Body Fat Percentage Calculator - Eye Opener

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  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    I don't track scale weight. I track my body fat percentage and pounds of fat. I try to get people to see the difference between scale weight loss and fat loss. They aren't the same thing. Fat loss takes time. Scale weight loss can happen just like that. A person can lose 5 pounds of scale weight in an hour, but they can't lose 5 pounds of fat in an hour.

    I don't care about my BMI. The BMI is only the ratio between your weight and height. It will always have me as being overweight.

    I have a 6 year old body fat scale and a 2 month old Omron Handheld body fat monitor. They both give me the same body fat reading. I don't use online calculators.
  • Leanne3552000
    Leanne3552000 Posts: 395 Member
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    Yay I actually fit into the fitness category :). Thanks for sharing.

    I like this website:
    http://exrx.net/Calculators/WeightBodyComp.html

    It tells you what weight you need to be to reach your goal BF% based on your current weight and BF%
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 11,997 Member
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    I have looked at the Body Fat calculator on that site and it doesn't make sense, to me. The language of the article makes sense - i.e. aiming for 18% body fat rather than 23% body fat. But, if you plug in the statistics that the writer says the girl will be at, with 18% body fat - she still comes out at 22% body fat (not 18%). So, something is wrong in the calculator.

    For example, the body fat calculator says that I'm 25% body fat. Okay, let's say that's true (I am in the "normal" range of weight, for my height, and I'm on the low end of the "normal" BMI). In the example, if I lose 20 lbs, and make my waist 23" and my hips 33" (none of which are achievable, btw) - it still says that I have 24.5% body fat!! I mean, come on, who is 5'9", weighs 135 lbs., with a 23" waist and a 33" hip and is still 24.5% body fat??? NOBODY.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Interesting. Unless I did my math wrong, and this a possibility given my current blood alcohol level, my %body fat is at 30%. The interesting part is that a little over a year (and 50ish additional lbs) ago, my trainer used calipers and determined by body fat at that point was 29%. Now as I've gone from wearing a 46in waist on my jeans down to a 38in, I somehow doubt I've actually gained fat and lost 50lbs of muscle.

    Just highlights differences in various methods, I suppose.
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    I have looked at the Body Fat calculator on that site and it doesn't make sense, to me. The language of the article makes sense - i.e. aiming for 18% body fat rather than 23% body fat. But, if you plug in the statistics that the writer says the girl will be at, with 18% body fat - she still comes out at 22% body fat (not 18%). So, something is wrong in the calculator.

    For example, the body fat calculator says that I'm 25% body fat. Okay, let's say that's true (I am in the "normal" range of weight, for my height, and I'm on the low end of the "normal" BMI). In the example, if I lose 20 lbs, and make my waist 23" and my hips 33" (none of which are achievable, btw) - it still says that I have 24.5% body fat!! I mean, come on, who is 5'9", weighs 135 lbs., with a 23" waist and a 33" hip and is still 24.5% body fat??? NOBODY.

    Use a body fat scale or Omron handheld body fat monitor to track progress.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Interesting. Unless I did my math wrong, and this a possibility given my current blood alcohol level, my %body fat is at 30%. The interesting part is that a little over a year (and 50ish additional lbs) ago, my trainer used calipers and determined by body fat at that point was 29%. Now as I've gone from wearing a 46in waist on my jeans down to a 38in, I somehow doubt I've actually gained fat and lost 50lbs of muscle.

    Just highlights differences in various methods, I suppose.

    Ok, nvm, apparently I can't do math while drunk. It would seem I'm 22% by the equation in the original link. Carry on.
  • foremant86
    foremant86 Posts: 1,115 Member
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    yeah i dunno about that calculator, it puts me at 25.91% which is on the low wend of normal. I'm 207.2lbs and 5'6" so i reckon i have more body fat than that..

    Got me curious so i looked up different calculators and found this

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

    Results:
    Using your measurements of a 42 inches waist and weight of 207 pounds your body fat percentage is estimated to be 33.88 % using the U.S. Army body fat algorithm, or 39.77 % using the U.S. Marine body fat algorithm, or 28.86 % using the U.S. Navy body fat algorithm, or 40.93 % using the formula developed by the YMCA.

    Seems pretty ridiculous that there is such a difference in each calculation...
  • Crowhorse
    Crowhorse Posts: 394 Member
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    Am I missing something?

