So I got my body fat comp tested today

TrishJimenez
TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Bcuz I was really NOT liking what my scale was telling me. It kept saying it was 40-46 percent. I was sure that HAD to be wrong. And it was :) 36 percent is not perfect. But a lot better. And now I plan on getting it tested every 4 weeks. Bcuz rather then a goal WEIGHT I think I would rather have a goal bfp. like maybe around 20-22 percent. I have never really had a big issue with what the scale says. More with how I look and how my clothes fit me. Anyone else thinking along the same lines as me?

Replies

  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
    im getting mine retested next week! in may i was 24% body fat. i was supposed to lose about ten pounds and hopefully get down to 20% body fat i think, i don't have the papers in front of me right now. im with you!
  • GypsyRose25
    GypsyRose25 Posts: 407
    Where can you get your BFP tested at?
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
    I just got a new scale and was excited to see what my BFP was.... then I was crushed when it came up 50%. I know I'm big... but I didn't realise that 50% of my weight is ACTUAL FAT. I actually feel ill when I think about it.

    I am determined, however, to get it down slowly but surely.
  • barbiex3
    barbiex3 Posts: 1,036 Member
    yeah that's really good! I HATE SCALES =[ ! one day i'm 138.. 5 min later i'm 130? haa. yeah. body fat is the way to go!! =]
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
    Where can you get your BFP tested at?

    I got mine done at my gym. But if you don't go to a gym im not sure sorry
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    I just got a new scale and was excited to see what my BFP was.... then I was crushed when it came up 50%. I know I'm big... but I didn't realise that 50% of my weight is ACTUAL FAT. I actually feel ill when I think about it.

    I am determined, however, to get it down slowly but surely.

    Those scales are next to useless for body fat. Do NOT trust it. I've seen them be over 15% wrong.

    If you want to know your body fat, have your doctor measure it with skin fold calipers...or spend the money for the water weight style. Don't trust anything with an electric current to guage your bodyfat accurately.
  • kunibob
    kunibob Posts: 608 Member
    % body fat is definitely more important to me. I calculated my lean body mass when I started, and used that to calculate the weight I'd be at about 20%...that's how I came up with my goal weight.

    Scales tend to overestimate me, too. I love calipers! It will always be an estimate, sure, but calipers are a lot more accurate than scales if measured right.
  • krm0789
    krm0789 Posts: 134 Member
    Absolutely-- I had a fitness evaluation at my gym yesterday & while they did weigh me, weight wasn't ranked the way body fat,flexibility, etc. were. I know from past experience that I drive myself nuts if it's all about the lbs, & have decided to use their tests to evaluate my progress. I'm at 30% body fat & am hoping to fall into "fair" rather than "needs work" when I get re-evaluated in a few months!
  • Sirchunx
    Sirchunx Posts: 24 Member
    Body fat calipers are only like $15 at a health store or online and there are plenty of instructional videos online telling you how to do measure yourself in case you aren't comfortable yet with going to a gym or place to get it done. The electronic scales are pretty bad at estimating BF but can at least give you a starting point.

    That being said as a male I am going for 10-18% which would be equivalent to a woman's 19-25%. Mainly its the %bf where abs start to show :-P which will be a first for me.
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