has anyone had their bodyfat professionally measured?

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suzycreamcheese
suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
and if so, how do the results compare to this site

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator

am trying to find an accurate-ish reading.

I bought one of those handheld machines which said i had 26%,
i tried calipers, which said 13%
i tried 1 place online which said 21%
then the site i just linked to said 17.54%

bit of a bloody difference.
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Replies

  • Walt75
    Walt75 Posts: 182 Member
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    hmmmm. Mine said 26% too
  • Dragonfly1996
    Dragonfly1996 Posts: 196 Member
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    The calipers would be pretty accurate if measured in right places. I had mine done at the gym. Have also used those scales which aren't too far off either. Can't see how a website could be accurate & don't know how it would deal with any possible water retention? I would get someone who knows what they are doing to test it for you :smile:
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    and if so, how do the results compare to this site

    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator

    am trying to find an accurate-ish reading.

    I bought one of those handheld machines which said i had 26%,
    i tried calipers, which said 13%
    i tried 1 place online which said 21%
    then the site i just linked to said 17.54%

    bit of a bloody difference.

    Hi Suzycreamcheese, with the caliper, how many sites did you have measured?
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
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    just above the hip/pelvis was how they said to measure it in the instructions.
  • jamielise2
    jamielise2 Posts: 432 Member
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    My sister and I went to the university and had our body fat measured with a bod pod - which is basically a machine you sit in for like 5 minutes. Most accurante method there is. The calipers don't work if you have a lot of muscle because they are pinching muscle, not fat. This site runs high too - probably again if you have a lot of muscle. This site is showing me at 4% more NOW than I was when I was professionally measured PRIOR to losing the 38 lbs I've already lost.
  • Spitfirex007
    Spitfirex007 Posts: 749 Member
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    I know what you mean! One site I use has me listed around 19% and then the test the Navy uses has me about 28%! Big difference! I just use the same site and track what I lose using that. It might not be the right number, but at least I know how much I've dropped
  • wendyannie1976
    wendyannie1976 Posts: 205 Member
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    hi

    for an accurate caliper measurement you need to take measurements in between 5 and 7 places, just one place maybe where you don't carry fat so can give a wrong figure, for me I had it tested by calipers and it came out at 15.4%, i was happy with this as the electronic both handheld and foot weigh scale type put me at 12.4% which is far too low, 15.4% feels much better, the hip/waist ratio ones for me just don't work out accurately given the amount of muscle I have and my body shape. Calipers are the most accurate but you need to do between 5 and 7 placments really
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
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    i need to try and find my callipers again then and re-do it.
  • Emmy_Ann
    Emmy_Ann Posts: 60
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    That site's US Navy calculation has my BF% a full 3% higher than I've been measured at. The other calculation was more like 13% off.
  • Wimpey
    Wimpey Posts: 64 Member
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    I found on line calculators (based on measurments of waist/hips/arms/wrist etc) always way off the lab results (electronic or calipers)... especially as other factor are not requested (height, weight, etc...) May be works for some body shapes better than others?
    Generally the lab results, done by a sport scientist came lower (5-10%) than on line calculators.
    So I am baffled too! :-)
  • MichelleF81
    MichelleF81 Posts: 98 Member
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    When I try following an online method it always come out high because of my waist to hip ratio......I either have small hips or a large waist.......think it's probably the latter lol. I think I'll invest in some callipers and monitor it monthly.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    When I try following an online method it always come out high because of my waist to hip ratio......I either have small hips or a large waist.......think it's probably the latter lol. I think I'll invest in some callipers and monitor it monthly.

