Body fat %

4thehardman
4thehardman Posts: 731 Member
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
Do many of you know your body fat percentage? I was interested to have mine measured today and whilst it was 28.7% it does not put me in the obese category but my weight puts me in the Obesity 2 category with a BMI of 39.93

I was just wondering if anyone else has this info on themselves and if and what it changed for you. I am still striving for a healthy weight and BMI but perhaps I'm not as 'unsaveable' as I had myself down to be.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • prestonmay
    prestonmay Posts: 107 Member
    I live by body fat % and not the scale. When I was 205 and 18 percent fat vs a now 9 percent at 205---- Big Difference. FOr most guys you do not get definition until you get below 10 --- This is when it really shows.....
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I had mine tested a few weeks ago (13.3%). it didn't change much for me, just gave me another measurable goal to shoot for.
  • SuperSnoopy
    SuperSnoopy Posts: 3,464 Member
    Just done mine on line at
    http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html

    And got a result of 13.6%

    Not sure what to think about this as its all new to me. Will have to research this further.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Check my sig

    It's not there? Anyways it's 24% goal is 14-16 percent but I'd be happy with 18
  • wetduck
    wetduck Posts: 9
    I check mine almost daily in the mornings. I don't stress out about it, but I do like to see how it fluctuates. I have a handheld meter made by Omron. Since I started using MFP and working out I have gone from around 29% to 26%. It really helps keep me motivated
  • oaken
    oaken Posts: 35 Member
    I haven't checked mine but when I first started I was at 39.9% -- I thought I was 50%!!

    I have a personal trainer and she wants me down to 30-29% within a month. I hope it's possible!
  • mrssmith615
    mrssmith615 Posts: 1
    My trainer used to me that Body Fat was a better measure than BMI. My numbers were about the same as your.
  • trilvr
    trilvr Posts: 22
    I bought one of those Weight watchers scales at Bed Bath & Beyond. For me BF% is super important as your muscle mass will affect the scale and while my weight may even go up I maybe in better shape. I love the scale it also tells me my % of water and will even tell you excatly how many pounds of fat are on your body!!
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    I live by body fat % and not the scale. When I was 205 and 18 percent fat vs a now 9 percent at 205---- Big Difference. FOr most guys you do not get definition until you get below 10 --- This is when it really shows.....

    Damn son! 205lbs and 9%. You must look ripped.

    I was measured at 19% at 178lbs. I hope to get measured again at around 172lbs to see where I'm at. Hope to hit about 15%.
  • ljholmann
    ljholmann Posts: 70
    I don't belong to a gym or fitness center, so how can I find out what my body fat percentage is?
  • hml1976
    hml1976 Posts: 64
    I've never been confident that my % is accurate. My scale that supposedly measures says its 16.5% which I definitely don't believe. Going by measurements its around 23-24% which seems closer but I carry most of my weight around my waist so I don't know if I'm skewing the results that way either. I think its hard to measure without going to a fitness center or doctor.
  • Tigermad
    Tigermad Posts: 305 Member
    I am disappointed with my body fat. I started at around 231lbs and 48% fat and now I am 189lbs and around 44% fat. So I have lost 42lbs but only lost approx 4% fat :-(

    I go to the gym three times a week (and do some dvds once or twice per week too). I have now added a bit of weight training to try and gain a bit of muscle to burn more fat.

    Dunno why it is still so high.
  • onehotgirl
    onehotgirl Posts: 120
    I am disappointed with my body fat. I started at around 231lbs and 48% fat and now I am 189lbs and around 44% fat. So I have lost 42lbs but only lost approx 4% fat :-(

    I go to the gym three times a week (and do some dvds once or twice per week too). I have now added a bit of weight training to try and gain a bit of muscle to burn more fat.

    Dunno why it is still so high.

    you have lost fat! 44% of 189 lbs is 83 lbs of fat vs 40% of 147 which is 58.8 lbs of fat! Well done! that is a 29 % fat loss there :D
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
    I have a body fat percentage goal that I'm aiming for. I track my body fat percentage, pounds of fat and inches. I don't care about my scale weight. I care about my pounds of fat.

    I'm on the slow route. It will take me a year or more to get to my body fat percentage and I'm okay with that.
  • Yori1
    Yori1 Posts: 142
    Bump
  • sarahgilmore
    sarahgilmore Posts: 572 Member
    Mine's 27% which is OK for a female.

    Knowing this has made me totally reassess my goals. At 180lb currently and about 5'4, my lean mass is higher than a lot of women my height's final goal, for some even higher than their 'starting' weight.

    Originally my goal was around 135lb but I see now that will mean losing lean mass as well as fat, so I'm now aiming for somewhere in the 155-165lb range, and the 20-24% range I think.
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
    Last time I tested mine it was %11. some thing, closer to %12 but still %11. Some thing..
    I use the scale and the bf%. I have a goal weight I want to hit but then again I do not want to gain to much weight by getting there. Mostly people are here for weight loss and I can be to depending if I am bulking or leaning out but ultimately I want to be at a higher weight with a low bf%.

    I know a girl that is small and skinny but her doctor basically called her skinny fat just because she carries her fat on the inside and I guess it has gotten bad enough that her doc told her that her organs had to much fat around them and that she needed to go and exercise and lose that fat. So in this way she benefits mostly from the bf%
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    I have a goal of 8% body fat and i am at 11%-12% now. I used calipers to measure as bioimpadance machines can be misleading depending on how they are set up and how dehydrated you are.
  • Tigermad
    Tigermad Posts: 305 Member
    I am disappointed with my body fat. I started at around 231lbs and 48% fat and now I am 189lbs and around 44% fat. So I have lost 42lbs but only lost approx 4% fat :-(

    I go to the gym three times a week (and do some dvds once or twice per week too). I have now added a bit of weight training to try and gain a bit of muscle to burn more fat.

    Dunno why it is still so high.

    you have lost fat! 44% of 189 lbs is 83 lbs of fat vs 40% of 147 which is 58.8 lbs of fat! Well done! that is a 29 % fat loss there :D

    Thanks for the reply but using your calculation I have 83lbs of fat now compared to 110lbs before. Where did you get 147 and 58.8lbs from?

    Thanks
  • Tigermad
    Tigermad Posts: 305 Member
    bump
  • 4thehardman
    4thehardman Posts: 731 Member
    bump
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