Ladies, what is your BMI and what is your body fat %?

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esless004
esless004 Posts: 24 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm trying to track my BF% as well as my BMI because I know I tend to carry muscle pretty easily and that discourages me on the scale. I have only lost a few pounds so far, but my BMI is currently 24.1 and my BF% is sitting right around 24 as well. I have visible ab definition and I am quite strong but carry a lot of fat on my hips/thighs and upper arms.

How does your BMI compare to your body fat percentage? And what is your goals? Ideally I would like to be around 20% body fat and a BMI of 21.5.

(I know you can't be entirely accurate without getting expensive scans, but I used both calipers and my body fat scale to get the same result so I'm guessing it's pretty close.)

Replies

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    To be honest I don't really pay attention to either.
    Like you said bodyfat measurements aren't all that accurate even with calipers. I go by the "do I like how I look?" method and do what I need to do from there. It is quite normal for women to carry more fat on their lower body though... unfortunately.

    For fun though..

    Currently (I am halfway through a bulk) my BMI is 21.5, I don't measure bodyfat but I am still fairly lean so it is probably in the low 20s.

    When I was more lean I was BMI 20.4, bodyfat under 20% (again another guess).

    Ultimate goal would be 140lbs (so BMI of 22) with a bodyfat % around 18-20% (or whenever I am happy).

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited January 2018
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    No clue. I know losing 9 pounds will put me into normal BMI. I would guess my BF% is about 26%. Ultimately, neither number mean much to me. I know what I want to look like, and I know I'm getting closer to looking like that with each workout and tracked food day.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    My BMI is @ 20. That said, BMI is a horrible indicator of body composition as it does not take into account lean mass (muscle).

    Using calipers (yes, not the most accurate) my body fat is around 18-19%. Would love to drop it another 2% but is very hard for me to get that lean without losing muscle.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
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    According to a boditrax scan taken just under 2 weeks ago bodyfat 23.2% BMI 22.2 I have no idea how accurate that is. I have disproportionately lean legs and arms and tend to put my weight on my stomach so the complete opposite of you so I doubt I'd get visible abs unless I went very lean with lower body fat than I'm aiming for.

    I am also aiming for a BMI of around 21 and a 26" waist is my goal this year, I'll probably measure my bodyfat again out of curiosity later in the year but as long as it's in the healthy/fitness range for my age I'm happy.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    As of this morning my BMI is 24.5. IDK about body fat it's been a while since it was measured but I imagine it's in the mid-20's.

    I've been in maintenance for about 2 years. I am a little higher than usual right now after the holidays but that will soon be gone and I'll be back to maintaining.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited January 2018
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    BMI 21.5 bodyfat% around 23-23.5%.

    I have been as lean as 19 BMI and 19% bodyfat% and very hard to get there and sustain. I have gained 6 pounds in 4 months (bulking), after bulk is over I aim for 20ish bodyfat... but really it will be by feel as a specific number not important to me.
  • singletrackmtbr
    singletrackmtbr Posts: 644 Member
    edited January 2018
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    esless004 wrote: »

    (I know you can't be entirely accurate without getting expensive scans, but I used both calipers and my body fat scale to get the same result so I'm guessing it's pretty close.)

    I'm not a lady, so I apologize for invading!

    I'm glad you are realizing that BMI is only a piece of the puzzle, and I don't want to hijack your thread. Be aware that if your caliper readings match your scale, you likely need some practice with the calipers. Body fat scales work via bioimpedance, which has been shown to be very unreliable (people love it because it's easy) and is very dependent on multiple variables (hydration status, alcohol consumption, and time of your last training session to name a few).

    My point is that just like the scale and BMI, body fat percentage is a good tool when taken as part of the big picture and if you are aware of the limitations. Good luck!
  • UltraVegAthlete
    UltraVegAthlete Posts: 667 Member
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    Not sure what my BF% is, but my BMI is 20.0. It was 18.5 in August, but winter hibernation and all...
  • thinbybday
    thinbybday Posts: 32 Member
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    BMI 23.5
    BF 24.6% per calipers
    Currently lifting and running. Not trying to lose weight; specifically eating to lose fat.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
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    BMI: 22.3
    BF: 19%

    Lifting only right now. Bulking to gain muscle, current weight is 134, goal for now is 145 at 5'5"ish.
  • Fitnessmom82
    Fitnessmom82 Posts: 376 Member
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    I'm 5'7 165lbs
    My BMI is 25.8 and according to the probably inaccurate measuring device I have...my body fat is 33%
    It all feels wrong to me. BMI puts me just at the overweight mark. I'm not tiny but I'm fairly small (size 6 pants, medium tops). I try not to pay much attention to those numbers! I'll use my measuring tool every once and a while for the heck of it, just to see if there's a downward trend.
  • naomi8888
    naomi8888 Posts: 519 Member
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    I'm halfway between tow DEXA scan results. One was BF @ 18.6% with BMI 23. Other was BF @ 23% with BMI 24.9. I tend to carry a fair bit of muscle so BMI seems fairly high.
  • KarenSmith2018
    KarenSmith2018 Posts: 302 Member
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    my scales tell me I am 26% body fat and 19.9 BMI. My PT laughed when I told him this and said I was almost certainly between 15 and 20% which I would agree with. For me there is no correlation between BMI and body fat. I am working to gain muscle but stay lean (slowest bulk ever) because I like the way I look in terms of leaness and my eating habits are sustainable.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    My BMI is 23.1 .. I have no clue what my bf% is nor do I care. All I know is I like what I see in the mirror :smile:
  • mookybargirl
    mookybargirl Posts: 165 Member
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    No idea how these relate tbh but last use of the machine at the gym before Christmas has me at
    BMI 39.5
    Fat 41.5%

    Hope that helps :)
  • megbrewerr
    megbrewerr Posts: 25 Member
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    Body fat measured 1/01 = 20.5%
    BMI = 24.46
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
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    I honestly have no idea. I stand at 6' tall, I'm under 310lbs usually...and I really only care about getting my deadlift to match or exceed my body weight (I'd be there by now but I ended up having a foot surgery and an abdominal surgery last year) soooo.

    Body Fat still higher than I'd like, based on my jiggly bits. But Like I said, I don't really care, I will be competing in women's heavyweight class even if I dropped another 100lbs so -shrug-

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