Body Fat Percentages BEWARE!

wonderwoman

wonderwoman

Cathlete
This is especially for the ladies.

I am a hispanic 34 yr old woman 5'2 weighing in at 125lbs, but due to to weight fluctuatons can weigh any from 123 to 128 lbs. I throw hispanic in there because I feel that mosr hispanic woman tend to be more curvier than most woman. (Dont mean to offend anyone). Point being that I have always been obsessed with the number on the scale and am always trying to get down to 120 lbs but never achieving this goal. 120 being that magic number to me. I never knew what my body fat percentage was. I always used the internet as my guide to do these body fat percentages at home test with a measuring tape. So I thought my percentage was some where around 22-25% because of these crazy methods. So finally I went to a professional and found out my body fat percentage is 11.37%. What a difference. I totally have a different outlook on that damn scale now. So with that said I went home last night and ate a healthy dinner but enjoyed the biggest piece of chocolate double fudge cake until I was sick!!! LOLOL So ladies PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave that scale alone....
 
I'm hispanic too and know exactly what you mean about us being curvier. I am all butt/hips - just like J-Lo. I KNOW my body fat isn't as low as yours - not with hips like this! ;)

Just out of curiosity, how did the professional measure your body fat?
 
I think that your new approach about not focusing on the weight scale is terrific...fitness in the form of added muscle/lost fat is the best! How your clothing fits tells a better story than the weight scale, i.e. going down sizes (or maintaining, if that's your goal).

Body fat percentage CAN also be a helpful indicator...however getting an accurate measurement is, as you pointed out, not a straightforward thing. I have a home scale that also analyzes (estimates) body fat, and you can change the number by several percent over the course of a day just by how much water you drink (the manual explains this, and that's why it advises taking the measurements at the same time each day, ideally later in the day to optimize body fat). Calipers and measuring tape are subject to error in many ways (how tight you pull the tape/skin, exactly where to measure, etc). A professional would ideally be more experienced and consistent, but can't be perfect with this method. With any of these "not optimum" methods, perhaps the most useful piece of information is the relative CHANGE that occurs over time (i.e. decreasing numbers, or same if you want to maintain, or make some lifestyle changes if you see increases). The absolute number is not so important in that case. Another helpful period for that kind of scale is when you are trying to get more fit, and losing fat while gaining muscle, so your WEIGHT may not change much, but the fat percentage will go down, giving you a tangible form of progress (and reassurance)if you need or want that. (my scale actually also gives an estimate of lean body mass, i.e. muscle, as well, so this number will go up during a period of fitness progress, and is kind of fun to monitor).

If you REALLY want to get an accurate body fat percentage (and have $ to spend), a full dexascan can give it (that's a scan done with the primary purpose of determining bone density-very valuable in and of itself- but gives body fat as a side product). Or a water immersion test - I'm not an expert, but I've heard that may be the "gold standard".

ANYWAY- the number you got, less than 12%, is EXTREMELY low for an adult female, to the point of being unhealthy for many and even causing menstruation to stop due to insufficient body fat. I am not at all saying that it is wrong, or that your professional did not do the test correctly...however, if this number is REALLY important to you, you may want to try another professional as well, or other methods, just to check.

In any case, I don't personally feel that the actual number is all that critical. If your muscles look and feel firm and toned, you don't have any "jiggly" areas, etc, you're doing great! And having a positive, healthy, motivated attitude toward all of it really makes a difference. You should enjoy that chocolate cake once in a while no matter what! No one wants to be around an extremely fit but grouchy person. Whether you've achieved your fitness goal, or are safely progressing there, the important things are being happy, confident about your body image, and enjoying life in general... and it sounds like you really are.
 
I totally agree with everything the above poster said. I was on an extremely stringent exercise/diet plan and got my bodyfat down to 13.8 percent using the aforementioned "Dexascan", which is foolproof.
If you are truly at 11.00 percent, wow, be careful, because that is extremely low for women, even Monica Brant says in her book, that very low levels of bodyfat are not desirable for most women to maintain unless of course they are about to step onto a stage and compete, its very stressful on the body. Believe me, I know. I am scaling back on my own diet and exercise program, its too hard to try and maintain a very low percentage--at least it is for me., I am personally trying to stay at around 15 to 16 percent still low, but not so low I am feeling bad.

Just my two cents, be careful...the cake sounded yummers!
 
wonderwoman, I think 11.37% is WAY too low. Maybe you should try a different method of bf measurement? How do you feel? Do you feel well most of the time?
 
Body builders and figure competitors compete at body fat %s that low, but do not maintain them because it is not healthy. There can be a lot of room for error with body fat testing even with the calipers. At that low you should see no visible fat at all. I agree with Nancy, that you should be retested.


[font color= purple size=+3]Catherine[/font]

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11.37% is low and this is something you would notice as well as others around you. You would be extremely cut. There would be no question about weight being an important factor to you if the mirror would tell it all.

You really wouldn't have curves on a body at 11.37%.
Namita
 
I was severely underweight in my teens (loooong story) and had to begin seeing a nutritionist on a weekly basis. She would take my body fat % every week and at one point I was down to 12% BF and almost hospitalized. I didn't get my period and I was almost lethargic almost to the point where I couldn't function at all. I REALLY don't think you should be as low as you are. I completely agree with the point of your post, though. I don't even own a scale anymore. But, please---be careful. And maybe have your BF % retested.

Allison

http://www.picturetrail.com/allisonj90
 
As far as menstruation is concerned I get it every month (UGH!) I actually feel fine. In fact I've never felt better in my whole entire life. I'm not tired I sleep 7 hours almost everynight and I eat very well 1400-1700 calories everyday. Sometime I feel like I eat toooo much and I also follow cathe's rotations. I also cheat on many ocassions usually every sunday. Darn it I knew it was to good to be true. In any event I now know that fitness and health does not consist of a 3 digit number anymore.
 
Wow, if I only ate 1400 - 1700 calories a day, I wouldn't even be able to get through a Cathe workout. But I'm a bigger girl - 6" taller. I've tried to keep it to 1500 before, but I just can't function that low. :( You must be very disciplined!
 
Hear! hear! Wonderwoman, you are doing awesome, I have the same outlook with the scale...who cares about numbers, you gotta be happy (well on most days at least) with what you see in the mirror. Its easy to get caught up in the percentages (believe me, I can go there) and numbers. You are doing great.:)
 
>Wow, if I only ate 1400 - 1700 calories a day, I wouldn't
>even be able to get through a Cathe workout. But I'm a bigger
>girl - 6" taller. I've tried to keep it to 1500 before, but I
>just can't function that low. :( You must be very
>disciplined!

For short people like me and the OP (5'2" - 5'3"), 1400-1700 is about right, unfortunately. I don't think we're necessarily more disciplined, but we're smaller people, with theoretically lower metabolisms, so our bodies are well adapted to a lower calorie intake. Or some such crap. :p It's not usually a problem for me to stay under 1700, except when I'm presented with some kind of smorgasborg of tastiness - like a Girl Scout cookie sale, or the all-you-can-eat Cathe Road Trip buffets. :9 Then it's really easy to go over on calories. Oh well, it's not like I eat that way every day...
 
Thanks, I won't beat myself up so much then! ;) I wonder how many extra calories I get per inch? ;)
 
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