Body Fat % - What is it, and how to measure it!

[lindswic]

Thanks! I use the Army standard bodyfat measurements. Its good to know that they are somewhat accurate.

[fihe]

I got my BF measured with a BIA at the doctor 2-3 weeks ago and came in at 25.4%. Since then, I've used calipers at home, although I'm not 100% sure that I measured myself properly. With the 3-point measurement I got a result of 20.4%, and the 7-point gave me 21.8%. However, I feel like 25% is probably what I'm at right now. If the caliper test had me measuring my inner or outer thigh, I think my BF% would turn out to be much higher.

I'd love to do BodPod but there are no locations in my state that do it

[oregonchick76]

I got my BF measured with a BIA at the doctor 2-3 weeks ago and came in at 25.4%. Since then, I've used calipers at home, although I'm not 100% sure that I measured myself properly. With the 3-point measurement I got a result of 20.4%, and the 7-point gave me 21.8%. However, I feel like 25% is probably what I'm at right now. If the caliper test had me measuring my inner or outer thigh, I think my BF% would turn out to be much higher.

I'd love to do BodPod but there are no locations in my state that do it

Neither the BIA or the calipers are going to be very accurate. Bottom line is, if it jiggles, it's fat. If you have too much jiggle, diet down to a healthy reasonable weight. If you don't look the way you want at that weight, likely you do not have enough muscle and will need to dedicate some serious time to bulking.

[Jazzyjewellery]

Calipers give you a good rough estimate. DEXA is the most accurate but it measures both visceral and sub-cutaneous fat so readings are a bit higher. Ex. I got around 28% on calipers vs. almost 38% with DEXA (10% difference!).

[slmartucci]

Calipers give you a good rough estimate. DEXA is the most accurate but it measures both visceral and sub-cutaneous fat so readings are a bit higher. Ex. I got around 28% on calipers vs. almost 38% with DEXA (10% difference!).

Wait... you're 5'2, 118lbs and 38% body fat? how???

[chloematilds]

body calipers at home says 24.7%. Online calculators using measurements say I;m 25%...so I guess it's around that percentage?

[SARA1994]

god

[SnowVioletta]

I used to have bookmarked a useful web tool for calculating BF. Can't seem to find it anymore.

[SugarFree1]

Calipers give you a good rough estimate. DEXA is the most accurate but it measures both visceral and sub-cutaneous fat so readings are a bit higher. Ex. I got around 28% on calipers vs. almost 38% with DEXA (10% difference!).

There seems to be a gender distinction with this that i've seen. As a male I usually come in at 3-4% less with dexa testing compared to bodpod and military tape testing. My wife comes in at about 13% higher on the dexa testing. I've seen similar results with a few other male & female friends

Wait... you're 5'2, 118lbs and 38% body fat? how???

Dexa testing is very accurate but the inclusion of visceral fat brings about much different results compared to all other forms of BF testing. The result percentages really cant be compared to the results of other forms of testing or what we normally think of in the terms of a specific BF% looking a specific way. If you have multiple dexa tests done though there great for comparing to each other.

[YogaKitteh]

I used the bodyspace suggestion for a plan and it told me that based on my height, weight & age, that my body fat is 13%. The woman in the photo certainly looks similar to me, but I thought 13% was reeeeally low? I thought that's when a woman starts to lose her period?

I had estimated myself at 22% prior to that, but then I don't know what I'm doing & perhaps I overestimated my body fat. I thought a VS model type of body would be about 20% and I'd be a little jigglier.

I looked through the other photo options & the woman who looked the most like me was now listed as 15% (but the same photo...?), and so I chose it, still thinking it is ludicrous. I likely have more of a butt than the woman in the photo has, but I'm not sure how much that would affect the BF%.

So now it has given me advice to lose 5 lbs, but also to INCREASE my body fat & lose lean body mass. This seems counter-intuitive to me... I would like to be thin (as I already am), but with firmer thighs/butt, even if that means they get a bit bigger in order to become firmer. I'm not looking to lose or gain overall size or totally transform my shape, just to get firmer. So this means losing fat & gaining muscle, right? Or at least gaining muscle? This "advice" given seems so off to me...

[emhernan]

great post!

[dreadiechic]

I'm so confused by body fat percents despite reading all I can on here! I did a measurement calculation, the army one or navy one something like that. And the one on here. They both came up at 18 % but I find it hard to believe its that low since I've gained five pounds in two months, only one of which could be lean muscle right?

[EmilyGMckay]

Great post...Really gave me a good idea for what my body fat % goal is

[corritaylor82]

Body Fat Categories for Women:
8-12% - Essential Fat
13-20% - Athletic Fat Levels
21-24% - Fitness Fat Levels
25-31% - Acceptable Fat Levels
>32% - Obese

Great post, going to update my BF% goal now!

[BcoolNgreat]

Great post with all the information! Learnt so much. How do I reduce belly fat? I am 5 foot,2 inches.

[-Ironside-]

Needed somewhere to unload this pic and this seems like the ideal place

[-Ironside-]

Thanks! I use the Army standard bodyfat measurements. Its good to know that they are somewhat accurate.

Army body fat measurements are not accurate, they're to calculate BMI based on simple measurements. Definitely not a good way to measure BF or even BMI IMO.
Electronic handheld measurements are also not a great way to measure BF. If you're dehydrated your BF will be lower, drink 2 cups of water and try again and you just gained a couple % BF
Honestly, the best way to measure BF at hope is with calipers. It can be a bit hard to measure yourself but it will be the most accurate. The more points you hit the more accurate the count will be

[trailmeeks]

@fihe - have you checked at any local colleges? Usually larger universities with good kinesiology departments have a bodpod or even hydrostatic weighing. My local college has both and I'm in Idaho....can't believe you wouldn't have one in NJ! It's not listed with the regular bodpod site either - probably because it's cheaper and they don't get a cut? Who knows.

