I don't understand body fat percentage, help?

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sarahkittymeow
sarahkittymeow Posts: 146
in Health and Weight Loss
Something that is somewhat new to me now that I am trying to achieve the slim and fit body/lifestyle (earlier years I only cared about being thin...not much working out in there) is the concept of body fat percentage. I mean, I know the formula and what it means basically, but there are some thing about it that I am still confused by.

First, how do I even get an accurate reading of what my body fat percentage is? Can only a doctor do this for me? Is it based on measurements?

Secondly, I am a woman, and I read that women should have NO LESS than ten percent body fat because of basic bodily functions, and whatnot. That's fine with me and all but I don't know what to even aim for since I have seen many people, both on here and elsewhere, who say that they are within 22-29% that still appear to be somewhat chubby/if anything, not fit. I'm not trying to be offensive to anyone, I'm just trying to understand...if around 30% is not fit, and 10% is TOO fit (I have in mind those women who basically look like body builders with extremely defined muscles everywhere) then what body fat percentage should I be aiming for if my goal is to look like this?

Insp2.jpg

I would call it "muscular but not RIPPED".

Replies

  • meldaniel
    meldaniel Posts: 111
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    I started out at 28%...after 2 children and years of crash dieting with no exercise. I had lost all my muscle! In 3 months I have gone down to 25% (yet only lost a few lbs! Interesting!)...my first goal is 22%, then I will try to continue to lower that into the upper teens if possible. Judging from my trainer and the people I have been meeting...I would guess someone as fit as the girl in this pic would be 19-20%...maybe less if she is shorter than she appears? If you haven't already, jopin bodybuilder.com and go to the supersite, motivation, and transformations. There are thousands of female transformation pages of women of all ages and starting points and their results including before and after pics, body fat %, what they eat, work outs, etc, etc. It is very useful for getting an idea of what others are doing to acheive similar goals to yours. :)
    Also...you can test several ways...have a doctor or gym trainer measure you with calipers, use an electro-handheld thing like Omron (you can get at amazon, they are not necessarily perfectly accurate but will get close and reflect changes for the most part), or you can find a Bod Pod somewhere close to you and schedule to have your BF% checked there.
  • sarahkittymeow
    sarahkittymeow Posts: 146
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    Mel, thank you so much that information was very helpful! I am in the same boat as far as muscle mass, I used to only crash diet and go days eating only a thing or two a day so I don't have very much muscle either. But after having a baby and growing up out of the image is everything phase, I think it's more important to be healthy even though I'd still like to love how I look :)

    Checking out that website now...
  • Tzippy7
    Tzippy7 Posts: 344 Member
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    I honestly think it should be checked by a dr. because measurements dont always give the whole story. My thighs have gotten bigger from running and workouts out in general, but there is def. less fat on them.
  • jodyw83
    jodyw83 Posts: 38
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    The body fat percentage you get from online is a rough estimate, but pretty close. The most accurate way to measure it, and a lot of gyms can do this, is to submerge yourself in water and see how much your displace. It's like a whole equation. That girl is probably around 18%.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
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    Everyone's body looks different at different body fat percentages. The lower you go the more muscle mass will show, so depending on that will make you look "ripped" or not. Get it checked by a doctor.

    Personally, I found a caliper that I use myself that is really accurate. My scale also gives me a very similar reading. Personally, I'm at about 20% and I look more "ripped" than the girl above because I have a much higher muscle mass than her. I am aiming for 16-17%, depending on how I look when I get down there.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
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    The body fat percentage you get from online is a rough estimate, but pretty close. The most accurate way to measure it, and a lot of gyms can do this, is to submerge yourself in water and see how much your displace. It's like a whole equation. That girl is probably around 18%.

    I disagree. Most online sources aren't accurate. They give me readings of close to 30% sometimes which is no where near correct, I am around 20%. They also don't take in account where some people store their body fat.
  • meldaniel
    meldaniel Posts: 111
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    The body fat percentage you get from online is a rough estimate, but pretty close. The most accurate way to measure it, and a lot of gyms can do this, is to submerge yourself in water and see how much your displace. It's like a whole equation. That girl is probably around 18%.

