Riddle me this...body fat %, need honesty

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  • stephanie1133
    stephanie1133 Posts: 211
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    You 2 are probably right about not worrying about it at all. As long as I'm losing weight, exercising, and my strength isn't going down, it probably isn't something I need to worry about.
  • propskat
    propskat Posts: 191 Member
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    I suggest trying one of the calculator sites -- they're pretty simple, no calipers required.

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

    For successive measures, try to make sure you are in the same location -- so the forearm measure is the same number of inches above the wrist each time.

    I'm not sure I trust that link. It gave me a % body fat that was too high by about 5-6%..so, as a test, I left my weight the same and input 20" waist, 20" hips, 4" wrist and 4" forearm, and it put me at 25% body fat! :laugh:

    LOL, at 90 lbs, with 20" waist and 20" hips, and 3" wrist and forearm, it gave me 23.3% body fat. Then I switched it from Female to Male and got MINUS 20.89%!

    And shouldn't height be one of the measurements? I think it matters if you're 5'2" and 210 or 5' 9".
  • pkfrankel
    pkfrankel Posts: 171 Member
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    The Center for Disease Control calculates BMI as follows:

    Weight x 703 / height (inches) / height (inches)

    190 x 703 / 66 / 66 = 30.7%.
  • Carmato1
    Carmato1 Posts: 1
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    Have you tried the online BMI calculators? They are consistent at least...
  • jtintx
    jtintx Posts: 445 Member
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    The BodPod is on par with hydrostatic (underwater) weighing and is cheaper and easier to find. You can Google it to find out more about it. It is very accurate. I'd suggest getting a baseline done asap and then again in 6 months to a year.
  • tarheelfj40
    tarheelfj40 Posts: 3
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    While it is easy to get caught up on "tests" , your real focus should be practical measurements and not calipers. I would venture to say that the test was pretty accurate. HOWEVER, the thing is about the BF% pinch tests are the actual test points. I have lost just over 60 pounds since Jan 2nd. My BF% has slowly come down, and I trust the guy who has been doing my tests. HOWEVER, what I put value in is that I went from an XL Jacket down to a medium. I went from a size 38 pant size and now I am rocking 32's! Focus less on the plastic judgement devices (Scales and Calipers) and focus more on how you feel, how your clothes fit, and best of all, the response you get from people around you who are witnessing your fitness transformation.

    On another note, I suggest that you up your protein to equal at least 1 gram per pound of your body weight. I am no expert, but based on what you shared, it seems to be too low if you are doing that much weight training. Good luck and keep up the good work!

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