But if you're really wanting to know a good BF baseline that's somewhat accurate, its a great starting point and not too expensive ($35, $65 respectively in ID). Then I just use my at home Omron to track general changes (because it's usually off a few %).

I've actually had better luck with electronic measurements than handhelds, although I haven't tried to do my own. The local trainers here seem so obsessed with BF that they are determined to show a downward trend, even when one doesn't really exist.

[ekoth09]

I was just wondering about this! I'm glad I came across it. Thank you.

[Kitgirl21]

My body fat percentage is 24.4% according to the calculator. I'm definitely not that fat I just have hips it doesn't incorporate the whole body shape.

[viccles007]

Going by that pic I'm going to say I'm between 25-30% Probably closer to the 30% I'd say. I really want to get a Dexa scan!

[sigen92]

Thanks for the info! Super useful!

[SugarFree1]

Going by that pic I'm going to say I'm between 25-30% Probably closer to the 30% I'd say. I really want to get a Dexa scan!

I would say around 25%. Definitely not as high as 30. Please note that dexa testing is very accurate but because they include testing both visceral and subcutaneous fat the results are different then all other testing methods. On average I come in at 4% under other testing methods such as bodpod and the dunk tank when dexa tested and my wife comes in as high as 13% over with dexa. If you want to think in the terms of comparing 23% as being average for a female and such I would suggest trying a BodPod test. There is a link in my sig for testing locations.

[mayako]

I'm 15 years old, 5'3 and 114 pounds. I've gotten my Bodyfat percentage measured on 3 different occasions (at two different gyms.) My first time I was at about 17% and then the last two times I got about 15% I'm wondering about the accuracy of this? I'm a dancer and take classes three times a week and on my off days go to the gym. Does this sound like a reasonable number to you? I saw a personal trainer once and they told me 15% bodyfat is alot?? Maybe it was because he was a guy..? But it made me feel pretty insecure, but now looking online apparently 15% in females is low?

[Emma-Leigh]

I'm 15 years old, 5'3 and 114 pounds. I've gotten my Bodyfat percentage measured on 3 different occasions (at two different gyms.) My first time I was at about 17% and then the last two times I got about 15% I'm wondering about the accuracy of this? I'm a dancer and take classes three times a week and on my off days go to the gym. Does this sound like a reasonable number to you? I saw a personal trainer once and they told me 15% bodyfat is alot?? Maybe it was because he was a guy..? But it made me feel pretty insecure, but now looking online apparently 15% in females is low?

Firstly - 15% is very low for a female, ESPECIALLY a female who is only 15 yrs of age. The trainer at the gym doesn't know what he is talking about.
Secondly - at 15 yrs of age the LAST thing you need to be doing is focusing on the 'number' (both in terms of body fat and in terms of your weight).
If your bodyfat gets too low, or you restrict your diet, you put yourself at risk of SERIOUS long term health issues like failure to finish growing/ short stature, and osteoporosis and brittle bones.

As long as you're of a healthy weight and height, then being STRONG, FIT and HEALTHY.. And LIVING and ENJOYING your life is what matters.

[rockangel]

Dexa' Scanned at 31%
BF 36.7 pounds
Lean 75.1 pounds
Weight 116.6 in photo dexa 117.2 (drinking water through the day accounts for difference)

Height 59.5 inches Dexa rounded up to 60


Front


Side


Back Relaxed


Back Bikini Pose

[Intpgawdess]

My bfp% was measured in high school 4 years ago(scale method) and apparently I was at 8% but I remember, all the other girls in my class were measured between 18-30%. At the time I was 5'7.5 and 110lbs. However, I'm not sure how accurate that was because I was and still am healthy and I never had amenorrhea. I'm now just under 5'9 & 115lbs so I'd assume my bfp% is still on the low side.

[MrTrambolico]

Hello!
Yesterday I did a BIA thanks to a herbalife man and the result was 22,2% of body fat. According to herbalife I have a normal % of body fat, but a lot of friends said me that if I lose more weight I will be very very skinny. When I see me in the mirror I see me as skinny girl, not normal weight girl, so I don't understand.

[LunaLifts]

My bfp% was measured in high school 4 years ago(scale method) and apparently I was at 8% but I remember, all the other girls in my class were measured between 18-30%. At the time I was 5'7.5 and 110lbs. However, I'm not sure how accurate that was because I was and still am healthy and I never had amenorrhea. I'm now just under 5'9 & 115lbs so I'd assume my bfp% is still on the low side.

That's an inaccurate method, and if you were 8% you'd be QUITE underweight, and only skin, bone, and whatever muscle tissue you had/have.

Hello!
Yesterday I did a BIA thanks to a herbalife man and the result was 22,2% of body fat. According to herbalife I have a normal % of body fat, but a lot of friends said me that if I lose more weight I will be very very skinny. When I see me in the mirror I see me as skinny girl, not normal weight girl, so I don't understand.

Are you saying the bpf seems high for your weight? At 5'9" and 121lbs I was around 22-23% but since any extra weight was almost all fat, I was fat despite being skinny. Ever hear the phrase "skinny fat?" That's what that is, not much extra weight, but all fat tissue.

[tkdsteph]

Got a DEXA scan done recently - came out at 19% body fat. I'm pretty new to this whole process and wanted something close to a baseline (I've been watching my diet for about 9 months and working out routinely for about 4 months). Flexed in the first 3 photos, relaxed in the last photo. It was hard to find many photos of women who had DEXA measurements, so I wanted to contribute mine.