BMI vs. Body Fat %... I'm confused!
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Quasita
Posts: 1,530 Member
I'm really wondering about this whole body fat vs BMI thing right now... I mean, I guess my understanding was BMI=the % body fat? Or is it just a rating number? I did a calculator that did body fat using ratios of various measurements, and the number was VERY different than the results of the BMI calculator...
Here's the stats I used:
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 434
Hips: 67"
Waist: 65"
Wrist: 7.25"
Forearm: 12.75"
Neck: 17"
When I used a calculator that used all of these measurements, I got 29%
Using one that had height, weight, and waist, it was 57%
Using one that was height, weight, hips, waist, and neck, I got 80% (yeah, right...)
One that used height, weight, abdomen, and neck says 51%
BMI rating shows 57.25
Does anyone have a calculator that they trust???
I'm a naturally muscular, ex-athlete, with a large frame and very dense bones... Yes, I'm fat, but I'm surely not 80% fat!
I don't know why I even bother looking at things like this because it is very discouraging to me, and makes me feel like a disgusting individual. I'd think if I was really that much fat, I'd be losing at least more inches with all the work that I'm doing..
I mean, we're talking 60 mins of aquatics 4-5x's a week, 60-90 minutes cycling 4-5x's a week, plus walking and small bursts of strength training outside of aquatics. I've lost only 24 pounds since December... I'm pretty anal about the whole eating enough thing, though sometimes I think I'm still not eating enough. I have a history of eating disorder, and routinely downplay food and skip meals unless I make myself eat.
I guess I just need some encouragement, good news, WTGs, or something... Or for someone to put blinders on me to keep me from reading the forums!
Here's the stats I used:
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 434
Hips: 67"
Waist: 65"
Wrist: 7.25"
Forearm: 12.75"
Neck: 17"
When I used a calculator that used all of these measurements, I got 29%
Using one that had height, weight, and waist, it was 57%
Using one that was height, weight, hips, waist, and neck, I got 80% (yeah, right...)
One that used height, weight, abdomen, and neck says 51%
BMI rating shows 57.25
Does anyone have a calculator that they trust???
I'm a naturally muscular, ex-athlete, with a large frame and very dense bones... Yes, I'm fat, but I'm surely not 80% fat!
I don't know why I even bother looking at things like this because it is very discouraging to me, and makes me feel like a disgusting individual. I'd think if I was really that much fat, I'd be losing at least more inches with all the work that I'm doing..
I mean, we're talking 60 mins of aquatics 4-5x's a week, 60-90 minutes cycling 4-5x's a week, plus walking and small bursts of strength training outside of aquatics. I've lost only 24 pounds since December... I'm pretty anal about the whole eating enough thing, though sometimes I think I'm still not eating enough. I have a history of eating disorder, and routinely downplay food and skip meals unless I make myself eat.
I guess I just need some encouragement, good news, WTGs, or something... Or for someone to put blinders on me to keep me from reading the forums!
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Replies
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You're definitely not 80% body fat. That would mean that your bones and your brain and your muscles and your eyeballs and your organs and everything else only weigh about 80lbs. That's just silly.
You're doing all the right stuff! I know it's easier said than done, but just ignore those numbers. Keep taking care of yourself.
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Thanks Sara... It just gets really hard when the forums flood with information and people talking about how "gross" it is to be this heavy, as heavy as me, or even over 300 pounds... I mean, I won't be "not gross" by those standards for a long time and I don't think people understand how much it can hurt those of us that are up there, that need support for the long haul...
I also wish more people would respond, I really wanted to know
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Congrats on your 24lbs!
To answer your question, BMI and BF% are completely different! BMI is just a standardized number based off of your weight/height ratio, meant to give you an idea of if you are in a healthy weight range or not. Keep in mind that BMI is not ALWAYS an indicator of health - for example, bodybuilders are usually in the "obese" category because they are so heavy due to all the muscle. But for most of us, BMI is a good tool.
BF%, on the other hand, is the percent of your body that is made up of fat - that is, everything that's not your lean body mass, or LBM. LBM includes your organs, bones, muscles, etc. There's no way your BF is 80%! This is the calculator I use to find my BF%, however I cannot say how accurate it is, as it is all I have ever used. I DO know that the percent it gave me made sense because I look almost exactly like other women I have seen who have the same percent it gave me, so maybe that means it's pretty accurate?
