Body Fat Percentage???

[delete011608]

Hi Ladies,

I took all of my measurements and did the calculation for my bodyfat. I was surprised to see that I am at 22%. I thought I would be a little lower than that. Should I buy a device that measures or do you think that this way is accurate? Also, I do see muscle definition in my body so I just thought mine would be lower than 22%. Thank you so much for any input.

[Hardness23]

I feel that the bf% test and the scale can be discouraging. I'm trying to get over it and measure my weight loss solely on the mirror and the way I feel. And I would like to get down to very low bodyfat for a competition. For example, I've been training super hard, and as a result my quads and biceps look alot harder due to the loss of fat on them. I now finally have difinition on the outside of my quads and people tell me my arms are huge but really they are smaller and the muscles just look much more defined. That's how I KNOW my bf% is going down. It's alot more enjoyable as well not worrying about numbers all the time. All that matters anyways is how you look right ? (Unless you have to make a weight class or are a powerlifter) Those tests aren't accurate anyways unless you sit in a water tank.

[freebirdmac]

It's only a number. And meaningless. What counts is how you think you look and how you feel. Assuming you're not getting a body perception disorder.

That said, I needed a new scale so I bought one that can measure bf. But, the absolute numbers are meaningless to me. I know they can be way off. I'm just using it to track the changes from one measurement to the next. And I'm a gadget freak so it was hard to just buy a plain old scale ;)

[miles2go]

This is what my family uses to measure our bodyfat%. Look at the list of clients or contact the company to see if there is a unit in your locale. Universities usually have them for their sports programs...
http://bodpod.com/p_bodSTDemo.php
Hope this helps.
Miles

[misstransformer]

I feel that the bf% test and the scale can be discouraging. I'm trying to get over it and measure my weight loss solely on the mirror and the way I feel. And I would like to get down to very low bodyfat for a competition. For example, I've been training super hard, and as a result my quads and biceps look alot harder due to the loss of fat on them. I now finally have difinition on the outside of my quads and people tell me my arms are huge but really they are smaller and the muscles just look much more defined. That's how I KNOW my bf% is going down. It's alot more enjoyable as well not worrying about numbers all the time. All that matters anyways is how you look right ? (Unless you have to make a weight class or are a powerlifter) Those tests aren't accurate anyways unless you sit in a water tank.

I couldn't agree more! It's great to have an idea of where you're at. However, placing too much importance on the scale and/or fat percentage, can be discouraging. Unless someone is in the obese category, it really does boil down to appearance. I'm happy to see so many women are stressing the latter. :) T