Body Fat Percentages

amy_b

amy_b

Cathlete
Hi,
I have been working out with Cathe now for almost a year and I just had my body fat measured. An experienced trainer "calipered" me and got 14.8%. Can it be true??? She said I'm all muscle, but I still see "fat spots."
Here's my real question: At what BF% did you look in the mirror and say, "This is what I hoped for." ?
I know that women shouldn't go below 10%, right?
This trainer said that I shouldn't make any goals for weight loss at 5'4' 128# and 14% bf.
Does that sound right?
For the first time in my life, I am starting to get questions from strangers about my workout routines. Maybe I have made more improvement than I think.
 
I for one never have my BF% measured. I'm 5'3", about 110. All I know is when I go below 107 I get snide remarks from people about eating disorders & concentration camps & such. That's when I know it's time to gain a few lbs LOL.

However I don't look in the mirror & see fat spots (other than what's between my ears:p ). Even when I'm up around 115 I know I still look pretty good. But 115 is my limit--if I go over that I do start to panic a little.

You're correct about not going below 10%. Apparently that'll really mess w/your system & monthly cycle. Not sure exactly why--probably someone else here could explain it.
 
Wow- 110- are you the "thin" type? I've never been a thin person. I would say at my best I'm built like Mary Lou Retton- very muscular legs, butt, arms, flat stomach, tend to be stocky. I wear a size 4-6 clothes. I wonder if 2 people can appear to be the same size and look like they might weigh the same but one person is much more dense than another.
I guess I'm really trying to decide if I have a body image disorder or if I'm fat.
All my doctors and coaches have always told me that I'm not fat or overweight. But I still think I must be at 128.
Maybe I should just forget about deciding if I'm fat or not and keep on working out and eating healthy.
 
If you are being asked about your workout routines and told to not make any weight loss goals, you must be doing everything right already.:) I guess we all have our fat spots. I can get into a size 2/4 and during my weak moments I still obssess over the possibility of losing my saddlebags, even though I KNOW they're genetic and are there to stay. I did get to the point where I looked in the mirror and was happy with what I saw. That was when my BFP was between 17-18%. I was on this religious Zone program and used the BFP calculations at the back of the book (don't know how accurate it is). My pear-shaped body looked more proportional. I find it incredibly hard to lose fat around my hips, where my body prefers to dump most of its fat stores. I do get a lot of comments on my upper body and tummy area, which I've never gotten before, so I can't complain.:)

Pinky
 
Amy,

This may sound blunt, but if you're wearing size 4-6, there's no way you're fat, and, going only by your description, I would think that you're not stocky either. Muscle is dense, and weighs more than fat. It sounds like you have a good amount of lean muscle mass, which accounts for your weight. I'm 5'4" and weigh about 122, but I wear 6-8 in pants. I'm not sure what my BFP is, but I know it's over 20%, and I still have people telling me I'm too thin. Anyway, it sounds to me like you're doing a great job. Just concentrate on eating well and exercising, and don't worry about the scale and your weight.
 
Yes, I'm the thin type. I prefer "petite." ;-)

Edited to add: I agree, size 4-6 is the perfect size for someone your height. I'm a 2-4 but I have very small hips (don't know why, some kind of genetic defect I guess, makes it almost impossible to find pants that fit right). In any case, you're right--just stick w/what you're doing, relax & enjoy life.
 
Oh my gosh I think we are the same person!! I know how you feel. I am 5'3 and weigh between 115-120. I feel so fat most of the time and I got down to 105. My mom told me I was looking "old" I'll be 30 next year so I packed on some more lbs. cause I gain it in my face first. You know though when I weighed 105lbs. I still thought I was fat.x(
 
I too have been very interested in body fat measurements and have done some investigation and have tried several methods over the last few years. The most accurate method is underwater weighing. At 5 ft 7inches and 133 lbs I rang in at between 20-21% fat. Using calipers and getting measured by two separate experienced individuals, I got two different readings on the same day. There is still some sujbectivity to interpreting the reading and you only measure certain parts of the body and so it is not as accurate as underwater weighing. Both estimates were several percentage points lower than the water method (16% and 18%). I also tried electrical resistance measurements. These are the least accurate, vary considerably from day to day and tended to give me percentages that were several points over the water method (25-28%). WOW! What an eye opening experience.
 
Thanks for "weighing in" in the topic. ;) I think I went into panic mode when my supposedly elite trainer told me not to try to lose weight. What if I pig out if I'm not in weight loss mode??? Do you mean to tell me I'm finished losing weight? What about this fat on my hips?? Those are my panic thoughts. I'm calmer now and I think I'm just going to enjoy sculpting and see what happens. Thank you for your encouragement.
 
I've read through this and it always amazes me how we are all different shapes and sizes.

I am 5'0" and weigh about 122. I wear a size 4-5 (right now mostly 4 as I've lost a little weight). I swim in 8's. I have no idea what my body fat % is but maybe it's better than I thought!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top