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html
Hope this helped clear things up! There are also some explanations at the bottom of that website 0 -
Congrats on your 24lbs!
To answer your question, BMI and BF% are completely different! BMI is just a standardized number based off of your weight/height ratio, meant to give you an idea of if you are in a healthy weight range or not. Keep in mind that BMI is not ALWAYS an indicator of health - for example, bodybuilders are usually in the "obese" category because they are so heavy due to all the muscle. But for most of us, BMI is a good tool.
BF%, on the other hand, is the percent of your body that is made up of fat - that is, everything that's not your lean body mass, or LBM. LBM includes your organs, bones, muscles, etc. There's no way your BF is 80%! This is the calculator I use to find my BF%, however I cannot say how accurate it is, as it is all I have ever used. I DO know that the percent it gave me made sense because I look almost exactly like other women I have seen who have the same percent it gave me, so maybe that means it's pretty accurate?
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html
Hope this helped clear things up! There are also some explanations at the bottom of that website
Yeah filling in that one gave me a BMI of 57.4 and 80% body fat... maybe I'm just a lardbutt
Thanks for the congrats. I've been busting myself hardcore, I try to tell myself that because I'm losing inches and such, it's just 24 pounds of fat... heh...0 -
BMI is just a measure of our total body weight that involves both fat & lean body mass (muscles, bones, blood, vital organs) while body fat% measures how much of that weight is from fat so hence there are people who weigh the same but look totally different such as this:
Both women have the same BMI but the one on the left has higher body fat percentage than the lean one at right.
There is only one method that will determine the exact body fat percentage however that is the last thing that we all want & that is AUTOPSY. Other methods only give you estimates but there are margins of error depending on the method. Dexa scans & hydrostatic weighing can give you the closest estimates while the BIA scales, handheld device & especially online calculators are the least accurate & have the biggest margins of errors. Skinfold testing is the most practical method to use however it should be done by a skilled professional to get the most accurate results.
Finally don't fret much by what you see on forums especially those who says things like "gross". Whether you are 120 or 300 pounds, it doesn't matter. There are a lot of overweight people who knows how to carry themselves & those who are slim but still look awful. The most important thing is you are doing the right thing.0 -
Congrats on your 24lbs!
To answer your question, BMI and BF% are completely different! BMI is just a standardized number based off of your weight/height ratio, meant to give you an idea of if you are in a healthy weight range or not. Keep in mind that BMI is not ALWAYS an indicator of health - for example, bodybuilders are usually in the "obese" category because they are so heavy due to all the muscle. But for most of us, BMI is a good tool.
BF%, on the other hand, is the percent of your body that is made up of fat - that is, everything that's not your lean body mass, or LBM. LBM includes your organs, bones, muscles, etc. There's no way your BF is 80%! This is the calculator I use to find my BF%, however I cannot say how accurate it is, as it is all I have ever used. I DO know that the percent it gave me made sense because I look almost exactly like other women I have seen who have the same percent it gave me, so maybe that means it's pretty accurate?
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html
Hope this helped clear things up! There are also some explanations at the bottom of that website
Yeah filling in that one gave me a BMI of 57.4 and 80% body fat... maybe I'm just a lardbutt
Thanks for the congrats. I've been busting myself hardcore, I try to tell myself that because I'm losing inches and such, it's just 24 pounds of fat... heh...
Losing inches is great!! And maybe that calculator isn't accurate or maybe I just don't know as much about BF% as I thought I did :P
Anyway, don't get discouraged. Maybe don't worry so much about your BF% until you are closer to your goal. Until then, just work on shedding the inches/pounds and bringing down that BMI. You are absolutely not "disgusting" and don't let ANYONE make you feel that way! Check out the success stories on here, some of them are truly incredible. I've seen people who have lost 300 pounds and are still losing more. I've seen people who started at almost 700 pounds. You are absolutely not alone and you CAN do this!0 -
Thank you... I think I just get really put off and I decided to investigate because of threads and... yeah... starts the downward spiral I guess. I want to be better, stronger, healthier, and I know it's happening, but it's hard when you are sitting here trying and everything is going ways you didn't expect... It's like, How hard do I have to work before I get to see the results that I want...? Ha but thanks everyone for putting up with my "woe is me" moment..0
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I've done all of the calculators. And at the moment, that all have me between 29-39.
