Actual Body fat Percentage

[TheTeddy13]

I know all about the BMI, but it's not very accurate because everyone has a different body type and different muscle mass, so is there a way to accurately gauge you're actual body fat percentage? Also, feel free to post your percentages if you're not too embarrassed, and want to make me jealous. haha

[The Tin Man]

On this note, are those scales that measure body fat accurate to any degree?

[andygates]

A dunk tank or scan will be accurate. The rest... less so. Some much less so.

Back when I was obsessing over this, I used a 4-site caliper and online calculator, and a bunch of scales. They were wildly different, and wildly variable (calipers suffer user error; scales are sensitive to hydration and diurnal voodoo), but they both showed the same trend. So, IMO, domestic kit is only really reliable for determining a bodyfat trend.

[erinec11]

Where would you be able to get a scan or something like that? Hospital?

[ETFnerd]

I use the omron monitor that I saw at the gym. It's $20-25 on amazon. It's easy if not accurate, but I try not to obsess about it. I do it long term and I am just trying to estimate and am more concerned about direction. I don't think my wife will let me get a dunk tank in the condo. I already log exercise, food and weigh most of what i eat. After years, I am still terrible at estimating portions. I admit that I have OCD sometimes, other times, I am really lazy which is when I let too many things slide.

Started 1/1/2011 at 26-28% at 255lbs

Currently 9/20/2011 at ~16% at 168

I'm 5'9" with BMI~24-25 or straddling normal/overweight.

[ebm1224]

i don't know how accurate they are but a gym i used to go to had a little handheld thing that just took a minute to take a reading of body fat. most gyms give you a free trainer session and even a free week pass to try out the facilities...so stop by your gym and ask for an assessment or stop by a gym you want to pretend you're interested in and get an assessment. just be prepared for them to call you every day to buy a membership until you tell them you've joined elsewhere (or you could be like my boyfriend and lie and tell them you lost your job).

[aj_rock]

I've a few forums online where you can get experts to eyeball your BF levels. Depending on the person/pictures taken, you could actually get very good measurements.

Why? Experience in the industry. You learn after seeing X number of people with Y bodyfat, how people look with certain amounts on them.

BMI IS pretty good though, unless you're like BBing size. Don't kid yourself and say you're heavy because of excess muscle when you aren't lifting silly amounts of weight.

[Wrecked]

So, IMO, domestic kit is only really reliable for determining a bodyfat trend.

100% this.

I have callipers, the AccuMeasure mentioned by a few people around here, and they put me at 17.5% and some digital scales that put me at 25.8%. I really don't know which is right. However I stick with the scales. Because, even though its a higher value, I've been using it longer and its shown a consistent trend.

[anxiety]

I've a few forums online where you can get experts to eyeball your BF levels. Depending on the person/pictures taken, you could actually get very good measurements.

Why? Experience in the industry. You learn after seeing X number of people with Y bodyfat, how people look with certain amounts on them.

This, I can look at some people and tell their bf% but if you are self conscious callipers, or that domestic kit sound reliable.

I'm pretty sure I am around 8% bf