Body Fat %

[Sean(JSF)]

I have been thinking about BMI v Body Fat for a while, as my 'normal' BMI starts at 12 stone, and as I've said before even as a fit teenager I was significantly heavier. As a result I have little faith in BMI as a useful tool for me.

That leaves body fat as a reliable measure, and I will be investing in a decent monitor as I approach RTM.

A trawl through old posts has pulled up the following chart which I thought I'd share as others may be interested:

 

[PurpleButterfly]

Oh that's interesting! According to the measurement on my scales (ok not the most reliable), I am in the normal range, just!

 

[Huseyin]

Its all relative Sean, basically the BMI does not take into account your bone density, water retention and muscle mass. As a teenager you was probably much heavier due to muscles, this time around LL has eroded your muscles due to dieting. it makes sense what you say when you take all factors into account.

I too remember as a 20 year old i was heavier but musch fitter then i am now, im getting back to it thought slowly through training.

 

[Guy]

I'm focusing much more on Body Fat % than BMI now myself Sean as I'm doing much more exercise than I was pre LL. I'm lucky enough to be around 17% at the moment. Not bad considering my percentage was somewhere in the 40's just 6 months ago.

I've also had a healthy body fat percentage for a quite a few weeks longer than a healthy BMI too. Current BMI is just under 25 (my ticker tracks LLC evening weight over a week ago) but my body fat has been less than 20% for about a month.

 

[pete10141748]

damn, just as I get into an "overweight" bmi my bodyfat tells me I am obese again!

 

[nexangelus]

damn, just as I get into an "overweight" bmi my bodyfat tells me I am obese again!

That's the thing - it is the bodyfat that is the more important one, especially when you are down to so called normal or nearly normal BMI levels...you can get skinny fat people, slim folks who have higher fat percentages than others...

According to those tables I am underfat HAHAHAHA! But in the health and fitness tables I am in the excellent range...

Also when I was a teenager I was the classic slim fat person, I weighed lighter but was bigger in clothes sizes and looked chubbier than I am now...didn't start putting lean mass on until I was around 21 when I started with the healthy gym thing...so I weigh heavier, but am leaner and fitter and than I have ever been...

 

[Blonde Logic]

I am 1.1 point from being underweight? Or underfat - whatever they call it these days! I'm, um, shocked! I knew I had got into the healthy range but stopped looking after that, and I've gone virtually to the bottom of the range. I am gobsmacked! I should be happy - but am a bit shocked.

Or am I getting a Body Fat chart confiused with a BMI chart? Are they the same?? I'm cornfused!
Guess I can have skim milk instead of nonfat!

 

[Mini_Me]

Hi Sean,

I bought a Body Fat Monitor, its the last one on this list here:

OMRON Online

The BF306. It works quite well. It came with a good explaination of when the best times to measure body fat are... (if anybody wants me to copy the quidlines of when to measure body fat, please let me know...).

I'm a tad overweight - my BMI is just over 25, but my average body fat measurement is 14% - which is good... so I'm not too worried about my BMI.

I think these machines are well worth it. I got mine for about £26 delivered.

Let us know how you get on!

 

[Mini_Me]

How to measure Body Fat % from the Omron Manual...

HOW TO OBTAIN A CORRECT​

MEASUREMENT

http://www.omron-healthcare.com/ima...306/BF_306_E_EN_vs03_08_08.pdf?_ver1_i2_fied3

Page 2 of this PDF explains when it is a good circumstance/time of day to measure body fat %​

 

[nexangelus]

I think the most accurate fat percentage measurements are the calipers...it's what I use...machines and monitors don't take into account hydration levels, etc and so water weight and fat mass can get confused...am pretty sure that is the general inaccuracy of them...from my research...

 

[Mini_Me]

I think the most accurate fat percentage measurements are the calipers...it's what I use...machines and monitors don't take into account hydration levels, etc and so water weight and fat mass can get confused...am pretty sure that is the general inaccuracy of them...from my research...

Hmm, its true that these machines have a degree of inaccuracy to them - to get a true body fat % you would need specialist machines, like the types found in universities or those special water tanks...

The caliper method is good at measuring subcutaneous (under the skin) fat - but how does it take into consideration visceral fat? and for people who were morbidly obese (like me) calipers don't seem to be accurate, due to the loose skin I still have... it didn't seem to work for me...

Basically, these (relatively cheap) machines measure body fat % by sending an electrical signal around your body, and measures how long it takes to go round. Muscle conducts electricity, and fat doesn't. The quicker it goes round, the less fat you have. Water also conducts electricity, so if you have a lot of water in you, you will conduct quicker, and appear leaner than you are... but you can minimise the innacuracy by measuring in optimum conditions, and averaging out many measurements etc... its not a perfectly accurate measure, but a usefule guide none-the-less....

 

[Foxtrot]

I think my scales do water and fat measurments too. I'll have a look later.......

Edit, yup we have the Tanita 662 F model. Now going to look for the manual and try tomorrow am.

 

[Foxtrot]

This am fat 40% and water 42%. Not sure what that means in the water but I'm just in the overfat. (Also lost another 1lb!)

Be interesting to see what I end up with, as I've said elsewhere, I carry weight around the hips even when skinny, just as my very slim and fit daughter does. The perils of being an hourglass :sigh: The picture on the manuel shows the electric pulse sort of going up one leg and down the other, my bigger area anyway.