Help with Body fat Percentage

[dracopervicax]

Um, okay.

So I am trying to test out whether or not I should switch to body fat percentage as a measurement for my fitness, instead of using weight. I know that a lot has been said on here about it, so I won't pester with questions just yet BUT -- I did some measuring, and the results I got were a little... confusing.

I used the calculator here: and these were the results I got:

Using your measurements of a 29 inches waist and weight of 149 pounds your body fat percentage is estimated to be:

30.17 % using the U.S. Navy body fat algorithm,

36.37 % using the U.S. Marine body fat algorithm,

40.55 % using the formula developed by the YMCA

43.90 % using the U.S. Army body fat algorithm,

.

Uh... that's a WIDE range of numbers... and, according to this chart (I'm a 22yo fm) based on one two of them I'm obese, one I'm overweight, and one I'm at a healthy weight.

WHAT IN THE NAME OF MARIO IS GOING ON HERE?!

Can someone please help me sort this out? If it helps, I carry my weight largely around my hips, and have a pretty small waist. Here are my stats:

Waist at narrowest point: 29 in

Waist at navel: 36in

Hip at widest point: 40.5 in

Neck: 13 in

Height: 5'5''

Weight: 149lb

Bicep:9in

Forearm: 7 in

Wrist: 6in

I am very very confused. Thanks in advance!

[Centurion]

I'd recommend trying a more reliable method of checking. I've tried using online calculators from various body part measurements and the results ranged from 5%-20%. No method is 100% accurate but some are better than others. Calipers are supposed to be the best way on a budget and there are some scales that can measure it as well but I'm not sure about the cost/reliability of those. Only real sure fire way is to go and get checked by a pro (think it's done using water displacement) but that won't be cheap.

[Denny]

I entered the site you linked and read the following.

HealthStatus is now the KING of body fat calculators!!! We now have five different body fat calculation formulas for you. Find one that you like the results on!

For me that site lost a lot of credibility because of the bold alone.

Isn't it better to judge what you see in the mirror?

[dracopervicax]

I entered the site you linked and read the following.

For me that site lost a lot of credibility because of the bold alone.

Isn't it better to judge what you see in the mirror?

Hard to quantify what you see in the mirror. Plus, the way I see myself in the mirror depends largely on how I feel that day. So that really isn't a reliable measure for me.

But yeah, the site does lose some credibility with me, also for that statement. But it could be helpful to go on what makes sense? at 149, I hardly think I'm obese...

P.S. I love your avatar!

I'd recommend trying a more reliable method of checking. I've tried using online calculators from various body part measurements and the results ranged from 5%-20%. No method is 100% accurate but some are better than others. Calipers are supposed to be the best way on a budget and there are some scales that can measure it as well but I'm not sure about the cost/reliability of those. Only real sure fire way is to go and get checked by a pro (think it's done using water displacement) but that won't be cheap.

Yeah, definitely. I'm not sure it's in the budget, though, at least not right now.

[Denny]

Hard to quantify what you see in the mirror. Plus, the way I see myself in the mirror depends largely on how I feel that day. So that really isn't a reliable measure for me.

But yeah, the site does lose some credibility with me, also for that statement. But it could be helpful to go on what makes sense? at 149, I hardly think I'm obese...

That depends on how tall you are. At 178cm (5'10'') I weighed 68kg (150lbs) some years back and I was thin as a stick. How tall are you?

P.S. I love your avatar!

Motivation in its purest form!

[dracopervicax]

That depends on how tall you are. At 178cm (5'10'') I weighed 68kg (150lbs) some years back and I was thin as a stick. How tall are you?

Motivation in its purest form!

I'm 5'5''

Pics or it didn't happen:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]523[/ATTACH]

['Roos]

The method I use is a Navy body fat calculator online. The one I found has handy topographical maps of what people of x body fat percent generally look like, so I could go, "Yeah, that's kind of me..." when I got my percent back. There is also a caveat on that site, that if your waist is under 35" and you have a greater than ??? hip to waist ratio, then you fall in the 'athletic' category, and BMI/body fat measurements will be less accurate. If you're looking at body fat, the best way is displacement measurements, but if you're looking to just see how your regiment is doing, you should just pick one and use it consistently, as that will give you RELATIVE change. Don't stress about the numbers, just the change.

[spezzy]

I don't like using measurements - I use calipers.

If I use measurements it says I'm fat.

That all being said, as long as you use the SAME thing every time, youre fine.

[dracopervicax]

I am ultimately, at this point, trying to determine whether or not I'm overweight. I started out definitely obese and, well, I dunno. Maybe I'm just looking for a sense of accomplishment and/or completion before moving on to the next part of my epic quest.

Do you think the distinctions between healthy, overweight, and obese are arbitrary, at least at the dividing lines between them?

[spezzy]

Then I would go and get your body fat tested by a professional. (Or have someone teach you how to use calipers, theyre tricky).

Heres a bit more info on calipers and how to use them:

http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

Measurements arent going to do it.

I'm at about 15-17% now and my arm measures 11 inches.

When I was 25%, it was 9 inches.

I think any number put on an entire population of people is arbitrary to an extent

[dracopervicax]

I think any number put on an entire population of people is arbitrary to an extent

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think I agree. Letting go of those distinctions is going to be difficult, though. hrm...

['Roos]

The problem with BMI is that it was never intended to give you information about an individual, but was designed as an epidemiological marker of a society's fitness level. It does NOT account for extra dense bones, unusually high level of muscle, or larger than average frame (ie, the difference between people based on their physical construction, not just weight and height). Using BMIs as a measure of that is technically very VERY flawed (I say from a scientific background), and in fact, the developer of the BMI advocates against it as it is not an accurate metric.

If you're wanting to get an accurate body fat, I'd say go get tested at a displacement test or try out calipers. If you feel healthy though, that's the best reward.

[dracopervicax]

yeah. i was using BMI sort of as a stand-in knowing it wasn't a great measure. Hence why I'm looking for something better.

I think I will try using calipers. Thanks everyone.

[jbzero]

to add a possible source of failure: while those calculators do include variation for gender it has been my experience that the formulas for women are far less accurate than the formulas for men.

BMI is terrible. My "ideal weight" is less than my actual lean body mass.

The numbers matter far less than the mirror and your mind.

[Kain]

Non-scientific assessment, you look good and you look happy.

[dracopervicax]

Non-scientific assessment, you look good and you look happy.

Thanks! I certainly feel a lot better than I did, but I am still unhappy with the amount of fat I'm carrying and my general, overall fitness.

I'm working on levelling up on my life. So the goal is to look better and be happier. I am trying to explore ways how to do that.

[spezzy]

yeah. i was using BMI sort of as a stand-in knowing it wasn't a great measure. Hence why I'm looking for something better.

I think I will try using calipers. Thanks everyone.

fyi, you have to pinch yourself, and it hurts.

in other news, im whiny and have a low tolerance for pain. :D:D

[dracopervicax]

fyi, you have to pinch yourself, and it hurts.

in other news, im whiny and have a low tolerance for pain. :D:D

haha. Good to know. How often to you measure?

EDIT: I will probably get my fiancee to do it for me. Then I can hit him when it's all over.

[JBarduhn]

fyi, you have to pinch yourself, and it hurts.

in other news, im whiny and have a low tolerance for pain. :D:D

You just picked up 325 pounds of the floor! Lol how is that a low tolerance for pain?

I have been looking into this as well, I did the whole GNC machine that works like the scales that send a electrical impulse through your body and base it on that. Said i was 8% which can not be accurate. I'm much thinner than I was, but I'm not single digits, I can't be. Thinking about calipers next step.

JB