body fat

Options
Kali112
Kali112 Posts: 87 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
what is a good body fat %? i got mine tested in boots and it said i was 28%. i was shocked as apparently under 20% is good for women! Just for the record, i am around 138lbs and 5'3.5. Most people guess I am around 130lbs as I have an hourglass figure so I am fairly well balanced. Apparently 29% means you are clinically obese??? !!! i am only 138lbs? (the machine was a weight machine in Boots..)

Replies

  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Options
    What do you mean by weight machine? LIke a scale that you stepped on and that told you weight plus body fat?

    If the above is what you mean, then I wouldn't really trust it too much. From what I've read, those have a chance of being really inaccurate.. and the only real accurate weigh is to do a bod pod(look it up, it's hard to explain).

    Just as an FYI, you could weigh a hundred pounds and still have a really high body fat percentage.... which is why scale weight, is not really as important as body fat and taking measurements.
  • 40Marbles
    40Marbles Posts: 188 Member
    Options
    A quick google search of "healthy body fat percentage" came up with anywhere from 21-36% being a healthy percentage for women depending on your age.

    I think you may have body fat percentage confused with BMI, as a BMI of 30 or above is considered obese.
  • ashnm88
    ashnm88 Posts: 748
    Options
    Healthy body fat range is from 18.5 - 24.9%. For BMI.

    Check this out. Has a chart for body fat.

    http://www.weightlossforall.com/fat-percentage-ideal.htm
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    Options
    bodyfat scales are notoriously inaccurate for measuring true bodyfat %, for the cheapest method of accurately measuring bodyfat use a caliper it will give you a better indication of bodyfat. To put things into perspective for you a caliper set of measurements puts me around 10% bodyfat at 5ft8 and 163. The bodyfat scale says I am 18.4% bodyfat and if I drink a liter of water it changes again. So do not go by that. For your weight/height you sound like you are in the healthy range, whether or not you want to improve body composition is entirely up to you but I put little to no focus on scale weight, what really matters is body composition. I know curvy women who are ultra sexy and are much heavier than their counterparts of lower weight with poor body comp. FYI most men prefer curvier women, myself included. The bodpod method is the gold standard for true bodyfat %.
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 783 Member
    Options
    I had the Bod Pod testing a few months ago. It's supposed to be very accurate.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
    Options
    Healthy body fat range is from 18.5 - 24.9%. For BMI.

    Check this out. Has a chart for body fat.

    http://www.weightlossforall.com/fat-percentage-ideal.htm

    this is wrong info, BMI is not a measure of Body fat %. BMI is just a function of height and weight and ignores body composition.

    To be in the considered fit a women should have a BF% of 21-24% with athletes being 14-20%
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Options
    Healthy body fat range is from 18.5 - 24.9%. For BMI.

    Check this out. Has a chart for body fat.

    http://www.weightlossforall.com/fat-percentage-ideal.htm
    That's BMI, not body fat. Two completely different measurements.

    As for the OP, 28% is average for a woman. Obese would be over 32%

    Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart1.jpg
  • Hyperspace
    Hyperspace Posts: 78
    Options
    Depends on your age, but 29% is too high regardless (Sad but true :-( )


    The following link is part of an instruction booklet for skinfold calipers. Scroll down to where it says "Normal or Ideal Body Fat?", and you'll see the recommended percentages.

    http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/how-to-measure-bodyfat-using-calipers.html

    I have these calipers and use them. They aren't perfect but they will give you a good guideline.

    FYI My bodyfat is 33%-- I'm 5'2" and 122 lbs and my BMI is fine--- I don't look genuinely overweight or anything (at least not in clothes, LOL) But my body *composition* is overfat. ;-(
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Options
    I am about your height 5'3.5-5'4 I started at 135. About 27% Body fat. I am now 116 and about 23% body fat. I am not sure if we have the same goals but my personal trainer said for someone with my athletic build i should be 16-18% body fat. which is about 105-112 pounds. But then again im also trying to gain muscle... O_o

    I think for women 14-18% is athletic range

    Below 12% is essential fat

    and 18-24% is average.

    Dont quote me on that! that is just if i remember what he said correctly!

Categories