    Actually, if you are working out a lot, especially lifting, the BF% online from calculators is completely inaccurate. It is a VERY rough estimate based on a completely average person's height/weight/structure stats. It has no way to factor in your actual muscle mass. Your height and weight could stay the same but your fat % could change drastically if you have put on muscle to replace the fat you lost.
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    I had a bod pod done recently which is supposedly one of the most accurate readings using air displacement and it said I was 44% ... I am 5'4.5" and weigh 155.3 at the time of the reading. This really surprised me, I figured I had more muscle under here somewhere but also didn't consider that I have larger breasts then most females my size... They technician informed me that anything over 40% is high risk and typically they want to see females at 22-30% which is average... below is 15% is also considered high risk according to these results.
  • mellymink
    mellymink Posts: 72 Member
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    If you haven't already, jopin bodybuilder.com and go to the supersite, motivation, and transformations.

    just wanted to point out the typo in the URL, it should be bodybuilderS.com with an S. I went to bodybuilder.com without the S and found a different site that isn't nearly as good as the one MelDaniel was sending the OP to. :)
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    Wow, 44% is surprising. You definitely don't look it.

    Bodpod and dexa are the most accurate, doing it by scales, measurements, and calipers are all somewhat poor substitutes. Using these methods I'm somewhere in between 21 and 28% right now. And I've heard calipers, if you find yourself consistent, are the best of these. So, I'm using that one which is 22 and I definitely look athletic now, but no muscle shows, so I want to go a bit lower. I'm aiming for 17% by my calipers, but honestly, I just wanna look good and it doesn't matter what the number on the scale or body fat % numbers are!
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
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    I don't know squat about the question but do like the picture LOL
  • AFitJamie
    AFitJamie Posts: 172 Member
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    So to add a few comments:

    Body Fat % is an estimation of the amount of fat you have compared to lean muscle mass and other body tissue... (to find out precisely they have to open you up and take you apart and weight the pieces... ick! and Counterproductive... :happy: )

    There isn't a "right" measurement. All measures - Bio-Electrical Impedance (those silver "step on strips" on a scale, etc), calipers, underwater weight, BodPod (a dry volume/weight method) tape measurements, etc.etc. are all estimates of your % based on models that attempt to predict body fat % based on typical comparative data. Obviously some of these models are higher quality and have less variability in them, and some of the tools are more consistent... Generally BEI is very poor, calipers can be great but is very dependent on measuring in the correct places and with the proper measuring form (you do not "wiggle" the calipers, etc etc), Bod Pod type tend to be more accurate... feel free to go and get your % measured

    If you are comparing to other people who are using poor quality measuring tools, then it can be a challenge to determine a target % specifically.. but.. and this is just my $0.02... who cares about the exact %..?

    If I understand your intent, then I think we can say that the woman in the picture does not *appear* to have a % so low that it will impede her health. It does not appear that you are striving for an unreasonable/unhealthy target at this point, but I know very very little about you to know for sure...

    Not knowing anything about your starting point, it is difficult to determine best tactics to get there, but there are a lot of people on MFP - hopefully some who you "friend" who are knowledgeable - that can help.

    There is always a hazard with saying anything, and being misunderstood, but I'd say this: instead of worrying about an actual % look in the mirror and work with that. Do you see excess fat you want to drop? Work on doing that - (no, you can't spot reduce fat - we all wish we could) remember to incorporate some resistance training to ensure you burn off fat as you lose and retain as much muscle as you can while you have a calorie deficit. Then, further along in the process, figure out if there is more tone or areas you want to sculpt more and determine how to tone/work that area - perhaps you may want to add muscle mass at some point - but throughout, don't worry about "bulking up", generally most women will not add any real volume of muscle without very focused intent.

    Enjoy the journey!
  • gogojodee
    gogojodee Posts: 1,261 Member
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    I agree about the BF % online. Most of them are inaccurate. I ended up getting one done with the hand held and it was several points more. Yikes! Haha. I definitely am thinking about either getting calipers or the handheld one that I used. Either way, I feel it's a good tool - and I hope, HOPE it will be a good "investment".
  • meldaniel
    meldaniel Posts: 111
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    If you haven't already, jopin bodybuilder.com and go to the supersite, motivation, and transformations.

    just wanted to point out the typo in the URL, it should be bodybuilderS.com with an S. I went to bodybuilder.com without the S and found a different site that isn't nearly as good as the one MelDaniel was sending the OP to. :)

    OOPS...yes, you are right...bodybuilders.com! Sorry! :)
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
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    I'm definitely anti online calculators; they are way inaccurate. And I'm sorry I agree that I've seen some questionable BF% on here. I'm currently at 19% and my UG is 18%. I follow my % bc I have a muscular frame and I feel better seeing the % rather a number on a scale; I know I'm progressing with it. Your picture is my goal. I have mine done with the bod pod as of recent and have had the callipers test so I trust both.

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