    Me 2, lol. I have a disproportionately large waist...35 chest, 32 waist, 39 hips...in other words, size 8 chest and hips, size 14 waist. :sad: I guess that's why my goal size is so small (I want to be a size 2) because I will have to shed some body fat to get my body more evened out, and by the time I get my waist small enough, I bet my hips will be 36 inches or less which is size 2. :blushing:

    I use the US Navy method as well as my scale which uses bioelectrical impedance and they are about the same...32% and 33% respectively. I personally believe it since my profile picture is NOT what I look like now...that's what I looked like 3 years ago when I was at my smallest before I gained some weight back...and I list myself as currently "skinny fat." I was a cardio bunny for years, so I got smaller, but kept a lot of fat while losing muscle. I should have done some weight training with heavy weights a long time ago and kept it up, but oh well. I'll get there. :flowerforyou:
  • MichelleF81
    MichelleF81 Posts: 98 Member
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    When I try following an online method it always come out high because of my waist to hip ratio......I either have small hips or a large waist.......think it's probably the latter lol. I think I'll invest in some callipers and monitor it monthly.

    Me 2, lol. I have a disproportionately large waist...35 chest, 32 waist, 39 hips...in other words, size 8 chest and hips, size 14 waist. :sad: I guess that's why my goal size is so small (I want to be a size 2) because I will have to shed some body fat to get my body more evened out, and by the time I get my waist small enough, I bet my hips will be 36 inches or less which is size 2. :blushing:

    I use the US Navy method as well as my scale which uses bioelectrical impedance and they are about the same...32% and 33% respectively. I personally believe it since my profile picture is NOT what I look like now...that's what I looked like 3 years ago when I was at my smallest before I gained some weight back...and I list myself as currently "skinny fat." I was a cardio bunny for years, so I got smaller, but kept a lot of fat while losing muscle. I should have done some weight training with heavy weights a long time ago and kept it up, but oh well. I'll get there. :flowerforyou:

    I have 30 waist and 38 hips so very similar. I don't have a 'fat' stomach - I can see the faint outline of my abs lol, it's just dis-proportionally wide and I think it always will be which throws off my body fat calculations and apparently puts me in a high risk category for diabetes and heart disease :/ As with most computer programmed calculations such as bmi, body fat etc it doesn't take into account different body shapes, muscle masses etc. Think I might swap to a good old tape measure.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    i need to try and find my callipers again then and re-do it.


    It really needs to be done by a professional to be accurate.
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    i need to try and find my callipers again then and re-do it.


    It really needs to be done by a professional to be accurate.

    Absolutely. And they need to repeat each measurement (in exactly the same place, so they need to draw on you!) 3 times in order to get an average. It's WAY more involved than a simple pinch here and there
  • Bulletproof_Helen
    Bulletproof_Helen Posts: 209 Member
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    I weigh in at a chemist every week and they have a scale which does the weight, height and bmi but you need to pay extra for the fat measurement, I think I will try it tomorrow, out of curiosity. :happy:
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    just above the hip/pelvis was how they said to measure it in the instructions.

    You are suppose to measure three areas of your body with a caliper to get your body fat percentage. Do that a least three times and take your top numbers and divide it by three to get your body fat percentage.

    By any chance do you have an accu-measure caliper? They show you only one area to take check and that area only tells you how much body fat you have in that area.

    You can go here to see the areas you can measure for body fat
    .
    http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/how-to-measure-bodyfat-using-calipers.html
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
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    Had mine taken in a BodPod awhile back at the local college. Was surprised that it was the same EXACT reading as my handheld.
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    Had mine taken in a BodPod awhile back at the local college. Was surprised that it was the same EXACT reading as my handheld.

    BR1986FB, the Omron handheld body fat monitor is said give the same reading as the dunk test. There's a possibility that it can give a different reading by a different reading.

    Stick with your handheld for your body fat percentage. I wouldn't pay the money for a dunk test, especially not each time I want to know my body fat percentage.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
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    Had mine taken in a BodPod awhile back at the local college. Was surprised that it was the same EXACT reading as my handheld.

    BR1986FB, the Omron handheld body fat monitor is said give the same reading as the dunk test. There's a possibility that it can give a different reading by a different reading.

    Stick with your handheld for your body fat percentage. I wouldn't pay the money for a dunk test, especially not each time I want to know my body fat percentage.

    The BodPod isn't a dunk test. You sit in a pod-like contraption (no water, just sit on a seat in this pod) for about a minute and it gives you all of these neat readings. It's supposedly the most accurate reading, depending on who you ask.

    http://www.bodpod.com/

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