Body Fat Percentage Goal

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Urbancowbarn
Urbancowbarn Posts: 97 Member
edited February 2018 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi All,
I’m curious as to how people go about selecting a BF% goal. I’ve lost 17/18 pounds since May by calorie deficit, barre classes 3-4 x a week, and the occasional hour long hike. My stats:
Age 47
SW 161
CW 143
Height 5’6”
Navy Method Body Fat% 23.61

Any idea what I should be striving for? I’m thinking 21%, but I see so many posts that cite 18% or less. How do you decide on a goal?
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Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Think about what you're striving for, and decide fat% goal from that. Optimal health, athletic performance, aesthetics? Also keep in mind the sex segregation when it comes to healthy body fat% - men are supposed to have a lower fat% than women.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    suzfoley wrote: »
    Hi All,
    I’m curious as to how people go about selecting a BF% goal. I’ve lost 17/18 pounds since May by calorie deficit, barre classes 3-4 x a week, and the occasional hour long hike. My stats:
    Age 47
    SW 161
    CW 143
    Height 5’6”
    Navy Method Body Fat% 23.61

    Any idea what I should be striving for? I’m thinking 21%, but I see so many posts that cite 18% or less. How do you decide on a goal?

    Depends what's sustainable for you, as much as anything else...
  • PapillonNoire
    PapillonNoire Posts: 76 Member
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    I feel like it's really difficult to get an accurate reading of body fat percentage. I just go by what I see in the mirror personally.

    Anywhere between 21 and 24% is considered fit for women I think.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    According the the Naval calculator I'm at 18% but according to calipers using a 5-point test I'm at around 13%. Not sure which is more accurate, but the Naval calculator can be thrown off by muscle mass, loose skin, etc. but so can calipers. Last summer I hit right around 11% with the caliper test, and the naval calculator still had me around 15-16%. In the end it doesn't really matter, I say keep dropping body fat until you like what you see in the mirror. For men, honestly that's going to likely be in the 6-13% range. Maybe the 14-17% range if you distribute body fat well. I don't, it all hangs around my midsection no matter what I do. It's the first place I gain it, and the last place I'll lose it. Even when I was 20lbs lighter I still had issues with it. You might find a DEXA scan more accurate.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    OP - I’m not too far off your stats. I’m 52, 130 and 23%bf. In a perfect world I would stay at this weight and drop to 20%. That’s the goal anyway.
    FYI - my dexa was way higher than my home scale showed
  • MarkusDarwath
    MarkusDarwath Posts: 393 Member
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    Regardless what method you use to determine BFP, be consistent in using that method. Pick a target somewhere in one of the ranges on the chart posted above, according to what you want to look like, and see if that number is what you were after when you get there.
    It's kinda like weighing on a scale, it doesn't matter if the scale is a couple pounds off, as long as you keep using the same scale. The thing is to know what range you are in and being able to measure a trend.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    It depends on what method you use. Most bio-electric impedance devices will show substantially lower than a Dexa, and calipers are usually somewhat lower than Dexa.

    I've somehow been fortunate that my home scale is higher than anything else, and Dexa is 2nd highest... but my scale has always been 0.3%-0.4% higher than Dexa every time, so I know what Dexa would be when I use my home scale. Other bio-electric impedance devices have shown 4%-8% less than my home scale.

    So it is my view that the first step is to figure out what measurement method you are going to use for measurement... if you are going to use a typical bio-electric impedance device, then aim for a lower goal than if you are using something like Dexa.

    From there, make sure you understand the methods used as you research to determine your ideal BF% based on physique or athletic performance goals.
  • YogiJear
    YogiJear Posts: 118 Member
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    I have one of those scales that supposedly shoots up a small voltage that goes through you to measure your BF%. I doubt the validity of that and just go by how I look in the mirror. When the abs are showing and performance is at an all time high, I could care less what the "number" is :D
  • Urbancowbarn
    Urbancowbarn Posts: 97 Member
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    Thanks For all the thoughtful and informative answers! Much appreciated.
  • VeggieBarbells
    VeggieBarbells Posts: 175 Member
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    I much prefer body fat percentage goals, than scale weight goals. I'm currently 20.xx %, with an aim to be 14.xx % as a staging point. Past results got me to 17%.

    Having said that I do focus on how I look and feel, so whatever those numbers are when I'm happy that's exactly where I'll stay. At that point the number(s) are arbitrary and I don't care if its lower or higher. Good luck finding your happy zone.

    xkzzbaflk06r.jpg
  • Urbancowbarn
    Urbancowbarn Posts: 97 Member
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    VeggieBarbells wrote: »
    I much prefer body fat percentage goals, than scale weight goals. I'm currently 20.xx %, with an aim to be 14.xx % as a staging point. Past results got me to 17%.

    Having said that I do focus on how I look and feel, so whatever those numbers are when I'm happy that's exactly where I'll stay. At that point the number(s) are arbitrary and I don't care if its lower or higher. Good luck finding your happy zone.

    xkzzbaflk06r.jpg

    I need a photo like this for women. Off to google I go.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    VeggieBarbells wrote: »
    I much prefer body fat percentage goals, than scale weight goals. I'm currently 20.xx %, with an aim to be 14.xx % as a staging point. Past results got me to 17%.

    Having said that I do focus on how I look and feel, so whatever those numbers are when I'm happy that's exactly where I'll stay. At that point the number(s) are arbitrary and I don't care if its lower or higher. Good luck finding your happy zone.

    xkzzbaflk06r.jpg

    What measurement method is this? I always look 5% higher than Dexa based on this chart.
  • Shugahhfatt
    Shugahhfatt Posts: 73 Member
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    people are clueless with REAL WORLD BODYFAT % If a guy is around 15 and a gal 20 that is a great place to be...actually outside of athletes and fitness models etc. will put you in like the top 5% of sny gym beach park etc. Im at 18 now and my goal is 15% by spring...:()
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    The problem with those infographics depicting BF% is that depending on how/where you carry your fat and how much muscle you have, any given person could look VERY different from those pics at the same BF%.


    OP, to your question...
    I think it's really hard to pick a numerical goal (be it BF or weight or whatever else) unless you've been there before, or at least REALLY REALLY close. Assuming you're picking that goal for vanity reasons (health reasons are obviously different). It's really hard to know how you'll look at a certain BF (or weight) if you've not been there before... so picking a goal is really just an arbitrary starting point.
  • angelsja
    angelsja Posts: 860 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Just like a body weight goal...it's something that should be assessed and reassessed as you go. My first goal was to be in at a healthy BF%...as with BMI, this is a pretty wide range. After that, it was aesthetics and ease of maintenance. Very low levels of BF are difficult to maintain.

    I'm typically in the 12%-15% range...

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

    Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart1.jpg

    Omg I'm obese my BMI says overweight which I could deal with but my bf is 37%
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    As long as I'm in the healthy ranger I'm okay with it. Accurate measurement is too expensive for me to worry about BF% too much.
  • VeggieBarbells
    VeggieBarbells Posts: 175 Member
    edited February 2018
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    @midwesterner85 I love this video because percentages look different on various frames.
    https://youtu.be/1oWcpweTuXs

    @suzfoley yer there is a female version https://builtlean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/body-fat-percentage-women-1.jpg

    In general I think its so easy to get all twisted on the 'hey thats not X, Y or Z percent' - For me at least, I'm only bothered if I'm comfortable in my own skin - When thats a yes I am, then who cares what the number is - not me! :)

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