    From what I see, the calculations assume that you already know what your current body fat % is, then uses that knowledge to calculate using a target body fat % to know what kind of actual poundage you should/can lose reasonably.

    The point is to do this based on body fat % rather than just blindly throwing a weight loss number out there that you think is desireable, but which may actually be detrimental if you are determined to lose it, regardless.

    Yet I see lots of people saying it's telling them what their current % is. Either I am misinterpreting it, or some of the other people are.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Am I missing something?

    From what I see, the calculations assume that you already know what your current body fat % is, then uses that knowledge to calculate using a target body fat % to know what kind of actual poundage you should/can lose reasonably.

    The point is to do this based on body fat % rather than just blindly throwing a weight loss number out there that you think is desireable, but which may actually be detrimental if you are determined to lose it, regardless.

    Yet I see lots of people saying it's telling them what their current % is. Either I am misinterpreting it, or some of the other people are.

    There's a link at the bottom of the page that leads to the equation for figuring your % body fat.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
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    Ok, nvm, apparently I can't do math while drunk. It would seem I'm 22% by the equation in the original link. Carry on.

    I'm 25%! :D

    Then again, a few years back (10!) I was done twice within 6 weeks and the numbers were totally different. At USF Medical, so you'd think they'd be somewhat accurate, but no.

    I like mirrors. :wink:
  • Spitfirex007
    Spitfirex007 Posts: 749 Member
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    The BMI scale is a joke. And this thing doesn't even take your height into consideration. I will put very little stock into what is says.
  • Crowhorse
    Crowhorse Posts: 394 Member
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    Am I missing something?

    From what I see, the calculations assume that you already know what your current body fat % is, then uses that knowledge to calculate using a target body fat % to know what kind of actual poundage you should/can lose reasonably.

    The point is to do this based on body fat % rather than just blindly throwing a weight loss number out there that you think is desireable, but which may actually be detrimental if you are determined to lose it, regardless.

    Yet I see lots of people saying it's telling them what their current % is. Either I am misinterpreting it, or some of the other people are.

    There's a link at the bottom of the page that leads to the equation for figuring your % body fat.

    Well, I was just looking at the page that was originally linked, so I wasn't aware they were going to another link.

    According to that other link (to the actual body fat calculator), I would be about 26.33% bf. That's close to what I visually assumed I had, accept I was thinking more along the lines of 27-28%.

    Hmm, I'd like to be around 20%. I have a ways to go yet.
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    BMI Formula:

    Weight
    _______ X 703

    Height in inches x Height in inches


    Scale weight is divided into two categories. Pounds of fat and Pounds of lean body mass

    Weight x Body fat percentage = Pounds of fat
    Weight - Pounds of fat = Pounds of lean body mass
  • inlander
    inlander Posts: 339 Member
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    I already knew what my body fat was from when I joined a gym over the summer (not much has changed unfortunately...) but I was really shocked when I stumbled upon this and realized that 160 lbs, for me, means that I'm fit (22%), and that 145 lbs (12%) is unrealistically low for my level of dedication.
  • Mdfreeman
    Mdfreeman Posts: 21 Member
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    Hey - I have put together a calculator based on the original webpage that started the discussion. Does the math to determine your reduced weight based on knowing your body fat % and weight. I haven't added in the calculation for body fat yet because I can see there is a lot of discussion on if it is correct.

    My speadsheet is a google doc here - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsUGNe6xaFyVdHBQR2VDdW1NcndPQno3YXJwU3dnb0E

    Here is a simple body fat calculator - that I'll work in - http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html
  • KarenPostmus
    KarenPostmus Posts: 47
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    Thanks for that post, it was helpful. Now.... if I only knew my current body fat percentage.

    Anyone know if the digital scales that measure body fat are accurate?
  • KarenPostmus
    KarenPostmus Posts: 47
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    I think the digital scales are out to lunch...i did the calculations on the website and apparently I have @27% body fat and my scale says 45%.....
  • SUgrad04
    SUgrad04 Posts: 59
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    Huh -- the BMR calculator that site links to sure gives me a different BMR than the calculator on here does (when you set your goals) -- according to that website, MFP is overestimating my BMR by about 500 calories a day! Wow...I wonder which is more accurate.

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