.7% body fat aka *obese* wtf!!!! How is that possible? I guess I'm looking for support from other women who've been through this. I was okay being .4 BMI points overweight but this body fat test is supposed to be more telling of how fat you actually are
Heres a pic just because. I invite more pics to compare next to test results

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0op0dnsbz60x21q/Photo%20May%2030%2C%206%2034%2009%20PM.jpg?dl=0

You certainly look like you are normal, healthy weight to me. You are not obese by any stretch. Even if your BMI is on the cusp of overweight 25% BMI you have a ways to go before you even hit obese. But you don't even look overweight. What is up with that body fat calculation?

I started out morbidly obese at 248 lbs. I remember the gym measurements a few months in, putting me at 44% with calipers. I've lost 100+ lbs. My caliper measurement last summer was 33% which disappointed me. I was not focusing on strength training, but started lifting. Another caliper measurement in March or April got me to 29%, but then I did a BodPod test about a month ago and was pleasantly surprised to be at 26.8%. It validated that the lifting was doing something since the scale hasn't moved a lot lately. My dietician thinks it's reasonable for me to continue what I'm doing for another 9 lbs or so, and that should get me to 22% BF. So for me, the BodPod was great, I was happy with the numbers and know I can improve on them. I'll do another one again when I hit that pound loss.

JessicaMcB wrote: »

Uhhhh well this thread is terrifying lol. I was just trying to gauge my BF % today (I feel like 25-27% is accurate, my WW scale- I know, I know- concurs claiming 24%) and contemplating calipers versus a dexa scan...now I'm not sure I want to know because its probably 45% or something

I forgot to add - I know the digital scales are known to be inaccurate and I never paid much attention to those numbers, but when I did the BodPod, my scale actually had me in the 26% range as well. That surprised me.

kar328 wrote: »

JessicaMcB wrote: »

Uhhhh well this thread is terrifying lol. I was just trying to gauge my BF % today (I feel like 25-27% is accurate, my WW scale- I know, I know- concurs claiming 24%) and contemplating calipers versus a dexa scan...now I'm not sure I want to know because its probably 45% or something

I forgot to add - I know the digital scales are known to be inaccurate and I never paid much attention to those numbers, but when I did the BodPod, my scale actually had me in the 26% range as well. That surprised me.

Interesting! Maybe I shouldn't be so salty about my WW scale's thoughts haha

I was surprised though I shouldn't have been. From a scale test (so not that accurate) it was 47%. It shocked me because I was in some pretty marvellous denial.

Those of you who "know" your BF ... how do you know? What method are you using?

Does it make a difference if you exercise? In other words ... a sedentary you at 125 lbs vs a very active you at 125 lbs?

Machka9 wrote: »

When I read the title, before I even opened the thread, my thought was ... I assume my BF% is probably about 30%. And after reading a few posts here, that's probably right.

(My BMI is about 20.5, I think)

DebSozo wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Over 30% is obese for a woman (under is normal, that scale has no "overweight" as a middle category); over 24.9 is also overweight, so that's actually quite consistent. It just would mean you need to lose a little body fat.

Mine were unsurprising -- at an obese weight my body fat was awful, when still overweight but exercising a lot I was in the high 20s, and when normal weight but with some more to lose for aesthetic purposes I was 25. Latter two by DEXA.

I'm not sure how accurate the type of test you did is, however, and in your clothes you look good and not nearly over 30% to me -- more like 25% at most.

I calculated with the military body fat test. I am hoping that it is not accurate. It showed 30% and I was shocked because my BMI is 24.9 which is supposedly on the cusp of normal.
http://m.free-online-calculator-use.com/military-body-fat-calculator.html

But I am muscular so I expected the body fat measurement would show lower than it did! Is there usually a discrepancy between bmi and body fat methods? Interesting that there is only normal and obese for body fat.

OK, I was guessing 30% and that military body fat calculator put me at 25.1%. The surprise is that I may be that low.