I don't think BMI is the end all be all. But it is difficult to guesstimate body fat with the calculators.
Set some targets like lose 5% of your body weight, 10%, 20% until you get a little closer to goal, and then maybe you can get one of the professional tests...and retry the calculator.
I am just using them as a gauge on if the number is going down, not an accurate number. And keep up with your measurements!0 -
I am just using them as a gauge on if the number is going down, not an accurate number. And keep up with your measurements!
Bingo ^^^^
So even if a site that uses measurements isn't accurate for a real number, it can be consistent, and give you a good direction.
Plus, if working out is part of the new lifestyle too, there is likely to be more body changes then weight loss, so tape is more important than scale.
Or tight jeans just for the purpose of trying on. But don't wash and shrink them, very discouraging!0 -
I'd say work on eating right and getting fit. That is more important than the scale or BMI or Body fat %. All those things are measurements. The REAL improvement is how you change your lifestyle. 24 pounds is a great accomplishment, but be patient.
Good luck! You can do this!:flowerforyou:0 -
I agree with everyone on here.
In my opinion, celebrate your victories. You did lose 24 lbs!!
That is amazing and you should be excited over that accomplishment.
I personally do not follow all those measurement tools. My body structure is
different than yours and yours is different than the next woman.
We are all individuals - hoping to accomplish our goals.
Keep focused on YOUR goals and you will succeed.
You already proved to us and yourself that you are a strong woman!0 -
I wouldn't bother too much about either number at this point. All of those numbers are academic when you have a fair bit of weight to lose. Just focus on the very positive changes you at making in your life - you have lost 24 pounds already (great job!) so you know what you need to do. The thing I've found hard is accepting that this process takes time and that you have to experiment to find a way of eating and living that you can keep up for the long term.
Be kind to yourself, keep up the great changes you've made and I know we'll be seeing more of you (or is that "less of you!") in the "success stories" section.0 -
please just ignore the BMI- for most people it is not a useful tool, and is only there to give people a ballpark figure of a healthy weight. i've had to use the BMI on hundreds of people (i'm a nurse), and only 2 have ever been in the 'healthy' weight range. medical professionals seem to be moving away from this tool as is does not take into account your natural build.
as for BF%, i'm not sure i care much for that either. it doesn't really tell us chunky people anything! i can tell by looking in a mirror that i'm a fatty. i think that becomes more important for thinner people who want to look ripped and toned, whereas i'd settle for not jiggling when i cough!
I say don't put too much emphasis on those numbers. Personally i say don't put emphasis on any numbers- even weight or inches! what's more important is how you feel. as you drop weight and increase exercise, you'll feel better (which, btw, you're already doing amazingly well). feeling good will mean that you'll want to do more, your mood will lift and you'll feel generally happier in yourself- at least it did for me.
you're doing really well. don't worry about the numbers. you can already tell they're not reliable! keep going and you'll get there.0 -
Hi There,
I would put little emotion into the numbers, because you are going in the right direction and you know you are loosing. This is your WTG. You can do this is your "your doing great!!" Hugs!!!!! if you need anything let me know, you are doing well. I see you on my friends list and you motivate me =] Remember you ARE doing well.
But back to addressing your questions. Body Fat% is exactly that. what % of fat is in your body. and BMI is a scaled number that is calculated based on your age and height to define average healthy weight for a person. BMI can sometimes under exaggerate like for example it wants me to be between 43kg and 63 kg (i am currently 127.9kg and cant see myself any lower than 65-70kg). but it is used as a guide. If you have higher % muscle then the BMI will be very little use to you cause it cannot distinguish between fat and muscle. BMI is a number, but is not idea for everyone. especially very athletic people or people with high muscle %.
I have done a LOT of research into this, and there are about 5-10 different calculations for each of the items i report on.
but i have checked against all of them and used the ones that hare more highly regarded among the fitness and wellness professionals.If you have any specific questions about the algorithms used for each item i can give you more detail, however i am not going to give away too much at this stage as i am turning the calc into an App as there isn't one that has everything inclusive of tracking.
However the sources are credible and well referenced. -> this is not to say that my Calc is gospel because like i said there are many different formaula's however i am using the ones that are the most regarded in American and Australian Culture. (yes i am Australian)
I put your numbers into my calculator ( i had to convert to cm and kg)
I did a LOT of research to make my calculator which runs many formula's against your stats. (it also tracks loss % and bmi loss etc...
if you put before and after measurements in.
The below is a cut and paste from my Calc so far so i apologize for the fact that my Calc is a little BLUNT its descriptions.
What you will also need to know is for a woman essential fat is up to 12% and for an athletic female body fat can sit up to 20% and for very fit women that can go up to 24% --- an AVERAGE HEALTHY woman your fat % should be between 25% and 31% -> the % in my calc takes into consideration fat vs muscle and uses your measurements to do this. the formula that i use to calculate body fat is the same one that the Australian and the American military use. If you have any questions -> im on your friends list. ASK away!!!!!!!! i am really interested in this stull and i am also a geek and love programming. so hence why i am making an APP. i will be making it on android first as its free.
Info i put in:
Age: 29 years
Weight: 155.5 kg
Height: 185.42 cm
Neck: 43.18 cm
Waist: 165.1 cm
Hips: 170.18 cm
Results I Got:
BMR: 2345
TDEE: 2814
BMI: 45.2
BMI Classification: You are obese.
Body Fat: 75.91 %
Body Fat: 118.04 kg
Body Fat Classification: Obese %
Lean Body Weight: 62.29 kg * Lean Body Weight refers to the sum of the weight of your bones, muscles and organs. basically the sum of everything other than fat in your body.
Ideal Body Weight: 97.89 kg
Waist-to-Hip Ratio: 0.97 :1.00 * Ideally, women should have a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.8 or less.0 -
If you need me to convert to pounds from kilos let me know =]0
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one other thing you might want to know, is you can loose fat% without loosing weight. so for example. i have lost 14 kilos in weight. but i have lost 18.*something* (i'm at work and don't have the exact numbers here) kilos of fat. Where did the 4 kilos go? it was gained muscle =] Sooooooo............. thats why the calculations would be good if i had your before measurements and weights too. If you give me those i can calculate the before and after that the Loss percentages for you.
the loss percentages is what motivates me so if measurements change but the scales dont move. I'm like Woah. no weight loss this week but i have lost 1kg in fat but i just gained it back in muscle.. and makes it easier for me to congratulate myself.0 -
Thanks Sara... It just gets really hard when the forums flood with information and people talking about how "gross" it is to be this heavy, as heavy as me, or even over 300 pounds... I mean, I won't be "not gross" by those standards for a long time and I don't think people understand how much it can hurt those of us that are up there, that need support for the long haul...
I also wish more people would respond, I really wanted to know
You are certainly not gross! Anyone who says that is a small minded doofus who needs to be kicked in the shins.
We're in slightly different boats, but I have to tell you that I try to focus really hard on what I'm *doing* instead of how I look or what the numbers say. I get such a rush from a good workout, from knowing that I'm stronger, from accomplishing something that I couldn't before. I never get that same rush standing on a scale or calculating my BMI. Those numbers seem like accidents, like things I have no control over.
What I'm trying to say is: feel badass about those calories you're burning. feel proud when you make a healthy meal. those things are huge! And the more often you do them, the less those numbers are going to bum you out.
Sorry...I just got all soap boxy and gave unsolicited advice. I hate when people do that. 0 -
at 6'-1" a BMI of 25 would get you to 189 lbs. If that was at 25% fat (large frame, muscular etc) then fat free mass would be 142 which makes your current weight 67.3 % fat.0
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Because there is such a variance in body fat calculators out there I came up with a calculation that I'm trying out.
I'm taking my measurements of
Calf, Thigh, hips, waist, under bust, bust, neck, wrist, forearm, and upper arm.
Then I'm taking each measurement and dividing it by my height to get a %.
Then I'm adding the %'s up and dividing by 10 to get an average.
It is going to be that average that I juduge my progress off the scale. I don't know if it totally works, but this is at least a number I know how the calculations are done and can see the progress. My % I think is about 48%. I don't know if that is my body fat, but for my purposes that is what I'm calling it. This number is pretty close to one of the online calculators I can found.
As a not I think doing a water displacement test is the most accurate to techinally test body fat (without an autospsy). But I'm not 100% sure on that.
These comments are just an IMO. But knowing how the calculation is done helps me be more confident in my number of 48%0 -
As a note my number from online sources ranged from 30% which is considered upper average (I'm bigger than average), to 72% which I don't think my frame would lift my weight if it didn't have more muscle hiding in the fat.0
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